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Facebook site gives Kendalians their say
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| Shaun O'Flaherty whose Facebook group has attracted more than 500 members. Photo by Mark Harrison. (D8F063MH1) |
A FACEBOOK group that asks Kendalians to sum up what it means to hail from the Auld Grey Town has prompted more than 100 revealing, amusing and, at times, controversial responses.
Set up by born-and-bred Kendal resident Shaun O'Flaherty, 24, the group You know you're from Kendal when' has attracted more than 500 members and an outpouring of anecdotes and observations describing the people, places and events that epitomise the town.
From quirky locals, Kendal Mint Cake, Katherine Parr and landmarks such as the Birdcage and Kendal Castle, to the unavoidable sense that everybody knows everybody else, the group offers a candid reflection of life in the town from a varied, albeit mainly youthful, perspective.
Mr O'Flaherty explained that he had set up the group after a discussion with his girlfriend about the random things that give you that "only in Kendal Feeling".
He said: "The one thing which always comes to mind for me is that you can go down south, abroad etc and whenever you tell anyone you're from Kendal you get the reply As in Mint Cake?' Like it's the only thing Kendal is known for!"
With more than 130 posts on the site to date, Mr O'Flaherty said he was "very surprised" with the level of interest the group had attracted and he is now considering compiling a dedicated website or book featuring his favourite comments.
| Have your say! Join the Gazette's You know you're from ... | | Town forums...Link below. |
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He said: "I love the comments people make, they give you a rare insight into social behaviours of generations past and present, what young people consider to be the norm' things to do and places to meet and how they compared to the things you did."
From the Facebook site: You know you're from Kendal when..."You go up town' on a Saturday and can't get from the town hall to the Birdcage without meeting a) one of your old primary school teachers b) a relative c) your dad's drinking buddyor all the above!"
Inspired by the success of Mr O'Flaherty's group, The Westmorland Gazette has set up a series of online forums to provide a platform for the residents of other towns in the region, including Windermere and Bowness, Ambleside, Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Kirkby Stephen, Kirkby Lonsdale and Carnforth, to share their thoughts and memories of the place they call home.
The forums can be found at link below. Have your say - and we may publish your comments in The Westmorland Gazette.
8:23am Tuesday 17th June 2008
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