Rotary Club of Wigton

Bill Coulthard, President, November to March 2007/08

Welcome to The Rotary Club of Wigton

 

Wigton is an ancient market town situated on the Solway Plain close to the northeast boundary of the Lake District National Park. The town and immediate surrounding area has a population of approximately 5,000 people and is dominated by two industries - agriculture and the manufacture of flexible packaging materials.  Innovia Films, www.innoviafilms.com, is a major producer and exporter of cellulose and polypropelene films used predominately for packaging by the food and tobacco industries. 

Milk, beef, sheep and poultry production are the main farming activities in the area which in turn support an active and thriving agricultural supply industry.  Wigton also has one of the few remaining livestock auctions in the county, Hopes of Wigton, www.hopesofwigton.co.uk, who hold sales twice each week plus additional specialised sales at frequest intervals throughout the year.  Hopes are also renowned for their twice yearly Horse Sales, attracting sellers and buyers from a very wide area.  Wigton was granted its Market Charter in 1262 and it still functions on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Since Roman times, Wigton has played a strategic role in the communication network of the northwest, the Roman fort of Maglona, commonly known today as Old Carlisle, is located at the side of the A595 Carlisle to Cockermouth road, itself built by the Romans, about a mile east of the town. Wigton also has a small railway station on the very picturesque line which runs from Carlisle to Lancaster, hugging the coast from Maryport to Barrow and on to Lancaster, a journey worth taking.

Wigton's other great asset is The Nelson Thomlinson School, www.nts.cumbria.sch.uk, a comprehensive with approx 1250 pupils on the roll as of October 2006.  Access their web site to view a list of the school's many distinguished former pupils.

The Rotary Club of Wigton was chartered in 1955 by the Rotary Club of Carlisle, www.rotaryclubofcarlisle.org.uk and we currently we have 20 members including 2 ladies.  The club meets at The Greenhill Hotel, www.greenhillhotel.co.uk on Wednesday evenings, 7.0 for 7.30pm for a two course meal, followed, most weeks, by a speaker.  The hotel is located at Red Dial, on the A595 (Carlisle to Cockermouth road and not far from Maglona), approximately 2 miles from the Wigton Town Centre.  Visitors and guests are always welcome but we would ask you to advise either the hotel or our Secretary Robin Swindells - 01228 710 944 if you plan to attend one of our meetings; the telephone number for the hotel is 016973 43304.   

For the past 30 years at least one member of the Wigton club has served on District Committees in various capacities with two of them, Jimmie James, 1989/1990 and Len Baseley 1999/2000 progressing to District Governor.

Arising from the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in 2001, contact was established by the Rotary Club of Madison West, www.rotaryclubofmadisonwest.org Wisconsin, (The Dairy State), District 6250, which, in 2002 resulted in a party of 14 from Wigton being invited to Madison on the first leg of an exchange.  In 2004, a group of  eight Rotarians and wives from Madison West visited Wigton and an informal "sister club" relationship was established.  Contact is maintained both by personal visits and regular e mail exchanges. 

 

 

Next Meeting: 10/12/2008 Topic: District Quiz vs Carlisle following the normal meal/meeting


Last Meeting: 03/12/2008 Topic: Committees and Council

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