VOLUNTEERS  PIC-NIC & GALA
The members of the E Company held their 27th annual picnic and gala in the Fitz Park , Keswick on Whit Monday, and an agreeable surprise awaited them in the successful  result .      What with bad trade in the West of the County on the one hand , and on the other the fact that they had been compelled to change their ground , but the beautiful summer weather was an irresistible inducement , to all who could afford to take a holiday , to leave care behind and and make their way " to beautiful Keswick " .       they brought money too , in their purses and the prize shooting fund benefited accordingly.          So also did the boatmen and the posting-masters find the inrush of holiday-makers a welcome change to the long dull spell of winter and late spring.
The Volunteers mustered in good force in the market square  ,  for wilful absence from this parade prohibits competition for prize money from the special prize fund .        Headed by their band they marched through several streets before proceeding to the park .  The commissioned officers - Capt Hall & Lieuts Broatch & Heelis - were with the Company.       While the park cannot lay claim to surrounding beauties equal to those of  Strands Hag ?(sic) it is nevertheless one of the most charmingly situated of public playgrounds  and offers better facilities for sports , especially racing and jumping than does the old ground .     Its nearness also to Latrigg affords a more pretentious exhibition of fell-racing than does rocky Castlehead.
As in all Cumberland sports wrestling was the chief item of the bill of fare for the day , the entry for this event , open to all weights  , was in short numbers compared with former days , and this was due no doubt to the fact that the giant Lowden was present and meant business .     The laurels of the ring were plainly bespoke by him and other competitors could only look for a second place in the chance of their not been drawn against him in the several rounds .     Angus the previous winner met the champion in the fourth round and thus had to retire , while men of less note were able to forge nearer    " good money "  .  There was a lot of smart work in all the rounds ,  but the final issue was not for one moment in doubt .    The boys wrestling exited quite as much interest as that of their elders and some day , no doubt the smartest will be seen among the strivers for greater honours.
The fell race was the next chief event of the day , but to those not born Cumbrians  it was the most exiting from every point whence Latrigg can be seen ,  watchers were keenly on the alert , some so keen that they were under the impression the race had begun when the Volunteers told off to watch the course were taking up positions .
The time for the start was five o`clock , but it would be 1/4 of an hour later when the pistol was fired .The eight men went off well together but as the race progressed they tailed off into three couples while the seventh and eighth men were along way apart in the rear. the first two to round the flagstaff near the summit seemed to have the race between them but the third and fourth men came close upon them on the way back down by the plantation.
The race was ahard one and all were well-pumped by the finish. every man went the course  , because they expected a small prize for completing the distance but the last two were disappointed , the winners time was about twenty minutes, a most creditable performance considering the heat .  The flat races were well contested and so was the pole leaping in which John Thwaite , who has competed in these sports for about twenty years , and therefore may rightly be looked upon as a vetran , held his place with the younger leapers and shared with them as first.
The band under the direction of  Mr Bowler , played a good selection of dance music during the afternoon and their strains attracted many to the court of Terpsichore ?(sic).  The committe may be complimented on the orderliness of they were able to maintain in such a large crowd  , Another year they may augment their receipts by providing a larger ring for the accommodation of spectators.
The results of the sports were as follows -

ALL WEIGHT WRESTLING

First round
Stood                                                                             Fell
                                                              
J   .Ellwood ,         Cockermouth                     J. Hind ,              Newlands
S, Satterthwaite ,   Whitehaven                       J. Scott,              Lorton
R,  Burns              Cleator Moor                      J,  Watson          Keswick
W,  Reay              Keswick                            L,  Crosthwaite    Keswick
J,  Addison            Flimby                              H,  Mossop         Pennrudock
J,  Strong              Lorton                               M,  Wallace        Ennerdale
J,  Edwards           Seaton                              T , Branthwaite    Lamplugh
W,  Swindle           Keswick                           J,  Nicholson       Lamplugh
P   Lacey              Kirkland                            W  Studholme     Broughton
J  Hoskins            Flimby                               W   Denwood      Flimby
D    Bell                Dearham                            J  Head              Braithwaite
J   Kerr                 Seaton                               J   Wilson           Mosedale
O  Lowden            Threlkeld                            G   Dixon            Threlkeld
W  Strong             Moresby                            W  Troughton      Braithwaite
Walker              Cockermouth                      R   Harrison        Keswick
H  Hodgson           Arlecdon                            J  Wilson           Dearham
T  Angus              Seaton                                R  Hodgson       Cockermouth
G  Lowden            Workington                         T  Dobson          Greysouthern
I  Hodson              Maryport                             B  Thompson     Borrowdale
L  Smith                Asby                                  J   Cowan          Dearham
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Second Round

stood                   fell                                    stood                    fell

