the hotel started life in its oldest part and was a family home - then it became the NW Electricity Board offices - when I was growing up. I went to school up the hill and over it - Holme Park, a beautiful old Georgian building and now, alas, des-res apartments. Kendal has a long history - not least the lay-out of the town being interesting - think of the main street and its the only one running parallel to the river, other than by the river. Up and down the hillsides were these narrow lanes opening up into 'Yards' - all part of the defence against any marauding Scots - they could only fight two or three abreast in the steep lanes, the defence mounted in the Yards and also from above with locals pouring anything to hand over them......the scottish blood would run naturally down to the River Kent and the rain, plenty of that, would help wash it down too.
I have to e-mail or text one of my sisters who now lives near Carnforth and I'll ask her if she knows of anybody.....