The Plain People have always been enthusiastic amateur sportsmen and women. Allonby green was a popular place for all kinds of sporting activities.
The Village Sports Day took place during the second week in August. A wide range of events was arranged for the local children.
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These pictures were taken in the very early 1900s. The local girls were highly-skilled at egg and spoon racing while the boys concentrated on the more manly activities such as the three-legged event and the sack race. |
Tennis and hotly-contested cricket matches also took place on the green. Each year the local lads played cricket against the boys from the Cockermouth Industrial School, an institution for ‘young offenders’.
Mawbray also had its Sports Day. The Tug-of-War was a particularly popular event for the super-fit local farm lads.
In Silloth, things were rather more formally organised. The mixed Hockey team had an enviable record in the local league and the Bowling Club had a fine green of Solway-washed turf.
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The Silloth Club has produced many fine golfers over the years, notably Cecil Leitch who won three British Ladies championships between 1914 and 1921. She is pictured, on the right at St. Andrews in 1908, aged 17.
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| Not to be outdone by the neighbours, Allonby also opened its own nine-hole course in 1910. A luxurious Clubhouse was provided for the members. |
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| In the 1970s, the old World War I airfield at Silloth was a
venue for motor cycle racing. Stock Car races were also held
there. |
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Field sports were always popular with the farming
community. The Cumberland Foxhounds met regularly, sometimes on Silloth
green, sometimes at a local farm such as the Cockburn family’s place at
Edderside, where the huntsmen enjoyed a stirrup cup before the hunt. |