Can 'Cumbria Day' bridge gaps with Westminster?
BBCCommunities in Cumbria can feel a long way from Westminster but for one day this week the county took over a section of Parliament to try and bridge any divide.
More than 100 Cumbrians from business, politics and a range of other sectors gathered in a pavilion next to the Thames to sell what is special about the county in what was called Cumbria Day.
And alongside a push for more investment and attention from national political leaders, there was a message about what Cumbria could offer the country.
I grew up in the county and began my career as a reporter there in the 1990s, and its special qualities remain pretty much the same.
It has one of the world's great landscapes, a skilled workforce, and from nuclear to hill farming, something distinctive to offer.
Its problems also remain persistent, though: a transport system that can make it hard to get around, pockets of poverty, the risk of an over-reliance on a few key employers, and the challenges of providing services in a rural setting.
But the theme of Cumbria Day was "going for growth" and some of the contingent of visitors I spoke to were clear this was about selling their county's qualities.
Gill Haigh, the managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: "We are a place that's world-class, not just in our landscape, but in our manufacturing, in our agriculture and farming.
"We really want to make a loud noise if you like, to say we are very much open for business, very ambitious and we're here collectively to demonstrate that coordinated ambition."
Tracey Slaven, the chief transformation officer at the University of Cumbria, said the county's combination of environment with industry and innovation gave it "a unique contribution to make".
"I think this is step one, people coming to Cumbria and really feeling and experiencing what it has to offer is the next step," she added.
Some, though, were keen to find ways of adding to the Cumbrian offer.
Michael Pemberton is from BEC, a Cumbrian company looking to bring new small nuclear reactors and AI data centres to the Pioneer Park site next to Sellafield.
"We've got amazing places like Keswick and Ambleside, but we've also got our coastal communities that deserve better, so we are here to shine a light on those communities but also to get business to invest in us," he said.
"This is also about bringing people together to amplify our voice to people who can make decisions on our behalf."
But how much was achieved? A government business minister and some Whitehall officials did make an appearance, and among the canapes and cups of coffee being served, there was a slice of optimism that Cumbria was making an impact.
There was a danger, though, that Cumbrians were largely networking with each other.
Whitehaven and Workington Labour MP Josh MacAlister, who helped organise the event, admits this is the beginning of a journey.
"I think this is a process not an event, and the day was about putting the spotlight on Cumbria in Parliament so we can highlight all the amazing businesses in our county and show that with investment we can take the brakes off and really fly."
'Deserves investment'
But some question whether the government is helping or hindering the county.
Westmorland and Lonsdale Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron believes a lack of investment is holding the county back.
"Just before Christmas the government made an announcement about northern powerhouse rail and all this investment that was coming in," he said.
"There was nothing west of the Pennines north of the M62. It was as if the North West stops at Warrington. The reality is Cumbria needs and deserves investment.
"You look at the recent derailment at Shap, which thankfully was not a tragedy but could have been. That was a product of underinvestment in the West Coast Line, investment that's been put off for 20 years.
"So yes, it's important Cumbria speaks with one voice, but it's also important the government listens."
MacAlister insists the government is supporting the county.
"Investment in dualling the A66 is going to make a big difference, opening up the economy for the whole county," he said.
"We are making some good progress on making the case for an upgrade to the Cumbrian coastal rail line and then national investments both in defence and civil nuclear are playing out in the economy in West Cumbria and Barrow.
"That doesn't happen by accident, and it gives us a chance in Cumbria to do even more."
And the county is getting an opportunity to shape more of its own destiny as devolution begins.
Its two councils are now working together in a new combined authority, and next year the county's voters will elect a mayor to lead it.
Cumbrians will potentially be able to make more decisions for themselves, but government support will still be needed for big improvements in road and rail, as well as for investment in Cumbria's key defence and nuclear sectors.
Government decisions can also impact on farming and tourism.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has regularly spoken of his love of holidaying in the Lake District, but the Cumbrians who took over a corner of Westminster for a day also want his government to recognise its range of assets and help remove any barriers to the county's potential.
