I WAS interested to see a photo of Claude Lowther MP, 1910 (the History Man column, April 1) as there’s a good story about him which I read in The Cumberland News years ago.

It concerns the young (Sir) John Burgess and his friend, this same Claude Lowther and their night out in the then-fashionable County and Station Hotel, Court Square, dancing till late.

Claude danced with John’s partner all evening. John said nothing and at 2am guided Claude to the station to put him on the London sleeper, as Claude was to speak on an important Commons debate next day.

A train was in and Claude was led to a vacant sleeper first class and put in it by John, who tipped the attendant and said “Don’t wake him till you get to the terminus.”

So Claude slept, woke up and looked out of the window expecting to see Euston. He saw the outskirts of Inverness!

Jeremy Godwin
Drovers Lane, Penrith