Still Sparkling After All These Years: The Enduring Charm of the Moor Row Jubilee Club​

Nestled within the close-knit community of Moor Row, there’s a truly special club that’s been quietly enriching lives for decades.

No, it’s not just any social gathering; it’s the Moor Row Jubilee Club, a vibrant hub for our cherished older residents, proving that community spirit, good company, and a cracking cuppa never go out of style. ​

Born in the celebratory buzz of Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, the club was the brainchild of three visionary ladies – Hannah Irving, Esme Corrie, and Thelma Wilson.

They saw a need, and they filled it with warmth, friendship, and the very best of British neighbourliness.

Today, their legacy continues to shine bright. ​

A Lifeline of Laughter ​

Picture this: every fortnight, the Moor Row Working Men's Club (or wherever their current gathering spot may be) hums with lively chatter, the clinking of teacups, and the unmistakable sound of shared laughter.

This isn’t just a social club; for many, it’s a vital lifeline against isolation, a place where familiar faces and new friends come together. ​

The activities are as varied as they are delightful. One week, you might find members engrossed in a fascinating talk about local history or a captivating travelogue that whisks them away to distant lands. The next, they could be tapping their toes to the tunes of a local singer or enjoying a performance from a community theatre group.

There are always plenty of homemade treats, copious cups of tea, and, of course, the ever-popular raffle – often with a "big raffle" and a "free raffle" ensuring everyone has a chance to win a little something! ​

From Pea & Pie Suppers to Seaside Outings ​

Beyond the regular fortnightly get-togethers, the Jubilee Club organises special events that truly mark the calendar.

Think hearty "pea and pie" suppers, festive Christmas dinners, and eagerly anticipated outings.

These excursions, sometimes in partnership with neighbouring groups like the St Bees Pensioners' Club, offer a wonderful chance for a change of scenery, a breath of fresh air, and even more memory-making opportunities. ​

Keeping the Wheels Turning

​This wonderful club thrives on community generosity and the hard work of its dedicated members and volunteers. Fundraising is a constant, yet cheerful, endeavour. Those raffles we mentioned? They’re crucial!

Alongside grants from local committees and donations from supportive organisations, every penny raised goes straight back into creating these invaluable experiences for the members. It’s a testament to how a small, local effort can have such a profound and positive impact. ​

The Heart of Moor Row ​

The Moor Row Jubilee Club isn’t just a group; it’s a living, breathing testament to the power of community, connection, and caring for one another. It's where stories are shared, friendships are deepened, and smiles are a given.

As one former secretary aptly put it, the club "keeps people going," and we can’t think of a more wholesome or important role for any organisation to play. ​

Long may the Moor Row Jubilee Club continue to sparkle, bringing joy and camaraderie to the heart of our village.

Moor Row Jubilee Club Illustration
Moor Row Jubilee Club Illustration
Location: Moor Row CA24, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Comments are welcome. Spam will not be tolerated. Strictly no advertising.

ARCHIVE HIGHLIGHTS

About Moor Row

Image
Hello, and welcome. This Internet site is about the village of Moor Row in West Cumbria. The history of Moor Row is one intrinsically linked to the industrial boom that transformed West Cumbria. While the area's roots stretch back to before 1762, when the homesteads of Low Moor Row and High Moor Row dotted the landscape between Summerhill Mansion and Woodend with Cleator, the true genesis of the modern village lies in iron ore and the mighty railway.  From Homestead to Hub The early landscape was characterised by family landholdings, such as the estate of the Wildridge family at Low Moor Row, located on what would become Church Street. The marriage of Elizabeth Wildridge to the local gardener, Dalzell, and his subsequent inheritance of the estates, is a pivotal local event. This link is preserved today, not just through family lore but in the village's street names, a testament to the enduring influence of the early landowners. The Railway Catalyst The mid-19th century witnes...
Read more

The 100-Fathom Descent: Dual Extraction at Moor Row’s Premier Pit

Image
The Montreal Pit No. 10 at Moor Row was a vital component of the Montreal Mine complex, an enterprise so vast it was famously known as the "Great Moor." Owned by the industrialist John Stirling, Pit No. 10 was a feat of Victorian engineering that defied the standard geological rules of the West Cumbrian "Iron Fever" era. It was the deepest of the Moor Row pits.  As the mining operations moved south and east from the original 1840s outcrop, the shafts had to go deeper to follow the dipping ore bodies. ​ Location : The shaft was situated at National Grid Reference NY 006 142, positioned south of the village near what is now the fringe of agricultural land. Depth : While the average depth for the earlier Montreal shafts was approximately 145 metres, Pit No. 10 was significantly deeper, reaching depths between 190 and 210 metres (approx. 620–690 feet). Strata : It primarily worked the Fourth and Fifth Limestones, targeting massive "flats" (horizontal ore...
Read more

The Genesis of Industry: Summerhill Mansion and the Dalzell Legacy in Moor Row

Image
The story of Summerhill Mansion in Moor Row begins long before the deafening roar of the Whitehaven Cleator and Egremont Railway and the deep excavations of the iron mines. Archival research confirms the property's existence prior to 1762, placing it firmly in the agrarian era of West Cumberland. ​The Mansion was not merely a large house; it was the original, definitive geographical boundary and an anchor for the earliest settlement, which included the Low Moor Row homestead. It was the ancestral seat of the Wildridge family and represented the fixed, respectable wealth of the rural landscape. It is the story of how a single country estate, located on what became Church Street , became the essential financial and geographical launchpad for the entire industrial expansion of this West Cumbrian village. Once established at Summerhill Mansion, the Dalzell family leveraged their land to become industrial pioneers. As the 19th-century iron ore boom exploded, Moor Row rapidly expan...
Read more

Deep History: 6000 Years Of Moor Row

Image
For the modern visitor, Moor Row appears as a product of the nineteenth-century industrial revolution - a landscape of red-brick terraces built to house the miners of the West Cumberland iron ore boom. However, to view this village only through the lens of industry is to overlook a human story that stretches back six millennia. Before the first mine shaft was sunk, this was a "row" of dwellings on the edge of the great Egremont Waste, held by families whose roots reached back to the very foundations of England. Searching Historic Records In historical Cumbrian records, the Bailiwick of Egremont refers to the administrative and judicial division of the Barony of Egremont (also known as the Barony of Copeland). ​Before 1600, a "bailiwick" was the area of jurisdiction for a Bailiff - an officer appointed by the Lord of the Manor (the Percys) to manage the land, collect rents, and enforce local laws.   ​1. Administrative Structure ​The Bailiwick was the "middle ma...
Read more

​The Final Departure: Documenting the Demolition of Moor Row Railway

Image
The industrial landscape of West Cumbria underwent a radical metamorphosis during the nineteenth century, driven primarily by the extraction of high-grade haematite, colloquially known as "Red Gold." At the epicentre of this transformation was the village of Moor Row, which evolved from a collection of scattered eighteenth-century homesteads into one of the most significant railway junctions in Northern England. The development of the Moor Row railway station was not merely a matter of regional transport logistics but was a physical manifestation of the Victorian industrial empire's reach. The station’s buildings, added and modified across different eras, reflected the fluctuating fortunes of the iron ore industry, eventually meeting their demise as the mineral reserves and the accompanying rail traffic vanished in the late twentieth century. The Genesis of the Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway The origins of the station at Moor Row are inextricably linked to...
Read more