‘Roll up, roll-up. It’s Raquel and Co, putting on their first fashion show - and intent on making a profit out of it.”
That was how The Mail began a report in April 1989 about a group of Parkview School fourth year girls, who had set up the company as part of their integrated humanities studies at the Barrow school.
The fashion show was due to be staged in the block one hall at the school later that week, thanks to the aid of a number of local businesses.
PLAYING: Children from Sandside Lodge and pupils from Parkview School who were heading for a day out, including a picnic at Brockhole, on the shores of Windermere, in 1992
Nearly all the 200 tickets had been sold for the show.
Their teacher, Gill Downing, said: “They had to set up and run some kind of business.
"Most pupils go for tuck shops and things like that, but this group decided they would hold a fashion show.”
A number of local businesses had helped, including Benetton’s of Dalton Road, Barrow, Office Equipment North West, Marsh’s Soft Drinks, Coombes florists and the local BOC depot.
Kendal-based Hair by Technique was to do the models’ hair and pupils form the Barrow College of Further Education would carry out the make-up as part of their examination work. A member of staff at Parkview had arranged choreography.
GERMANY: Parkview School pupils ready for a trip to Germany in 1987
“The girls have approached all these businesses and firms themselves,” said Gill.
“They decided to call their company Raquel & Co, but don’t ask me why.”
The girls had spent about £150 on their enterprise, a slice of which was raised by selling ‘shares’ in the undertaking.
One of the models was six-year-old Lorraine Woodend who would be showing off clothes for the younger end of the market.
FASHION: Rebecca Gaitskill during rehearsals for the fashion show at Parkview School in 1989
In 1992, Parkview School's year four organised a special day out for children of Sandside Lodge, Ulverston, who all had learning difficulties.
They wrote to The Mail to get sponsorship and made each of their seven guests a picnic lunch.
A minibus took the party to Bowness, where they caught a specially laid-on ferry, which dropped them off at Brockhole, where they had lunch in the grounds.
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