25 years ago

February 19, 1998

What a night! They came, they saw and they went away happy — the audience of 400 that is, who attended the seventh annual ‘Post Gala Night’ at Penstowe on Friday night, in aid of Children’s Hospice South West.

Liam and Neil win by a head: Schools from all over Cornwall were invited to take part in a poster competition with the theme on headlice, organised by the Health Promotion Service. There were 150 entries in all and the eventual joint winners were Liam Edwards aged nine and Neil Sandercock, aged 10, of Lewannick CP School. Their design will now go on posters which will be distributed to all schools throughout Cornwall with the slogan ‘Put a comb in the works’. They were presented with certificates by Christine Martyn, manager of Health Promotions.

North Cornwall MP Paul Tyler has warned hospital campaigners to be vigilant despite assurance of the short-term future of Launceston and Stratton Hospitals.

Steven Dymond from Werrington CP School won the Launceston and District Road Safety Committee 1998 school poster competition and the Launceston School of Motoring Cup. There were 209 entries on the subject ‘Speed is Dangerous’. Inspector Jeremy Furneaux presented the prizes.

The Taunton Thomas Shield for the school with the highest percentage of winners in relation to entries submitted, was won by Egloskerry. The judges were Inspector Furneaux, Mrs J Hocking and Mr J Fenn (both local artists). The winning posters will be on display in Launceston Library until the end of February.

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40 years ago

February 19, 1983

Boscastle Auxillary Coastguards held a social evening at the Wellington Hotel on Friday, with members and wives, in order to present a 35 years clasp to Mr J Kinsman and a 20-year medal to Mr W Gard. Letters from the Chief Coastguard were also received by Mr J Kinsman and Mr J Ferrett to mark their retirement from the service.

Sarah Kenner, the youngest Brownie in the Pack, cut the cake at the tenth birthday party of Treknow Brownie Guides.

Colin Gimblett (Friar Tuck), Darren Doney (Will Searlett), and Jane Tilbury (Robin) featured in Callington’s pantomime ‘Robin Hood’, presented by Prim-Raf.

Debbie Rindale, aged 10, of Serendipity, Redmoor Road, Kelly Bray, received one of the prizes awarded by Barclays Bank to club members who submitted a winning entry in the bank’s photographic competition, announced recently in its Supersavers Club magazine.

Performers in ‘Dick Whittington’ by Egloskerry Girl Guides pantomime at the village hall included Sam Golding (Captain), Allison Wilby (servant), Teresa Jones (King), Hayley Aldridge (Ali), Nicola Golding (Dick) and Linda Barriball (Cat).

Hardship and discomfort continued to beset local communities in North Cornwall and West Devon in this, the third week, of the water workers’ strike.

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50 years ago

February 17, 1973

Exceptional comedy was provided by Anthony James (Dame Horner) and Stephen Coombe (Sir Augustus), ably assisted by Christopher Heard (Fetch) and Mark Swift (Carry), in ‘Goody Two Shoes’ the pantomime presented by the Central Methodist Youth Club at Bude.

Twenty old people’s flats at Croft House, Holsworthy are to be officially opened next Friday by Preb E P James, council chairman, in the presence of Mrs A S Ratcliffe, chairman of the county social services committee. The new flats cost £63,000.

A bleak and rather desolate disused quarry at Tintagel will soon take on a more pleasant look after being planted with more than 4,000 trees. Behind the scheme is the recently formed Maybridge Agrochemical Research Company, whose parent company, Maybridge Chemicals, is based at the old Trevillett Quarry in Tintagel.

At the annual meeting of Launceston Floral Art Group, the following officers were elected: Chairman, Mrs W H P Jonas; vice-chairman, Mrs C Moore; hon secretary, Miss J Rendell; hon treasurer, Mrs F Smale; committee, the officers plus Mesdames R E Angel, S Brown, H Jacoby, G H Jasper, J L Lydon, J D Rashley; reserve in the event of any elected member being unwilling to serve, Mrs W Mounce.

