A parade of 50 people, including Barrow Mayor and Mayoress Cllr Joyce Fleet and Mrs Phyll Palmer, took place in 1992, with many of those taking part wearing Victorian dress.

Under the headline ‘Barrow Island children greet the Mayor in Victorian style’, The Mail reported that the parade around Barrow Island, which was led by Barrow Sea Cadets, included ragged children from Walney Amateurs’ production of Oliver, who added to the Victorian theme of the St John’s Church Autumn Fair.

Jean Boyd, the vicar’s wife who helped to organise the fair, said: “We decided it was good if we had a special theme for it and the idea of a Victorian theme just grew.”

The fair included Victorian games, such as swingboats, wooden tops and whips, which were made by Parkview School and Furness College, plus a baked potato salesman from Chorley.

Mrs Boyd hoped the event would raise £1,000 for church funds.

After the parade, the fair was opened by Barrow Mayor Cllr Joyce Fleet in her mayoral robes, which she said dated from Victorian times.

Earlier, she commented: “Everyone is very impressed with the way people have dressed up., They have really made an effort.”

In 2002 a vicar was saying thank you after receiving a grant of £246,300 for urgent repairs to her church.

Earlier that year the Rev Diana Hervey had been told hundreds of thousands of pounds would have to be spent on St John’s in Barrow Island.

The work included replacing the roof of the building that had stood in Island Road since 1935.

She launched a restoration appeal and applied for English Heritage lottery funding.

The organisation had agreed to release money for the project.

Mrs Hervey said: "We are delighted to have been offered the grant."

And she added: "I would like to thank the community of Barrow Island who have been wonderful.

"Just the other day somebody came up to me and pressed £10 into my hand and somebody else has raised money by selling bedding plants."