Women’s Institute

At the May meeting of the Coad’s Green WI president Linda Willan not only introduced the speaker, Graham Parker and his assistant Jamie, but also their charge, a beautiful European Barn Owl, whose name was Nina.

The owl’s temperament and her love of people endeared the captive audience immediately. Graham, who had worked as a handler, had nurtured the bird since her incubation from an egg. He has an aviary in which to keep her, as she would never survive in the wild. The bond between the two of them was obvious. Apparently, she is a bit of a diva and nothing disturbs her placid nature other than the attention he gives to the family dog.

Nina is a therapy owl and works with Graham on his “Owl Show and Tell” experiences. They spend time in schools, colleges and care homes where participants are able to stroke the owl or hold her themselves, with the help of a gauntlet. Nina’s demeanour was impeccable as she was introduced to Coad’s Green members and many had the privilege of handling her.

It was interesting to learn about the habitats of the seven different types of owl that are found in the United Kingdom. The most common species is the Tawny Owl.

Daphne Tucker gave the vote of thanks for a very special talk and reminded us of the way that wild life enhances our lives.

In the business part of the meeting, the resolution for this year’s national WI campaign was discussed. The focus for 2024 is on ‘Dental Health Matters’ and the chronic shortage and lack of access to NHS dentists. The WI would be seeking to put pressure on the government to provide more training places and encourage retention. The support for the resolution was unanimous and this vote will be carried to the annual general meeting.

Dates for the diaries include a group meeting with members from Launceston, Altarnun and Lezant on September 25 at the village hall in Coad’s Green.

The competition winners were Jackie Stephens in first place, with Alison Gribble in second and Vivienne Daniel in third. Linda Willan took first place for the flower-of-the-month, followed by Vivienne Daniel in second place and Jackie Stephens in third.

Birthday flowers were presented to Jackie Stephens, Vivienne Daniel, Celia Jennings, Pat Mallett and Janet Ham.

Gerry Rennie won the draw and provided the refreshments with Daphne Tucker and Margaret Hope.

The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 12, at 7.30pm, in the chapel parlour at Coad’s Green when guest speaker, Paul Adkins will be talking on the subject of acupuncture.

Friendship Group

A relaxing musical afternoon was enjoyed by the Thursday Friendship Group at Holsworthy Methodist Church, with a visit from guest speaker Mr David Kendrick of Bude.

Entitled “Musical Memories,” Mr Kendrick’s talk took us through stages of his own life, illustrated with recordings. It spanned his leaving rural Wales at 18 to join the Metropolitan Police, through work and world travel, right up to his retirement.

The diverse “desert island” list played to Mr Kendrick’s audience included the award-winning Rhos male voice choir, complete with Welsh harp; Roger Whittaker singing Streets of London, and Elvis Presley’s backing group, The Jordanaires, in Peace in the Valley. There was a gospel song from Louis Armstrong; the poignant Bring Him Home from the musical Les Miserables, sung by Elaine Page; and a number by a Christian family folk band that Mr Kendrick had met in the Sierra Nevada, California.

Each piece was accompanied by a brief background about the performers – who knew, for instance, that the wonderful English crooner Matt Monro had been a tank-driving instructor and a London bus driver. Mr Kendrick chose “Walk Away” from the Monro catalogue.

The final musical choice of the afternoon was Judy Collins singing Amazing Grace, the hymn that is sung and played millions of times every year all over the world.

“Music is a very personal thing,” said Mr Kendrick, “and yet it is an international language. It speaks to all emotions, and covers everything.” Mrs Michelle Hogarth gave him a vote of thanks for a fascinating and most enjoyable afternoon “concert.”

The Thursday Friendship Group meets in the Bodmin Street Blue Room or chapel hall, from 2pm to 3.30pm, where everyone is welcome to come and share tea or coffee, cake, biscuits, and a chat.

Guest speakers are regularly planned, along with games and quiz afternoons, and every third Thursday, there will be a short and informal act of worship, Reflect and Refresh, followed by refreshments.

