Workington on a wet afternoon


I agree with that, several places in that area are the same now, most haven't changed in years.
Just like Co Durham suffered with ‘D’ category villages in the 60’s. Evidence of total lack of ‘Levelling Up’ by mainly Tory governments. Lack of investment to promote jobs ,lack of infrastructure but mainly lack of interest in the area. Compare this to Greater London and Home Counties and money hoyed into Manchester, Leeds ,West Midlands and Liverpool. Only fit to house a nuclear power plant !!! As far away from south east as possible.
 
Just like Co Durham suffered with ‘D’ category villages in the 60’s. Evidence of total lack of ‘Levelling Up’ by mainly Tory governments. Lack of investment to promote jobs ,lack of infrastructure but mainly lack of interest in the area. Compare this to Greater London and Home Counties and money hoyed into Manchester, Leeds ,West Midlands and Liverpool. Only fit to house a nuclear power plant !!! As far away from south east as possible.

The area(s) have been very badly let down & it shows
The area(s) have been very badly let down & it shows

Some areas of Cumbria (+ others) have sickeningly been "forgotten about" [sorry, poor choice of description by myself].
 
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Superb video, very poignant & quite sad, thanks for posting it.


Brings back more memories of walking around the ground & thinking back to what it must have been like in earlier football league times.

Aye, love a bit nostalgia like. If I happen to be visiting a town that boasts an old football ground I always try to make time to pop along for a shufti, revisit the old days. One time, back in the days when Blackpool were really struggling, I wandered along to see Bloomfield Road. It was sad to see the old place in such a state, peeling paint, rusted ironwork, crumbling concrete. One of the stands must have been closed, grass growing on the terrace where once upon a time thousands stood watching Stan Mathews work his magic.
 
Aye, love a bit nostalgia like. If I happen to be visiting a town that boasts an old football ground I always try to make time to pop along for a shufti, revisit the old days. One time, back in the days when Blackpool were really struggling, I wandered along to see Bloomfield Road. It was sad to see the old place in such a state, peeling paint, rusted ironwork, crumbling concrete. One of the stands must have been closed, grass growing on the terrace where once upon a time thousands stood watching Stan Mathews work his magic.

You're obviously the same as myself, I also love (& prefer) the older grounds with a bit of history & memories, I also visited Bloomfield Rd a few years back when the stand on one side had been removed before being rebuilt so the pitch was only a few yards away behind a metal fence so the whole place could be viewed from pitchside. I've been to a few grounds that have long gone into decline but the memories are still there, very sad.
 
Location not affecting Barrow atm :lol:
Barrow are based in Lancashire these days. Only go to Barrow on a matchday.
At the time Burridge made his debut, Reds had a keeper called Mike Rogan who was pretty decent. A fee bigger clubs were looking at him and the rumour was he wouldn’t move away from the area. He lived at the opposite end of the street I lived in with his parents. I think Burridge played in front of saidscouts and Blackpool signed him.

A long time since I’ve seen Rogan but my Dad reckoned (a few years ago now) he was pushing supermarket trollies around at the local Morrisons
West Cumbria has never really spawned many outfield players but for some reason it’s done well with keepers. Burridge was from Gt Clifton, near Workington, Tony Caig from Cleator Moor ended up at Newcastle, Scott Carson played for England, Dean Henderson from Whitehaven has played for England and James Trafford is at Bolton, on loan from Man City and is highly rated. Must be their rugby league upbringing and being able to handle the ball!
 
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Barrow are based in Lancashire these days. Only go to Barrow on a matchday.

West Cumbria has never really spawned many outfield players but for some reason it’s done well with keepers. Burridge was from Gt Clifton, near Workington, Tony Caig from Cleator Moor ended up at Newcastle, Scott Carson played for England, Dean Henderson from Whitehaven has played for England and James Trafford is at Bolton, on loan from Man City and is highly rated. Must be their rugby league upbringing and being able to handle the ball!
Other way round. Barrow have been in Cumbria since 1973, before this it was part of Lancashire.

You are correct about RL. When I was growing up most of the pit towns and villages had an amateur RL club, still do now. Take Maryport as an example, tiny place and the back of beyond (makes bits of Workington look like Beverly Hills) but I think 4 decent RL clubs, 1 of whom are newly admitted in the National Conference.
 
You are correct about RL. When I was growing up most of the pit towns and villages had an amateur RL club, still do now. Take Maryport as an example, tiny place and the back of beyond (makes bits of Workington look like Beverly Hills) but I think 4 decent RL clubs, 1 of whom are newly admitted in the National Conference.

I was includng Maryport (also Harrington, Flimby, Allonby, etc.) when I mentioned areas being badly let down, a passage through Maryport, lovely little place that it is, is a stark reminder along that stretch from the Solway to beyond Cleator. Even Barrow (where my maternal Grandfather came from) is a sad reminder of what used to be in years gone by when employment existed there.
 
I was includng Maryport (also Harrington, Flimby, Allonby, etc.) when I mentioned areas being badly let down, a passage through Maryport, lovely little place that it is, is a stark reminder along that stretch from the Solway to beyond Cleator. Even Barrow (where my maternal Grandfather came from) is a sad reminder of what used to be in years gone by when employment existed there.
My Grandad was a pit man from Flimby.
 
My Grandad was a pit man from Flimby.

A friend of mine from here ended up there some years ago after he'd quit his job here & ended up being a hotel night porter in one of the tourist hotels where he & his colleague [from Flimby] both lost their jobs (won't go into that) so my old mate ended up staying with his mate (& family). I'd like to catch up with him if he's still around but last time I knocked on his door & caught up he was a bit unsettled as I obviously reminded him of what he'd had here before his girlfriend took up wth someone else that led to him getting out of this area. When I'm over there I always drive through Flimby & half expect to see my mate standing on a corner.
 
Donkeys years since I’ve been there but iirc there are some quite nice houses behind the front street before you go up the hill towards Broughton Moor. My great grandparents lived in one of the small terraces that run off the main road, not far from the train stop.

Apparently there are some newer houses beyond the front street, the house my old mate was staying in is much newer than the old smaller stuff beside it so I imagine there are more. My mate said there were a few pubs & a chippy, which made him happy :lol: but that was his lifestyle!
 
Living nearby (Whitehaven) I've been stood/sat down there many a time. However it is worth noting there was absolutely no need to stand there in the rain.

You can walk freely around every stand and two of them have a roof.
 
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