OCTOBER

Flash floods devastated hundreds of homes and businesses within the space of a few hours. Market Street in Millom was hit by up to five inches of water in 20 minutes.

A battle of brawn saw members of the police force and fire service lock horns in the Fit Brit Rise to the Challenge. After nine excercises against the clock the Barrow firefighters won a resounding victory.

Helen and Derek Garnett celebrated after winning a £1m Euromillions prize. The Ulverston couple drank champagne as they collected their cheque at the Abbey House Hotel

A trio of South Cumbria stars enjoyed success at this year’s Golden Apple Awards: Furness College, the Engagement Centre at Ulverston Victoria High School and GSK apprentice Joe Hambley.

A garden party was held at the Maritime Apartments on Barrow Island,which had just undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment, in a drive to revive the island’s community spirit.

Dowdales School welcomed Imran Kotwal from the Muslim Learner Services as part of the school’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural and prevent programmes. Mr Kotwal held workshops and assemblies tackling misconceptions about Islam.

A historic landmark got a new lease of life after a major renovation project. Sir John Barrow’s Cottage in Ulverston opened as a museum to the explorer, naval officer and pioneer.

Volunteers in Broughton start training to operate a speed gun to get drivers to travel under the 30mph limit and educate them about not treating their streets as a rat-run.

Gusts of 70mph tore off part of the roof at Barrow AFC’s stadium and hundreds of homes were left without power as the remnants of hurricane Ophelia struck Cumbria.

South Walney Nature Reserve’s grey seals have once again produced two pups. This is only the third year that seal pups have been born and staff hope numbers will increase.

L’Enclume in Cartmel was rated as the sixth best fine dining experience in the country. The two Michelin-starred restaurant fought off competitors including those from London, Edinburgh and Birmingham.

Signal Film and Media produced two short films with pupils from Barrow Island Community Primary School which have been selected to be featured at the first Annual Palm Springs International Animation Festival. They beat 2,700 other submissions from 103 countries.

A community’s brightest stars were celebrated as the annual Heart of Ulverston Awards ceremony took place at the Coronation Hall. The mystery artist LoKi didn’t attend in person...he sent a life-size sculpture instead.

Amelia Butterfield, 11, from Barrow, was one of 24 children from across the UK to be recognised by the British Citizen Youth Awards for extraordinary contribution to society, charities and good causes.

The restoration of Haverthwaite Clock Tower meant that the clock was heard striking for the first time since the Second World War.

NOVEMBER

Prisoners at Haverigg Jail are set to participate in weekly parkrun events for the first time thanks to pioneering initiative between parkrun UK and HMP Haverigg, a Category C prison with 286 prisoners.

Cumbria’s only grey seal colony at South Walney Nature Reserve welcomed its newest pup after it was spotted doing what seals do best – snoozing in the sunshine.

Venomous stingers, Portuguese men-o-war jellyfish, that can grow up to 10m long have been sighted washed up on a the beach at Biggar Bank, as autumn storms have driven the creatures north.

Katie Allan is in dreamland after successfully starting up her own “sleep training” business to ensure parents and their children get a good night’s sleep.

Ulverston woman, Pam Reid, has been given a special award after 50 years of loyal service to the NHS. She joined as a secretary in 1967, and moved to Furness General Hospital in 200 to provide administrative support in the general office.

Young people across the county have been having their say on a number of topical issues ahead of a Youth Parliament debate in the House of Commons. Barrow and South Lakes will be represented by Lucia Harrington.

Feats of fundraising and fortitude were celebrated as The Forum in Barrow hosted the Keswick to Barrow Awards evening with records broken and £387k raised for charity.

A generous pensioner, Betty Ballinger, gave her granddaughter, Sarah Smith, the gift of a lifetime when her £5,000 scratchcard winnings were used to pay for life changing IVF treatment. Resulting in daughter Betty Ellen for Sarah and husband Brian.

Figures uncovered by national charity the Money Advice Trust revealed that Barrow had the highest rate of instructions to bailiffs in Cumbria in the last 12 months. With visits to more than 13,000 homes and businesses over unpaid council tax bills.

The Oxfam charity shop in Ulverston has become the best branch in the UK by embracing online sales. Going from facing closure to shipping items all over the world.

Firefighters were called out to rescue a seagull trapped in Pets at Home. The crew used a 12-metre ladder in their attempt to free the bird from the roof. The bird is believed to be unharmed.

Former carnival queen Florence Knox celebrates her 100th birthday at a packed party at Station View, with a special cake made by her daughter and a brass band to entertain the guests.

The Jake Ellis Charity Ball celebrated its ninth year at a glittering event at Abbey House Hotel, raising more than £10,000 in honour of a young boy taken too soon. The proceeds go to Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group.

A chance meeting in a doctor’s surgery led to wedded bliss for Frank Faulkner, 92 and Doreen Fearnett, 85. Both had been married to their first spouses for over 60 years and hope their story will offer hope to the increasing numbers of people who are impacted by loneliness in later years.

DECEMBER

Dalton was awash with Yuletide cheer as elves wandered the streets and Santa posed for photographs with his reindeer in Tudor Square before the carnival queen switched on the town’s lights.

The Environment Agency responds to criticism two years on from Storm Desmond. A special report details schemes completed or in place for the county’s worst affected areas.

GSK apprentice Danyelle Haines scooped the hotly-contested best apprentice/trainee award at the recent 2017 in-Cumbria Business Awards. Danyelle, a second-year apprentice, has been recognised for her contribution to two major sterile manufacturing projects.

Barrow’s Indoor Market has been recognised at a national level getting to the final six of the prestigious “Britain’s favourite market competition” held by the National Association of British Markets.

A survey highlights crime concerns in Cumbria with speeding cars, dangerous drivers and burglars ranking as the top three worries. Following closely behind were concerns about drug-dealing, vandalism and the protection of the vulnerable.

At St Paul’s Church in Barrow St Mary’s Hospice held the second Light Up A Life event of the year. The service of remembrance included the names of over 700 loved ones who had passed away.

Kind-hearted Hannah Steel, 10, from Kirkby, went under the hairdresser’s scissors for the Little Princess Trust. She donated 10 inches of her hair to the charity which makes bespoke wigs for children who have lost their hair through cancer treatment or other illness.

The Mail’s Carol Concert was held this year on a cold and wet December evening at St James’ Church in Barrow.

Service users from PAVE in Barrow – which stands for positive and valued experiences – and Mill Lane Day Centre came together to stage a special Christmas production of The Wizard of Oz.

Youngsters at St James’ Catholic Primary School in Millom will link up with the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain after an impressive audition in Manchester.

Jesse Evans became a web sensation after his parents, Stephen and Bettina Evans, captured the magical moment he joined in a brass band’s rendition of Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer . His adventures will now be documented on a Facebook page dedicated to raising awareness of autism spectrum disorder.

Kind-hearted pupils from Walney School gave up their time to hand out present to elderly residents living on the island. More than 100 pupils delivered 136 boxes of biscuits to local pensioners.

The South Lakes Birth Centre maternity unit at Furness General Hospital is set to open it’s doors on February 14th, 2018. Contractors have finished their part of the job and handed the keys over to staff from University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

Work is due to start on the primary care centre, on the site of the former Alfred Barrow School, early in the New Year following the final go-ahead by NHS England and Morecambe Bay’s Clinical Commissioning Group.