A gas leak from a fractured main in Launceston closed one side of the dual carriageway and prompted warnings to residents on Wednesday last. The emergency services were called out when contractors accidentally hit a pipe and fractured it.

Launceston St John Ambulance cadet Division and Badger Sett recently held their annual inspection. Sergeant Jonathan Striplin was presented with his Grand Prior award — one of only 15 Grand Priors awarded throughout Cornwall during the past year.

Present at the ordination of Rev Emma Childs were Rev Kenneth Wakefield, The Bishop of St Germans the Rt Rev Graham James and the Rev Tim Newcombe, Rector of Launceston.

A rave took place in a forest near Wilsey Down at the weekend, but the police said there were no arrests and no charges would follow. The impromptu rave, which took place in the forest — under the guardianship of Forestry Enterprises — attracted about 50 cars full of people, plus a sound system and a van, and was held on Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday morning.

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The Princess Royal’s visit to North Cornwall yesterday (Wednesday) has been seen as a tremendous boost to the area, particularly Camelford. HRH Princess Anne spent the afternoon visiting Maybridge Chemicals, Tintagel; The Indian King Arts Centre and the Riding for the Disabled, both at Camelford, plus Bott at Bude.

Thanks to ‘Laura’s Campaign’ organised by the ‘Post’ at the beginning of the year, Laura Hoare, who has a degenerative disease and is often confined to a wheelchair, is now enjoying a week in Paris.

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Launceston building worker Mr Brian Retallack suffered cuts to his arms and wrists after jumping through a window to escape from a fire in the nearly completed Cornish Confectionary factory at Pennygillam.

George Bickle, Bude’s chief auxiliary coastguard, was lowered down an almost sheer cliff face near Compass Point to rescue two men and a youth from Leicester late on Sunday night. The alarm was raised by 14-year-old Christopher Ireland, a member of Bude Scout Troop.

Mr D Neeley, who has been hon secretary of Holsworthy Golf Club for two season, will be leaving the district in the near future to take up an appointment as full time secretary of the Taunton Golf Club.

St Breward Silver Band and Bude Town Band played together under the baton of Bude conductor Mr Barry Magson to end St Breward Silver Band’s garden fete.

Messrs Gordon Moore, Peter Penhorwood and Keith Scoble were the referees at a ladies’ six-a-side football tournament at Launceston with Harriett Pethick scoring two goals to give Launceston victory over Dobwalls in the final.

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The presentation of the Pretty Maid, Miss Rita Parsons, to the people was the main attraction at Holsworthy’s ancient St Peter’s Fair on Wednesday, taking place at the belfrey door as usual, despite a suggestion it might be transferred to the other door of the parish church.

Eleven tenders were received for the erection of the proposed new two-form entry grammar school at Callington which is scheduled in Cornwall Education committee’s programme for 1964-65. The highest was £148,168 and the committee accepted the lowest — that of Messrs Dudley Coles Ltd, Plymouth, at £131,877.

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Gillian Watson, formerly of Gunnislake, aged six-and-a-half, who has been residing in Canada for two years, travelled from Toronto to St Dominick making the 15-hour Atlantic crossing unattended.

The Royal Sanitary Institute held a sessional meeting at Launceston on Thursday, the attendance comprising medical officers, health visitors, general practitioners, nurses and others from all over Cornwall as well as several from Devon and elsewhere.

The annual pilgrimage to Launceston in honour of Blessed Cuthbert Mayne composed of some 12 to 15 hundred pilgrims, was much larger than anticipated in view of the recent St Boniface Centenary Congress in Plymouth.

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Died of wounds: Lawrence Reginald Perry, 32, of Marhamchurch. Wounded in action: LCpl Leonard Nemo, of Bratton Clovelly; Pte Edward Flanders, of Bridgerule. Prisoner of war: Gunner Ernnie Dinner, of Cross Parks, Holsworthy.

Stg William Alan Jordan, twin son of Mr and Mrs W S Jordan of Woodvale Terrace, Launceston, who has been a prisoner of war in Italy, has been liberated by the allied advance and is expected home shortly.

The silence of three years was broken on Monday. Mr and Mrs C Sampson, of 14, Valentine Road, Callington, have received a brief card from their son LAC Fred Sampson, RAF, who has been a prisoner of war in Japanese hands all that time.

Witheven Farm, Jacobstow, 118 acres, with house, cottage and buildings, was auctioned by Messrs Kivell and Sons at Wainhouse Corner on Monday, making £1,750. The purchaser was Mr E Jasper.

Liskeard Farmers’ Union are complaining that the decision to collect milk an hour earlier means that, with Double Summertime, men will have to get out at four o’clock by the sun.

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The whole village of Lifton was endangered by a disastrous fire which originated on Monday in the thatched roof of the house and general stores of Mr and Mrs J Brimacombe in Fore Street. The alarm was given by a schoolboy, Fred Jones, and local people rallied round to fight the fire pending the arrival of three fire brigades from Launceston, Tavistock and Okehampton. The house and stores were destroyed and the ancient cockpit, an octagonal building which is one of the few relics in the country of cock-fighting days, was damaged, and the Arundell Arms took fire, but only slightly. Two Ambrosia employees, Mr Barrett and Mr George Crossman, were slightly injured by falling slates.

This year’s Pretty Maid at Holsworthy St Peter’s Fair is Miss Rhoda Wakeham, of Crossparks Farm, and this year the spinster money has also been distributed to ladies of 71 and 81 respectively. Another feature, which attracted a great interest at this year’s fair, was a gypsy wedding witnessed by large crowds.

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An aeroplane has been making a passenger flight from Launceston during the past fortnight. On Sunday several horses in fields close to the town became frightened at the noise made, and the next day their owners found them five or six miles away.

This year’s Holsworthy Pretty Maid is Miss Ena Prouse, 19-year-old daughter of Mr and Mrs John Prouse, of North Road. St Peter’s fair attracted even bigger crowds than ever.

George Joll, 20, of Sheepwash, formerly of Stowford Barton, and George Drew, 62 of Trebeath, Egloskerry, were both killed while working on the new Torrington and Halwill railway near Hatherleigh. A heavy load fell from a truck and crushed them.

The Wesleyan Chapel at Bathpool, North Hill, was re-opened on Monday after complete renovation. It now contains gifts from Mesdames S Foot (communion table), Buckingham, Snowden and Caunter, among its furnishings.