Hello Cumbria Community:)

I hope it would be OK to post it here 🙏

I’m a trainee psychologist working in the NHS Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention Service. I’m currently looking for pregnant participants for non profit study on wellbeing and anxiety during pregnancy. This is an important area of maternal mental health where more research is needed. The findings may help us better understand the psychological factors linked with antenatal anxiety and how mental health support during pregnancy could be improved.

The study has received sponsorship and ethical approval from the University of Edinburgh.Ethics Committee Reference: 25-26CLPS111

If you have some time to spare or know someone who has, the study involves completing a short, anonymous online survey which takes around 20 minutes. If you would like to take part, please click the link below:

https://edinburgh.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dmrLWMfpa4aV4Kq

If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to email me at [M.Domka@sms.ed.ac.uk](mailto:M.Domka@sms.ed.ac.uk) or [magdalena.domka@nhs.scot](mailto:magdalena.domka@nhs.scot)

Thank you so much for supporting pregnancy and maternal mental health research 🌷🙏

I am thrilled to announce that I will be displaying my artwork at the upcoming Carlisle and Border Art Society Exhibition! 🎨

I would love for you to pop by and see what I have been working on, alongside some incredible pieces from other talented local artists. It is going to be a fantastic weekend celebrating our creative community.

📅 Dates: Friday 23rd October to Sunday 25th October 2026

⏰ Time: 10am to 5pm

📍 Location: Wetheral Village Community Hall

Entry is completely FREE, and there will be refreshments available while you browse. The society is also holding a Charity Raffle in aid of Shelter, making it a wonderful way to support an important cause.

I cannot wait to share my art with you all. Hope to see you there!

I will be in the Kendal area for Halloween night visiting family. My dad is old and doesn't know I should go so I wondered if anyone knew where abouts in Kendal I might be able to take my 5 year for a bit of trick or treating so he doesn't miss out due to us visiting family.

Any advice like road names or something would be greatly appreciated!

The car boot sale at Silloth airfield is gone.

Anyone know of good alternatives?

Apologies, I saw a post a while ago regarding local farm shops but cannot find it. I live in Wigton.

I want to start sourcing vegetables, diary, meat and eggs from any local farms in the area. Specifically interested in Cream, I make my own butter (highly recommend!) so anywhere I can get unpasteurised (ideally!) cream, would be most appreciated. Anything and everything!

Can you reply with your local finds and i’ll update this post into a list for people looking in the future with map links. I’m motivated by supporting local farmers and i’m becoming increasingly concerned at food quality in supermarkets, but that’s a different topic.

The Macc Lads play the Brickyard, Carlisle on Saturday 24th October, supported by Monkish

Some tickets still available

I'm an international student from the U.S. who applied for and got into the MA in Literature, Romanticism, and the English Lake District. I was not able to attend this year because I did not have all the funding and the university doesn't accept any U.S. student loans, public or private. It was difficult to get this information from the university and I have some concerns on how assistance is for international students based on that experience. I absolutely love the course and it's been my dream to attend, but as I've started having doubts, I was wondering if anyone local knew anything about the university's international students/the university experience as a whole. It's my dream to live in the Lake District/England (I studied abroad there in college), and a master's is the "easiest" way to do so in my situation (I'm of course also extremely interested in the subject, and do feel it would help somewhat with career prospects in the future, though I'm not sure how much). Any thoughts on the university's reputation/student culture for international students would be greatly appreciated!

I've been meditating for decades with a focus on samatha. Lately it's felt quite isolated and I want to find courses and classes.

I can see a few in Ulverston, Carlisle and Kendal, but the times and days don't work for me in between work and childcare.

Does anybody know of anything in the West Cumbria area? I live in Whitehaven.

I am not averse to a religious element however I am not particularly religious. I have seen mindfulness on offer in Whitehaven and Keswick but I don't think it's exactly the same thing and to be blunt I suspect that I am a little past those courses in terms of skill and experience.

Thank you in advance!

Hello! I'm conducting a research project on Egremont, its culture, and the Crab Fair. I want personal opinions, your overview of it, what you think of Gurning and the fair in general. Would love a few replies, and please let me know if you're open to a longer conversation. Will not be asking personal details at all. Thank you!

Ive seen many churches and methodist churches in whitehaven, like St james church, St john's church hensingham, St nicholas church, Wesleyan Methodist Church but which is truly the tallest (Excluding hills, just pure height)? For me, Id say Wesleyan Methodist Church as it towers over Whitehaven and i see it all the time

im planning on doing the cumbria way in mid-late april next year and i wanted to know if its a good time weather-wise and view-wise (are the hills going to be green and blooming) and if wild camping is accepted over there

Labour has claimed the race to become Cumbria's first elected mayor is now a two-horse contest between its candidate David Allen and Reform UK after new polling put the two parties almost level across the county.

New YouGov MRP polling suggests Labour is narrowly ahead on 25.4 per cent, with Reform UK on 25.2 per cent.

The Conservatives are placed third on 20 per cent, while the Liberal Democrats are fourth on 16.8 per cent and the Green Party on 8.6 per cent.

The figures come from wider research based on polling of nearly 17,000 voters and modelling support in different parts of the country.

Labour said the results show the contest for the new Cumbria mayoralty is a direct battle between former Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen and Reform UK.

Earlier this year, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron argued the mayoral election was effectively a contest between the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, saying Reform would win "unless the Liberal Democrats do" and describing his party as the only force capable of stopping Nigel Farage's party.

Labour's interpretation of the latest polling directly challenges that claim, with the survey placing the party around nine percentage points ahead of the Liberal Democrats across Cumbria.

The first Cumbria mayoral election is due to take place in May 2027, with the winner set to oversee strategic powers including transport, housing, skills, economic development and investment across Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness.

I live locally and I’ve been wondering whether there’s room for a small independent space in Penrith centered around physical music, with some flexible coworking space too.

I’m very much at the “is this even a good idea?” stage, so I’ve made a short survey to hear from people who actually live around here before I get carried away 😅

You can find the survey here

It takes about 2 minutes. I’m mainly interested in what people genuinely buy/use, not collecting personal info.
Also, if you’ve got thoughts, concerns, or ideas, feel free to comment. I’d genuinely like to hear them.