DRIVING up the hill from Morrison's in Whitehaven there is plenty of evidence of the town's former wealth.

The majestic properties stand at the top of tree-lined drives where you can imagine wealthy owners sitting with their cigars and glasses of rum and looking out over the sea.

There is a dark story behind some of that wealth, however, because at least some of it came from the profits to be made from slavery.

Just an aside, in a novel whose name escapes me, a Quaker lad embarks on a journey to find his sister, missing in America.

He sets out from Whitehaven harbour and mentions how wild it is with pressgangs, ladies of the night and the slave ships. So different to Maryport which is a genteel harbour by comparison!

Anytime we have visitors, a visit to the Rum Story is a must.

It is a fascinating look into the Jefferson family and how they made their fortune in rum. 

The great thing is that the Rum Story does not gloss over the fact that the family's fortune was made on the back of slave labour.

Thanks to the pandemic it has been a long time since I visited the Rum Story and I have only one comment: after seeing the way the museum presents the agony of the slaves, you are offered a sip of rum at the end of your visit.

The photos on this page, except for the two from the Rum Story itself, celebrate a much happier event.

In 2007, the town that once owed much wealth to the slave trade did very well in celebrating the bi-centennial of the abolition of slavery.

Children and adults alike can be seen in these photos learning about what those dark days were like and the wonder of abolition.

Professor Baroness Lola Young was a special guest at the Whitehaven celebrations. Baroness Young was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours for services to British Black History.

The bi-centennial celebrations were led by Creative Partnerships, a Government creative learning programme established in 2002.