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BB2310
: A Prolific Story
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Thursday
23rd March 2023
Many
years ago, around the start
of the last century, a wealthy
mill owner in Bolton challenged
his sons to set up a symbiotic
business.
It
was a toss-up between a dye
works and a company insuring
the fire risk in cotton mills.
They
chose the latter and Provincial
Insurance was born.
Subsequently
the company moved to Kendal,
a more pleasant environment
from which to operate.
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Many
years later, a long-haired young
man called Don went to Kendal
for an interview.
Provincial
had branched out into life insurance
and they wanted someone to train
as an actuary. Don had
heard about actuaries and how
exciting a job it would be.
Whilst
being interviewed by the man
he would come to admire, Big
G said there was someone he
would like Don to meet. He
banged on a cupboard door and
a tiny man walked out.
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“Weh-hey”
said Don. “I like this wacky company.”
Next
he went to meet the Personnel Manager. Don
can’t remember much about the conversation.
He was too busy looking out of the
window, watching the salmon leaping up the
weir and the sun shining on the Lakeland
hills.
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He
liked it so much he almost forgot
to haggle about the salary being
offered.
The
clincher was being given twelve
shilling and sixpence to have
a meal on the way home.
In
those days there was a restaurant
at the top of the Forton Service
Station tower.
As
Don tucked into his fish fingers
and chips, he marvelled at his
good fortune; something that
he has done ever since.
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The
company wanted a snappy name for its brand.
The MD, a quick witted individual,
took the starter letters from PROvincial
LIFe Investment Company
and the brand name Prolific was born.
Why
am I telling you this? To explain
what I was carrying today.
After
last week’s evil weather, in comparison
the prospect of strong winds and heavy rain
seemed attractive. No, that’s not
quite true. The attraction was the
prospect of having a coffee at Brian’s house,
waiting to see if the rain and wind abated.
Eventually it did so Brian, Stan and
I set off to walk to Gurnal Dubbs.
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For
the first time that I can recall, I was
carrying an umbrella. I thought that
if it was good enough an idea for Nick Crane,
it should work for me, so I took the biggest
strongest one I could find.
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At
first it was a hindrance. I couldn't work
out how best to carry it whilst furled.
We
crossed the railway and the river .....
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.....
headed upstream passed the weir.....
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.....then
began the climb up the bridle path that
leads to Potter Tarn.
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By
now, the wind had whipped up and there was
a sudden very sharp downpour. Stan and Brian
zipped up their waterproof gear. I
whipped out my umbrella. What a good
idea that was, I thought. Briefly
I worried whether it might act as a lightening
conductor but there was no sign of an electrical
storm so that fear passed. What was
of more concern was that I might be doing
a Mary Poppins act. The wind was trying
to make my umbrella part company from me
or, failing that, to whisk us both up into
the sky. Fortunately we, brolly and
I, were made of stronger stuff and I was
able to keep control of my defensive weapon.
When
we reached Gurnal Dubbs, we stopped by the
boathouse for a team picture.
When
my umbrella once again tried to take off,
Brian asked about its logo, Prolific.
Well,
I have already told you, so you know the
answer. It was a company umbrella
which has survived much longer than the
company itself did. Put another way,
the company was taken over but the umbrella
refused to take off.
Shortly
afterwards we found shelter overlooking
the tarn and protected by banking where
we stopped for lunch.
Our
return route took us past the Taggleshaw
boundary stones (BB1621)
which I pointed out to Brian and told tell
him about the nearby Neolithic stone circle.
By this stage I no longer had need
of the brolly so it was re-strapped to my
rucksack.
We
could see the quartered, circular mound
that looks as if it should be house some
sort of ancient burial chamber but is more
likely purely glacial deposit
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Our
return to the River Kent was by a cunning
route that Brian had devised using a series
of paths that were new to Stan and me. The
fields were waterlogged with many an impromptu
small lake. It was clear that the
river itself had also recently ventured
into the fields.
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Shortly
before reaching Brian’s house, we passed
the Handsome Brewery which sadly (though
not so in the eyes of the neighbours) no
longer has a bar on site though they have
opened one in Kendal. They no longer
sell their beers in bottles, only in tins.
Brian,
however, had had advance information about
the change of container and was able to
offer us Handsome Lager, straight from the
bottle. Thank you Brian. It
was indeed prolific in its deliciousness!
Don,
Thursday 23rd March 2023
Comitibus:
Don
Stan
Brian
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