Women’s Guild

There was great fun at the April meeting of St Giles Women’s Guild.

Gill Dubey, a local potter from Potting Shed Ceramics, came along and gave us a demonstration. We then all had a go at making some pots, dishes and small vases by hand. Gill brought along some white clay and terracotta clay for us to work with. She showed us how to start forming a pot by pressing and lifting the clay in a circle. Some of us did very well, some a disaster but very funny. Dishes turned into saucers and pots turned into cups almost. We all made several items with both types of clay or the same type. It was interesting to see all the different shapes and sizes. Gill came around and helped everyone to decorate their pots with stamps , leaves, forks and spoons. So lots of different and unusual designs came about. We had a lovely evening with Gill who then took away our pots to fire and glaze. She has since brought the pots back and said what a wonderful fun evening it was. We are all very pleased with the results. Although some of us are not exactly sure how to use them but they look good.

Before we all went home we discussed and confirmed numbers for our visit to Alder Vineyard in May for a tour and talk about the vineyard ending with refreshments and cake in their cafe. There was also a reminder about the Summer Fete, in the village hall, on Saturday, June 22, for the charity The Merlin Centre, Cornwall's Neuro Therapy Centre near St Austell. More details will be given at the May visit.

Flower of the month: 1, Margaret Ellacott; 2, Sue Russell; 3, Maxine Towl. The table flowers were given to Maxine Towl. The visit in May is the last meeting of this season before the summer break, we will start again on Tuesday, September 17, at 7.30pm. All welcome, new and old members. The meeting closed at 9.30pm.

Women’s Institute

Once the WI business was complete our members set about folding small pieces paper and getting stuck up with sticky, masking and double side tape.

What were we doing you may well ask! Teresa Moule taught us how to make pretty cards with intricate folds of paper. The art of Iris Paper Folding - something new to us all. Nimble fingers were a must, followed closely by concentration, an afternoon we all thoroughly enjoyed.

The monthly competition, a greetings card (any medium) was jointly won by Debbie Nicholls (a cross stitch birthday card) and Judith Ingram (a watercolour birthday card). The ‘Flower of the Month’ was won by Debbie Nicholls.

We’ll now be busy preparing for the spring sale, to be held on June 12.

Women’s Institute

A journey of more than 6,000 miles made by a woman in a time (1900) when this would have been unheard of was the introduction to this month’s talk. Daniéla Barnard (Attractions Manager at ‘the story of Emily’ in St Ive) spoke about the life of Emily Hobhouse, including her work in the Anglo-Boer war and the exciting development of the Rectory and grounds in St. Ive where Emily was born and lived until she was 34.

From a young age, growing up in Cornwall, Emily always wanted more. Eventually, she was appointed secretary of the women's branch of the South African Conciliation Committee, went onto found the Distress Fund for South African Women and Children then sailed to Cape Colony to distribute this. She discovered the many camps and the poor conditions in these and gained widespread recognition in South Africa for her work with the women and children in the camps. She championed hope and left behind a legacy of compassion. “Liberty is the equal right and heritage of every child of man, without distinction of race, colour or sex.” (Emily Hobhouse 1913). Her life was full of involvement in many causes.

The site in St. Ive is a bridge between the events in South Africa and her childhood home in Cornwall, telling her story. The Rectory is a glimpse into Emily’s life in 1875 and is open from 16th May. The restaurant will be serving delicious heritage food, the gardens and grounds (including the ‘mound’ with a telescope at the top!) are available to explore. At a later date, the war rooms will also be open to experience. More details can be found on the website: https://thestoryofemily.com/ Members were all very keen to go and visit this local site and find out more.

No birthdays in May, two from April: Hilary Clatworthy and Pauline Caffery.

Competition winners: Monthly competition –

A Victorian artefact: 1, Jo Hodgkinson; 2, Mary Yates; 3, Pauline Caffery. Flower of the month: 1, Alison Willis; 2, Sue Hill; 3, Pauline Caffery.

