Last updated 10:27, Thursday, 16 October 2008

A problem as sticky as a spoon of strawberry jam

THE debate over where the expression jam-eating came from and who it refers to, has culminated in a News poll that claims the term does refer to Workington.

Although it is still not clear where the term originated from historically, our web poll shows 69 per cent of readers think Workington people are the jam-eaters, compared to 23 per cent for Whitehaven folk and only nine per cent for people in Moor Row.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have had ideas flooding in about where the term originated. Alongside the mining theory, there is a theory that during the Second World War, the Ministry of Food asked people across the country to collect jam jars for the war effort.

According to one Whitehaven man, people in Workington collected more jam jars than anywhere else in the county. Another Whitehaven man has the same theory, but concludes that it was in fact people from Moor Row who earned the title.

It looks like we may never find out where the term jam-eating came from, but for now, here are some of the comments we’ve had on our website about jam-eating:

“I am from Workington and during the late 50’s I worked at Sellafield on contract work with mainly people from the Whitehaven area. Never once was I called a “jam-eater” it was always a “highsider” so I’m not so sure about the origin of the saying. I have heard another story that because there was jam factory at Maryport the miners from that area were able to get jam for their sandwiches whereas the miners from Whitehaven had to put up with “dripping” on their sandwiches. I think it really is a fairy tale told so many times nobody knows how it started but it is used more nowadays than at any time I can remember.”

Another commented: “Working down the pit when I left school, I remember jam being the only thing with any taste, but the people from Workington knew that long before the Whitehaven lads did, that’s why they are the true jam-eaters.”

Welcome aboard, Mr Mayor...

IT must be the better class of canapes we in Whitehaven can offer to jam-eaters. For we were pleasantly surprised to note that the mayor of Workington’s charity night is not being held in Workington but this year will be at Whitehaven’s Marchon Social Club this Saturday, October 18. Have a good time, Your Worship!

To see ourselves as others see us...

HATS off to the Liverpool Echo for pointing readers to the other side of Cumbria, away from the Lakeland honeypots.

Their correspondent Thomas Martin wrote this week of a stay amid the palatial majesty of Armathwaite Hall by Bassenthwaite.

“The hall’s location in the north west corner of the Lakes,” he wrote, “means it’s within short driving distance of parts of Cumbria which would otherwise be almost out of range for a day-trip from Liverpool. So we decided against nearby Keswick, having previously visited the town, and headed west and north.” So far, so good.

“We drove first to Whitehaven – with its historic harbour and Georgian street grid on which New York is reputedly based – and then to arguably the most striking of the region’s lakes, Wastwater.” Promising. Tell us more.

“Whitehaven was worth a look, though the former mining town still appeared a little ragged around the edges.” Hmm. Brutally honest but nothing we haven’t been saying ourselves.

Anything else? “In contrast, Wastwater is a real gem – with shingle beaches to the north and flanked to the south by a jagged ridge and plunging scree slopes. Despite being only several miles from Sellafield, England’s deepest lake exudes a serene grandeur. After relaxing a while on its shores, we took a short drive up the valley to Wasdale Head...

“The remote hamlet is dominated by a pub and the tiny St Olaf’s Church, whose gravestones, sadly, are testament to the area’s status as the home of British rock climbing.

“This was a trip of genuine discovery. Yes, we’d ‘done The Lakes’ many times from Liverpool. Windermere, Keswick, Buttermere are within easy striking distance. But in Armathwaite Hall we found a fantastic base to discover the ‘other side’ of the Lakes and we were not disappointed.”

Ready for your close-up, Mr Nutkin..?

RED squirrels will find themselves in the spotlight with the introduction of cameras at Whinlatter Forest.

Live pictures of the squirrels will be seen on a large screen at the visitor centre, giving people the chance to see these popular but rather elusive creatures up close.

The Forestry Commission and Save Our Squirrels have teamed up with Studsvik UK to introduce the new ‘squirrelcams’.

The Forestry Commission’s Nathan Fox said: “Red squirrels are one of Britain’s favourite animals but they’re not always easy to find. These cameras will give people the chance to watch Squirrel Nutkin’s friends in action even if they don’t spot one when they’re walking around the forest.”

Charlotte Widgery, People and Wildlife Officer for the Cumbria and North Yorkshire branch of Save our Squirrels, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Studsvik to provide this new facility which will allow so many more people to watch red squirrels in the wild.

“The live footage will enable visitors to see the squirrels at Whinlatter as if they were standing beside them all; from the comfort of the visitor centre!

“It’s a really inclusive idea which allows even those for whom the steep and uneven woodland tracks are a problem, a chance to experience the magic of squirrel watching.”

The pictures from the cameras will also soon be available on the Save Our Squirrels website - www.saveoursquirrels.org