Half marathons

for a half century

AS a challenge in his 50th year Saltash resident, Gordon Banks, set himself a task of running five half marathons.

He has already completed two of these - the Saltash and Plymouth half marathons. The next one he has planned is Torbay on June 24, and then Launceston on July 22 with the final 13 mile test at Exmouth on September 2.

Gordon, who has suffered from testicular cancer, says he is well aware of the sterling work Macmillan carries out among cancer patients. His project was launched during last year's Macmillan's Big Coffee Morning, and will conclude with the 2001 event, in late September - by which time it is hoped all the sponsorship money will have been collected.

He is looking for sponsorship for his final three half-marathons, and can be contacted on 01752 848691. Alternatively Stephanie Rees can be contacted on 01752 842060.

Chough returns

THE Cornish Chough is poised to return as an English breeding bird after an absence of almost 50 years following the mysterious appearance of five wild birds in Cornwall.The news has delighted the RSPB, the National Trust, English Nature and Hayle Paradise Park who have been jointly developing proposals to re-establish the bird in Cornwall. The last wild chough nested in England, in Cornwall, 1952. It is thought these birds may have travelled from the remnant population on the Brittany coastline of France. The current population in the UK is around 250 pairs. The exact details of the Cornish site are being kept secret.

100-year old

turtle drowned

A POST mortem has shown that a large leatherback turtle, discovered off St Agnes, was around l00 years old, and drowned after becoming caught up in lobster pots. The post mortem on the turtle, found off Trevaunance Cove, was carried out by the UK Marine Mammals Strandings Project. The shell was cleaned up, and it is hoped it will be preserved and mounted on the wall in the local doctors' surgery. The doctors there had helped tow it ashore.