IF you don’t know, all you’ve got to do is to look it up! That’s what I’ve been told over the years by various persons. If only it was that easy! It was bad enough when I had to plough through bound ancient volumes and piles of old newspapers. When the internet came along I did think that it would be the answer to my prayers.

Of course the computer is a great help when searching for facts, but for some searches it most certainly isn’t that easy – especially when dealing with Local History. The information does often exist – but all too often only in the memory of a few people and I hope a few of them are readers. And that’s why, over the years, I have asked you a number of local queries. And if you think about it, you could be the only holder of that information.

Older local newspapers often printed pieces and poems, some of the writers only identifying themselves by initials or pen names. Maddening! But nowadays even well known authors often use more than one name for their books. Back in Victorian times it was common practice – but in this day and age?

In September 1933 a poem appeared in the “West Cumberland News” with a most unlikely title for a poem - “Flimby Parish Council.” To quote a few lines only:

“Oor Flimby Parish Council
Is a body most august,
For when they say a thing mun be,
Whey, than, of course it must.
Some time upon their actions
The villagers my froon,
As, when oor rates are risin’,
An’ we think they should cum doon.”

I haven’t read the whole poem, it must last for about 200 lines, estimated not counted. It covered some of the work done, and not done, by the parish council. It welcomed the provision of seats for the elderly, swings for children and a few other civic improvements. The poem ends: “Thoo’l readily agree, Our Council spend oor money wel, In Flimby by the sea.”

So who wrote it? We don’t know – all the paper stated is that it was “By A Local Lad.” When I have actually skimmed it I think that it was probably an improvement on the minutes of the council. Thinks – perhaps all our council minutes could be written in verse? It might make them more interesting.

A poem appeared in the WCT in December 1944, with the brief title “Jet.” It was a fanciful poem about a horse, called Jet, being sold at Cockermouth market, and it was written by “Misfit.” Again, who was this mysterious poet? And would you, if you wished to preserve your anonymity, choose Misfit as your pen name?

In the same paper J Roderick Webb had contributed a poem, in dialect, with the unusual title of “Maryport Gas Crisis.” It seems that, being wartime, the town had experienced some problems with its gas supply. The poem ends: “We’ll nut be sure it’s Peace, till wor town gas shaws increase.”

I suspect that during WW2 most of the towns in our area had problems with their gas – and probably electric – supply. And not only during wartime, I can remember that in the late Forties it was quite usual for the electric supply to be cut off – usually during the evening for an hour or two. A good supply of candles was essential. And even now we’ve got a few candles stored away somewhere – just in case.

I don’t know just what the present crisis will have on the activities of our local councils but I suspect brevity will be the order of the day.

But there’s no way any committee will beat the brevity of a Maryport Council meeting in June 1943. All the committee minutes were passed without discussion – in three minutes. A record surely?

You would think so, but in January 1935 an extraordinary meeting of the Cockermouth Urban Council was, according to a report in the WCT, all over in ten seconds.

I wonder who was looking at the clock?