Having worked at this hotel as a school girl nearly 30 years ago I am very sad to read this. Mrs Lowther (Mary) was the most hardworking person I have ever met and has devoted her life fully to this family business. They do not deserve to lose their business and homes in this way and instead the banks should be looking for alternative solutions. After all a million is nothing compared to some bankers bonuses!

sad news.Local family run businesses are based on aspiration and in the cold light of day are traditional in there ideas.Therfore change is always not in keeping with market demands.I can only wish them well.

maybe this is a stupid idea, but cumbria park, if i remember correctly is approx 32-54 scotland road. ok, thats about 12 houses, and maybe victorias leasure too, thats maybe 1 extra house. these houses are worth about 200,000 each?. i think if i was in this situation i would have tried to convert some of this back to a house/s, if possible. i can see premier or a rich builder buying it up. i know it would have cost money to convert..

It's sad to hear of another family business ending in such away. I have attended venues, meetings, wedding receptions and the occassional evening meal there. I can say I was never displeased with the service and the food was excellent.
Its very hard keeping up with the big companies in this business and they have done so well to keep going as a family concern. I wish them well in the future and hope they find another nich in the market where they still offer a professional & friendly service as they have done in the past.

I wonder, has anon who is owed money by the hotel lost everything he has worked for for 4 decades, including his home because of this debt?

i must say id like to blame the bank but 1 mil is seen coming from a long way off - they continued to expend and borrow yet clearly had no more customers! perhaps instead of borrowing perhaps they should have concentrated on a serious country wide campaign to fill their empty rooms but then again the bank gave them the money knowing they were struggling, they also blame the crash,which of course the bankers were compensated and even made money from it! yet the hard workers and homeowners are left to suffer and hand over our properties to the banks!

I feel very sorry for the Lowther family,when I lived in Etterby Street in the 60's i watched with great intrest the conversion from house to hotel.Since leaving Carlisle to live in the South.When returning for a holiday have stayed there a few times.I wish them good LUCK for the future.

banks dont operate on sentiment, and a debt of 1 million pounds doesnt happen over night.

some touching comments, i wonder however how many of these people are unfortunate enough to still be owed money by this business, like myself!!!

30 years ago this April I moved to Carlisle from Blackpool with my job. Whilst waiting to sell my house in Blackpool and move my family to Carlisle I stayed at the Cumbria Park for about 3 months.
It was like being part of the family and Bob, Mary, Stan and Maurice looked after me royally. I am really saddened that this is happening to such lovely people