W Mossop         J Edwards                      G Lowden                J Ellwood   
 L  Smith            J Hoskin                         J Addison                S Satterthwaite
P Lacey             W Reay                          R Burns                   W Strong
T Angus             I  Walker                         J Kerr                       I  Studholme
O Lowden           H Hodgson                      J Strong                   I  Hodgson
Bell                W  Swindle
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Third Round

P Lacey             W Mossop                     J Addison              L Smith
G Lowden            J Kerr                           R Burns                 O Lowden
T Angus               D Bell                                Odd Man- J Strong 
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fourth Round

J Strong             J Addison                        G Lowden           T Angus
R Burns              P Lacey
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fifth Round

J Strong             R Burns                               Odd Man - G Lowden
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Falls

G Lowden           J Strong                        G Lowden        J Strong
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The winner recieved £2 ; second £1/10s  third 15s  ,  those who went down
 in the fourth round 10s each ,   third round 5s each ,  Those who were
thrown by Lowden were given 2s each.
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Running High Leap -
 first         7s 6d             R Tyson         Keswick 
 second    5s                T Cartmell       Keswick
third        2s 6d             John Thwaite   Keswick
the winning height was 5ft 7ins
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Half mile race -
First          10s             R  Kirkpatrick   Cockermouth
second       6s              R  Harden        Cockermouth
third           4s               A  Johnston    Workington
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

200 Yds race -
first            7s               C  Potts          Cleator
second       5s               R  Tyson         Keswick
third            3s              W  Wilson       Egramont
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mile race -
first            15s              R  Kirkpatrick  Cockermouth
sec            10s              R  Harden       Cockermouth
third             5s               A  Johnston    Workington
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guides Race -
This race was from the ring to the top of Latrigg and back
first             £1               W  Barnes      Braithwaite
sec             15s              G  Robinson    Naddle
third             10s             C  Armstrong  Grasmere
fourth             5s             R  Hayton       Patterdale
fifth                2s 6d        A  Johnston    Workington
sixth              2s 6d        S  Temple        Keswick
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pole Leaping -
                        John Thwaite , Thomas Cartmell ,  Keswick
andHudson , Grasmere divided the prize money , and recieved
5s each ,  all three failed at  9ft 9ins
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Standing High Leap -
first            5s              W  barrow       Borrowdale
  R Tyson & J Thwaite  divided the second and third
 prizes and received  2s 6d each ,  the winning height
 was 3ft  11in , but with an exhibition jump the winner
 cleared 4ft 3ins.
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obstacle Race -
first        7s          R  Harden     Cockermouth
sec        5s          W  Wilson     Egremont
third       3s          C  Potts         Cleator
fourth     2s          A  Johnston    Workington
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boys Wrestling ( under 15 )
        Stood                                  Fell
A  Frost          Carlisle         J  Hodgson       Braithwaite
J  Burnyeat     Keswick        J  Asquith        Keswick
T  Swindle       Keswick        O  Rigg            Keswick
J  Strong         Braithwaite     J  Sanderson    Keswick
H  Hind           Wythburn       W  Gillbanks     Keswick
Johnston      Keswick         G  Cartmell      Forge
Dixon           Braithwaite     T  Hodgson      Braithwaite
J T Scott         Keswick         J  Tickell           Keswick
Telford         Braithwaite      E  Harrison      Braithwaite

second round
J T Scott         Keswick          J  Strong         Braithwaite    
Telford         Braithwaite      J  Burnyeat     Keswick       
T  Swindle       Keswick         J  Johnston      Keswick        
A  Frost          Carlisle           H  Hind           Wythburn      
 odd man                             J  Dixon           Braithwaite    

third round -
Dixon           Braithwaite     J  Telford         Braithwaite     
A  Frost          Carlisle           J T Scott         Keswick        
 odd man                              T  Swindle       Keswick       

fourth round -
Dixon           Braithwaite     T  Swindle       Keswick       
 odd man                               A  Frost          Carlisle   

final falls
  A  Frost          Carlisle          J  Dixon           Braithwaite    
 J  Dixon           Braithwaite     A  Frost          Carlisle     
  A  Frost          Carlisle          J  Dixon           Braithwaite        
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

boys race ( under 15 )
first        J  Asquith
sec        E  Harrison
third       J  Meers
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

running high leap  ( under 15 )
first         J M Nelson
sec         J     Telford
third        W   Shearman
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The prize for the most ridiculous shorts was won by
a group of American visitors from Texas.
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