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Revision as of 23:50, 16 April 2005
Template:GBdot Workington is a town on the west coast of Cumbria, England at the mouth of the River Derwent. The area around Workington has long been a producer of coal and steel.
Workington has a population of around 25,000 people (1991) and is an industrial town. It is the seat of Allerdale Borough Council, which is one of five borough councils in Cumbria.
Workington has a non league and former professional football team, Workington Reds, as well as a Pro rugby league and former challenge cup winning team, Workington Town, and a professional speedway team, the Workington Comets.
The town has rail and bus connections to other towns and villages in West Cumbria, Penrith, Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness and occasional through trains to Newcastle.
Workington once celebrated its own version of 'Easter Football'
The somewhat questionable glories of Workington Easter football play have passed away, partly in consequence of the occupation of a portion of the playing ground by railways and works, and not less because of a change of feeling. How long these Easter Tuesday matches between "Uppies" and "Downeys" have gone on no man can tell. In the 19th century it was reported in the Pacquet that the game in 1849 "was played with all the vigour of former days, from times beyond 'the memory of the oldest inhabitant.'" The goals are about a mile apart, one being a capstan at the harbour, and the other the park wall of Workingham Hall. There are no rules except those suggested by cunning and skill, while brute force is of the greatest importance. If the ball is "haled" over the park wall a sovereign is given by the owner of the estate to the winners, and of course it is spent in liquor. The players sometimes number hundreds, and thousands of people attend as spectators.
The Kendal "Boke of Recorde" contains several references to the pastimes of Westmerians from two to three centuries ago. On one occasion it was ordered by the Corporation "That whosoever do play at the football in the street and break any windows, shall forfeit upon view thereof by the Mayor or one of the Aldermen in the ward where the fault is committed the sum of 12d. for every time every party, and 3s. 4d. for every window by the same broken, and to be committed till it be paid, the constable looke to it to present it presently at every Court day." That knur and spell, the game so popular still in Yorkshire, was once a favourite pastime in Kendal is attested by the following entry, dated April, 1657: "It is ordered by the Court that all such persons, inhabitants within this borough, above the age of twelve years, that hereafter shall play in the streets at a game commonly called Kattstick and Bullvett shall forfeit and incur the penalty of 12d. for every offence, to be levied of their goods, and where they have no goods to be imprisoned two hours."
The 'Jam Eaters' - a very old rivalry between Workington and the neighbouring town of Whitehaven has led to both parties in this rivalry calling eachother "jam eaters" as a form of insult. Legend has it that it arises from the mining days and the sandwich filling preference of miners from each town. The insult isn't just exclusivily used by Workington and Whitehaven, towns such as Maryport which lies north of Workington also makes heavy use of the insult against Whitehaven. Strangely enough, jam was in fact produced in Maryport for many decades and as a result Whitehaven accuses Maryport of being the "real" Jam Eaters.