JULY

Tom Quinn marked his 30th birthday with 30 gruelling challenges including the Coast to Coast cycle ride, Total Warrior twice, a hike to the base camp at Mount Everest and kayaking the length of Windermere, raising money along the way for St Mary’s Hospice.

Several senior, primary and infants schools were closed due to national strike action by teachers with several more having a limited capacity.

Dave Myers, one half of the cooking duo The Hairy Bikers, put his Barrow house on the market in his bid to swap the fields of Furness for the lush valleys of the Loire in France.

The Wheatsheaf pub was given a new lease of life as it was converted into quality services rooms and accommodation for professionals. Work was set to begin on the former Washington and Crystal Palace pubs by Blake Henderson Ltd.

A training exercise to test how the county’s emergency services would respond to a major nuclear accident was successfully carried out at Furness General Hospital.

Barrow AFC squad spent time having a coffee, signing autographs and chatting to fans in a "meet and greet" at Costa Coffee before the start of the new season.

The Cartmel Surgery passed a tough government inspection with flying colours after experts rated it among the best in the country.

Hundreds of people lined the streets in wet and windy weather to celebrate Millom’s 150th birthday as part of their annual carnival extravaganza.

The Lake District was officially the most popular destination for walking in Britain in a new nationwide survey released by Ordnance Survey.

Lance Corporal Danielle Pattinson, 31, from Barrow, was given the honour of receiving a sword from a member of the royal family as a mark of gratitude for her regiment’s work during the ebola crisis in Africa.

Pupils at Ulverston Victoria High School got scrubbed up for a realistic medical experience when their hall was transformed into an operating theatre.

Winnie Mason was surrounded by friends, family and carers as she blew out the candles to celebrate her 100th birthday. She attributed this to naps and good food.

The future of south Cumbria was cemented following a historic vote to renew Britain’s nuclear weapons programme and safeguard tens of thousands of jobs.

It was announced that Holker Garden Festival had opened its gates for the last time after 24 years. Sadness was expressed by many who had been involved over the years.

Ben Pedley, 15, and his mum Vicky Pedley, of Barrow, were delighted to be able to reunite a soldier with his lost medal which they found following the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment parade through the town.

AUGUST

A long-term plan which outlined the next 15 years of development - including 2,000 houses and 10 sites for employment in Barrow - was thrashed out.

Stars of stage and drama lovers Ulverston Outsiders celebrated their 80th anniversary. The drama group was first established in 1936 by Edith Eckersley.

Ulverston Inshore Rescue took delivery of new vehicles worth £86,000 including a hovercraft and rescue vehicle which will be at the group’s Canal Foot base.

Ford Park was given a Green Flag award by Keep Britain Tidy after being recognised as one of the country’s best green spaces for the second year in a row.

St George’s Church, Millom, was forced to close its doors when asbestos was discovered between the pipes of the 150-year-old heating system during work to install a new state-of-the-art heating system.

More than 800 visitors came to Barrow on board the largest cruise ship to visit. MS Braemar docked and passengers took trips to Furness Abbey, the Dock Museum and the Lakes.

A chance discovery of a book with a bookplate inside it in a charity shop triggered the revival of handing out gifts to children who attend the Salvation Army Sunday School regularly.

Local brewers Stringers of Ulverston were awarded three stars at the Great Taste Awards for its IPA. It will now be on show to the top retailers in the country.

Charity Nightstop UK asked homeowners in Barrow to open their doors to homeless teenagers, providing a roof, a meal and a bed for the night.

Benefit advisers at Barrow and District Disability Association missed out on five years of funding worth more than £350,000 after their continuation bid to the Big Lottery was unsuccessful.

Coronation Hall was handed over by Cumbria County Council to Ulverston Community Enterprises. They celebrated with a week of fun and activities for all the family.

Stewart Ottley was hailed a hero after rescuing a 70-year-old motorist when his car was engulfed by floodwater at Duddon Bridge. Other areas affected by the floods were Ulverston, Bootle and Askam.

It emerged food tourism in south Cumbria could increase following the inclusion of three local restaurants in the top 50 of the 2017 Good Food Guide. They are L’Enclume in Cartmel, Forest Side in Grasmere and Lake Road Kitchen in Ambleside.

Popular chippy owner June Devlin, of Dev’s Plaice, was set to retire after more than 30 years behind the fryer.

Millom Discovery Centre received £160,000 in grants to enable it to revamp its displays and bring the history of Millom to life.

Callum Woodall, 12, from Barrow, had a dream of a day when he sang in the Challenge Cup Fans’ Choir with Aled Jones on the Wembley pitch.

SEPTEMBER

The amazing tale of how a lost Beatrix Potter story came to life as The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots, illustrated by Quentin Blake, was released.

A plucky four-year-old was welcomed home after a "nightmare" holiday experience. Alfie Barton broke a leg in Benidorm and it was feared he would have to stay in Spain for two months. The Evening Mail contacted the travel company, underwriters and the Foreign Office before an agreement was reached to fly him home.

Becky Lewis, a 32-year-old physiotherapist, broke the British record for a two-way English Channel swim, taking just 20 hours and 15 minutes.

Despite awful weather conditions Lowick Show returned for its 159th year and was a roaring success.

Cycling superstar Sir Bradley Wiggins was the star attraction as the second stage of the Tour of Britain set off from Carlisle on its way through the county.

Barrow Borough Council faced the agony of inflicting £2.3m worth of cuts because of further government grant reductions.

This year’s Millom Scarecrow Festival had a sporting theme featuring a number of Rio Olympic medal winners such as Andy Murray and an England hockey player.

Ulverston Victoria High School sixth formers David Griffiths and Abi Howie had the honour of playing their trumpets with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall during the Last Night of the Proms weekend.

Human remains were unearthed during the flood alleviation work on Ulverston Town Beck’s watercourse.

Furness College proudly launched its state-of-the -art Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Centre designed to help train Barrow’s future workforce.

Residents were star-struck as Hollywood star David Hasselhoff visited the Lakes and posed for pictures on his typical tourist’s day out.

The official turf cutting ceremony took place as the construction of the £12m maternity unit got under way. The building is due to be open by Christmas 2017

The Barrow parkrun reached its five-year milestone as 159 runners came out to take part.

Vickerstown Methodist Rainbows were over the moon when they received a letter from the Queen. The girls had sent her a card for her 90th birthday in June.

Simon Rogan, from L’Enclume in Cartmel, took home the Chef of the Year Prize at the AA Hospitality Awards in London.

The Love Barrow Supplement was published celebrating the regeneration of the town and recognising its unsung heroes.