A newly published book titled Penrith Town Trails by Carole Atkinson, features 50 photographs all taken in 1978 around Penrith by Gordon Browne, who lived in the town and worked as a surveyor.
The book shows life in a busy vibrant 1978 Penrith back in an age when there was a Woolworth and Greenwood’s in Middlegate, a Walter Wilson at the entrance to Queen Street.
Many familiar buildings feature in the book but some surprises will pop out for those who are not familiar with 1970’s Penrith as big proud buildings stand in place of what is now Angle Square and traffic travelling both ways through the town along the A6.
Carole writes in her book: “I remember the first time I saw it Penrith in 1967.”
“I stepped down from the London to Penrith train, with my new Penrithian fiance called Jeff Atkinson. I was 18 years old and had never been away from my family home, in north London, before over Christmas or to Cumbria.”
The book came about in 1978, when Carol was a student teacher, living in Yorkshire.
Speaking with Penrith Town about the book Carol said “My husband, his family and friends were all born in Penrith. We wanted to live and work in Penrith, but as you probably know, Transport and Distribution managers jobs were scarce.”
At teacher training, we were given several Assignments to choose from. I love history and Penrith, so I decided to write this book. Gordon Brown, worked for Armstrongs and was their local surveyor in Penrith. Like me, he loved history. I asked for his help. I believe he was a member of The Civic Society and others. So, I went up to Penrith with Jeff, my husband babysitting two small children and Gordon and I went round the town, selecting what we thought could be in the trail.”
“He took his camera and we we made a plan of different trails, so everyone, of any age or disability had a choice. I researched each building, using bibliographies from Penrith Library archives, Tourist Information Centre, Armstrong and Lowe, inhabitants of Penrith including my in laws, friends. I hand wrote the book, containing 96 pages and Gordon and I developed the lovely 50 sepia photos he took and mounted them. Opposite each photo, I put the history. Those days, there were no computers, or iPhones, the web for information. Even the headings were done by using a stencil pen, or those old sheets, whereby you had to line up the letters very carefully and rub the letters and numbers used. It was painstaking work. “
“When we finished the book, although it had to be presented for assessment and kept until 1980, when I qualified, I made a promise to Gordon, I would get it published.”
Unfortunately, Carole was unable to keep the promise, until now, as her husband Jeff became ill, with a rare brain tumour, just before she qualified as a teacher in January, 1980, at the age of 30, with two young children.
The book was put away, in Carole’s loft until she rediscovered it during the pandemic.
500 copies of the book have been published printed by Reeds Printers in Penrith The book can be purchased at in Penrith at Hedgehog Books, Beckside Books and Penrith Tourist Information.
One of the locals we showed a copy of the book to in Penrith last week said “I love the book, it’s so beautifully done and invokes a lot of happy memories of growing up in Penrith in the 70’s and early 80’s.”
Carole said “I am overwhelmed by the response to my book. I love history and Penrith, which holds happy memories for me.”
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