Launceston and Callington Ploughing Association started its Golden Jubille year with a very successful event held at Tregadillett Community Centre recently. The focus of the event was its presentation and Official Launch of its Golden Jubillee Book. Terry Jones welcomed everyone especially its president, Tom Williams of Werrington Park. He also welcomed the vice-president Paul Jenkin and his wife Caroline. Tom Williams said he was very happy to welcome the Association back to Werrington Park, for the match in October, especially as the first one was held there, and also the Silver Jubilee match in 1999.

The Ploughing Association’s chairman, Tim Lightfoot, then went on to welcome, and introduce the special guests for the evening. All of them were presented with a book. The first one, destined to go to His Royal Highness, The Duke of Cornwall, Prince William was received by Mark Thomas, County High Sheriff of a couple of years ago. He remarked that he remembered the very first one held at Werrington Park in 1975. He said the book will be presented to Prince William on the following Wednesday.

The second book was presented to county councillor, Adrian Parsons. This one is destined to go into county council archives. He commented just how important rural traditions are to the the whole community. The third and fourth books were presented to the mayor of Launceston, Cllr Helen Bailey, and the Portreeve of Callington, Peter Watson. They both said that they would see the books were valued into the future. Helen Bailey was later to comment that she hoped to try to plough at the match in October! The fifth book was presented to Duncan Elliott, past principal at Duchy College. He said it will go into the College archives for future reference. The evening then continued with a ‘Cornish Supper’ pasty- split, jam and cream and saffron cake. The general sale of books followed.

The evening concluded with an illustrated talk on Datmoor, and all its histories and traditions. This was done by Tich Scott of ‘Proper Job’ tours of Sourton Cross. The event was very well attended, and all present were invited to continue with their support and join the Association at future events , such as Liskeard, and also Launceston Agricultural Shows. The whole event was deemed to be a great success.

Members of the Coad’s Green WI discovered that they were not just going to learn about acupuncture but something about their own characteristics when president, Linda Willan, introduced speaker, Paul Adkin, from Truro, who had been practicing acupuncture for the last 24 years.

Vivienne Daniel thanked Paul for what had been a very interesting and engaging evening.

Dates for the diaries included the Coad’s Green Summer Fete on Saturday, June 29, when members are invited to help with refreshments.

The August social, involving members and partners will be held on Wednesday, August 14. There will be a visit to the Polson Chair Museum, followed by a shared supper.

The date of the area group meeting will be September 25 and the Annual Dinner will be held at the Archer Arms in Lewannick on October 24.

Birthday flowers were presented to Christine Walters. Carol Titcombe won the monthly competition, with Rosemary O’Brien taking second place and Linda Willan taking third. The flower-of-the-month competition was won by Vivienne Daniel. Linda Willan took second place and Barbara Sleep took third.

The date of the next meeting will be on Wednesday, July 10, in the Coad’s Green chapel parlour at 7.30pm. The speaker will be Colin Sargent, talking on the subject of Wildlife photography. This is an open meeting for visitors to attend at a cost of £3 per head. Refreshments provided.

The June meeting took the form of Sitting and Standing exercises with Lois Taylor. Who would have thought doing a few exercises could be so much fun. Lively music was played which meant no sitting still, but we could sit or stand as we wished to do the exercises. The session finished by relaxing to some Tai chi type of exercises and music. Lots of laughter and a great fun evening. Thanks were expressed to Louis by Vi Gold.

Birthday girls this month are: Olive Davis, Ann Houlston, Kay Price and Alison Willis. Cards and posies were presented to them.

Competition winners: Flower of the month,1st Jo Hodkinson, 2nd Verna Dawe, 3rd Jean Hoare. Competition for a healthy recipe, 1st Cherry Woodhouse, 2nd Trish Thomas, 3rd Jean Hoare.

Next meeting: July 10, 7.15pm at Millennium House, when Leslie Bruskill will be playing her ukulele.

Competitions if you wish to enter, are a poem including the word ukulele and the usual flower of the month.

Why not come along as a visitor, and you might wish to join in the future. You will be made very welcome.

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

Evensong will be held on Sunday, June 30, at 6.30pm.

An All Age Joint Cluster Service will be held in St Paul’s Church, Upton Cross, at 10am.

Member Maxine Browne reports at the May meeting members were pleased to welcome an old friend, Dale Wood who needs no introduction to regular readers of the parish magazine, The Link. His enthusiasm for bees is catching, who knew there were so many varieties, mostly solitary bees. Dale explained the structure/architecture of bee hives, both those looked after by beekeepers and those set up by bees themselves. He shared the number and functions of their eyes, and warned everyone to be on the look for Asian hornets which are so destructive.

The competition on this occasion was a handcrafted bee, which was won jointly by Marion Turner and Sue Morton. Viv Trill and Muriel Browne shared the honours for this month’s posy.

Apart from a couple more meals out, the next formal meeting will take place on Wednesday 10th August when there will be a welcome return from Mick Harrison, who will be speaking about cyber security. This will be an open meeting so guests are most welcome for a fee of £5.

