Third birthday

for the Friends

THE Friends of the Fowey Estuary, which was formed to help with voluntary conservation efforts in the area, has held its third birthday.

The anniversary was marked at the Friends' recent annual meeting at the Royal Fowey yacht club. The Friends work closely with the new environmental officer working with the Fowey Harbour Commissioners, Jane Smith. Jane took over the post from Sally Porter, who left after four years to become environmental advisor to the Poole Harbour Commissioners.

The re-appointment of such an officer took place after the Commissioners consulted with partners involved in establishing a Voluntary Marine and Coastal Conservation Area in the upper estuary of the Fowey, and the surrounding countryside.

The Commissioners said Jane will help ensure the Fowey estuary becomes part of estuary management throughout the South West, also linked to management of similar areas in Brittany and Southern Ireland. She will also be closely involved with sediment surveys undertaken in the Fowey river.

Website for tickets

A NEW website has been launched for The Ticket Shop in the Tourist Information Centre based at the main Post Office, Fowey.

Lynn Goold, of the TIC, said that the website - http://www.fowey.co.uk">www.fowey.co.uk - has been designed as a resource site for both residents and visitors to Fowey. Not only does it include tourist information, but customers can also enquire about all the booking services available from The Ticket Shop from home. There is a regularly updated events page, and tickets can be ordered for the Daphne du Maurier festival in May.

Picture exhibition

THE village of Golant is planning to stage a photographic exhibition during the Golden Jubilee celebrations - and organisers would like to hear from anyone with old photographs from the last l00 years, or even further back.

The exhibition, to run over three days from June l, will be staged in the village hall. Anyone who can loan photographs is asked to contact Jane Gore on 01726 832425.

Busy holiday

time on the river

A BUSY Easter period in Fowey has been reported by the Harbourmaster, Capt Mike Sutherland, with a number of yachts arriving from up-country.

Capt Sutherland added that, due to good weather, port officials were able to put out some of the summer facilities for the visitors, such as the pontoons on the Fowey side of the river.

The popularity of Fowey as a destination for Easter was underlined by Lynn Goold of the town's Tourist Information Centre, who said all accommodation locally had been fully booked.

Capt Sutherland also said that commercial shipping had proved busy, with berths being full after the holiday. This follows on from figures, released by the Harbour Commissioners, which show that cargo through the port during 2001 was better than anticipated. The report explained that initial predications for the year were that around 1.35 million tonnes would be dealt with, but in the event l,542,605 tonnes of china clay were exported, and 9,844 tonnes of slurry clay imported.

Also during last year 6,287 yachts with l8,000 people on board visited the port, l9l of these yachts being from France with 58 from Holland. Added to this 1,569 boats from l0-11 metres long arrived in Fowey, and l,376 from 11 to 12 metres in length.

Regatta Week was busier than in previous years, and overall revenue from the visiting sector of the port increased by just over £8,000.

Harbourmaster

is group chairman

FOWEY harbourmaster, Capt Mike Sutherland, is chairman of Destination South West, a new body formed to attract further cruise liners to ports in Cornwall and Devon - so boosting the counties' tourism income.

Ports such as Fowey and Plymouth are involved, together with the Eden Project and the National Maritime Museum, Falmouth.

A marketing campaign over three years is planned, and the hope is that more cruiser liner passengers will be attracted to ports, and nearby visitor attractions - and that while here more money per passenger will be spent.