WITH reference to Mrs Sullivan's letter regarding the hunt leaving the Racehorse Inn at North Hill (the 'Post, November 20), I believe she is correct in suggesting the East Cornwall Hunt did not meet there often. However, in the earlier days we had the Bolventor Harriers who met there on a regular basis from 1965 onwards.

The Ring O'Bells did close in the late 1800's but there were still two public houses in the parish that were open. These were The Farmers Inn at South Battens, Co Hill (allegedly named due to a Coop being there at the time) where Miss Peters now lives, and The Colin Park Inn (now a cattery) at Congdon Shop.

To the best of my knowledge, The Racehorse was built between 1840 and 1882, according to the old tithe maps. The land was apparently given to the Church Commissioners by the Trebartha Estate for the provision of a Church of England school. My grandmother came to North Hill as a school teacher in the late 1800's and subsequently married by grandfather.

I personally went to North Hill School from 1940-1945 when we had the evacuees present, the school was absolutely packed with children. Also at this time there were American soldiers stationed locally and they used to bring sweets to the school children and thrown them over the wall.

There was no village hall in those days and the village used the school for concerts, whist drives, dances etc. I bought the school in early 1963 and decided to turn it into a pub.

I was born on April 4, 1934, the same day as the East Cornwall Hunt Annual Point to Point was taking place at Foredowns, Pensilva. My father, Dick Budge, had entered a horse called 'Billy' in the local farmers' race (it was a horse he used to ride on the moors whilst seeing the stock) but with me deciding to arrive at the same time, he could not go.

He contacted his cousin, Mr Ronald Peter, to take the horse for him and instructed Mr Peter that if the horse won any prize money in the race he was to go into the Caradon Inn, Upton Cross and buy a round of drinks (by the way, in those days they did not have any horse boxes).

According to Ronald, he arrived at 6.30, when he left at 10.30, somewhat under the weather, he had a message from the customers: "Tell Dick, if it is a boy, call him Billy." That is how I got my name and the Racehorse Inn got its name and I have got the cup to prove it.

North Hill,

Launceston.