Feature | Stuaart Lancaster
England’s succEssful coach first lacEd his boots at st bEEs A
fter narrowly missing out on the SIx Nations title England Rugby Union coach Stuart Lancaster tells Ali Hipkin how it all began at St. Bees England Rugby Union fans watched the final match of the Six Nations tournament with bated breath praying that France would beat Ireland, so England could win the championship For once the hopes of the nation were off the shoulders of Cumbria-born and former St Bees School student, England Coach, Stuart Lancaster. England did their bit by beating Italy 52-11 earlier in the day, but their round one 26-24 defeat in Paris cost them dearly. They could only watch as Ireland clung on by their fingernails to do what England couldn’t and beat the French, in Paris.
“Missing out on the Six Nations was tough; the team’s performance had improved and their effort needed rewarding. We’ve made some good steps forward and I’m feeling confident about the future. I’d love to continue to be captain but we’ll see what next year brings.”
But despite being tasked with maintaining national pride in England’s rugby team Stuart remains a down-to-earth, friendly northerner who is proud of his roots. Originally from Penrith it was as a boarder at St Bees that he first laced up his rugby boots. “I loved it at St Bees really. I enjoyed being outside, playing sports outside or going to the beach, I just loved the outdoors feel of it.” “I was a Jack of all trades at school really. I played rugby, football, and cricket I enjoyed working as part of a team. I was reasonably successful at rugby but it wasn’t until university that I specialised in it.” “Rugby wasn’t a sport that paid players when I was younger. I did my degree in sports science and became a P.E teacher. I began being paid to play part-time then full-time but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be coaching the England Rugby team.” “All sorts of factors affect the way you coach; your parents, your school, where you’re from and the upbringing you have. I’m a northerner so I’m pretty down to earth.” After narrowly missing out on the Six Nations Stuart is still a little sore but said that he and the team were focused on what’s to come. “Preparations for the World Cup are going well but there’s a huge pressure on them to perform so we’re working on managing that pressure.”
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Stuart completely restructured the team when he took the helm, nearly two years ago. “We’ve got a lot of young leaders in the team but the captain has the importance of overall leadership. It doesn’t matter who they are or where they come from I’m making sure everyone’s feet are on the ground.” “No matter what sport you play it’s important to realise that you’re a role model to young people and you’re sending out a message.” Stuart is not only confident in the abilities of his own team but those of the England women rugby players. “Female rugby players are athletes in their own right and I think we will see the popularity of women’s rugby grow again after the Olympics in 2016.” “The demographic of people watching a rugby match is 60/40; whether it’s a live game or they’re watching on telly; there’s a huge female interest in rugby. It’s a sport for men, women and kids.”
Stuart Lancaster | Feature
April / May 2014 | 31
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Penthouse or rent house? living you could rent an unfurnished twobedroom luxury penthouse apartment at John Robert Gardens, close to Carlisle City Centre and the Cumberland Infirmary? Built by McKnight & Son Builders in 2008, it has a large living room, two double bedrooms, bathroom, en-suite, kitchen, utility area and a dining area on a mezzanine floor. The building has a secure door entry system, with an intercom and CCTV. Communal garden, off-road parking and lift access to all floors. Communal areas are cleaned weekly and the lift is also maintained. It is within walking distance of the City Centre, the hospital, schools, supermarket, shops and many more of the excellent local amenities and it has stunning views over the city, the property is available to move in to.
Is It better to rent or to buy? he answer is usually – it depends T on the state of the housing market and your circumstances. When the. Economy bottomed out and the housing bubble burst, the standard belief that it’s always better to own, rather than rent, was turned on its head. When home values plummeted and many owed more on their mortgage than the home was worth, the dream of owning was shattered and renting was suddenly more desirable. That’s why the rent v buy question needs people to weigh up all the elements of the decision, since where we live is an emotional decision as well as an economic one. With renting or leasing there’s a lower cost up front and It also gives you freedom and flexibility so if you are new to the area, you can rent and use this time to check out neighbourhoods to see where you might want to buy – you can test an area without committing to it. If you think you might need to move in the near future, or are mulling job changes where you could be relocated then renting affords the freedom to come and go as you please If you expect a pay hike or pay cut in the near future, that can change your borrowing ability as well as affect your ability to pay a mortgage. Usually there’s no maintenance to worry about so that when the pipe leaks under the sink, you don’t head to your nearest hardware store, you call the landlord. Right now if you would like to sample some luxury 16
To know more contact TFT Cumbria Property Rentals: Tel 01228 580360 or McKnight & Son Builders on 01228 520352.