The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 12, 7.15pm in Millennium House when Lois Taylor will be leading us in sitting and standing exercises. New members and visitors are welcome to come along.

St Melor’s Church

There will be morning prayer at 10am on Monday and Wednesday in St Melor’s Church.

On Sunday, May 26, morning prayer will be at 11am.

Parish hall

The next quiz night will take place at the Parish Hall in Upton Cross on Saturday, May 25. 6.30pm for 7pm start.

Teams of up to six, £2 per player. £40 first prize, bring own nibbles and tipples. Booking essential [email protected]

Rilla Mill Village Hall

The annual general meeting took place on Thursday, May 16, when Andrew Davy agreed to continue in office as chairman for just one more year until May 2025.

Also remaining unchanged is treasurer Sandy Dale and secretary Jan Norman. There were no resignations from the committee but younger members of the community would be welcomed and if interested please attend the next committee meeting to be held on Wednesday, June 19, at 7pm.

There will be another Family Bingo evening on Saturday, June 29, and the annual carnival and summer fayre will take place on Saturday, July 20. There is no theme this year so please take part in whatever you wish to represent, meeting in the usual Rillaton field at 1pm to walk to Parson’s Meadow, led by Launceston Silver Band for the Summer Fayre and Duck Race and Model Raft Race. More details later.

Fluffy Pink Pig Racing

This event took place in Rilla Mill Village Hall on Saturday 11th May with many families enjoying the fun of the evening. £888 was made for the upkeep of the hall and Parson’s Meadow.

A vote of thanks was given by Chairman, Andrew Davy to Simon Morse for organising the event in conjunction with “Pink Pig Racing SW - Newton Abbot Rotary Club. He also thanked the race sponsors - SMGB (Simon Morse General Building), Chris Rounsevell, Emily Goodey on behalf of Upton Cross ACE Academy, Owna Mobile Device Repair, The Manor House Inn, and Dartmoor Brewery. His own firm Andrew Davy Electrical also was a sponsor. Thanks also to everyone who sponsored a pig with such fun names too and the kitchen staff and anyone who helped in any way.

Women’s Institute

On Thursday, May 2, at 2pm, fourteen WI members descended on Anvil Cottage in Five Lanes, home of our President, Kate Sibborn, for a garden party. There were four apologies for absence.

I ask myself “who is a most excellent gardener and who is the best hostess with the mostest! with homemade fare of cakes and sandwiches, etcetera, on offer?” Why, Kate Sibborn, the WI president, of course, without doubt. Members all unanimously agree after such an enjoyable afternoon.

With no competition or raffle and no business part of a usual meeting we were all presented with our copy of the programme of forthcoming events of the year to come by Helen Naylor, the programme secretary. Then we all settled down in Kate’s lounge to enjoy one of the nicest events of this current year, even though the cold wind prevented it being a proper garden party. Members sat about chatting and partaking of the wonderful food, provided in very congenial surroundings, later, when the weather eased off, we had a walk outside around Kate’s garden where we were able to admire and wonder at all of her and her husband Dez’s efforts with so many gorgeous plants and shrubs. A most successful and unforgettable afternoon enjoyed by us all.

We were also delighted to have a glimpse at the ongoing efforts for our corporate entry in Launceston Show in July which were illuminating and so creative and were deservedly appreciated and those participating in the ventures on our behalf were duly congratulated on their enterprise.

It was also proposed and agreed that we should wear hats or fascinators at the 65th anniversary meal in October 2024. Finally, Kate was warmly thanked by us all for her kind hospitality.

Parish council

It’s fair to say that it was the greatest number of local groups and organisations that gave annual updates to the Altarnun annual parish meeting held in the village hall on May 8.

