Natland.info Update: December 2006

Last month I reported the seeming explosion of visitors to the web site but that the true statistics were being swamped by spammers trying in vain to access the Open Forum. This process continued apace in December month with 4,224 visits (up from 2,700 in November).  The number of genuine visitors, as measured by the number of times the News page was downloaded, was itself a record but a much more modest 330.

Once again it is gratifying to see that all of our "buttoned" pages are well frequented and that the Canal Restoration file was downloaded 38 more times.

Alerts:  If you would like to receive e-mail notification of significant new items on this website please click on and send us a blank e-mail.  Rest assured that your @ddress will not be divulged to anyone unconnected with Natland.info.

Don Shore
5th January 2007

Natland Weather Report

Summary of the year:

The year finished with an exceptionally wet December! We had heavy rain in the first and last weeks of the month and it was very windy. The temperature was milder but we rarely saw the sun.

Total rainfall for the year was 55 inches which is higher than the average of about 50 inches.

November produced very similar results to last year. After a dry start, we have had some rain every day from the 11th to the end of the month, although never all day, fortunately

October's statistics are similar to last year. There was a more noticeable drop in temperature compared to September as the latter was so warm this year. The other feature was that some rain fell in nearly every 24 hour period. We had two days when approx 1 inch fell each time : 5th and 25th of the month.

In common with the rest of the country, September was warm, in fact only 1 degree down on August. Rainfall was average but 3 inches fell in the first week of the month.

What a difference to July!  August was 3 degrees cooler and 3 times wetter, but not as much rainfall as August 2004 when we had 9 inches of rains

July was the hottest and driest month of the year.

June was quite a dry month. There was no significant rain until 12th June and very little in the last week. Summer came at last with a 5 degree increase in temperature from May.

May was slightly cooler this year and we had more rain than usual. There was some rain recorded every day from 13th  to 26th may. No sign of a drought here!

We had an exceptionally cold March with snow on several days. The last week of the month saw higher temperatures but heavy rain. Total rainfall was double the amount for the same month in both 2004 and 2005.

Weather Forecast

To see the weather forecast for the Natland and Kendal area try the following links:

If you are going walking in the hills you might find it helpful to consult

The Pick of the Litter!

Has anyone noticed a difference in the amount of litter in the parish?

Volunteers from the Parish Council and the Litter Working Group held a litter pick targeted on Natland Road, Helm Lane and Burton Road, clearing accumulated litter exposed by the Highway Authority's four-yearly full width verge cut.  Dilly Bridge as usual yielded a large quantity of rubbish, including the contents of someone's wardrobe!  A quantity of bottles and cans was removed from around the seat and near the railway bridge on Helm Lane. 

However, more litter is already appearing and the Parish Council has already earmarked Saturday 31st March for the annual litter pick when volunteers will be sought from all the community.

Rhian Peters, 30th December 2006

St Mark's School End of Term Report

St Mark's School had a busy and enjoyable term. 

Alongside their normal curriculum, pupils took part in fund raising and competitions.  A sponsored walk raised money for diabetes awareness, and Christmas boxes were packed and sent to orphans in Eastern Europe.  School funds were boosted by cake baking and a football speed mark challenge. 

Pupils also enjoyed a lesson and demonstration led by an international gymnast. 

The school team got through to the second round in the local Maths Quiz, and the Junior Citizen Quiz team won the South Lakes competition. 

On the sports side, football and netball teams remain unbeaten. 

The Year 2 class was chosen as one of 50 classes nationally to judge the 7-9 category in the prestigious Nestle Children's Book Prize and benefitted immensely from the experience. 

Year 4 pupil Georgia Hardman painted her winning fish design on the wall of the newly decorated Kendal Leisure Centre, and Heather Ramsay's design for a dream bedroom will be a permanent feature in the reception area of the new Travelodge on the A591. 

A highlight of the term was the presentation of the Healthy School Award at a ceremony in Rheged.  Senior teacher Mrs Grant has worked hard over the last two years to develop policy, practice and a healthy school culture.  There will be a display showing some of the activities which have led to the award in the church entrance in the new year.  Term ended as usual with a Christmas celebration in church.

