Mike is the

Brain of Britain

A 55 year old from Honicombe near Callington has just become the brainiest person in Great Britain after winning BBC Radio 4's - Brain of Britain 2000.

Mike Smith-Rawnsley can't quite believe his achievement as he had only come second in an earlier round, but qualified for the semi finals as the highest scoring loser. He went on to the final and after his win was presented with an engraved silver salver by the Controller of Radio 4, Helen Bowden.

A mature student, about to begin an Exeter University School of English PhD at Marjons, Mr Smith Rawnsley ran a shop in Calstock for four years with his wife Pauline, before taking a BA degree at the College of St Mark and St John in literary studies with history. After that he has worked at Callington Pioneer Store, been a voluntary tutor at the Callington Link into Learning Centre, and donned a costume in his work as an interpreter at Morwellham Quay.

A repeat of the final will be on Radio 4 tomorrow , December 2 at 11pm.

Ban on cemetery

grave surrounds

AT the Callington Town Council meeting this week, councillors expressed their sympathy to families wishing to put grave surrounds around their loved ones graves, although they did re-confirm that the council stood by their decision not to allow such surrounds in the cemetery.

Jeremy Gist explained: 'Callington cemetery is one of the best in South East Cornwall because it is so well kept. The council refuses all applications of grave surrounds due to practicality.'

Fears over bombs

from World War II

A CALL has been made for an independent survey following fears that bombs dropped during World War Two will be dredged up from the bottom of the River Tamar when work begins on a Naval weapons loading jetty.

At a public meeting held on Wednesday evening members of the public called for the survey before construction of the Remote Ammunitions Facility Tamar (RAFT) - set to cost £12 million - starts off Bull Point.

Wettest in the West

BASTREET on Bodmin Moor has achieved the notoriety of being the wettest place in the region during the past 90 days. The hamlet soaked up 33 inches of rain throughout that period, the average across Devon and Cornwall being 22 inches.