It is with very great sadness and disappointment that I have to announce the end of activities at Threlkeld. The team have found themselves unable to sign a new lease which has been mandated by our landlords land agent. The draconian term and restrictions the new lease would have placed upon us (at no little expense) would make it impossible to carry on.

The Post is now put to bed until spring, we will be visiting occasionally over the winter to check on the place and do some maintenance but if you wish to visit a calendar of next year’s open days will be published once we know our commitments for 2019.
We’d like to thank all our visitors this year and also those who have helped us do what we do. We’ve had an excellent year with some fantastic visitors and making a 360deg virtual reality film with Lucy and Yvonne from Vespertine York was intriguing to say the least. We received some great comments from the English Heritage gang when we visited York Conrol to see the film. If you haven’t visited York, it’s worth a visit but please say we sent you.
We’ve already got bookings for talks in the new year so will continue spreading the word of ROC heritage.
Thanks again from the 51post team.

Thanks to the fantastic support given to the Post by 22 Group (Carlisle) Royal Observer Corps Association, we have been able to secure the Public Liability Insurance required by our landlords land agent. This has enabled us to proceed with our planned Open Days for 2018.
12th May dawned bright and sunny, our first visitor arrived at 0940, a journalist from York to research a magazine article about the Post and its restoration. A steady stream of visitors followed, 29 in all, and as ever in what seemed like no time at all it was 1630 and packing the van time. The Post was stripped with the kind assistance of John Nicholson suitably supervised by Christine sat atop the vent pillar. At 1702 the first drop of what would for a while be torrential rain fell, packed up just in time.
Thanks to all our visitors, nice to have you along.

Our Open Day dates for 2018 have now been published. Have a look on the “2018 Diary” page of this site for the details. If you’ve only ever looked at the home page have a browse, there’s lots more info to see.

Due to having to source (and fund) public liability insurance for visitors to the Post, to appease our landlords land agent, we cannot say when we will next be holding an open day. This insurance is being arranged but as you can imagine is a specialised area and is not happening quickly. Please watch this page for updates, we are treating this as a priority.

Sorry for the lack of updates here recently, life seems to have got in the way! Our Open Days this year have been quiet but I think the weather has had a big part in that, however we’ve had some really great visitors and even managed to recruit some members for the Royal Observer Corps Association.
Among our visitors was Dr Sam Christie an independent film maker who is making a documentary so spent two days filming with us. More recently we’ve had Penrith and Keswick Fire Brigade crews practicing a casualty evacuation.
There have also been one or two additions this year including a new shelter to replace our wrecked gazebo and a present from John Gedge of a set of used Mk1 maroons and a home made trainer set of the later type maroons (non functioning).

Our, new to us, van helped greatly with getting ready for the day (would have been even better if I’d loaded the BPI and clock!). With the help of 37 Post restorer John George Little we were set up in record time, not that we needed to be as the only 4 visitors we had before lunch decided they didn’t want to go down into the Post?

Partly loaded van

After lunch was a different thing with many of the 22Grp faithful appearing along with a steady flow of new visitors, many local but some not so, our farthest travelled were from Vancouver. Small world syndrome struck, the first two visitors we had came from Chester-le-Street inspired to visit by a visit to the trashed Sacriston Post in 23 Group, later in the day we had a visit by the former L/Obs of Sacriston Post and her family.

Dates for future Open Days are being worked out this week, watch this space (or Facebook, or our Twitter feed).

Quick trip to the Post today, everything found in good order although the field is quite muddy. Not much to do before April 23rd other than charge the lighting batteries. Saw our landlords as we usually do, busy farming as always!

As the year comes to a close and we start to look at possible dates for 2017 Open Days, we also look back at what 2016 has brought. The weather hasn’t been particularly kind this year but we can’t arrange that and unfortunately our new Gazebo was destroyed by the wind.
This year has seen the introduction of talks on the ROC, its history and heritage given to various groups, there are already four talks booked for 2017.
I must mention two highlights of the year, firstly the amazing commemoration of the Stand Down of ROC Posts weekend with several Posts open over the weekend and in contact over the Teletalk system, we were joined by several ex Observers from their homes and also the restored 28Grp Sector Control in Dundee.
The second highlight was the first Open Day at Carlisle 37 Post Brampton which is under restoration by former L/Obs John George Little by kind permission of Paul and Sarah Crabtree.

In closing, we must thank our helpers, supporters and our visitors and express our wish to see you all again in the New Year.

Regards and Best Wishes
C/Obs David Atkinson – (Acker)
L/Obs David Shaw – (Boots)

Two of the 51 Post Team, L/Obs D Shaw and L/Obs JG Little have had a couple of busy weekends. 51 Post was open for the weekend of the 25th anniversary of the Stand Down of Posts and Controls. The evening of 30th September was incredible with people chatting on the Teletalk from all over the country, very reminiscent of through the night on exercise in years past. This weekend we manned Carlisle 37 Post which is undergoing restoration under the control of JG for it’s very first Open Day. JG’s landlords Paul and Sarah provided food and drink for the visitors and as the Post has a weather station attached, there was a representative from the Met Office there too.