Summarised by Rhian Peters from the Head's Report, 30th December 2006

Virus Alert

A concerned Natlander referred to natland.info an e-mail (shown below) that he had received about a computer virus and suggested we should publicise it on the website. Fortunately we were able to recognise it as a hoax virus message.  

Nevertheless it is worthwhile alerting you to this message so that you do not fall into the trap of believing it.  Variants of this message have been going around for years and the consistent theme is that there is a risk of massive damage to your computer, that there is no known anti-virus (usually attributing this to McAfee or Norton) and that you should forward the message to everyone in your address book.

This is exactly what you should NOT do!

If you were to send this message to everyone in your address book and they were to do likewise and so on, very soon the internet would be clogged up with millions of unwanted and unnecessary e-mails.  Worse, if they sent it so that the e-mail addresses are visible, eventually your e-mail address could end up on a computer that is not virus protected and might be hi-jacked by a spammer so that messages seeming to come from you are being sent to unknown people, possibly also by then carrying a virus.

If you do receive a message of this sort, first check with your virus protection company's web site.  For example, the message shown below is listed on the McAfee Virus Hoaxes web page as the Olympic Torch Hoax.  If you still can't find it, check with your internet service provider.

Here is a typical text of the Olympic Torch hoax virus e-mail message:

Please read the attached warning issued today.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS:

You should be alert during the next days:

Do not open any message with an attached filed called "Invitation" regardless of who sent it .

It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which "burns" the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you should send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called "invitation", though sent by a friend, do not open it and shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN, it has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.

This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus.

This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, COPY THIS E-MAIL AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.

If you receive this e-mail, or one like it, delete it and DO NOT forward it to other users. The message on the McAfee Virus Hoaxes web page is worth repeating:

Virus Hoaxes

There are a lot of viruses out there. But some aren't really out there at all. Virus hoaxes are more than mere annoyances, as they may lead some users to routinely ignore all virus warning messages, leaving them vulnerable to a genuine, destructive virus.

Next time you receive an urgent virus warning message, be sure to check the list of known virus hoaxes on the McAfee Virus Hoaxes web page. Remember: Never open an email attachment unless you know what it is--even if it's from someone you know and trust.

Remember that virus writers can use known hoaxes to their advantage. For example, AOL4FREE began as a hoax virus warning. Then somebody distributed a destructive trojan attached to the original hoax virus warning! The lessons are clear:

•   Always remain vigilant
•   Never open a suspicious attachment

Don Shore
14th December 2006

Magistrates Wanted

Over the next couple of years there will be a number of vacancies for new magistrates in the South Lakeland area.  Here are two web sites that will give you more general information about becoming a magistrate:  BBC & DCA.  The priority locally is for individuals who are under 50 and there is currently a greater need for males than females.

Don Shore, 5th December 2006

Natland.info Update: November 2006

I was starting to get suspicious that the number of visitors to the web site was too large to be real when I wrote last month's report.  When the number for November topped 2,700 I just knew something was not right.  What made me particularly suspicious was that the number of visits to the Open Forum was seemingly some ten times higher than any other page so I asked Gordon Galloway of Broken Windows, who hosts the web site, if he could explain what was going on.  He was able to tell me that the Open Forum was being targeted by spambots -computers programmed to send unwelcome letters often promoting the sort of products that genuine visitors to Natland.info are unlikely to want, or at least admit wanting!  That may also explain why we had so many visitors seeming to come from the far east or eastern europe.

So now I am having to revise the estimates of genuine visitors.  As explained in the August update, it is not easy to get an accurate figure but I have decided to use the number of visitors to the News page as a proxy for the number of genuine visitors.  The revised table is shown below.

These figures "feel" much more realistic.  It is also gratifying to see that all of our "buttoned" pages are well frequented and that 28 people downloaded the file on the Canal Restoration.

