Rory visited Bampton village hall this Tuesday and hailed it as a ‘model for the country.’ He met Chairman John Garside, Treasurer Lesley White and Secretary Sharon Metcalfe and learned how the village hall committee has connected the solar panels on their roof into national ‘feed-in tarrifs’ to cover not only the cost of their electricity […]
Rory spent a day with the Forestry Commission investigating its role in the management of woodlands in his constituency. Following a tense national debate on the issue earlier this year, Rory has now met with representatives of Save Lakeland’s Forests, the National Trust, and the Forestry Commission in an attempt to get a detailed picture of forestry operations in Penrith and […]
Rory has contacted Royal Mail to highlight the need for a post-box to be replaced at Penrith’s newly refurbished Morrisons supermarket. On a recent visit to the store Rory met with campaigners and discussed the need for a post-box with Store Manager Jackie Mills, who has already collected a petition of hundreds of names in support of the box. Rory […]
Rory is ‘cautiously optimistic’ that the Government may now provide guarantees to ‘keep Newton Rigg Cumbrian.’ In response to a year-long Cumbrian campaign, the Skills Funding Agency has said publicly that it will not allow Newton Rigg’s assets to be stripped. Rory says: “This is a start but it’s not yet good enough. We need it not just in […]
Rory spent the morning of April 12th at Hopes Auction Mart in Wigton talking to farmers and staff assembled for the mart’s popular Spring Sale of cattle and sheep. In a show of solidarity with the region’s farming industry Rory chatted with farmers about a variety of issues, from delayed single farm payments to volatile market prices and the establishment of […]
Rory met staff and members of Wigton charity Chrysalis last Tuesday April 12th at their Longthwaite Road site, and visited their wholefoods shop in the town. In discussions with managers Claire Doherty and Julie Kemp, Rory focused on the charity’s contract with Adult Social Care, and discussed ways in which it is might generate business income and more charitable […]
In Wigton last Tuesday I learnt that it is about to celebrate its 750th anniversary as a market town. I am really looking forward to it but I have to confess I find Wigton in 1262 a place foreign in almost every conceivable way. In 1262 most of the people spoke a dialect heavily influenced […]
Dear All, First – thank you to everyone who supported the campaign to save the Penrith cinema. This Thursday, the owners, Graves, telephoned me to say that they have agreed to keep it open for another ten years. It is a most generous gesture by Graves. But it is also a real triumph for all […]
Dear Sir, This is now our last chance to protect Newton Rigg. Hundreds of Cumbrians – and well-wishers from further afield – have signed our petition to ‘Keep Newton Rigg Cumbrian’, and continue to email me daily with their messages of support. We now need one last push. As you know, this is something which we have been fighting […]
Rory has hailed the saving of Penrith cinema as a ‘triumph of community action”. “Save Penrith Cinema” was launched in January when its owners announced that the long-established cinema was to close and be re-let in a matter of months. A vibrant campaign brought hundreds of supporters into the streets, formed a community-purchase committee and raised […]