25 years ago

June 24, 1999

After winning the county first aid finals, Launceston Badgers travelled to Somerset to take part in the regional finals on June 6. Each team, which consisted of a team of two, first and second, and a reserve person, had to under two tests, one being a first aid test and the second being a hobbies test. The Launceston team did very well, winning both the team and the reserves competition resoundingly.

Spending cutbacks approved by the new Launceston Town Council this week mean that Launceston in Bloom will not receive the £4,000 previously earmarked.

Filming of Launceston Town Council meetings has again been banned. Launceston resident and businessman, Tony Hillman, who runs a video shop, and who put the happenings of the former strife-torn council on video tape, for the benefit of posterity, can no longer do so.

A mosaic of a medieval castle will form the centre-piece of the new £240,000 Tintagel Visitor Centre.

Eight men have cleared one mile of tow path and bed for the Bude Canal in just over a month, thanks to a new partnership. Under the supervision of Gerald Fry, restoration director of the Bude Canal Trust, the working party from DMT Business Services will continue for another two months.

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40 years ago

June 23, 1984

Pupils of St Joseph’s Junior School, Launceston, who recently passed the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art examinations include Hayley Gearon, Jane Baker, Antonia Smith, Caroline Markham-David and Amanda Kelly.

The Mini Heyday, held at Coads Green on Saturday in fine weather, proved to be a great success with the many spectator around the arena enjoying the various events.

Launceston’s plea for a tourist information centre at the ‘Gateway to Cornwall’ was given an airing their week at county level — before being pigeon-holed for another day.

District councillors in North Cornwall are again to press for the improvement of the A30 trunk road between Okehampton and Launceston to be of a dual carriageway standard.

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50 years ago

June 15, 1974

Mrs Kathleen Agnes Keast, of Lytham, Dunheved Road, Launceston has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services rendered to the town.

Mr William Ellicott, of Lynstone Road, Bude, has been coopted on to the Bude-Stratton Town Council with an almost unanimous majority.

Among holiday visitors to Milton Damerel is Mr Batstone, who for some years was the local constable. He was also a regular worshipper at the Methodist Church.

Mrs Lindsay Courtenay, of Cedar Grove, Bude, won a weekly heat of a beauty contest at Pontin’s Brean Sands Holiday Village at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset.

A note of apathy was apparent at the annual general meeting of Camelford AFC. The chairman, Mr R Boundy, said that the town didn’t deserve a football team!

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60 years ago

June 27, 1964

Bude-Stratton Urban Council meeting on Friday received a copy of a letter from Budehaven Dramatic Society to the trustees of the parish hall. The letter claimed that certain business concerns in the town, in order to further their own ends, were booking and monopolising the use of the parish hall during the summer months with no intention of using it themselve, but debarring local people the use of it to their own advantage.

The East Cornwall Water Board was informed by its clerk (Mr E G Jones), at its meting last week, that three objections have been lodged to its plans for a £1.1-million reservoir at Siblyback, near Bolventor. Those objecting are Cornwall River Board, Cornwall County Council and the Trebartha Estate Ltd.

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70 years ago

June 26, 1954

About 3,000 people attended the West of England Bandsman’s Festival at Bugle, on Saturday, when Bodmin Town won both the march and the selection in the second section.

His Eminence Cardinal Griffin, Archbishop of Westminster paid a short visit to Launceston on Monday to honour the memory of Blessed Cuthbert Mayne, the Roman Catholic priest who was executed in the town in 1577.

For three days lorry loads of material, collected from woods and business premises at Callington and Kelly Bray had gone to the hilltop for building one of the biggest bonfires staged at Kit Hill. On Wednesday hundreds of people flocked there for St John Eve ceremonies.

Launceston Town Council on Monday, decided that the minimum standards they recently adopted in respect of slaughterhouses within their area should be reconsidered by the Public Health Committee with a view to revision.

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80 years ago

June 24, 1944

Killed in action: Pte Harold Burne, RAMC, of Park View Terrace, Wadebridge, and formerly of St Mabyn; PO R Bleakman, RN, of Henwood, Linkinhorne; Sgt Flt Eng G Gettings, RAF, of High Street, Delabole. Prisoner of war: Flying Officer R J Wilton, RAF, of Wiggaton, North Petherwin.

Holsworthy’s “Salute the Soldier” target of £100,000 has been smashed with a total of £108,000.

Rev A C Williams, a member of Bude-Stratton Urban Council, told Friday’s meeting he was scared that they would be caught napping at the end of the war and that there would be no houses for the men when they came back. But Mr J H Hallett said that he did not see any likelihood of being able to build immediately after the war. The first call on builders and materials would be for blitz towns.

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90 years ago

June 30, 1934

Tintagel Publicity and Improvements Association is seeking to remedy the position that Tintagel is a village without a public hall. They have now accepted the offer of Mr Bishop, of the free use of his privately-owned hall and are organising a series of dances for visitors.

“This is the most ridiculous proposition we have ever had before us,” said Mr J Brown, of Altarnun, at Saturday’s meeting of Launceston Rural Council, referring to a suggestion by the Medical Officer, Dr E G Saunders, as to a water supply to the area. Dr Saunders thought many of their villages could be supplied from Bray Down, the source of the Launceston borough supply and felt that a real effort should be made to get something done. Mr Brown said it would be a great financial burden to them and their children, and it was decided to take no action on the matter.

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100 years ago

June 28, 1924

Launceston Chamber of Trade discussed on Monday the question of providing hard tennis courts or a golf course for the town, the lack of which it was said, was discouraging many would-be visitors. Suggested sites for the golf course were Windmill, St Stephens or Tinhay Down and the committee is to investigate.

The fire bell rang at Okehampton on Saturday evening and the fire brigade under the captain, Sgt W Hain, soon set off. There was no need for horses, the engine being drawn at a rattling pace by a crowd of soldiers and civilians – and there was no need for the brigade, either, since it turned out to be a false alarm.