Millom, nestled among Cumbrian mountains, might not be one of the country’s best-known towns, but it certainly left a lasting impression and very much shaped me as a person
Walking around the UK coastal town on the edge of the Lake District where he spent his childhood, a wave of nostalgia and sadness washed over Andrew Papworth.
The assistant editor of The Express was revisiting Millom, a small town nestled among Cumbrian mountains. It may not be well-known across the country, but it certainly left an indelible mark on Andrew.
He said: “As I retraced my steps from our family home in Seathwaite Close to the bottom of Lowther Road, I came across the infant school that gave me the very best start in life.
“Turning down St George’s Road, I passed Millom Park and the children’s play area, where I spent many hours as a boy. In the thriving town centre, I remembered my mum dragging me round the shops. Further along the road, close to the railway station, was The Bridge Cafe, where I used to pop in for sweets on my walk home from Black Combe Junior School.
“Millom was – and is – only a small town, but as a child it felt like my entire universe. In many ways it was, because like any quintessentially English town, it had everything you needed on your doorstep.”
Established around its ironworks in the 1800s before their closure in the 1960s, Millom boasted a strong sense of pride and community. Everyone seemed to know everyone, and there was a palpable sense of camaraderie, reports the Express.
Andrew said: “It looked exactly the same as when I left in 1995, aged nine, and when I last visited in 2005. And while that brought back many nostalgic memories, it also broke my heart.
“It appears that little investment has been made in Millom since then, whether in new homes, shops or community facilities.
“All I noticed was that the old Safeway is now a Tesco, and many of the shops that had such a strong presence seem to have long gone.”
Chatting to locals, one of their first comments is often about the lack of financial input into their area.
Andrew said: “It’s a great sadness. By contrast, Canary Wharf in east London, where I now work, didn’t even exist when I was born but has been steadily transformed from barren wasteland into the bustling heart of London’s financial district.
“Of course it’s not really an even comparison, but it feels desperately unfair that some areas of the country have had millions and billions of pounds of investment while a town with such a rich and vibrant history has barely been given a thought.”
There are other potential factors at play. The historic shipyard in nearby Barrow-in-Furness was a significant employer for Millom workers.
The loss of 10,000 jobs in the 1990s must have had a profound effect.
Cumbria didn’t have a university until 2007 and for years, many saw the shipyard and Sellafield nuclear power station, now being decommissioned, as the only major career paths. Many dreaming of different lives must have surely packed up and left.
Millom’s location on the north-west coast also makes the town more challenging to access.
But if we can channel investment into even the most disadvantaged corners of this nation, surely we can achieve it in a town blessed with such incredible natural beauty.
Where Millom has undeniably thrived is in its community spirit, which burns as brightly as ever.
During Andrew’s visit on a glorious Monday afternoon, he chatted to Nicola Armstrong, proprietor of The Bloom Room on St George’s Terrace since 2012. Hers is an extraordinary story of triumph – a completely self-taught florist who’s scooped national accolades and showcased at London exhibitions.
“From a tiny little town, I’ve gone to a lot of places,” she says – but she never overlooks one of the major factors behind her achievements.
“I wouldn’t have got where I am without this community,” she reveals. “They’re my biggest cheerleaders.”
Throughout his stay, Andrew also encountered Coordination Group Publishing (CGP), whose vibrant and amusing study guides he relied upon during his GCSEs and A levels. It remains one of Britain’s premier educational publishers.
Whilst shops have shuttered, one that has persevered is Ferguson’s, which has been a reliable fixture in Millom for 70 years. Proprietor Arthur Ferguson celebrated his 100th birthday this year and is thought to be Britain’s eldest shopkeeper.
Andrew said: “While I was in Cumbria, I also visited Barrow to see its dramatic transformation as it builds the next generation of nuclear submarines and becomes the beating heart of Britain’s defence.
“I only hope some of the £220million of government funding going into that regeneration for the national endeavour will benefit Millom, even if only indirectly, because this small town and its people deserve only the best.
“Whatever happens in the future, I know that if I come back in another 30 years, Millom’s soul will remain as strong as ever.”