In all, 27 reports were delivered on the evening, all of which are published on the Parish Council website altarnunpc.co.uk

The representatives included Ruth Simpson on behalf of Penpont Players and Friends of Altarnun School, Ann Rider, for the Knit & Natter and Church Hall Renovation Fund, Roy Rider for the Chatterbox group and Fun on the Green, Helen Naylor for the Craft and Produce Market as well as Community Lunches. Peter Allen kindly delivered on behalf of Altarnun Table Tennis Club, Altarnun Bell Ringers, Altarnun Village Hall, the Tre Pol Pen, Altarnun Local History Society, Altarnun Walkers, Altarnun Twinning Assn, Altarnun Christmas Lights and Altarnun Fun Fortnight. All of these were reported as thriving, apart from the Twinning Association which is suffering from the increasing costs of travel and post Brexit bureaucracy around passports which has made it more difficult to organise exchange visits. However, planning is in progress for a small group from Altarnun to go to Gueltas in late 2024 or early 2025 and that after elections the new Mayor of Gueltas will visit Altarnun. Things might look a little differently by then and hopefully further plans can be drawn for the schools exchange visits.

Ecclesiastical representative Anthony Naylor reported on the Anglican church activities in the parish and also how he his developing links with other denominations and also those on the fringe of Christianity to be inclusive to as many people as possible. It was also pleasing to hear of the church youth group being relaunched.

For all these organisations to succeed takes a lot of hard work and there was a common theme throughout, that support for these groups is always welcome because the few that actually run them will not be around forever and continuity planning is key to their continued success. So anyone prepared to share the organisational burden is so very valuable.

A member of the public spoke on the importance of maintaining pressure on the powers that be, to ensure the right outcomes on proposed changes by National Highways to the A30 between Kennards House and Altarnun to avoid villages to the south of the road and Five Lanes being turned into HGV rat runs. Altarnun councillors took this on board together with the county councillor’s strong objections to the proposals.

Adrian Parsons reported from the perspective of a Cornwall councillor, stressing how much the cost of living pressures and financial budget cuts are impacting on the councils ability to deliver essential services and maintain our road network to a decent standard. The is a move afoot to sell assets including beaches, green spaces and beauty spots to raise funds to keep going and avoid financial failure as some other local authorities have done. Locally however, the good news has been that both Launceston library and leisure centre have been saved along with free school transport for children ding Launceston College.

The parish council annual report echoed Adrians pessimism on the financial front and it is likely that in the not too distant future the annual precept it receives from Cornwall Council will have to be increased to meet rising costs and financial commitments. The cash reserves remain very positive but are being eaten into to manage day to day costs.

During the year three new councillors joined the ranks at Altarnun Parish Council, Matthew Halls, Glyn Pooley and Steven Masters all born and bred in the parish and it is expected that they will all stand for re-election for the new council due to be enrolled in 2025.

The clerk reported that further Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) grant monies had been received during the year and they were being put to good use in upgrading street furniture around the parish.

Also integral to the parish looking so well is the continued dedication of ‘local hero’ Paul Smart who is out, literally, in all winds and weathers making sure things are right for us. Thank you, Paul!

The Annual Parish Council meeting dealt with the usual annual housekeeping matters and review of governance documents. Cllr Craig Dowler was elected as Chair, once again, for the year to May 2025, with Chris Bloomfield remaining as vice chair. Cllr Debbie Branch continues in her role which involves a periodic review of the clerk’s work in respect of the councils finances and related governance matters.

During discussions it was agreed that tasteful signage be erected to highlight the location of our public conveniences., Also, pressure be maintained on Cornwall Housing to address and eradicate the ongoing issues at Penpont View.

Councillors had no objections to four planning applications including the redrawing of plans for a five bed residence on land south of The Anchorage in Trewint. The changes were seen as relatively minor and the proposed development appears to be in keeping with others around it.

The other cases involved a listed building consent for replacement windows at Trebullom House, an amendment to a prior application at Higher Tregirls Farm where there is a pending request to lift holiday let restrictions on a barn and allowing full residential use.

Lastly, there was an application to make further improvements to the Subway restaurant on the A30, which again was deemed to be in keeping with the existing built form and tidying the overall look of the building.

The next council meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 5, at 7.30pm in the village hall. In the meantime please remember the clerk can be contacted on 07841 780397 or by email [email protected]