Whitehaven Gazette Thursday, April 22, 1897 Stray Notes

Stray Notes

Whitehaven Gazette - Thursday, April 22, 1897

Article Index Stray Notes Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 1 of 4 STRAY NOTES ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The heavy downpour of hail, rain, and sleet that prevailed on Good Friday morning threw quite a damper on the spirits of intended excursionists, many of whom decided to remain at home to running the risk of its being a regular wet day. However, it cleared up wonderfully after the usual April fashion, and during the afternoon the sun burst forth in all his glory and brightened things up splendidly, and even dirty and stupid old Whitehaven looked after the rain a bit cleaner and gayer. Whitehaven has generally a miserable look, but it is ten times worse on a Sunday or holiday, when the folk seem disposed to hang about the corners and creep in snail-like manner along the streets. In some old-fashioned spots -- take Lancaster for instance -- the inhabitants are accustomed from generation to generation to trailing along certain streets on Sunday evenings, and Goodness only knows what enjoyment they derive through it, and the same may be said about those of Whitehaven. In this town, although we have grand piers and fairly good scenery close at hand, the humbler classes will go nowhere but to King-street and Tangier-street for recreation, and here they saunter up and down as their fathers and grandfathers did before them, and crack the same coarse jokes. On Good Friday afternoon there was a large number of these loungers on the streets, and they seemed to be lazier than ever, for the exertion of trailing themselves along appeared to be too great, so they gathered in little knots here and there to the annoyance of all who wanted to move along quickly. Whitehaven is a long way worse than Lancaster in this respect, and any person in a hurry to catch a train or keep an appointment must quit the footpaths and take to the open street if he wants to get along rapidly, as the ordinary Whitehaven man resents anything in the shape of smartness. Notwithstanding the number that went away by train that day, there were lots left to trail about the streets, and thus give a couple of policemen a reasonable excuse for trailing about exactly in the same way, an opportunity that is invariably made use of as the policemen in particular fall quickly into the ways of Whitehaven folk. In Carlisle and other places, policemen hold themselves erect, and have some show of smartness in their movements, but here they soon get as lazy as the folk, and do as little as they possibly can.  I don't think they would leave the Police Station if they could avoid it, and certainly they are never to be seen on the streets that their presence is most needed in. We have far too many policemen in this district any way, and with just half the number the service would be quite efficient, for then the work could be apportioned better that at present, when the difficulty is to find something to do. And although we have so many policemen, it is a well-known fact that evening after evening, certain streets in town are completely given over to rowdy lads who annoy the residents, and endanger passers by in kicking balls, old meat cans, or any mortal thing they can get hold of to kick about. Whipping tops and skipping on the footpaths are a nuisance that the police don't take much pains in suppressing, and perhaps a little more latitude may be accorded to the unfortunate youngsters, as they have no place but the street in the shape of a recreation ground, but this kicking business should be put down and kept down. ==================================================== Prev - Next >>

 

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