The Friends have bought land in Borrowdale, east of the national park, to preserve the valley from development. Photo: Edmund Hoare

The annual Kirby Lecture of the Friends of the Lake District takes place tomorrow, Tuesday 29 September, in Kendal.

Professor Adrian Phillips will deliver his views of how the Lake District has been at the centre of ideas about landscape for the past 250 years and how those ideas have spread around the world to influence conservation action in many other countries. The lecture, at Kendal Town Hall, is free.

Professor Phillips is a vice-president of the Campaign for National Parks and British Association of Nature Conservationists. He trained as a planner and geographer and has held many posts in London, Kenya and Switzerland for the government, the United Nations Environment Programme and IUCN, the World Conservation Union.

Local author John Cousins will also be at the event signing copies of his recently published book, ‘Friends of the Lake District: the early years’ which tells the story of the Friends from their origins until creation of the Lake District National Park in 1951.

The Friends celebrate their 75th anniversary this year. It was set up in 1934 to protect the Lake District’s landscape for future generations to enjoy. Friends of the Lake District’s early campaigning eventually led to the creation of the Lake District National Park.

The lecture starts at 7.30pm with refreshments available from 7pm. For details, visit the Friends’ website or call 01539 720788.