Published at 11:04, Thursday, 02 August 2012

RECENTLY members have had both educational and social visits to two of West Cumbria’s iconic businesses: Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth and M-Sport in Dovenby Hall.

The leaflet said that it had over 175 years of brewing excellence, was overflowing with history and well worth a visit – and so it proved. Our guide outlined that Jennings was a true family concern in 1828 set up by John Jennings, whose father was a Malster by trade. The company was set in the village of Lorton and moved to its current position in Cockermouth in 1874, not far from Cockermouth Castle, and at a point where the rivers Cocker and Derwent merge. The rivers were highlighted in the 2009 floods. Jennings is a traditional brewery using pure Lakeland water drawn from it own well.

Marstons plc acquired Jennings Brewery in 2005 and provided further investment in the Brewery.

The second visit was to the nerve centre of Ford’s World Rally operation which is based in Dovenby Hall, a former hospital.

Ford began Rallying in the 1930s but it was in the 1950s, when it won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1953, and the East African Safari in 1955 and 1958 and Britain’s RAC Rally in 1959, that it became really noticed.

The Escort was launched in 1968 and so began one of the finest chapters in Fords rallying history. The Focus was then produced and at the time was the most technically advanced rally car ever built. It built an all- new Focus World Rally Car in 1998 to rally in 1999 and continues to win events around the globe.

All this was explained by our knowledgeable guide whilst showing us around some of the vehicles.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk