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Local > A thousand tasty reasons to visit Carlisle Arts Festival ...

MARGARET Carr - the great grand-daughter of Jonathan Dodgson Carr - officially opened the 2009 Carlisle Arts Festival by helping to hand out 1,000 fairy cakes.

Miss Carr, 91, also greeted Cumbrian artist Richard Webster who walked The Miller’s Way with friends as a living artistic tribute to the founder of the Carr flour, bread and biscuit dynasty - the third year running he has done so.

“I was absolutely delighted to be invited to officially open the arts festival,” said Miss Carr.

“Baking so many lovely cakes was a really fun thing to do.”

Chefs Mike Sefton and Suzanne Watson of Hoopers’ department store made the cakes to the exact design featured on bags of Carr’s new premium self-raising flour - it goes on sale in Tesco across the UK from September.

Richard Webster and his friends carried 13 bags of the flour all the way from Kendal to Carlisle and later sold them at a special arts festival auction.

“It was an honour to be greeted by Margaret Carr after walking the route dedicated to her illustrious descendant,” he said.

“There is no monument to Jonathan Carr even though his importance to the people of Carlisle still resounds today in the McVitie’s factory and Carr’s flour.

“I hope that as each year passes more and more people will feel inspired to join me along The Miller’s Way.

“History has turned it into legend, then into a tourist trail and now into an art event.”

Caroline Dale, marketing manager of Carrs Breadmaker, said that even though the rain pelted down on launch day the cakes went down a storm with the public.

“We couldn’t give them away fast enough and I am sure JD Carr - who pioneered social improvements in the city - would have approved.”