25 years ago

October 5, 2000

After the successful sale of his livestock and the nearing of his final departure, John Blewett of Boscastle is still as confident as ever that his decision to make the move and set up a farm in Australia was the right one. The Blewett family have spent 30 years building up their prize-winning Reddivallen Herd, which includes the fifteen-month-old Charolais bull, Reddivallen Pilot, which took the beef championship gaining John one of his last West Country wins at the Camelford Show in August.

Over 1,800 council tax payers in the Torridge area have been given a ‘stay of execution’ after they had been threatened with a court summons demanding payment of the whole balance of their year’s tax, plus court costs. But there is a question mark over the legality of action against others who have already had to appear in court.

Fry’s garage, which has served petrol in Tintagel for over 80 years, has filled up its last tank, writes David Flower. During my chat with John and Tony Fry, they told me that Fry’s were the first to serve petrol in Tintagel, originally in petrol cans from the rear of what was Fry’s Private Hotel (today Tintagel Hotel).

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40 years ago

October 5, 1985

Linkinhorne looked back on its history with a variety of items in a two day exhibition held in Rilla Mill village hall last weekend. Showing Jack Deeble, 87, or Upton Cross, the oldest resident in the parish was the organising committee of the ‘Harvest of History’ exhibition Joan Begble-Clench, Liz Roberts, George Bishop, Ron Bath and Robert Jones.

A schoolgirl, injured while playing in a council park at Bude, has been awarded £2,750 compensation. Emma Jane Walt, aged 14, whose parents own the Villa Restaurant, Bude, was hurt when her foot slipped through a hole in the wooden house of a roundabout on Bencoolen playing fields, which is owned by Bude-Stratton town council.

After five days of anguish and sleepless nights, well-known Holsworthy couple, Dr Alexander Pearson and his wife Barbara, have learned that their two daughters are safe and well in earthquake-ravaged Mexico City.

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50 years ago

October 4, 1975

Mr Fred Dymond, North Cornwall District Council Publicity and Tourist Officer, and Bude Harbour Master, retired on Tuesday after 20 years in local government.

Jill Dymond was crowned Harvest Queen at Week St Mary Revel Week. The queen’s maid of honour was Kay Heard and the attendants were Caroline and Celia Branton. The pageboy was Jason Tremlett.

Mr Bill Warring’s 50 years of folk dancing was celebrated at a party organised by the Camelford Group of the English Folk Dance and Song Society in the Church Hall. Mr Ivor Spreadbury was MC.

Michelle Horrell presented a buttonhole to Mrs V Jennings, of Bude, who opened the annual horticultural show organised by Boyton Women’s Institute.

Brian Measures, the son of a Bude butcher, is to present the new late night radio programme on Plymouth Sound. His father, Arthur, is manager of Eastman’s butchers.

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60 years ago

October 9, 1965

Mr and Mrs William Stanbury, of Carey Barton, St Giles, flew to Brazil where Mr Stanbury was judge at the national show of the Devon Cattle Breeders’ Association of Brazil.

Disposal of mackerel is the problem facing Port Isaac fishermen since Pawlyn Bros Ltd announced it was going out of business at the end of the year.

The new minister in the Launceston methodist Circuit, Rev R Dilwyn Edwards, scored two goals on his debut for Launceston FC.

Midshipman Michael Brock, of Poundstock, was presented with his “wings” to mark the end of the Naval air fighter course at the Royal Naval Air Station, Yeolvilton.

Eighteen year old John Yeo, of Bude, won the county open golf championship to complete the double after previously winning the Cornish amateur championship.

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70 years ago

October 8, 1955

A record number of nearly 700 people attended Tuesday evening’s Carnival Queen choosing in the Town Hall, Launceston. Miss Esther Gordon, of 28 Trecarrell, was elected queen, with Miss Jennifer Bridgman, of 19 Priory Park, and Mrs Valerie Hawke, of Moor View, Lewannick, as her senior attendants.

At the meeting of the Federation of Old Cornwall societies held at Redruth on Saturday, it was suggested that nonconformists in the county did not welcome the opportunity of acquiring the Lord’s Prayer in Cornish in the way the Anglicans did.

Mr Edwin Malindine was re-adopted as prospective Liberal candidate for North Cornwall at a meeting in Launceston Town Hall on Saturday.

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80 years ago

October 6, 1945

When Calstock Parish Council met at Delaware Primary School on Tuesday evening, the supply to the one gas lamp in the room was so bad that the clerk, Mr A Broad, had to use his pocket torch to read the minutes and correspondents.

Pte Leslie Richard Adams, of Launceston, has been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry as a stretcher bearer with the Queen’s Royal Regiment in action in Italy.

After a search by police and neighbours, tony batten, aged three, of Barton Cottages, Stowford, who had been reported missing on Friday afternoon, was found that night safe and sound, though crying, in a field two miles away.

Sgt R F Wyatt, of St Ann’s Chapel, a prisoner-of-war in Japanese hands since the fall of Singapore, is now safely in Australia. Also captured at Singapore and now reported as on their way home ate LAC Jack Dunn and Cpl Horace Walters, both of Launceston.

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90 years ago

October 12, 1935

When a motor-cycle crashed into a bus at Bennetts Arms, near Launceston, on Friday, the petrol tank caught fire and the bus was burnt out. The passengers were able to escape, and the driver, Mr Charles Pollard, of 2, New Road, Stratton, risked his life to drag the motorcyclist, a young sailor, clear before the tank exploded. The sailor, however, later died.

An additional building at Bossiney Methodist Church, Tintagel, to be used for teas, guild meetings, Sunday School, etc, was opened on Tuesday by Mrs R Holman, of Fairseat Place, Tintagel. It cost £200 and that debt has already been cleared.

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100 years ago

October 10, 1925

Launceston Lecture Society held the first of a series of lectures in the town hall on Tuesday, when the attracted an unusually large number with his subject “My Adventures as a Spy”.

The airship R33 has got over her April mishap and made a flight over London this week, watched by millions.

Mr Harry Cook, the teacher of ballroom dancing, of 1, Strand, Bude, will be conducting classes at Bude, Holsworthy and Launceston and will specialise in the teaching of the Charleston and the new French Tango, the two simple dances which promise to be so popular in London this season — (Advt).