February 4, 1999

There were three recipients of the Gold Award, presented at Launceston Town Hall, for the making of 50 blood donations each. They were Mervyn Dawe, Lorraine Knight and Margaret Colwill.

A dramatic watercolour of Launceston by English landscape artist J M W Turner may well fetch more than the expected £80,000 to £120,000 when it goes on sale at Sothebys in march, the ‘Post’ can reveal.

February 4, 1984

Mrs Hazel Scurrah of Penvose Farm, St Tudy, inspected the damage to the family car after last week’s storms brought down an 80ft tree on top of it.

Mrs Jill Cornish was presented with a typewriter by Mr David Smith, chairman at Holsworthy Primary School PTA to mark her retirement after 20 years teaching at the school.

Bradford, Holsworthy, schoolgirl, fifteen-year-old Emma Granger, a talented harpist, has reached the semi-finals of the prestigious Young Musician of the Year contest.

February 2, 1974

Mr C Lyle has been a ringer at Holsworthy Parish Church for 50 years. He has rung under the incumbency of five rectors — Revs Kendall, Pitt-Johnson, Royle, Warne and Richards.

A poem, ‘The Witches’, written by Roger Willis, of The Walk, Launceston, is to be used in the BBC television programme ‘Jackanory’. Roger attends the National School where well-known poet Mr Charles Causley is a teacher.

Roy Nicholson resigned from his dual role as chairman-secretary of Bude-Stratton Residents’ Association at the annual meeting when only ten people turned up. These comprised three officers, four of the committee and three of the 250 membership.

February 8, 1964

Launceston Chamber of Trade are to write to the MP for North Cornwall, Mr James Scott Hopkins, protesting strongly against the Government’s declared intention of introducing a bill to abolish resale price maintenance. This was unanimously decided at an open meeting of the Chamber at the White Hart Hotel when it was generally felt that such a measure would have an adverse effect on the small trader.

Fire badly damaged the four bedroomed farmhouse, on Wednesday night, at Manworthy Farm, owned by Mr R C Elliot, alongside the main A30 road a mile on the Okehampton side of Lewdown. Four fire-fighting units two from Tavistock, one from Okehampton and one from Launceston, went to the scene of the outbreak and soon had the blaze under control, but not before extensive damage had been caused to the bungalow-type building.

February 6, 1954

Following one of the mildest autumns and early winters for many years, came one of the biggest freeze-ups that England and the Westcountry have experienced for some time. Schools were forced to close down, rivers were freezing over, and roads were blocked. The 40 acres of water at Dozmary Pool has been completely frozen over, the ice in some places being eight inches thick. Okehampton had 22 degrees of frost on Monday night, the coldest ever known there — four degrees lower than the minimum temperature in the severe winter of 1947.

Thousands of eggs in packing cases stocked at the top floor of a three-storey building were destroyed when, on Thursday week fire gutted an egg packing station owned by Messrs  U Fulford Ltd, general merchants, at Okehampton.

February 5, 1944

Killed in action: Sgt Pilot Richard John Hutchings, RAF, of Okehampton and formerly of Launceston. Petty Officer Arthur A Hounson, RN, of Tintagel. Died of injuries sustained in a Naval action off the Dutch coast last autumn, Ledg MOT Mech Sidney Robert Wevill, RN, of Lawhitton. Prisoner of war in Germany; Lewis Colwill, of Townsend, Stratton.

A new system of income tac deduction — pay-as-you-go — is shortly to be introduced.

Britain’s first artificial insemination centre to be run by farmers on co-operative lines is to be established at Torrington.

February 10, 1934

Rich, full-cream blue cheddar cheese, 8d a lb, fresh dairy butter, 10d a lb from the Northgate Dairy and Creamery (near the church), Launceston ­ — (Advt).

The Mayors of Devon and Cornwall including Mr W H Gilbert, of Launceston, met at Plymouth on Tuesday and passed a resolution, calling on the BBC to provide better wireless service for the two counties.

The annual dinner in connection with Week St Mary Fair has been revived and was held at the club room on Tuesday with nearly 100 supporters of the market present. Mr H Paynter, chairman of the market committee, presided.

February 9, 1924

T Parsons, Tamar Terrace, Launceston, begs to announce that in future he will be unable to accept any passengers of parcels for Callington on Wednesdays — (Advt).

Sgt Major Dunn, caretaker of Holsworthy Drill hall, who is leaving with his wife and family for Australia, was presented with a purse of money at a farewell party at the hall.

Colquite, a freehold farm at Callington, was sold on Wednesday by Mr W R Davey, auctioneer, to Mr J Pridham for £1,500.