From our files

AS THE worst drought in living memory continues, South Lakeland is beginning to feel the first real effects of the national water shortage.

A ban on hosepipes came into force on Wednesday, fields are scorching, streams are drying up and this week a farmer reported animals dying of thirst.

While the North West is still better off than most other parts of the country, a Water Authority spokesman said the situation is steadily worsening.

The authority is appealing for economy and has issued a list of hints for saving water.

'During the last seven days the inflow from springs, streams and rivers into the reservoirs has hardly compensated for the loss of water due to evaporation.

Consequently virtually all water supplies are being drawn from stocks and reservoir levels are falling at a much greater rate than normal.'

Land at Bank Ground Farm, Coniston, runs down to the shore and farmer Mr Jack Batty has been carting water from the lake to feed his stock.

The spring, which normally supplies his water, is so badly polluted the cattle and pigs refuse to drink it and four suckling pigs have died because the sow was thirsty.

Mr Batty has been using milk churns to collect mains water from Coniston village for his family and guest house.

Now he has to share it with his pigs.

50 Years Ago, August 25, 1951, Lucky escape

WHILE sailing in an ex-naval 'gig' in rough weather at midday on Sunday, two 16-year-old Windermere youths, Robin Hadwin and Brian Cartmel, ran into a very heavy squall and their boat capsized north of Belle Isle, on the west side of the lake.

Both boys were flung into the water but managed to cling to their mast and shout for help.

Their cries were heard by two members of the Heysham Sea Angling Society who were fishing from a boat a quarter-of-a-mile away.

The two men rowed quickly to the scene and pulled the boys into their boat.

Both boys are good swimmers and were never in difficulty.

To keep warm Hadwin rowed the boat back to Bowness Bay, and neither he nor Cartmel were any the worse for their experience.

100 Years Ago, August 23, 1901, Ruskin museum

A PERMANENT Ruskin Museum is to be opened on the 31st, as the result of a successful Ruskin exhibition held there last summer.

It consists of a large, well-lighted room in connection with the Coniston Institute, and has been specially built and furnished for the purpose.

The contents include numerous interesting and valuable articles contributed by Mr and Mrs Arthur Severn, of Brantwood, and by Mr W.G.

Collingwood, of Coniston, and the work of getting together and arranging these is being carried out by the latter gentleman, to whose efforts the successful organisation of last year's Ruskin Exhibition was mainly due.

150 Years Ago - August 23, 1851, Wedded bliss!

BIT of a Chat With Married People - The last word is the most dangerous of internal machines.

Husband and wife should no more fight to get it than they would struggle for the possession of a lighted bombshell.

Married people should study each other's weak points, as skaters look for the weak parts in the ice, in order to keep off them.

Ladies who marry for love should remember that the union of angels with women has been forbidden since the flood.

The wife is the sun of the social system.

Unless she attracts there is nothing to keep heavenly bodies, like husbands, from flying into space.

The wife, who should properly discharge her duties, must never have a soul above trifles.

Don't trust too much good temper when you get into an argument.

Sugar is the only substance most universally diffused through all natural products.

Let married people take a hint from this provision of nature.