Alerts:  If you would like to receive e-mail notification of significant new items on this website please click on and send us a blank e-mail.  Rest assured that your @ddress will not be divulged to anyone unconnected with Natland.info.

Don Shore
5th December 2006

Neighbourhood Watch:  Thefts in Endmoor

Overnight on the 27th/28th November numerous vehicles were broken into and property stolen in the Low Cottage, Woodside Close, Elm Grove, Gatebeck Road and Doveness Lane areas of Endmoor. Also, there was damage to a Red Cross vehicle in Natland. The premises of L & W. Wilson in Endmoor were also broken into and a Mercedes tipper stolen.  15 wagons were also entered.  

If you have any information regarding these incidents please contact the Police.  In the meantime please ensure that all valuables are removed from your vehicles and that anything suspicious is reported to the Police.

Andrea Bell, Neighbourhood Watch Development Officer
28th November 2006

Lancaster Canal (Northern Reaches) Restoration Update

Natland Parish Councillors Mike Dickinson and David Peters recently attended a meeting with the Lancaster Canal (Northern Reaches) Restoration Partnership Steering Group.

Their report of the meeting is essential reading for any Natlander interested in this project.

Do you have an opinion regarding the canal restoration?  Why not let natland.info know? Share your views with others by posting an item on the Open Forum.

Report submitted by David Peters
28th November 2006

Keeping in Touch through Natland.info

The letters on the Open Forum from Peggy Osborne (née Earp) and Angela Thackray (née Ball) reminiscing about their time in Natland is good example of how ex-Natlanders and those temporarily away from home can use this web site to keep in touch with their roots.  If you are in contact with folk who have moved away, be they friends or relatives, but retain an interest in the village, why not tell them about natland.info? If you (or they) let us have their e-mail @ddress we can add them to our e- so that they can be kept abreast of Natland village life, past and present. Rest assured that the e-mailing list is not used for any other purpose and the @ddresses remain confidential.

Don Shore
27th November 2006

Monday Club:  Lakeland Allsorts

Maurice, until he recently retired, farmed in a remote valley near Wasdale and pursued photography as his hobby which he performs with considerable skill and to a very high standard.

The first part of his show concentrated on the Wasdale area and in particular the screes with its wide variety of flora and fauna.

He then went on to give the history of the rushbearing ceremony at Grasmere including the hymn which was specially written for it.

Finally, he moved on to Mardale and gave a resume of how the valley was flooded in the 1930's to provide water for Manchester - a sad and somewhat poignant end to what had been a fascinating lecture

 Paul Singleton, 27th November 2007

Neighbourhood Watch:  Mobile Phone Fraud

If you receive a phone call on your mobile from any person saying that he or she is a company engineer or telling you that they're checking your mobile line and you have to press #90 or #09 or any other number end the call immediately without pressing any numbers. There is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your "SIM" card and make calls at your expense. Forward this message to as many colleagues, relatives and friends as you can, to stop it.

Police
23rd November 2006

Neighbourhood Watch:  Landrover Defender PN06KVD

Have you seen a silver Landrover Defender, registration PN06KVD ?

This vehicle was in Grange today, the driver asking about scrap metal. This vehicle may have been involved in an incident in Kendal last month when an elderly person was duped into paying for shoddy and unnecessary building work.

Please report any sightings to the police on 0845 33 00 247 and quote log 165 of 21/11/06.  

Police
21st November 2006

Natland Monday Club 25th Anniversary

This year the Monday Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary since it was formed in 1981 by Sam Inglesfield, the then headmaster of Natland Village School (see Natland & Oxenholme- the Story of a Westmorland Village).

The club continues to flourish with a membership of around 55 over 60s, with three members well into their nineties.

Paul Singleton
22nd November 2006

Natland Guides Christmas Card Delivery Service

1st Natland Guides is again offering a delivery service for Christmas cards to local addresses. This is a free service but any contributions received will be given to a charity chosen by the guides.  There will be a box at the back of St Mark's Church from Sunday 3rd December and the last collection will be after morning service on Sunday 17th December.  Please ensure that all cards have the full address clearly written on the envelope.  Please note, the service only applies to destinations within the parish.

