Erin Gaskell

A collection of photographs from the Sankey Archive depicts Morecambe’s seafront, piers, hotels, bathing pool, war memorial, railway booking hall and busy streets from the early 1900s through the 1920s. The images show holidaymakers using the beaches and promenades, historic landmarks such as the Clock Tower and Winter Gardens, and the town’s changing leisure and commercial landscape.

A selection of photographs recalls people enjoying nights out in Barrow during summer 1997, when the Evening Mail’s Nightlife pull-out featured local entertainment listings and club-goer photos. The accompanying nostalgia piece highlights dance group Sensitize, whose performance at Morecambe’s Ardshock night drew an enthusiastic crowd, and dancer Clive “Wiggie” Donaldson, who toured Barrow venues with his troupe and was praised for his ability to energize audiences.

Readers across Cumbria submitted photographs of a solar eclipse seen from locations including Barrow, Dalton, Walney, Millom, Lazonby, Flookburgh and Penrith. Images captured the eclipse through different methods, including a phone fitted with sunglasses over the lens and a welding screen. Lyndsey Davies also shared a view of the total eclipse from Alcudia, Spain.

Multiple flights departing Manchester Airport on Wednesday, August 12, were delayed by more than 45 minutes, with delays ranging from 48 minutes to over three hours. An easyJet flight to Catania was cancelled, while affected destinations included Amsterdam, Girona, Marrakesh, Pisa, Malta, Chania, Mahon, Palma de Mallorca, Naples, Zakynthos, London, Stockholm and Mumbai.

A three-bedroom semi-detached house on Roose Road in Barrow-in-Furness will be auctioned by Auction House Cumbria on September 10 at The Halston Hotel in Carlisle, with a guide price of £85,000 plus fees. The property has front and rear gardens, two garages, a lounge, dining kitchen, three bedrooms and a bathroom, but requires thorough modernisation. Poole Townsend is handling viewings and enquiries.

A freehold retail property on Cavendish Street in Barrow town centre is being marketed for £85,000. The premises include the Sizzle Inn takeaway on the ground floor, along with a first-floor lounge, kitchen and bathroom, and are being sold with the existing tenant in place. Ross Estate Agencies is handling the sale.

More than 320 belongings of the late Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers will be auctioned by Special Auction Services in Newbury on September 8, which would have been his 69th birthday. The collection includes his motorcycle leathers and helmets, television memorabilia, antiques, artwork, personal archives, school reports and unusual signed items. His widow, Lili Myers, said the sale was emotionally difficult, while a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the NSPCC.

Manchester Airport experienced numerous flight delays of more than 45 minutes, affecting departures by airlines including Jet2, easyJet, TUI, KLM and Aer Lingus Regional. One Juneyao Air flight to Shanghai was cancelled, while delays ranged from 48 minutes to 1 hour 32 minutes.

A collection of Sankey Archive photographs offers a glimpse of life at James Dunn Park on Walney between the early 1900s and around 1920. The images show large crowds attending open-air Pierrot performances, as well as children playing, visitors walking through the park, the bandstand, the swan pond, allotments, the Ferry Hotel, the ferry terminal and surrounding streets. The photographs also document changes to the local area, including the presence of the former St Mary's Church before the replacement church opened in 1908.

A retrospective recounts two major motoring events held in Cumbria in 2000. The 25th-anniversary Malcolm Wilson Rally introduced overnight racing, with 150 cars competing through Lowther, Grizedale Forest, Whinlatter and Wythop; North Yorkshire drivers Steve Petcher and John Richardson won in a Ford Escort WRC. The Millennium Classic Motorcycle Show in Barrow attracted enthusiasts from across the North West and featured hundreds of historic motorcycles, including Len Vale Onslow’s Super Onslow Special and Alan Shepherd’s Norton International, alongside appearances by both celebrated figures.

Manchester Airport experienced widespread flight disruption on Friday, August 7, with numerous departures delayed by more than 30 minutes and three cancellations. Delays ranged from around 30 minutes to more than seven hours, affecting domestic, European and long-haul services operated by airlines including Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet, TUI, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. Flightradar24 data identified cancellations involving easyJet, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, while a Ryanair flight to Faro had the longest reported delay at 7 hours 10 minutes.

Westmorland and Furness Council apologized for major delays at Walney Bridge after temporary traffic signals installed for street-lighting works caused far greater congestion than expected. The council said the arrangements fell below public standards, is reviewing its processes, and expects the remaining work to finish within 10 working days without further temporary signals or significant disruption.

A collection of photographs from the Sankey Archive documents Blackpool life from the early 1900s through the 1910s. Images show crowded beaches and promenades, Blackpool North Pier, the Winter Gardens, hotels, trams, horse-drawn carriages, amusement rides, vendors and early flying machines, offering a visual record of the resort’s popularity and everyday entertainment more than a century ago.

