THE news that Caradon has granted an entertainment licence to keep the campers happy at Trethill Farm means that Crafthole is now firmly established as a trailblazer on the millennium trail.

At a meeting on Tuesday, applicant Jesse Earle of the Whitsand Bay Hotel at Portwrinkle was granted permission to entertain the 2,500 to 3,000 campers who are expected to gather on land belonging to farmer Nick Rundle. The licence runs from Monday, August 10 to Friday, August 13, and allows for live entertainment to be provided up to midnight each night.

Among national bands which are interested in travelling west are Kulashaka, Alisha's Attic and Misty 'N Roots, along with the Abba tribute band Bjorn Again and local high profile musicians Root Juice. Besides comedy acts, the Reduced Shakespeare Company are to be signed up to send up the Bard and The Levellers are also on the agenda.

The entertainment will be offered in marquees, with an efficient PA system and, to make sure there is something for everyone, there will be a death slide and a funfare, plus day-time cinema for the children and adult films in the evenings.

The entertainment is being organised by Nic Black of Pyramid Productions, promoter of successful National Trust events in the area. Entry will be by ticket only, in advance, and the emphasis will be on family participation.

'We're not going for the teenagey rave market,' says Mr Earle, 'just good entertainment for a whole week, with a wide selection of entertainments to suit a wide selection of people.' And, he added, 'there will be top-notch security' at the scenic site, perched strategically on the clifftop and overlooking a secluded beach. The car park is to be located well away from the camp site, with a walk over fields to reach it. The land, which is farmed by organic farmer Mr Rundle on lease from the National Trust, is to be ploughed up immediately afterwards, a fact which helped to allay the fears of some of the objectors at the meeting that syringes and other harmful debris would pose an ongoing health hazard.

As a witness to an eclipse in Java in 1981, Mr Earle said that he was 'so impressed by such an incredible natural phenomenon' that he wanted to make sure that as many people as possible were able to watch this one.

Chairman of Rampage, Bill Barnes said at the meeting that his members were against the whole idea on the grounds that the road at Crafthole was too narrow to accommodate the extra traffic. Sheviock parish council chairman John Kentisbeer, however, reported that a show of hands of those attending the annual parish meeting had voted 48 to six in favour of the campsite. Neither the police nor South West Water had any objection to the plans.