JULY

Making a return to the area after a 50 absence, 77-year-old Tom Jones plays to a 16,000 strong crowd at Cartmel Racecourse. Playing many old favourites and ably supported by his proteges Into The Ark the crowd enjoyed every minute.

The £90m Central Yard Complex building, known locally as ‘Son of DDH’ is set to be handed over to BAE Systems.The complex will house 800 people in its manufacturing facility and paint shop.

Millom’s town clock gets a much needed face lift. The clock which has been working again since New Years Eve has been touched up with gold leaf to restore it to its former glory.

Pupils from South Walney Infant School launch their own guide to free things to do in the area, Fun in Furness. They held a book signing session at Barrow Library for the launch.

John Pearson-Gee, a firefighter in Barrow, who suffered a prolapsed disc and was unable to work for six months received help from the Fire Fighters Charity. John and his colleagues at Barrow Fire Station will now hold fundraising events to pay back to the charity helped him.

The inaugural ceremony of the PCC Community Awards takes place, celebrating the tireless dedication and commitment of volunteers. The winners were presented with their awards by Cumbria PCC Peter McCall.

Pupils from Dowdales School performed dance routines trackside at Silverstone during this year’s 3-day Grand Prix race meeting when they take part in a mass dance project organised by Pro-Excel Dance.

Army cadet Ryan Evans, 18, was honoured by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Claire Hensman, athe the annual Lord- Lieutenant’s Awards for Cumbria for his exceptional work as a positive role model to other cadets in his rural detachment.

The Port of Barrow marked its 150th anniversary with a spectacular parade through the town and fun and games on the town quay, a plaque was also unveiled.

GSK has pulled out of its commitment to building a new £350m biopharm drugs facility in Ulverston as well as throwing doubt on the future of the town’s existing site.

Sir John Barrow Cottage has been brought back from the brink with a restorative face lift, preserving it for generations to come. It will reopen in September.

Police dog handler Sgt Mark Yielder is set to retire after 30 years of ‘most special job in the world’, his dog Uno, a spaniel bomb dog will also hang up his lead.

The Mail’s Tonne of Tins Appeal brings in eight tonnes of of food for Barrow Foodbank, this is the equivalent of 18,142 meals for the families of Barrow who find themselves in dire need.

Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester pays a visit to community projects in Dalton Community Centre and gets hands on at Cumbria Crystal in Ulverston.

Supermarket giants Marks & Spencer and Aldi are among a host of other businesses hoping to share the Beehive Business Park development with the emergency services shared Blue Light Hub in Ulverston.

AUGUST

‘Savage cuts’ see fall in traffic police in the County. The number of dedicated officers had fallen by 40 per cent over a decade.

One of the last surviving Spitfire pilots from the Battle of Britain died at the age of 99. Ken Wilkinson was among those famously dubbed “The Few” by Winston Churchill.

Hetti Sansom, 26, from Ulverston, became the director of an non-governmental organisation based in Africa. She will run Ellotte Future, a charity which helps vulnerable children and orphans in Malawi

The Dock Museum staged a day of events to mark the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness and its ports.The Victorian-themed event had everything from magic to a flea circus and even a mad scientist.

A young South Cumbria pilot starred in ITV’s series easyjet:Inside the Cockpit. Ryan Clyde from Askam was filmed with other newbies in the flight school classroom and flight simulator before taking to the skies as a fully qualified pilot.

Funeral Director Neil Mason stepped out of retirement to offer non-religious services for families across Furness.

Dalton rider, Abbie Kirkbride,12 was crowned junior champion at the Longines Royal International Horse Show in the Skewbald and Piebald category with her pony Rebecca McColl’s Hopgarden Playboy.

A foundation set up in honour of a talented young footballer Josh West, who died following an asthma attack, made its first donation to benefit young people. Swarthmoor Junior Football Club received £1,000 from the foundation.

‘Ulverston’s Banksy’ donated a painting to be auctioned for St Mary’s Hospice. The mystery artist LoKi regularly scatters paintings and sculptures around Ulverston.

Barrow Foodbank was honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services at a ceremony at The Forum. The Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Claire Hensman, presented the award.

The All England Stone Skimming Championship took place at Fell Foot Park with Charlotte Greenway taking first prize with a skim of 45m. All money raised went to the South Cumbria Rivers Trust.

The Lakeland Country Fair took place at Torver with fell-running, dog shows and traditional Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling. However the largest crowds were drawn to the display of duck herding.

Residents were amazed at an aerial display between two planes in the skies above Furness. The RAF Tucanos spent about 20 minutes practising banking and descending in close proximity.

Pupils picked up their GCSE results on Thursday. The Mail published 8 pages of results from all the schools in the area.

Stress was taking its toll on the police force. New data revealed officers from forces in Barrow, South Lakeland and Copeland took 957 days leave between them due to mental illness in 2016/17

Volunteers from the Furness Abbey Fellowship and Centrica came together to collect 60kg of rubbish in the Abbey Big Clean.

SEPTEMBER

Kind hearted stonemason Phil Atkinson has repaired four cross-shaped headstones in St Mary’ churchyard, Urswick, for free following a vandal attack which causing damage which would have cost £1,000 to repair but for Mr Atkinson’s kindness.

Aimee Robinson, 11, looks forward to her first day at senior school. Aimee has recently overcome leukaemia and endured intensive chemotherapy following a stem cell transplant and subsequent complications.

Seven playgrounds around Barrow are facing being closed in a bid by the council to save money. The closure will save the council around £13,000.

Statistics obtained from the Office of National Statistics stated that Barrow Council has slashed the amount spent on bin emptying and street cleaning by 50 per cent since 2010. Figures sought after many complaints by residents about the state of the streets.

A generous well-wisher sent a cheque for £1,000 to the community team at St Mark’s Church after an article about all of their outreach projects appeared in The Mail on Monday.

Barrow born Ray Turner, 85, surprised his daughter, Tracy Rezamand, on her wedding day by turning up to walk her down the aisle. Ray was diagnosed with advanced dementia six years ago and made his daughter’s day by being their for her.

Prince Charles made a visit to Westmorland Show for the first time in its history. Privileged and Honoured were just two of the words used to describe the feels of those involved in the show.

Cameron Luke Barlow is collecting money for homeless charity Crisis by running, cycling or swimming an impressive 50 miles in 50 days, he has added a modern twist by filming his every move so followers can watch as he racks up the miles.

Army sergeant Kevin Kell and former army private Charlie Walker, both from Dalton, have flown to Canada to take part in the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 with the 90-strong Invictus UK team. Kevin takes part in the golf and Charlie competes in wheelchair basketball and rugby and coaches the sitting volleyball team

CN Group using the Freedom of Information law discovered that mobility scooters, which are often a lifeline for people with disabilities or the elderly, have featured in collisions involving pedestrians, a three-car crash and vehicle crimes. A total of 54 highways disruptions and 14 roads-related offences.

Generations of Urswick Brownies gathered for a trip down memory lane as they celebrated their 40th anniversary with an afternoon of tea and treats.

X Factor viewers were treated to an impromptu costume change on screen when Susan Shepherd, of Barrow, was asked to perform a song by Joan Jett instead of her original choice of an Amy Winehouse number.

Hospital staff fear they are “sitting on a knife edge” after a shortage of beds caused chaos and lengthy delays at emergency departments last weekend. Barrow and Lancaster A & E departments struggled to cope with ‘operational pressures’.

The Dock Museum stages an exhibition including films about the life and achievements of Barnes Wallis, who began his career in shipbuilding, and spent time working in Barrow. He is best known for inventing the “bouncing bomb” of the Dambusters raid.