THE Libertines came together in Carlisle when singer Carl Barat joined indie icon Pete Doherty on stage at the Old Fire Station.

The gig was billed as acoustic solo set by Doherty but half way through the set the back stage door opened and Barat walked out.

In matching Fred Perry polo shirts, the pair blasted out some of their Libertines tracks including Can’t Stand Me Now.

Four hundred people packed into the Old Fire Station for the sold out gig.

A pub landlord in the south of the county was taken to hospital after being overcome by heat and fumes attempting to put out a kitchen fire.

A total of three fire engines from Ulverston and Barrow were called to the Kings Head pub on Queen Street in Ulverston at 3.58am on February 2.

Kendal Town Football Club’s chairman, George Gudgeon, made an impassioned plea for support to help prevent the Mintcakes slipping into relegation, as the club battled to emerge from a crisis which saw a mass exodus of players.

Collabro star Matt Pagan revealed himself as the lead man for this year’s Sands Centre panto in Carlisle, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Carlisle lad announced the news on stage himself last night at Collabro’s sell-out show at the venue.

Music fans from all over the world paid tribute to one of Barrow’s musical greats after he died suddenly.

Barrow soul musician Allan Davies died in his sleep on February 2 after a final gig that night at the Odd Frog, on Duke Street, Barrow.

Mr Davies was playing with the popular band Soul Survivors. Fifty years before he was a founding member of Barrow band Chapter 5.

The Countess of Wessex visited Kendal coffee roaster John Farrer & Co to help toast its 200th anniversary, and also called at the Bendrigg Trust, the outdoor disability charity at Old Hutton.

A Carlisle man who helped set up a tribute fund to raise cash for Diabetes UK -in memory of his late wife - took part in a fresh fundraising mission.

Brian Hough, 60, lost his wife, Lorraine, to the condition in 2009. She suffered a heart attack following her fight with diabetes and related health conditions and had been waiting for a kidney transplant.

Since her death, Mr Hough became an advocate for the charity Diabetes UK raising both awareness of the condition - and cash.

Rail campaigners and tourism chiefs spoke out against a virtual shutdown of train services in south Cumbria planned for the Easter weekend, describing it as “a huge kick in the teeth” for the economy.

Visitors and residents were warned about feeding water birds after a group of swans began regular trips into Bowness.

A large number of waterfowl traditionally frequent the shores of Windermere at Bowness, but in the months leading up to February, a group of around four mute swans wandered away from the edge of the lake and into the centre of the town.

The trips became a daily occurrence for the swans to walk as far as the Tesco Express store where they linger outside hoping to be thrown scraps of food by shoppers - as they were snapped by passers-by.

Two gang members were jailed for three years after pleading guilty to a smash-and-grab cashpoint raid at a Milnthorpe convenience store, using a stolen JCB digger.

It was announced that work would get underway on the site of a proposed £150m hotel and restaurant complex in West Cumbria.

Whitehaven Developments’ previously revealed plans to transform the 50-acre former Alcan Pechiney factory site at Lillyhall in 2017.

Demolition work on a building to the south of the site was set to start at the beginning of March, and finish by the end of July.

Community leaders expressed their disappointment that a major retailer in Barrow has announced it would be closing its doors at the end of the year. Marks & Spencer bosses said it was a ‘difficult decision’ to shut its Dalton Road branch.

Lake District National Park Authority bosses revealed the park’s landscape had almost fully recovered after flood damage caused by Storm Desmond in December 2015, with 94 bridges repaired, 65 paths mended and £3 million spent.

Ex-Workington Town rugby star Ryan MacDonald joined forces with his partner to set up a learning centre in his home town.

Mr MacDonald and his partner Louise Varey took over the old Chambers Homecentre building on James Street to set up their new venture.

The pair revealed their hope to help youngsters from the age of 12 up to young adults who can’t adapt to mainstream education to reach their full potential.

Meanwhile, amid soaring temperatures and reports of a “fool’s spring”, a carpet of purple crocuses planted by Lunesdale Rotary Club brought an early glimpse of spring to Jubilee Park, Kirkby Lonsdale.

A major plan to tackle the lack of affordable homes with a return to council-owned properties was unveiled in the west of the county.

Allerdale Borough Council was behind plans to set up a council-owned housing company to provide affordable properties to rent and sell to those in need, as well as make money through full price rentals and sales.

Most of the council’s former stock was transferred to Derwent and Solway Housing Association in 1999.

Barrow’s Super Soapbox Challenge landed an Olympic seal of approval after Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards was unveiled as the star name to launch the race.

Eddie added that ge wouldn’t tackle the 90m ramp upon his arrival in Barrow later in the year – but would pilot the Barrow BID cart down the launch ramp first to set the time for others to beat. The Barrow BID Super Soapbox Challenge event was held in June.

The-then defence secretary put his weight behind a plan to transform Barrow town centre because it could help the shipyard retain and attract vital staff.

Following a meeting with the-then independent MP for Barrow and Furness John Woodcock, Gavin Williamson pledged to lobby government colleagues to fund the long-stalled marina village proposal and a plan to boost footfall in the town centre.