In this week’s Cornish Times, in shops from today (Friday), we lead with the woman whose dream caravan was stolen from a South East Cornwall caravan park, and then destroyed by arson, telling our reporter about the anguish that this loss has caused.
She had only owned it for three months and had had to remortgage to buy it as a peaceful retreat for herself and her mum.
There are also a few details about why part of the village of Upton Cross was sealed off on Bank Holiday Monday following what the police describe as suspicious activity.
In other news, we report on a protest held outside South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray’s office over the Prime Minister’s plans to suspend Parliament from September 12 to October 14, a move which is legal and approved by the Queen but which has attracted criticism in the lead-up to Brexit.
We also report on a new strategy to increase footfall in Saltash town centre, and that residents of the county are being invited to have their say on Cornwall Council’s future policy towards restrictions on dogs on beaches.
In addition, there is a report on the poignant unveiling of a plaque in Lux Park, Liskeard, marking 25 years since the death on the rugby pitch of 32-year-old firefighter and Liskeard-Looe Rugby Football Club player Michael ‘Sonny’ Liston as a result of phosgene poisoning contracted after fighting a farm blaze two days previously.
The newly-appointed principal of Callington Community College tells us about her plans for the school’s future, and we have a feature about the wonderful facilities soon to be available at Cornwall’s new records and archive centre.
There is also the story of how villagers have helped a visitor from Australia learn about her Cornish grandad, who was a medical officer to mines in Linkinhorne Parish, as well as providing healthcare to those interned in camps in South Africa during the Boer War.
A 16-year-old musician tells us about the song he has composed about Looe which he is to perform at the town’s forthcoming Looe Live! festival next month. We also detail the rest of the line-up in the festival and are running a competition in which a lucky reader can win a family ticket for two adults and two children for the whole weekend event.
We also give details of a one-day musical tribute event being described as a curtain-raiser to Looe Live! and being held in memory of Paul Sleeth, a member of the Huckleberry Finns band who died suddenly in July at the age of just 51.
As well as lots of your community news and pictures, this week’s packed edition has a four-page picture special on the recent three-day Great Trethew Rally.
There are also sections on farming and antiques, plus four pages on Motoring matters and our regular columns including Ray Roberts’ Nature Watch, Letters, Recipe of the Week, TV Choice and latest Books, plus our 10-page Sport section – more details of which can be found elsewhere on this website.