This week’s three packed Cornish Times editions all lead with the boss of a Cornish firm telling us what life is like in China as the coronavirus lockdown continues there.
We have published fascinating excerpts from the diary kept by Mark Howard, of gift wholesalers Puckator, who was visiting the city of Xiamen to attend trade fairs and to visit factories there at the time the virus struck the region.
In the Saltash edition, we have a report and pictures of a training session that members of the 2nd Saltash Scout Group undertook at HMS Raleigh gaining hands-on experience of firefighting techniques. In our 999 section we also report on how a large barn fire which occurred at St Dominick last weekend is being treated as arson.
Our Bodmin edition, meanwhile, has a report and pictures of volunteers who turned out to plant 60 specimens of different varieties of trees in an event organised by the Bodmin Town Council Parks team and Environment Agency as part of a Government National Pollinator Strategy.
In all editions we have a special School Report section written and researched by students at Liskeard School and Community College. It’s packed full of their news, views and pictures.
In other news, we report on the arrangements for the funeral of Liskeard fatal stabbing victim Damien Bendelow being held in the town today (Friday).
We also reveal that the magnificent National Trust property Lanhydrock is offering free entry to 125 Cornish residents as part of this year’s celebrations marking the 125th anniversary of the founding of the trust.
Another big anniversary being celebrated this year is marking the 400th year since the Pilgrim Fathers embarked from Plymouth to found their colony in Massachusetts, North America. We report on ways that this event is to be celebrated this year, including a lecture being held in St Cleer this evening (Friday) in which an acknowledged expert on the voyage aims to explode some myths. We also hear from a local artist whose distinctive portrayal of the ship’s departure is to have pride of place in the celebrations, and give details of steam train trips due to pass through the area hauled by the Mayflower’s namesake locomotive.
In her Westminster column this week, South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray gives details of her views on the fishing industry that led her to seek an Adjournment Debate which took place on the industry in the capital’s historic Westminster Hall.
We also report that long-awaited play equipment on a new housing estate in Liskeard has arrived at last, and that new luminous eyes ‘We’re watching you’ posters are seeking to address the issue of pet owners failing to clear up dog mess.
Our special features this week include a competition in which a lucky reader can win £30 to spend at local restaurants and other businesses to treat their mum on Mother’s Day (Sunday, March 22), and a two-page profile on businesses around Callington offering excellent service to customers.
There are also pictures and a report on the successful CAMP panto theatre production Beau Jest.
As ever, we also have lots of your community news and pictures and regular columns such as Ray Roberts’ Nature Watch, your Letters, TV Choice, Crosswords and Puzzles and the latest Books.
As well as the Farming & Equestrian section, there are Leisure, Property and Motoring pages, and there are 10 packed pages of Sports action.
Find all this and more in this week’s Cornish Times, in shops from today (Friday).