How good a wrestler are you? Are you good enough, do you think, to beat any other wrestler – at your weight – in Cumbria? And if you really think that you’re that good, would you care to put your money where your mouth is?

R Spedding, from Frizington, did – back in 1886. He put an advert in the Whitehaven News in the September of that year in which he stated that he “would wrestle any man in Cumberland or Westmorland, at 8 Stone, for £5 or Upward.”

If you had been around at that time and wished to fight him for whatever money you were willing to risk, then you would have had to contact him through that newspaper’s public notices columns. If you were any good, there was money to be made. £5 back in 1886 would, according to RPI, be worth almost £500 in today’s money.

So who was R Spedding? Due to Victorian newspaper practice people’s first names were often not given. It’s something I’ve moaned about before. Did anyone take him up on his challenge – or challenges? Were any of these wrestling encounters ever reported in the local press of the time? Were the Speddings a wrestling family? All questions needing answers!

Over now to Cleator Moor. The West Cumberland Times , September 1891, carried an interesting entry in its public notices column. It’s worth quoting in full.

“Hearing so much talk about James Sloan, of Cleator Moor, wanting to wrestle, or jump, or hurdle-race, or obstacle race any man in Cumberland, I, JACKSON GREAVES, of Millom, will WRESTLE him at 10.5 stone or Catch Weight to 11 stone, for a stake from £10 up to £25 a side; and if he accepts this Challenge, will meet him at any reasonable place to make a match. Business only meant. – Jackson Greaves.”

Using RPI, it’s worth noting that £25 in 1891 would now be worth about £2,462. One can only assume that many of these athletes were not short of a bob or two – or more! Unless, of course, you know any different.

One sport which did seem to attract money back in the late Victorian age was quoits. An active exponent from that period was John Archer, from Dearham. His name crops up in quite a few challenges which appeared in the local papers of the time. This would suggest that he was a successful exponent of the sport.

In one challenge in December 1880, he was offering to play William Milburn – at Carlisle for the sum of £50 or £100 a side. Players could either use 8lb quoits – or a weight of their own choosing.

The editor of the Sporting Life was to act as stakeholder. If the Milburn match didn’t materialise he stated that he was willing to play Thomas Ditchbourne, of Flimby, for the same sum of money – £50 or £100 a side. You don’t need your pocket calculator to work out that this, back in late Victorian times, was big money. Was either of these matches ever played? Anyone know?

To change the subject, I note that a few “new” schools have opened. A few years ago I collected a few school songs.

I wonder if any of these “new” schools or academies have got around to choosing new school songs for themselves. The students of the old Workington Grammar School used to sing “Where Cuthbert’s body sought the sea” on formal occasions – as did the students of the former Workington County Technical College and Secondary School.

I am assuming that a new academy would wish to seek a new cultural identity – and opt for a new school song. I wonder what it is – or will be. Perhaps school songs are old hat in this modern age.

A friend commented on my article in the October 2016 of the monthly magazine of the Parish Church of St John the Evangelist. It was a copy of How Michael’s Cumberland Diary which was printed in the Workington Star for 27 November 1959. It dealt, most excellently, with the history of the church.

Only one problem – I didn’t write it. I know that I am no spring chicken but I wasn’t even in this part of the world back in 1959.

At that time the How Michael in question was Howard Chandler, then librarian of Workington Borough Library – and an acknowledged authority on the local history of the area.

When I started my column – after Frank Carruthers’ death – I also opted for the pseudonym of How Michael. There’s nothing like a spot of continuity.