For more information contact president Kim on [email protected]

The Beavers have talked about their holiday trips and events, played games in the Jubilee Field at Upton Cross, learnt to identify trees and leaves, also learnt the correct twigs and sticks for fire lighting.

A number of the older groups endured a 24 hour challenge in the woods which entailed building bivvies for the night whilst keeping their fires alight to cook their food!! After a chilly night, everyone survived the experience so well done to them all!!

The next committee meeting of Rilla Mill Village Hall will now be held on Wednesday, June 26, at 7pm.

The next fundraising event will be the popular family bingo evening on Saturday, June 29, 6.30pm for 7pm start. This is a cash only event and there will be a raffle to raise even more funds for the upkeep of the hall and Parson’s Meadow.

Pirates, suffragettes, the foghorn at Trevose Head, and singing in primary school were just some of the memories and visions evoked during Paul Drayton’s talk to the June meeting of the Bude and District U3A. Paul, himself a composer and conductor, accompanied his subject ‘Music in Cornwall’ by keyboard demonstrations and sound recordings. He approached this wide topic in three ways – through Cornish folk music, music inspired by Cornwall, and music by Cornish-based composers.

Beginning with folk music, the audience heard about the head gardener of the Borough of Penzance, W. Watson, whose rendition of ‘The Holly bears a Berry’ was recorded by a folk song collector onto a wax cylinder. This original recording can be heard online at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. John Rutter wrote the arrangement for ‘The Holly and the Ivy’, now a well-known carol, the same tune with slightly different words.

‘Going Up Camborne Hill’ was inspired by Richard Trevithick’s steam engine ride up the hill in 1801. The song ‘Sweet Nightingale’ was collected by Rev Sabine Gould in St Ives. He collaborated with another folk song collector, Cecil Sharp, to produce the National Song Book for the Department of Education in 1905. The use of this songbook in schools over many years explains why the snatches of tunes played to the audience sounded so familiar.

Describing music inspired by Cornwall, The Pirates of Penzance must be discounted as there is no connection with Cornwall beyond the title. The first act of Wagner’s ‘Tristan and Isolde’ however takes place on a ship heading for Cornwall, with Isolde the intended bride of Cornwall’s King Mark. A standing stone near Fowey is known as the Tristan stone because it is believed by some to mark Tristan’s grave. It appears Wagner was none too familiar with the Cornish golden sands and rugged cliffs, as the lyrics refer to ‘the green beach of Cornwall’.

Ethel Smyth was inspired by a visit to Cornwall and the Piper’s Hole at Tresco to write an opera ‘The Wreckers’. The final scene is set in a cave similar to the Piper’s Hole where two of the main characters are drowned. Ethel also wrote ‘The March of the Women’ which became the official anthem of the suffragette movement. When in Holloway prison she leant out of a window conducting with a toothbrush while other imprisoned women marched below singing.

After hearing Ethel’s rousing march the audience heard part of Arnold Bax’s ‘Tintagel’ symphony – waves crashing on rocks. Bax later became the Master of the King’s Music in 1941. The final composer mentioned as inspired by Cornwall was Hubert Bath, born in Devon, known for writing film scores. He wrote ‘Cornish Rhapsody’ for the 1944 film Love Story, which was filmed on location at the Minack Theatre.

Cornish composers include Giles Farnaby, who was born in Truro in 1563 and composed for the harpsichord. Most of his work was discovered in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, a manuscript collection of virginal pieces by early composers. Joseph Emidy was an African slave who became a well-known violinist. After being pressganged into the British Navy at Lisbon he lived in Cornwall and led the Truro Philharmonic Orchestra, before dying in 1835. Unfortunately his compositions have been lost.

George Lloyd was born in St Ives, and his first opera ‘Iernin’ had its premier in 1932, performed by the Penzance Orchestral Society. He wrote several symphonies and his last work, a Requiem, was inscribed to the memory of Diana Princess of Wales.

The final piece the audience heard was ‘Padstow Lifeboat’, a march written for brass bands and punctuated by a regular low note representing the foghorn at Trevose Head. This was composed by Malcolm Arnold who lived near Padstow for some years. He also wrote symphonies and film scores, and a set of Cornish dances.

Paul’s overview of music in Cornwall ended to appreciative applause.

Members were reminded that there will be no Open Meeting in August, though the regular coffee mornings, which are also open to non-members, will take place as usual during August. At the next open meeting on July 18 the drama group will present four short comic plays. There are around 40 activity groups within Bude and District U3A. Full details of groups and activities are available at www.budeu3a.co.uk

Last month we introduced a short Level 2 walk at Buckland Filleigh which gave some of our walkers the opportunity to admire the beautiful house, grounds and parkland of Buckland House without the need to negotiate a number of stiles which have always been a feature of our walks from that location. One or two of the stiles along our Level 3 route have now been replaced with pedestrian gates but there are still a number of different challenges to be met ranging from the need of a chivalrous helping hand of a fellow walker to an inelegant scramble! Recently we were delighted to discover that the stile between the churchyard and the parkland has been replaced with a beautifully crafted wooden gate which, we understand, has been made from one of the fallen trees following recent storms.

