The JB lookalikes (wigs, T-shirts and all) climbed the eponymous, Glaramara, where they managed to obtain a mobile phone signal to talk to their hero and Honorary President, on holiday in Majorca. As organiser, Simon Davies explained ’The Julia Bradbury’s stared at my mobile in disbelief when they heard her chatting away and the industrial language used by some of the team was hopefully faded out by the wind and the rain from the mountain – Julia never commented on it, but I guess she must have heard something! A true professional – even on her holiday!’

Linda Furness of KTA only wished she could have joined the JB’s on their walk having had such a good time at the Centre during the photo shoot.  In thanking everybody concerned, she made special mention of Gina Fox (Julia’s sister & agent) as well as Julia herself for their support.

More Photos - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2072691&id=1385731061&l=d44758259e

For further information on ‘the Julia Bradbury’s’ please contact

Paul Hughes by emailing: t.hillcrest@hotmail.co.uk

or Simon Davies by emailing: jp.simondavies@hotmail.co.uk

• The event is open to anybody who has an interest in local history, geography and geology.
• However, we are also aiming to attract walkers and ramblers who would like to know more about the surroundings and sites found in this section of the Borrowdale valley.
• Events of this kind have been very few and far between and we are hoping it will lead on to more events involving more mines and other ‘hidden treasures’.
• We are looking to involve some guided walking to and from sites, where possible, and/or mini bus transport. The proposed schedule is as follows:

All this for the great price of £195 including three nights accommodation, all your meals, tuition, guides and transport to and from sites.

We are currently trying to guage interest in running such an Event in 2010.   A similar weekend can also be offered over two nights, where there is demand.If you feel this is something which may be of interest to you or your group then please contact us or telephone 017687 77222 for more detail.

Born during the First World War in South East London she was raised in the area and following medical training,  qualified as a Doctor at University College London. After marrying her husband, Leslie, they brought up their family in Bromley, Kent.   Joan and Leslie came to live in Keswick in 1978 where they enjoyed 24 years of life in the Lake District before Leslie  died in 2002, aged 89.   Joan is still seen regularly in the morning striding along Brundholme Road and Crosthwaite Road in order to pick up her morning paper.

Three generations of the family came from all over the country booked in at Glaramara for the special occasion.  Unfortunately, grandson, Ben, could not be in attendance as his wife, Michelle, has just given birth to another member of the family, Emily.

Joan said it was ‘lovely to so many members of the family together and I would like to thank them all for coming’.  Her four children: Elizabeth, Jonathan, Janet and Roger were in unison in wishing their mother a wonderful birthday and said ‘that having the sole use of Glaramara for the occasion made it a great venue with everyone making them feel so welcome’.

Having also celebrated her 90th birthday at Glaramara we are now looking forward to a hat-trick of appearances on her 100th birthday in 2015.

Joan with family members                       Joan receiving flowers from David.

Head Chef Gareth Speight said ‘we are delighted to have our high standards recognised. We have recently undergone a major refurbishment of our kitchen and have put a lot time into implementing our management procedures and practices’.

The awards, sponsored by the Environment Agency and Resource Cumbria, reward 230 leading businesses that are benefitting the Cumbrian Environment.   Winners were announced in three categories, Bronze, Silver and Gold and the Awards wre presented by Environmental Agency Environmental Manager, John Shatwell to businesses on their commitment to changing working practices to lower their environmental impact.

Since receiving a Bronze Excellence Award, we were pleased and honoured to be awarded in June with the Silver Award. We are determined to work hard at retaining our status and, ultimately, are looking towards the Gold Award.

Whilst access inside the mine itself is not possible there is more than enough of interest across this vast site for everyone.   There is, also, the added bonus of being able to enjoy a guided tour of the ‘Crushing Mill’ which, whilst not ‘winning any architectural awards’ houses an intriguing array of processing machines.  Initially, mined for lead from its inception in 1839,  it was later mined for zinc and barytes.

For youth groups it provides a great resource for many subjects of the National Curriculum due to its geographical location, the geology of the site and its insight into social history. It is also very relevant to current local environmental issues.  With the current deterioration of Bassenthwaite Lake, in particular, concerns over water pollution are having to be addressed by the National Trust, the Environment Agency and other interested bodies.

Since its closure, workings have filled with water leading to contaminated material escaping via Coledale Beck.   Steve Johnson of the EA, has recently said that ‘we are facing a stiff challenge to restore water quality in the beck but we will work hard to make sure that this does not compromise the archaeology and ecology of this important site.’ Learn more about how this is being tackled and the pressure being applied by the local Bassenthwaite Reflections Project.

For further details and images please visit: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1215 and http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=42192

So if you are looking for something a little different during your stay in the Lake District, away from the crowds and where not many have gone before, we think this little adventure is for you.

• The event is run throughout the year and is open, in particular, to anybody who has an interest in local history, geography and geology.
• However, we are also aiming to attract walkers and ramblers who would just like to know more about the area which they find themselves.
• We think that this is of interest to all age groups, including rambling clubs, school and college groups and those taking part in the John Muir Award.
• A half day event which can be extended to a full day event depending upon the amount of walking required.

The cost includes:

• a guided tour around the Force Crag mine site and Crushing Mill
• a qualified and experienced walking guide
• transport to and from the start point (if required)
• packed lunch (if required)

We recommend standard walking gear and equipment.  Boots and waterproofs are available for hire from Glaramara.

* A minimum group number of 10 applies

Please contact us or Tel: 017687 77222 for further details including dates which suit you.

The first floor can be cleared of its furnishings to provide a surprisingly large space for your Event or Course.  You need not be involved with outdoor activities nor does the Event need to be linked in with an outdoor activity programme (although with the equipment store in the ground floor you may want to consider using this service).   The Centre can provide a full catering service should you so wish as well as providing presentation equipment.  A drying room, toilets and showers (included those for the disabled or less- abled) complete the Facility.

If you are a group organiser, school teacher, a practitioner looking for a new venue to run courses, adult education provider or events,college or university administrator please feel free to contact us for further information.  We think its lovely rural setting will add a new and interesting dimension to your Event.

You are very welcome to ‘pay us’ a visit to see for yourself.

The Youth in Action Programme aims to inspire a sense of active European citizenship and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the Union’s future by boosting their participation in democratic life. The programme promotes non-formal learning and intercultural dialogue among European Youth, as well as the inclusion of all young people, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds. A brief outline of the Youth in Action programme can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/youth/glance/glance5_en.htm.

‘I’ve seen a lot of pictures and heard a lot of stories about Glaramara, and this February I had the chance to experience it myself. It is a wonderful place that offers a lot of fun activities and also has great working conditions. The environment itself motivated me with fresh ideas. The seminar itself was a great experience for me to meet all those people and who shared their stories about their organisations and the activities they have. I can say that I made some wonderful friends as well as making partnerships’. Ivana Stojkovska, Programme Manager for Encouraging personal development of young people, Blue Sky Youth Network, Macedonia

‘Glaramara was honoured and very proud to be chosen for this event.  In welcoming leaders from all over Europe, we hope that we were able to show off our small corner of the UK as a great location for future young people to visit as well as a place to do business.  We are grateful to GOAL for choosing to arrange the event at Glaramara’ . David Oglethorpe, Director at Glaramara.

European Youth in Action - leaders problem solving at Glaramara