25 Years Ago February 2, 1979WITH two sections of exhaust pipe, two screws and six studs, two Ambleside men have invented the first set of crampons for crutches!Three weeks ago Tom Tomlinson spun his car round on a patch of ice. When it refused to re-start, he pushed it and snapped his Achilles tendon. After an operation, Tom returned home to Ambleside but his house is on a hill and with his leg in plaster for at least six weeks it looked as if home would become a prison.So Tom, who works as an electrician, got out paper and pencil and designed himself a pair of crampons to fix on the end of his crutches.But it was blacksmith Ian Benson who finally helped Tom get a grip on life again. Tom slid down to Ian's forge and between them they made the first pair of crutch crampons. With two rings fitted with three studs, Tom was back on his feet again and able to hop home safely through the ice and snow.50 Years Ago January 30, 1954PROOF that the world is a small place comes from Cartmel with the relating of a coincident while a party of visitors was looking around the Priory there. Mrs Jackson, Cartmel, overhearing one of the strangers say that the church was rather like that of Bakewell (Derbyshire), said that it was not quite as big as the Priory. "Do you know Bakewell Church?" asked the visitor."Yes, I lived there for a time," replied Mrs Jackson, "and was nearly drowned in the River Wye when I was three-years-old. The man who saved me was rewarded by the Royal Humane Society.""Then you must be Florence Bamford (Mrs Jackson's maiden name) and it was my husband who pulled you out of the river."100 Years Ago January 30, 1904STAVELEY has had an experience which it will not forget. The man in the street who sees one of the immense cast-iron cylinders through which the water is conveyed from Thirlmere to Manchester, finds it difficult to believe that it could be shattered by any pressure of water due merely to gravitation.The peculiarity of the accident at Staveley is that it occurred while the spot was surrounded by workmen engaged in laying a second line of pipes and involved loss of life as well as the flooding of the neighbourhood. A column of water, with the weight of Thirlmere behind it, is no respecter of persons. One poor fellow when it struck was flung into the air like a cork, and then carried by the torrent into a pipe. It was the next day before he could be recovered. The shock of the first impact would render him unconscious, as a second man who was also struck was rendered unconscious and would have perished too, but that his mates were able to grasp and drag him into safety.150 Years Ago February 4, 1854ON MONDAY morning at daylight the inhabitants of Hammerside Hill, near Ulverston, were surprised to see a strange schooner lying aground about a quarter-of-a-mile from Canal Foot. John Brockbank, a pilot, living on Chapel Island, accompanied by Thomas Twedal, a fisherman, went on board the vessel, which had been deserted by the crew. The schooner proved to be The Lady Maxwell, of Newry, laden with oatmeal. The persons who boarded her were afraid that the craft might go to pieces and on the rising of the tide left her to her fate. At the flow of the tide the schooner began to drift towards the Cartmel side of the bay, when several captains proceeded from Canal Foot in a boat, boarded her and brought the vessel to Canal Foot, where it is now lying without much damage to ship or cargo.Soon after the schooner was moored, her captain John Rae arrived. He gave account of the disaster. They had left Dundalk for Fleetwood with the wind blowing hard and the gale increasing. The captain, when off Fleetwood, not daring to enter port ran for Peil, but unfortunately the vessel struck Peil bar and finally went on her beam ends. After one of the seamen was washed overboard and drowned, the Captain and crew left her to provide for their own safety.