A public concert will be held at the Assembly Rooms in Howgill Street, Whitehaven on Thursday at 7 o’clock – but not today, nor next week. In fact you’ve missed it… by quite some time, for this announcement appeared in the Cumberland Pacquet newspaper of October 1789.

Unbelievably, this building, with its impressive double curved steps leading up to the first-floor front door is 280 years old, and among the oldest in town.

More recently home to nursery and community classes, its walls once witnessed scenes of a much more glamorous and dazzling kind when it was the go-to venue for Whitehaven’s festive and fashionable gatherings and public balls.

The wives of the great and good would swish by in their hooped silken gowns as they danced the minuet, or a lively cotillion, while the men in their powdered wigs, frock-coated finery and buckled shoes would gather in corners to talk business. Networking is what we would call it today.

Though it may not be as elegantly appointed as it was in its heyday, Howgill Centre has over the years served its community well.

Back in 1736 permission to build on plot numbers 14 and 15 Howgill Street was given by Sir James Lowther to one John Hayton, a joiner, who already had property in the vicinity.

Besides evening gatherings, Howgill was used during the daytime as a centre for business and pleasure with local ship owners and merchants meeting at the Assembly Rooms to strike a deal and partake of refreshment.

The Pacquet tells us how in 1787 the Whitehaven Hunt ball, an exceptional occasion, was held there, with Wilson Braddyl Esq and Lamplugh Irton Esq as stewards. Country dancing continued till 2am and among those present was Jane, the daughter and heiress of Matthias Gale of Catgill Hall (who was married to Wilson, also a member of the Gale family).

Catgill Hall, Egremont, said to date back to the 14th century, would in later years be occupied by William Wordsworth’s brother, Richard, a solicitor.

Back to John Hayton, who would subsequently build an annex to his Assembly Rooms to be used as a theatre and, by all accounts, an early performance of the comedy “The Suspicious Husband” went down a storm. Hayton died in 1775 and his widow Mary held the property until it was sold to William Lewthwaite in 1798 when, sadly, its glamorous years would come to an end. It was later put to more serious endeavour when it became the home of the Whitehaven Scientific Association.