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Feature | Senhouse Roman Museum
DoDgy Victorian
banker was first to finD
Maryport roMan teMple
I
n June excavations will continue at the site of a Roman temple at Maryport that was first discovered by Joseph Robinson, in 1880.
Robinson appears in Maryport in 1871 as the ‘Interim Manager’ of the Maryport branch of the Cumberland Union Banking Company (the building now known as the Carlton). He became the permanent manager the following year. His position allowed him to become trusted by the Senhouse family, in particular Elizabeth Pocklington-Senhouse, the Lady of the Manor.
We may have known very little about Robinson’s excavations except for a happy incident in 1962 when a school boy recovered 150 glass plates from a derelict house in Maryport. Several of the plates are a record of Robinson’s excavations and the resulting finds. Last year the Senhouse Museum Trust and Newcastle University re-excavated Robinson’s temple and were able to confirm that the temple was a relatively small classical building with a north-facing portico. The excavation will continue this June with the aim of excavating that area outside the temple to discover any remains of the religious practices.
“S o far as I can see no loss will arise
to the Bank from the circumstances but I fear it will involve a change of management.”
The excavation will begin on Monday June 9 and finish on Saturday July 19. One again local people are welcome to join the team as volunteers and guided tours to the site will be led from the museum every afternoon. For further details and dates of lectures and Open Days check the Museum’s website:
www.senhousemuseum.co.uk
With his friend, Thomas Carey of Curzon Street, Robinson excavated several buildings in the civil settlement next to the Roman fort. He thought that one of the buildings was a temple. We are very lucky that Robinson was also a keen photographer and that he photographed this building. Unfortunately his promising career was cut short and 1886 saw his fall from grace when he admitted encouraging his customers into risky investments. On April 19 1886, George Main, the general manager of the Cumberland Union Bank, wrote to one of his directors “... I am obliged to go down to the coast tomorrow. An unpleasant matter has occurred at Maryport Bank which I will explain to you on Wednesday. So far as I can see no loss will arise to the Bank from the circumstances but I fear it will involve a change of management.”
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Grisedales | Feature
can help make the most of your money
I
F you are fed up with the poor rates of return on your savings then you really should consider property investment and becoming a landlord.
Rachel Ritson
And you shouldn’t delay because now is a really good time to get a great deal… says Rachel Ritson, director of local estate agents and chartered surveyors, Grisdales. And to explain exactly why now is the time to do it, Grisdales are organising a series of eight free-to-attend Investment Events, at their offices in Workington, Cockermouth and Whitehaven, throughout the course of this year. The first two of these evening sessions are: Wednesday April 30, at their office at 23, Finkle St, Workington, CA14 2BE tel: 01900 605544 and then on Thursday May 8 – at the Whitehaven Office, 20, Lowther St, Whitehaven, CA28 7AL tel: 01946 693931. Further events will include the Cockermouth office as a venue.
“Investors are getting precious little return on their funds at the moment as interest rates remain particularly low… so you could make those low rates work better for you in the property sector,” says Rachel. “Buy to let mortgage rates are also low, possibly as low as they’ll ever get and, nationally, 10 million people are now living in rented accommodation, which is double the figure in the year 2000, so there is a significant rental market, Rachel pointed out. “For various reasons more people are renting; some people feel that nowadays there is less emphasis on the need to own you own home and others like the flexibility of movement that it allows them,” added Rachel. “You may never have considered yourself as a landlord but all sorts of people have now become landlords … so if anyone has savings, a legacy, or spare money they really ought to seriously think about putting it into property… and that’s where we can help. There’s no obligation involved and our events will guide you through the various steps involved and explain the benefits… then it’s simply up to you”.
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