10 YEARS AGO

Barrow's Park Leisure Centre was to make swimming free for those aged over 60 from April. It would also be free for anyone under 16.

The Drop Zone Youth Project was among groups interested in the Victoria Hall, on Rawlinson, Street, Barrow, which was to be sold at auction.

Accent Housing Association hoped to build 41 apartments on the former Pye Motors site at Holker Street, Barrow.

South Lakeland District Council was to spend £55,000 on multi-use games areas for youngsters on the Croftlands and Honeypot housing estates.

25 YEARS AGO

Hundreds of Barrow families could no longer pay their bills and turned to the Citizens Advice Bureau for help, said a report from the county trading standards office.

Around 300 people expressed an interest in the vacant post of nature warden at Sandscale Haws, between Barrow and Askam. The site had 15 per cent of the country's natterjack toads and 480 species of flower.

Pubmaster, the owners of the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, on Abbey Road, Barrow, planned to board up the building while they decided what to do with it.

Delegates from the French Ministry of Tourism visited the Lake District National Park to study conservation.

50 YEARS AGO

Letters were reduced to ashes when Bengal matches were used to start a fire in a postbox in Greengate Street, Barrow.

The Barrow Evangelical Fellowship held a four-day convention at the Abbey Road Baptist Church.

Cameo Foundations was to make women's under garments from a factory on Long Lane, Dalton.