The value of creative people

James chose to criticise the Flags in Ulverston and went on to say that the town was becoming a haven for creative artists and that newcomers wanted to change it. What we need, he says is busness, industry and jobs.

Surely James hasn't thought things through.

If you take me, Dr Geoff Dellow, as an example. I came here in 1960 to take my first job at Glaxo in PID to do research and problem solving. Dr Best who interviewed me must have recognised some flair because he chose me to research improvements to make the processing of its products more efficient; more successful; more profitable and hence in the long term more jobs.

Yes I'm creative and love solving problems - I'm a risk taker and always seek to challenge set ways of doing things.

I quickly came up with the idea of continuous crystallisation for producing purer products. This way larger crystals were grown which could be washed free of impurities so that it became easier to produce high quality products. A process that is no doubt now being used all over the world by Glaxo to the ultimate benefit of its workers and the creation of jobs. I also enabled Glaxo to secure patents on a dyed bead process that little wastage of the valuable vitamin A that was encapsulated.

Whilst working at Glaxo, I passed on my creative talents to youngsters at Pathfinders in the evening where we did 'arty farty' things like covering cane chairs, making kites and sea grass stools. We went for walks on Saturdays and inevitably ended up crossing a bog as my risk taking adventures led us into unexplored countryside.

So now, with the same creative personality of taking risks, I am involved with a number of projects that give a lift to the people that join in.

Note : none of them are funded by grants of any sort. We just enjoy spending our own money doing things we and others round us enjoy. In fact in the case of all our projects: the Flags, the pottery, the Parks (Lightburn and Mill Dam) and the Candlelit Walk we have spent money providing equipment and services that would normally be provided by the tax payer. We are saving you money.

If you want to help us come up with jobs for locals, particularly young people then please get involved. A market stall can be an excellent way of learning business skills - let's do it.

But please stop moan, moan, moaning.