The Camleofrd NFU team of Major Upington, Mrs W Sandercock, Mr Preece and Mr J Brown won the annual quiz against Camelford YFC (Messrs C Bradley and R Ward and Misses D Roberts and J Cleave). The question master was Mr J Alsey (YFC county organiser).

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60 years ago

February 16, 1963

There had been only one case of drunkenness during the year said Insp F C White in presenting the Police report at Launceston East North Brewster Sessions on Wednesday. This compared with one case in 1961 and none in 1960.

St Germans Rural Council are opposing the suggestion made by the Launceston Rural Council that Callington and Calstock should be incorporated into a ‘Greater Launceston’ area to be set up under the impending revision of local government boundaries in Cornwall.

Mr Jim Hughes, North Cornwall’s prospective Labour candidate, speaking at a meeting at Launceston Labour headquarters on Wednesday evening, declared: “There will be only two political Parties contesting the General Election: Tory and Labour, the Liberal factor is a nonentity.”

Visiting flood-stricken Boscastle on Saturday shortly after returning from Parliamentary and Ministry of Agriculture duties, Mr James Scott-Hopkins, MP for North Cornwall, said he was distressed by the damage done by the River Jordan earlier in the week.

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70 years ago

February 21, 1953

Mr C J Hambly, of Messrs Kittow and Son, Camelford, sold Dunheved, Tintagel, a freehold bungalow and garden with all main services by auction for £1,000 to Miss A S Dixon, of Cupar, Fife.

Eggs are to come off the ration on March 26.

Severe damage was caused in the kitchen at 1, Church Street, Calstock, occupied by Mr and Mrs F J Nosworthy, and their four children, due to an explosion in an oil stove on Monday night. The explosion caused damage to the ceiling, walls and contents of the kitchen, but no-one was hurt.

The official switch-on ceremony and dedication of the new electric lighting system at the parish church of St Sidwell’s, Laneast, took place on Wednesday week. At the commencement of the service, the church was lit by Tilley lamps only, and after the hymn the Vicar called upon representatives of various sections of parochial life and other bodies to switch on the electric lights.

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80 years ago

February 20, 1943

Killed in actions: P/Off William Thomas (Jack) Richardson, RAF, of Melverne House, West Hill, Wadebridge, formerly a veterinary surgeon at Wadebridge and an old boy of Launceston College. Killed in a plane crash in Newfoundland: Flt Engr J B Merriman, of Featherlands, Chilsworthy, Holsworthy, and Sgt D J Owen, of Wadebridge.

Out fishing in his motorboat, ‘Rosalie’, Mr Harry Oaten, of Port Isaac, got into difficulties when the engine failed. After drifting all night he found himself near Boscastle and jumped overboard to swim ashore at Pentargon Cove. He then had to climb the 200ft cliff before he could find help at Tresuck Farmhouse, where Mr C H Tippett and Miss Tippett soon found him dry clothing and food. His boat was later found smashed to pieces a mile up the coast.

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90 years ago

February 25, 1933

Launceston’s unemployed have submitted a petition to the town council asking them to adopt some special scheme of work in order to provide employment, is necessary making a special rate. The council had decided to help the labour situation by re-laying the town watermains through Church Street and Northgate Street and to extend the sewer from Launceston College to Badash Cross to serve the new house proposed to be built by Mr Hender.

There was a triple funeral at Callington West End Methodist Church last week. Mr and Mrs Thomas Cobbledick and their daughter, Bertha Cobbledick, all died from pneumonia within two days.

The fortunate fact that Mr J Hancock happened to pass at the time saved the life of Alfred Tilley, of St Gennys, whose scarf had caught in some machinery on which he was working and who was being strangled. He had lost consciousness, but Mr Hancock quickly cut the scarf and he was revived.

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100 years ago

February 24, 1923

The War Office has challenged a century-old custom at Okehampton by stopping a builder from taking sand for building purposes from Dartmoor.

Launceston Infirmary and Rowe Dispensary has this year attained its Diamond Jubilee.

A government enquiry has been held into the question of a loan of £2,200 for a water scheme for St Breward hamlets of Churchtown, Penquite, Mount Pleasant and Rowe.