Joyce Watkinson, Guide Leader
7th November 2006

Skip Cannon Recalls

Jim Cannon has lived in Natland nearly all his life.  As a boy, he loved exploring the surrounding countryside, a love which was further enhanced when he joined the Natland Scouts. Years later, in 1953, he helped to resurrect the 1st Kendal Scouts.  This was the beginning of many happy years as "Skip" which he relates in his new book "Skip Cannon Recalls".

There will also be a display in Kendal Library from Friday 24th November 2006 and Jim will be signing his book at the Library on Saturday 2nd December between 10 a.m. and midday.  

Anne Bonney, Helm Press
7th November 2006

Rachel Thanks the Voters

Don Shore
3rdt November 2006

Natland.info Update

There was a massive increase in the number of visitors to the web site in October.  Quite why that should be is difficult to say but it would no doubt be helped by the fact that every copy of Whin Inglesfield's book on Natland contained a "flyer" about the web site.

Although most visitors came from UK or ".com" sources, we know that we also received visits from a remarkable range of countries including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Japan, Korea (South), Malaysia, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand & Ukraine.

Alerts:  If you would like to receive e-mail notification of significant new items on this website please click on and send us a blank e-mail.  Rest assured that your @ddress will not be divulged to anyone unconnected with Natland.info.

Don Shore
1st November 2006

As you venture out on Halloween (or any other time for that matter), take great care. For either Natland residents have highly developed imaginations or there is a remarkably large number of supernatural apparitions abounding in such a small community!

Whin Inglesfield, in her book "Natland and Oxenholme, the story of a Westmorland Village" lists several local "dobbies":

• The troublesome husband and wife spirits, exorcised to lie in a trough beneath Hawes Bridge but one, "Kittle my belly", occasionally escapes and goes spinning in the garret of its favourite house in Natland, whilst the other amuses itself about the bridge, stopping up stiles and terrifying midnight passengers
• The "versi-coloured rabbit of Scit Scot Brow"
• Old Minikin the miser who drowned himself to stop him being starved
• The White Lady of Smallhorn's Stile
• The Grinning Human Head in Natland Park's Yeat Stoup
• The Headless Man who pursued people with his detached head
• The White Cat of "Crakelt Lane head"
• A large black dobby at Tithe Barn End
• The Haunted Stone on Helm where a murdered lady's head beset with horns arises out of the stone

Plus various others further afield.

In addition, visitors to natland.info have also reported:

• The Lady in White on Helm Lane whose appearance is said to be a forewarning of an imminent death
• Travis- the headless hovering white dog said to be seen near Cracalt
• Roman Legions marching by Natland Hall Farm
• Coach and Horses galloping across the Village Green

So, you have been warned!

Don Shore
29th October 2006

Neighbourhood Watch Update

High Pressure Salesmen:  Please be aware that a company from Lancashire is operating in this area offering to install burglar alarms and other security systems. This firm employs cold calling and high pressure tactics to bully people into parting with their money for sub standard and overpriced work. They operate contrary to Trading Standards policy.  

Remember to say a firm No to such companies and only use the services of reputable traders. Please contact Terry Belshaw on 01539 818787 if you require further advice.

Vehicle Watch:  Vehicle Watch stickers are once again available.  They are free of charge.  All you need to do is display them in your vehicle.  If your car is then seen on the road between midnight and 6 a.m., the Police will give it a check.  If you see a car displaying this sticker when you are out and about during these hours, contact the Police and make a note of the description of the driver and the directions of travel.  To order your sticker, click on and send an e-mail with your name and address.

Andrea Bell
Neighbourhood Watch Development Officer
18th October 2006

Farm Watch Update

The Farm Watch Smartwater project was launched recently to reduce the number of raids on agricultural premises.  Thieves have cost Cumbrian farmers £1.6m in the last four years.  Farmers in South Lakes will be able to join the new scheme, which involves a more hi-tech version of marking and identifying property.

Oover the next few months all farms in South Lakeland