A former three-storey veterinary centre on Crellin Street in Barrow-in-Furness is due to be sold at auction with a guide price of £25,000. The freehold commercial property, covering 1,510 square feet, includes consultation rooms, offices, storage areas, a kitchen and toilets, and is described as being in good condition with future development potential. The auction is scheduled for September 10 at the Halston Hotel in Carlisle. Church Walk Veterinary Centre vacated the building in 2024 after relocating to Hollywood Retail Park, and its kennels and operating light will be removed before completion.

BAE Systems is recruiting for a range of positions at its Barrow shipyard and related sites, including structural welders, a graduate human factors engineer, a procurement leader, a construction-project supply chain manager and a senior continuous improvement professional. The roles offer salaries ranging from £34,000 to about £68,000, with some including shift allowances or welcome bonuses, and support the Astute and Dreadnought submarine programmes as well as major construction and infrastructure projects.

A look back at the June 1997 Nightlife photo pages, which featured Furness residents enjoying nights out and winners of the Face in the Crowd prizes. The article also revisits the sale of the closed Eclipse nightclub, whose owner Sheila Stephenson said it would reopen as a nightclub under a mystery buyer with ambitious plans, although the buyer’s identity was not disclosed.

The article revisits the Evening Mail's 5-13 Club, a popular Saturday feature for children in south Cumbria during 1998. It recalls the club's competitions, prizes, cinema screenings and membership promotions, and identifies children whose photographs appeared as winners in January and February that year.

Japanese knotweed data from Environet’s heatmap shows dozens of reported cases within five miles of postcodes in Barrow, Dalton and Ulverston. The invasive plant can grow rapidly, spread easily and reduce property values by up to 10 percent in severe cases. Environet estimates around five percent of homes nationwide are affected, cautioning that issues arise when infestations spread, disrupt development or complicate property transactions, and provides guidance on identifying the plant.

Tributes from family, colleagues, and former patients honor orthopaedic surgeon Roland Michaud, who died on the day of his planned retirement after more than 26 years at Furness General Hospital. A portrait painted by Catherine MacDiarmid has been unveiled in the hospital’s outpatient department, prompting widespread messages praising his skill, kindness, and impact on both staff and patients.

A Smyths Toys store in Barrow will offer a free LEGO Pokémon Mini Build on August 1 starting at 9 a.m., limited to one per customer while supplies last. The event is open to ages seven and above and will also feature LEGO SMART Play demonstrations across UK stores.

Five popular south Cumbria tapas restaurants are highlighted through customer reviews praising food quality, service, atmosphere and value. Pedro’s Casa in Kendal, Bar eS in Ambleside, Comida in Kendal, L’al Churrasco in Ulverston and Tapios in Windermere earn consistently high ratings for standout dishes, friendly staff and memorable dining experiences.

Residents share nostalgic memories of the Princess Selandia, a former floating nightclub in Barrow-in-Furness, recalling its confusing layout, mishaps on staircases, a bouncy castle, celebrity encounters and experiences from both partygoers and staff, highlighting its unique place in local nightlife history.

Photos from inside the Cry nightclub in 1997 highlight Barrow’s vibrant late‑1990s nightlife and introduce Sensitize, a new dance group formed by local promoter Lisa Hunter. The group, featuring DJ Bassdriver, MC Jester and vocalist Fay, offered free half‑hour performances to local clubs as they prepared for an upcoming all‑nighter at Morecambe’s Dome Complex. Hunter sourced dancers from local venues and created the group’s costumes, aiming to build a local following before expanding nationally.

Photos and recollections highlight Barrow’s vibrant 1997 nightlife and the rise of local dance group The Gift, whose members Craig Nelson, Johnny Williams and Mark Ashley secured a deal with Stepping Out Records. Anticipation surrounded the release of their tracks I Want You and How Do We (Move On), which were promoted internationally as the group aimed to break into the charts and make an impact on the Mediterranean club scene, particularly Ibiza.

A 2016 carnival at Brisbane Park Infant School transformed Barrow’s streets into a Roald Dahl–themed parade featuring costumes inspired by his stories. Staff, parents, local artists and community partners, including McDonald’s, collaborated to create the event, which celebrated creativity, reading and community engagement. More than 200 pupils participated, with organisers noting strong parental support and the value of connecting the school with its wider neighbourhood.

Photos from Barrow’s 1990s nightlife highlight the local venue The Hartington and feature a young Barrow band, Tonic, whose members were tipped for success after receiving music industry attention despite narrowly missing a competition slot at Glastonbury. EMI and Polygram showed interest in the group, and they were promised a future Glastonbury appearance.