Due to commercial changes at the Sports Pavilion in Stanhope Park our Monday Walk has moved its meeting place to the Youth Centre, just off Sanders Lane. Following our walk we are now visiting The Coffee Room, situated within the Youth Centre, for our refreshments. The Coffee Room is actually more than just a cafe and offers a variety of activities, arts and crafts, card games, board games, gardening, IT. Volunteers are available to provide a ‘listening ear’ to share life’s challenges and also offer signposting to various professionals, social services, debt management agencies, social prescribers or assist with any specific issues where people might need support. Refreshments are free (although donations are appreciated) and there is plenty of car parking. The Coffee Room is open Mondays and Thursdays from 10am to 12.30pm. On the last Thursday of the month they open earlier at 8.45am, and try to have a speaker on local topics.

If you would like to join us we walk on Mondays and Fridays. All walks start at 10.30am and are free. Membership forms are available from our volunteer walk leaders prior to the start of the walk.

Our website has lots of up to date information, together with the current programme of walks, holsworthywalkandtalk.co.uk

Following a meeting attended by Mrs Cynthia Willcocks, the then area chairman of the National Flower Arranging Society (NAFAS), who gave help and advice it was agreed Holsworthy Hamlets Flower Club should be formed, with Mrs Pat Dennis as chairman and meetings to be held in Chilsworthy Village Hall. The club joined NAFAS in 1984.

Over the years the club has participated in various shows and flower festivals.

To celebrate their 10 years, RHS Rosemoor was visited. Twenty-five years brought a visit to Mr and Mrs Sexton’s garden at Cookbury and for 30 years a lunch at Rydon Inn was much enjoyed. This year for 40 years members were invited to join the committee and the chairman of Devon and Cornwall Floral Art, Carol Yeo, in visiting Cleave Farm, Buckland Brewer for a wonderful lunch followed by a walk around the stream-side garden resplendent with rhododendrons, shrubs and statuary.

The celebration was continued on Tuesday, May 11, when demonstrator Elaine Reynolds title was ‘Ruby Anniversary’. One arrangement followed on from Elaine’s success at the Royal Cornwall Show. She replicated her entry using palm leaves, red gladioli, carnations, gerberas, burgundy orchids, chrysanthemums and the finishing touch was a red top hat.

A shallow bowl displayed a low arrangement of reds, purples and burgundys. Included were a combination of protea, anthuriums, gerberas, dahlia and antirrhinums.

A rectangular basket completed the evening. A combination of beech and bergenia leaves showed off to their best and when the audience thought it was complete Elaine added some unusual iris grown by her friend.

The members were left in awe of Elaine’s skills, arrangements, colour combinations and all the tips given as she worked.

Mrs Sylvia Harris, chairman, thanked Elaine for such an enjoyable evening for members and visitors alike.

The evening continued with the cutting of the ruby anniversary cake by two members who were at the inaugural meeting, Shirley Crane and Mary Barfett. The third Jean Frayne was unable to attend.

The present committee are: Sylvia Harris, chairman; Liz Buckingham, treasurer; Mary Barfett, secretary; Kath Durling, Gloria Dymond, Geraldine Gifford, Sandra Hamley and Jill Lapham, committee members.

The Bude WI held its monthly meeting at the Methodist Church Hall on June 11 and the president, Cynthia May, welcomed 61 members and one guest.

She also explained that the secretary was on holiday and as the deputy secretary had had a minor injury, former secretary, Carole Edwards, was standing in. After the singing of Jerusalem, the membership were invited to attend many upcoming events, including the annual fundraiser, this year in aid of Bude Cancer Support, and a trip to the theatre. Details were given of many events held in the last month which included the lunch groups successful lunch at the Rydon Inn, a trip to the Royal Cornwall Show, and a Mystery Trip. The mystery trip is always a popular event and this year didn’t fail to succeed. First a visit to Otter Nursery, for lots of shopping. Then a visit to Sidmouth in the glorious sunshine. Many members enjoyed an ice cream in the sun and some even indulged in a cooling cocktail! Then to the Arundel Arms in Lifton for a delicious cream tea.

The guest speaker was Sarah Harper from the Clovelly Soap Company. She was thanked by Mamie Wildman.

As usual there were two competitions. The Flower of the month was won by Gill Grant, second Geraldine Edwards, third Rachel Allin. The second competition, a soap you loved and couldn’t use, was won by Carole Edwards, second was Jane Culverwell and third Jackie Adams.

The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Tuesday, July 9, when the guest speaker will be Jane Hanscomb who will talk about herbs and spices. There will be three competitions, an interesting spice jar, flower of the month and the quarterly BAKE OFF which is a lemon meringue pie. As usual visitors are welcome.