July 30, 1998

Bridgerule crowning: Bridgerule’s new carnival queen Becky Palmer, and her attendants Leanne Fanson and Emily Youldon, was crowned on Sunday by retiring queen Rosalind Honey. Becky will lead the procession at the carnival on Saturday.

A nativity play in Camelford that attracted thousands of spectators outside the Darlington Hotel three years ago is set to be repeated. Camelford Town Council has given its support for such an event next year of the year 2000. 

The 55-pupil primary school at St Giles-on-the-Heath  has won praise in a report by independent inspectors from OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education).  Inspectors say that the primary school is developing well under its new headteacher.

Delabole student Jonathan Anderson is preparing for a gruelling bike ride of over 1,000 miles to fund a working trip to South America. Jonathan, 18, is awaiting A-level results and assuming the grades are of the standards required, he will be attending the School of Oriental and African Studies in London to read for a BA degree in geography and development studies in September 1999, having taken a year out.

Members of St Clether Church Drop In Club took part in the National Spring Clean Event. Dressed in official tabards and gloves and armed with plastic bags, three teams were formed and covered different routes throughout the village.

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July 30, 1983

The answer to that question is a “Moot Snamel” — a cross between a snake and a camel — being used by the children of Whitstone Primary School, three of whom designed it for construction by their classmates in the school playground.

Launceston College runners with the torch they carried in relays from Holsworthy to Launceston, as part of the nationwide appeal for Olympic funds.

Launceston Town Councillors were upset this week to discover that the former paddling pool in Coronation Park had been filled in by North Cornwall District Council. It is now a flower bed.

Nine-hundred new jobs and 1,200 new houses in Launceston by 1991 — these are among the targets laid down in a detailed plan on the future of the town, which came before North Cornwall councillors this week.

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July 28, 1973

Trewin and Philp, Jewellers, of Westgate Street, Launceston, is to change hands 72 years after the business was started by Mr Arthur Trewin, who later formed a partnership with his apprentice, Mr Fred Philp. Although the shop is changing hands, it will continue to be a jewellers. Michell’s of Penzance have taken it over and it is to re-open sometime in September.

The champion at the Bude Central Methodist Youth Club’s annual Music Festival was Lisa Opie, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Opie, 1, Flexbury Park Road, Bude. Competing in the Intermediate Section her vocal solo ‘Those were the days’ gained 87 per cent.

Mr S Perkin was elected chairman at Halwill Parish Council annual meeting with Mr R Nelson as vice-chairman. Other members are Mrs F Kivell, Messrs G Smallcombe, Heale, G G Smallcombe and Brain.

What is believed to be the largest crab ever to be landed at Bude has been caught by Mr Colin Jeffery on Bencoolen Road, Bude, who said “I thought it was about 4lb, but when it was weighed it was found to be 6 1/2 lb”.

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August 3, 1963

All too frequently in recent years, Camelford and District Agricultural Association’s annual exhibition has been adversely affected by bad weather, but the 58th event, held on Saturday, will go down in history in a unique fashion as the show at which the weather was too fine. Many farmers stayed away to gather in the late hay harvest, much of which was still lying in the fields after the poor weather of the past few weeks.

No arrangements have been made for an official opening of the Camel estuary bridge at Wadebridge, which has been greatly widened and improved by the Cleveland Bridge Company on behalf of the Ministry of Transport.

St Breward AFC garden fete in the school field was a great success. Mr Jimmy McAnearney, Plymouth Argyle’s Scottish forward, opened the fete and he said it was a pleasure to come to Cornwall and help a small village team. He congratulated St Breward on being the champions of the Combination League.

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August 1, 1953

More than 80 children took part in the annual swimming sports of the Launceston County Primary (Windmill) School which were held at the Coronation Pool on Friday.

While bathing at Widemouth Bay, Monday afternoon, Mr Henry Wheeler disappeared from view and was not seen again until his body was washed ashore on the beach hours later. There was a fairly heavy sea running at the time.

Joint action by Cornwall County Council and the Stratton Rural Council is likely to result in a long-awaiting and much-needed improvement to the Camelford-Stratton road at Turks Head.

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August 3, 1943

Prisoner of war in Java: F Sykes, of Stratton.

The RAF’s Bomber Command carried out the biggest air raid of the war early on Sunday morning, dropping 2,300 tons of bombs on Hamburg in 50 minutes. Later in the day, the US 8th Air Force also attacked Hamburg, which was reported to be a sea of flames.

Capt Bernard Rater, second son of the late Mr Claude H Peter, of Craigmore, Launceston, attended at Buckingham Palace to be invested by HM the King with the CBE.

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August 5, 1933

Hartland’s grand old lady known to everyone as “Aunt” celebrated her 102nd birthday on Saturday.

“Slave Labour” was the way the task work scheme (whereby able-bodied, un-employed men in receipt of out-relief, are put to work on various projects) was described at an open-air protest meeting held in Launceston Square on Saturday.

A set of bell ropes, presented to Linkinhorne Parish Church by Mr D E Kittow, of Browds, were dedicated by the Vicar, Rev C White, on Thursday.

With the parish church a mile and a half out of town, Anglicans at Camelford are raising to build a new church. This week the £1,000 mark was reached, and it is hoped to lay foundation stones within the next year.

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August 4, 1923

“Burn the place down” was the advice given by one member when the Devon County Education Committee considered the question of Boasley Cross School. Following repeated outbreaks of diptheria, local feeling is very strong and proposals put forward by the parents were adopted by the committee — that a marquee by provided as a temporary school and nothing whatever from the existing one be used in it.

One man was killed and two others seriously injured when a heavy lorry, belonging to Mr Treneman (Hatherleigh) and driven by Fred Northcott, crashed through the wall at the bottom of Station Road, Okehampton, after its brakes had failed. Fatally injured was William Weeks, oldest employee of the town council.