December 17, 1998

Pupils at Werrington School received new computers purchased by the Friends of Werrington School Association. Most of the money was raised at the school fete and a safari supper held in the autumn.

Both the morning and afternoon session children of St Catherine’s C of E nursery class in Launceston have put on their nativity plays. In the morning production were, Tom Davey, Bernadette Chidley, Ryan Cook, Danielle Williams, Kirsty Franklin, Zoë Uglow and Jack Matthews. The afternoon children  were Liam O’Brien, Jodie Burden, Amy Thorne, Ryan Hancock, Karl Daniels, Nathaniel Parsons, Chantel May and Joshua Hockridge.

Rhona Cowling, senior library assistant at Launceston Library, retired on Monday (December 14) after 33 years in the library service. 

A mini-roundabout and a pedestrian refuge are planned to alleviate danger to pedestrians crossing at the Roydon Road/Dutson Road junction at Newport in Launceston.

December 17, 1983

Twin sisters, Elizabeth and Victoria Letts, two of the Three Kings in Launceston Playgroup’s nativity play, presented posies to the Mayor Mrs Cynthia Buckingham and consort Mr Alan Buckingham during the Christmas Fayre in the Town Hall.

A sponsored ride organised by Nine Tors Riding Centre raised £833 and enabled three presentations to take place at North Hill’s Racehorse Inn last week. 

The Cornwall Federation of Young Farmers’ Club held their 1983 County Debating Final at the Newquay Sports Centre. The winners were Launceston YFC with a score of 161 out of 200.

Mrs Lilian Crocker, aged 88, presented a bouquet to the mayor of Launceston Mrs Cynthia Buckingham at the annual Christmas party at Old Tree Nursing Home, Trebursye, on Saturday.

December 15, 1973 Mrs Ruth Sleeman, president of Launceston Chamber of Trade, presented the window dressing cup to the winner, Mrs A Greber, of Southgate Wools.

Two members of the successor Parish Council at Bude-Stratton Messrs Richard Willoughby and John Dale Glossop, protested about having to say prayers at the start of each regular meeting.

Mrs M Stacey won the star prize in the ‘Brains of Week St Mary’ competition, compèred by Mr R Shaddick, at Week St Mary WI Senior Citizens Christmas party.

Rev Michael Hawkin Pearce, at present Rector of Jacobstow with Warbstow and Treneglos, has accepted the appointment of Priest in Charge of the suspended Benefice of St Teath Mr Stanley Walters, depot manager of Glover and Uglow’s Launceston branch received a gold watch in recognition of 35 years service at a presentation of English China Clay’s long service awards.

December 21, 1963

Disappointment was expressed at Monday’s meeting of Launceston Town Council at the refusal of the Minister of Housing and Local Government to permit the council’s application to develop land at The Walk as a car park.

Holsworthy Rural Council supported a request from parents at Thornbury who want transport arrangements altered so that their children who attend Bradford primary school can return home earlier.

Launceston firemen responded to call on Saturday afternoon when they were summoned to Mr Roy Husband’s fish and chip cafe in Westgate Street, Launceston, where an extractor pipe had become ignited. Firemen soon had the outbreak under control. Despite damage to the electrical apparatus, it was business as usual in the evening.

December 19, 1953

The recently opened motor racing track at Davidstow has been granted the only licence for a national car racing event next Whit Monday. The BRM is likely to be the main attraction.

Speaking to a company of 90 members and friends at Camelford Farmers’ Union annual dinner (chairman, Mr S J Biddick) at the King’s Arms, Camelford, Sir Harold Roper, MP for North Cornwall, urged farmers to develop their own schemes for livestock, as the government had shut the door on a marketing board.

Broadwoodwidger Rural Council, meeting at Launceston, decided to ask all other district councils in Devon to support them in seeking to have the allocations from the Road Fund increased. The vice-chairman (Mr F Stanbury) said at present only 10s of each licence fee was spent on the roads, while £2 went to the Exchequer.

A new County Welfare Home is proposed for Okehampton, at a cost of £35,000. It will accommodate 36 residents.

Wadebridge Rural Council is pressing for relief to the overcrowding in the town’s elementary schools pending the promised start next year on a  new secondary school.

The Launceston YFC team (Edwin Stanbury, of Netherbridge, and Vernon Daniel, of Trebursye) carried off first prize for sheep-judging at the Sithfield Show.

The first Landrace pig sale was held by Messrs Kittow at Launceston on Tuesday, with gilts fetching to 80 gns.

December 18, 1943

Prisoners of war in Germany: Mark Worth, of Hoopers Lane, Gunnislake; Sgt S W Edwards, of Chilsworthy. Awarded DFC: Pilot Officer H C Thorn, of Bramble Hill, Bude.

The Trebursye Tigers rugby team is doing well at Launceston, and on Saturday beat a Rhodesian XV 5-0, the Colonials’ first defeat in this country.

Okehampton Rural Council is pressing for the re-erection of signposts (removed early in the war as an anti-invasion measure). The chairman, Mr H W Perryman, says that thousands of gallons of petrol are being wasted daily by traffic that has missed its way.

Six oranges fetched £3 9s for the Red Cross at the Bude Constitutional Club last week, and other local efforts include £110 for the POW fund at Whitstone, and, for the Agricultural Red Cross fund, £340, from Broadwoodwidger, £522 from Hartland, and £340 from Hallworthy.

A brisk black market in turkeys and chickens fro Christmas is reported in the Wadebridge area.

December 23, 1933

Cornwall’s new JPs include Miss Laura J Dickinson, of Tintagel.

For the first time since 1916 the River Tamar and the canal were frozen over at Weir Head, Gunnislake, on Thursday.

A housing push at Launceston is expected to help cut the number of local unemployed. Mr C H Gilbard plans to build eight workmen’s cottages and eight tenements at Chapple Park; and Messrs J and R Worth, who have had the plans for four houses in Windmill Lane approved, have submitted their layout plan for 55 houses of the cottage-type.

Outbuildings, farm machinery, implements and corn at Small Hill Farm, St Gennys, the property of Mr R P Banbury, were destroyed by fire on Thursday.

December 22, 1923

Holsworthy AOF have leased a portion of the exhibition field to the football club and given portion of the exhibition field to the football club and given permission for the erection of a permanent grandstand.

Dr Cole, of St Tudy, was on Tuesday presented with a matchbox by Mr F West (hon secretary of St Breward’s St John Ambulance Brigade) in token of her services as a tutor.

Messrs Vosper and Kivell conducted their annual auction at the West of England Fatstcok Show at Launceston on Wednesday and Thursday. Highest price was £5 2s 6d per live cwt, for a Devon heifer from HRH the Prince of Wales.