In search of lost villagers
An artist-run group based in Kendal, 'felt', has been awarded Heritage Lottery funding to document the history of Short Brothers' flying boat factory and the Calgarth housing estate at Troutbeck Bridge.
The factory was built in 1941 when Shorts' main factory in Rochester was bombed. Shortly after production began on the Sunderlands, the 'temporary' houses and hostels at Calgarth were built to house the workers who moved to Windermere from across the country. The houses were handed over to the local council in 1947 and the last tenants moved out in the early 1960's.
As there is very little evidence left, Project Manager Liz Rice wants to build up a picture of what the factory and village were like. She says that the best way to do this is to hear people's memories of their life there. The project will culminate in 2008 with a digital media exhibition and web site including recordings of people's memories, photographs and historical documents. If you have memories you would like to contribute or photographs of the time, please contact Liz Rice on 01539 622 100.