TRIBUTES have been paid to a well-respected former Mayor of Workington and ‘familiar figure’ in the town who passed away last month.

Ian Ferguson, a popular former Workington Mayor and town councillor, passed away on December 28 2022 aged 73 after a long illness.

He was second eldest of five children born to the late Mildred and Arthur Ferguson, the family spending many years living in Salterbeck. Ian's early schooling was at Harrington Junior School then Salterbeck Secondary.

After leaving school, his first job was at the former Liptons store in the town, but he spent many years at Courtaulds Fabrics, Lillyhall, which closed in the early 1980s.

Indeed, it was this closure that inadvertently led him into local politics. Whilst speaking at an anti-closure rally in Workington, he was spotted by the distinguished local Labour MP Dale Campbell-Savours. He suggested Ian join the local Labour Party and encouraged him to get involved in the local council, which he eventually did.

Former Workington MP Dale Campbell-Savours said: "I remember meeting Ian in Workington when I was speaking at a rally in the precinct. He said to me he was interested in politics and I said well why don’t you join the Labour Party? Then, years later, he became the mayor of Workington.

"He became quite active, I can still remember the day very well now – I saw him in the crowd and picked him out.

"Some of the people I picked out blossomed, I remember he blossomed quite quickly and he became very active."

Ian served on the town council for very many years. His crowning moment was his appointment as Mayor of Workington in 1986, to be followed some years later by his wife Anne.

He was a familiar figure at the Helena Thompson Museum, where he was assistant for around 15 years from the late 80s to the early 2000s. Ian’s enthusiasm for local history and archaeology also occupied much of his leisure time.

Following his redundancy, failing health meant that, amongst other things, he could not pursue another of his interests - walking.

He still managed, until recent years, to continue his great passion for gardening, the house at Salterbeck winning awards from Cumbria in Bloom and gaining admiration from passengers on the local bus which stopped outside their house.

He loved music and singing and was a member of the local amateur operatic society for a time as well as, on occasion, stepping in on guitar with his father's country band in the 1960s.

Ian was also a big football fan and in his younger days played for Coronation Boys’ Club and Harrington FC in the local Sunday league. When work allowed he attended many Workington Reds matches at Borough Park.

He leaves a wife Anne, sons Paul and Craig, and siblings Ann, Lynn, Janice and Andrew. He treasured the wider family circle and was a much loved step-dad to Lee and Lisa, father -in- law, Grandpa, great-Grandpa and uncle several times over.