Five of Barrow's most bizarre historic events

In the early 20th century however, people were still accustomed to making their own fun which luckily has been captured in the Sankey online historic archive.

The images were captured by local photographers and showed what people got up to without today's health and safety regulations, practicality or social awareness.

Weather warnings for ice are taken very seriously now but in the early 20th century hundreds of people would flock to Ormsgill Reservoir when it froze over.

This photograph shows people having a curling match - some without ice skates and wearing shoes, flat caps, bowler hats and overcoats instead.

Barrow Motor Club Gymkhana also took Bob Apple to a new level. This image from 1926 shows competitors racing around on motorbikes before taking a bite out of hanging doughnuts.

Just a couple of years before there was also there was also the Men’s Washing Competition at Rampside Gala in 1924.

Admission was 3d to 'watch the soapsuds fly' while husbands would 'be a man and do the wife's job for once’ participating in suits.

Pictured here is the third prize winner with another man holding an advertising board which states that the competition is sponsored by Barrow Steam Laundry.

At the Walney Motorbike trials of the same year, one man wears a flat cap backward as he tries to get his motorbike to burst into life.

Whilst also wearing a shirt, tie, and jumper, competitor number four hopes to be the fastest over a measured distance.

Each rider usually got two or three runs in the competition with the best time recorded.

The shipyard's sports day also proved entertaining as in this image from 1920, one team is doing well whilst a spectator laughs at the second which has collapsed in a heap.

Anyone wanting to use the Sankey photos in a book, online or in an exhibition need to ask permission to use the photos from Cumbria Archives and there may be a charge.

Downloading images for personal use is fine, however.  The full details on copyright are here.