25 years ago

November 5, 1998

Delays and deferrals have been so common throughout the fight for improvements at the Kennards House junction campaigners will be surprised and delighted to hear that the official opening tomorrow (Fridav) takes place two months ahead of schedule.

Recently Ashwater School hosted a shoppers haven - a book fair with a difference. You name it they tried to sell it cakes, bans, biscuits, toys, stationery and, last of all, books loads of books there were books, books and more books. By the end of the day they had sold enough books to buy some new ones for the school. 

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40 years ago

November 5, 1983

Seven children from the Treburley Wayfinders Group travelled to Plymouth to see Senior Nurse Miss P M Jones at the Freedom Fields Baby Care Unit and present her with cheques totalling £200. They raised money through various sponsored activities. The children were Alison Baker, Caroline Abbott, Matthew Wise, Mark Parnell, Teresa Chambers, Gary Abbott and Deborah Locke.

Rob Brockington, of Ushers Brewery, presented a cheque for £500 to John Martin, immediate past president of Kensey Vale Bowling Club. In attendance were John Martin, Eric Harvey, Wright, Hedley Harvey, Myra Vola, Ivor Warring, Alan Sheppard, Clive Lean, Oswald Wickett and Rob Brockington.

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50 years ago

November 3, 1973

Mrs Dawe, aged 83, of Marshgate was the oldest member present at the annual meeting of Came lot Group of Women’s Institutes held in Camelford Hall. She received a bunch of flowers from Miss J Mitchell, group convenor.

Mr E G Pearce was re elected chairman of the Launceston Area Association of Parish Councils at a meeting at Boyton. The new secretary is Mrs Mudge (Stoke Climsland),

The six contestants for the Holsworthy Carnival Queen title sold a total of 108,971 tickets, - raising £2,762.50 for local charities. Jacqueline Chidley, sponsored by the Holsworthy Amateur Theatrical Society, took the title by selling 32,889 tickets and raising £825.

Miss Mabel Maddever came third at the regional rounds of the Miss Spar Personality Contest held at the Holiday Inn. Plymouth she employed part time by Mr John Clarke at the Spar Shop South gate Launceston

A move by councillors at Bude to stop their officers talking to the press in their official capacity has failed. Councillor Victor Elsworth said that he was in no way trying to gag the press but he felt that only  the clerk to the council should be permitted to issue press statements on behalf of the authority. 

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60 years ago

November 9, 1963

Carnival time at Callington on Saturday night drew the biggest crowd of the year. There was the usual procession through the streets a bonfire, a dance and a fun-fair.

The old people’s home to he built by the county council at Hendra, Launceston in the grounds of the former Horwell School, is now likely to provide for the accommodation of 48 residents instead of 36 as previously announced. 

The County Highways Committee have been going into Launceston town council’s proposal to use The Walk as a car park. To the full county council meeting at Truro on Tuesday, they explained that it would provide a park for some 30 cars, with entry from Dockacre Road and exit to Tower Street. It was proposed that a future permanent exit should be made via Blindhole to Church Street.

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70 years ago

November 7, 1953

Despite gloomy forebodings on the part of some townspeople over the past few weeks, Launceston did have a carnival this year — and one that the promoters had no need to be ashamed of either. Carnival King and Queen were Barry Tait, aged 8, and Patricia Symons, 11. The coronation was performed by the mayor and mayoress, Mr and Mrs S L Peter.

The foundation stone of Lifton Church Hall was laid by the rector and churchwarden in a ceremony on Saturday.

A unique gathering was held in St Mary’s Church Hall, Launceston on Tuesday week when members of the Parochial Church Councils of the Rural Deanery of Trigg Major (which includes about 16 parishes) were invited with their clergy to meet the Bishop of Truro and to talk over the Cornish Church Thanksgiving Fund.

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80 years ago

November 6, 1943

Killed in action: L/Bdr Prouse of Hartland. Killed on service: Dvr Arthur George Hatch of Upton Cottage, Delabole. Wounded in action: Tpr A W Holland of Woodview, Lower Dimson, Gunnislake.

Local men among the prisoners-of-war, who had just been re-patriated from Germany were: A B Roger Hooke, RN, of Church Hill, Port Isaac; Pte George Studden, RAMC, of Calstock; Pte Ivor Henry Sanders of King Street, Bude (formerly of Pyworthy); Pte Reginald John Butland, RAMC, of Higher Trethern, Camelford; Pte Butland was one of the prisoners to be put in chains by the Germans as a reprisal following the Dieppe raid.

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90 years ago

November 11, 1933

Mr F Grey, a member of Holsworthy Fire Brigade, had a narrow escape from death when he was buried beneath a wall which collapsed during a fire Grimscott, Launcells. The occupier, Mr J Turner, farmer and haulier with the owner, Mr Westaway, noted a smell of burning on Sunday morning but it was not until the afternoon that the thatched roof burst into flames. Holswonhy Brigade, under Capt L Edwards, fought the flames for nine hours that night, but the house was gutted and they were called out again when the fire revived and threatened adjoining buildings. It was on the second visit that Mr Grey had his remarkable escape; he was completely buried when a cob and stone wall fell, but his comrades, assisted by Insp Prout and PC Hawke (Stratton), dug him out and he escaped with a broken collarbone. 

The number of casuals (wayfarers, given a bed-for the night) is increasing at Launceston Institution. The Master (Mr F H Gillard) reports that last month there were 351, eight of them women, compared with 318 in October 1932.

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100 years ago

November 10, 1923

There was some ‘straight talk’ at a public meeting at Hartland on Monday, called to consider whether the streets should be lighted this winter. Mr Beardmore said that it was to be worse than the old, and a new body was accordingly formed, with instructions to light the town forthwith. 

Leading tenor and part-proprietor in the Goodwin-Hallett opera company, which is performing in Launceston next week, is Mr Albert Hallett, who hails from Bude.