Torpoint Town Partnership held its Family Fun Dog Show on Sunday, August 3.

This is the sixth year it has been held and even the miserable weather didn't deter the dog owners and their charges, with just over 100 entries across the different classes keeping the judge busy all afternoon.

Everyone enjoyed the afternoon even those who didn't leave with a rosette. Pawsome!

Morning prayer every Monday at 10am.

Sunday, August 10 - Holy Communion at 11am.

Sunday, August 10 - informal worship at 10am.

The whole group have been learning team work with blindfold leading assault courses, pitching tents, lighting small fires beside the stream with bonus marshmallows. The older cubs and scouts have had first aid training.

The weather has caused havoc, first too dry to light fires in the woods, then too wet to go down there. Hopefully the next report will record better news. Report by Sarah Doney, PRO.

The Carnival and Summer Fayre was a huge success once again, especially being blessed with such good weather. The annual Model Raft Race produced great entries and the Duck race was as popular as ever. Many thanks are expressed by Chairman, Andrew Davy to everyone who helped and to all those who attended the event to help raise £1,549.27 for the upkeep of the village hall and Parson's Meadow.

The next event was The MidSummer Murder performed by the Callington Amateur Drama Society on Saturday, 26th July which was greatly enjoyed by everyone, including the cast and crew! There will be another Murder Mystery performed in the future, just watch this space!

The next event will take place in Parson's Meadow with music by The Equalisers on Saturday, August 23, from 7.30pm to 11pm. If wet it will take place in the village hall, there will be a bar and food.

Tickets can be obtained via [email protected] or by cash at The Manor House Inn, Rilla Mill.

August 10, Sunday Service will be led by members of the congregation at 10am.

Sunday, August 10, 9.30am, morning service.

St Ive Village Hall the Unity Methodist, United Service will take place on Sun 10th August, starting at 10.30am. This will be led by Judith Allen. Tea, coffee and biscuits at the close.

All are welcome.

Creams teas will take place at St Ive Parish Church on the following dates: Sunday, August 10 and 24.

All held from 2pm to 4pm.

Come and share a time of chat while enjoying a cream tea.

After an unpredicted rainy morning, the weather cleared just in time to give Lansallos Fete on Saturday, July 26, a warm, sunny afternoon and attracting a good crowd of visitors.

There were stalls selling homemade cakes, jams and chutneys, bric-a-brac, and ice creams as well as clotted cream teas.

Games included a hilarious and popular new feature called "bra pong" in which competitors had to bounce a ping pong balls into bra cups mounted on a board.

The day was a great success, raising money for the Lansallos Church conservation fund which will help to keep this ancient and much-loved place of worship maintained for another year.

Our thanks go to Ms Tess Silkstone for hosting the fete in the lovely gardens of the Old Rectory and to all who helped or supported the event.

Herodsfoot Church Fete will be held on August 10 on the Village Green, to be opened by Cathy Gough at 2pm.

This will be followed by Celtic Prayers on the Green.

Holly Communion will be on Sunday, August 24, at 9.30am.

The Looe Valley benefice service will then be held on August 31 at 10.30am with Rev Ben Morgan-Lundie.

The results of the 150 Draw for July are: 1st prize, Nathan Warren £30; 2nd prize, Leanne Barbosa £20; 3rd prize, Rachel Facey £10.

A small colony of Muscovy ducks at Calstock is declining despite the care of members of the local community.

The population which was 13 strong in 2023 has now been depleted to just four, one male and three females with concerns in the village that they could disappear completely.

Calstock local Peter Thompson, better known as the duck whisperer, cares for the ducks alongside Celia Williams from the Tamar Inn and Tina North. He alerted the community to a recent injury to one of the colony, Custard.

After spotting chunks of white feathers and a well-scavenged carcass in the river mud by the slipway, Peter feared for the worst for the youngest of the three left from the original brood of ten he helped to rescue in March after spotting that one by one, they were disappearing.

He said: “On Sunday morning I went down to feed them and the two smaller ducks, Kiwi and Crumpet were there but no sign of Custard. I could see the remains of a duck in the mud so I put two and two together and figured that Custard had met a nasty end. It was quite upsetting.”

However when Peter went to feed the ducks the following morning, to his surprise Custard was there but with a deep wound across her chest.

He managed to catch the duck and the gash was treated by two veterinary nurses at the local Calweton Vets. She was released back to the slipway after two days rehab in Peter’s garden.

“Custard is back where she belongs,” he said. “She’s not out of the woods yet. It was quite a serious injury with some quite deep holes in her skin.”

Peter first started caring for the ducks, traditionally farm ducks that live wild at Calstock, in 2010.

He said: “They would get mucus covering their eyes when the wind blew cold and dry for days, temporarily blinding them. I would bathe their eyes in saline solution to clear them.”

He started feeding them, with mixed grain and never bread, during Covid, even taking in a goose at Christmas after it was attacked by a dog.

He said: “I was experiencing issues beyond my control and suffering from depression. The ducks gave me solace. I believe a lot of people benefit from feeding the ducks; one elderly gentleman used to come on the train from Totnes every Sunday just to feed them.”

Now, after a series of attacks on the ducks, and the loss of the brood’s mum Sylvia, Peter has concerns for the future of the village’s Muscovy duck population.

Custard’s sister Crumpet also recently sustained a badly bruised foot after being hit by a car and is slowly recovering.

“A few years ago there were about 13 Muscovy ducks and cross breeds. Numbers have dwindled down due to old age, road kills and dog attacks. Not everyone approves of us feeding them. Some people call them vermin and a nuisance, but a lot of them appreciate that they’re there.”

Charity supporter Lynn Jeffery has had her head shaved in memory of her father, Brian.

Lynn, who is a volunteer at the Eden Project, near St Austell, and lives at Penwithick, had her hair shaved off in aid of the work of Marie Curie in Cornwall.

The head shave took place in front of friends and shoppers at an art exhibition held in Alymer Square, St Austell.

Lynn is hoping to raise £1,000 and donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/page/lynn-jeffery-1

Lynda Thomas, a Marie Curie fundraising volunteer, said: “I would like to thank Lynn for supporting the charity with this great challenge. All funds raised will help Marie Curie to continue to provide hospice at home care and support to people in Cornwall.”