Busy time ahead for Old Cornwall

The Looe Old Cornwall Society have arranged an interesting programme for the spring and summer, the next event on Wednesday, April 12 being an evening meal at The Dagger, Pelynt, followed by a talk by Paul Greenwood.

On May 13 there is a Looe town walkabout with Iris Ward, followed on June 3 by a Lostwithiel town and church walkabout with tea at the Monmouth, and on June 22 a trip to Fowey on the Odella has been organised. On June 30 Trelawny Day will be celebrated with a talk by Carol Vivian in Pelynt Village Hall with tea, followed by a short service and concert by Pelynt Male Voice Choir in the church.

Members are welcome to join the RAFA Tamar trip on July 19 (make own arrangements) and an archaelogy walkabout on Kit Hall is set for July 20 with Chrissey Le Marchant.

August begins with a Looe Island picnic and archaeology guide by Peter Leggatt on the 11th, followed by a visit to Duloe Church on the 19th and tea at Ye Olde Plough. The Gorsedd at Falmouth is on September 2, there is a Polperro walkabout with Iris Ward on the 16th, and on the 20th will be an evening meal at The Dagger, Pelynt, with talk by Paul Greenwood. The last event on the summer programme is an outing to the Eden Development Visitors' Centre.

For full information, including travel arrangements and cost, contact the OCS secretary, Peter King, on 01503 262628. New members very welcome.

Millpool group set to meet

The members of the Millpool Centre Project Group which meets at Luxstowe Council Chamber, Liskeard, tomorrow (Saturday), March 18, at llam, hopes as many interested people as possible will attend.

The group replaces the former Looe Arts Centre organisation and those concerned are committed to the development of a proposed new multi-purpose building of the highest quality to provide facilities for the community, for the Caradon district and for visitors.

Coffee is served from 10.30am and included on the agenda will be an input from the Calstock Development Trust and Community Enterprise Officer, information for an Objective One application, advice regarding the forming of a charitable status and the framework for a constitution.

Jolly to host jailbreak draw

The Looe 'Dartmoor Jailbreak' team are hoping for good support for the raffle they are running as part of their sponsorship for Cerebral Palsy, the charity they have chosen to run for in support of two-year-old Joshua Parker, recently diagnosed with the condition, and whose mum Diane is part of the seven-strong team.

Tickets are on sale at Palfreys Bakery and Salford's Dentists in East Looe, as well as the Jolly Sailor in West Looe, where the draw will take place on Friday, March 24, at 8.30pm. The 'girls on the run' say there are some great prizes to be won and they are delighted that local personality Craig Rich has offered to come along and make the draw.

New Caradon office in town

Caradon Council are opening a new office on Wednesdays in the coffee room in the Rose Garden next to the Guildhall, beginning on Wednesday next, March 22, 1.30pm-4.30pm, as part of their programme to be more accessible to the public.

Officers will be on duty to discuss queries or requests, including those concerning housing benefits.

Queen's jubilee

At the March meeting of the Town Forum, Councillor Ron Overd reminded everyone that it will be the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and thought the community should start thinking about how the anniversary could be celebrated in Looe.

Any individual or organisation with ideas is asked to contact the acting Forum secretary, David Holford.

Don't bin 'Best Value'

Looe's County Councillor Sid Gardner informed a large attendance at the Town Forum that a document from Cornwall Council entitled 'Best Value' would be delivered to all households by the end of April. He appealed to members of the public to keep it and read it as it had cost the council, under a Government directive, £50,000 to produce and a further £14,000 in postage.

'This is your money we have had to spend,' he said. 'Please don't bin it, keep it, or it will be your money you have wasted.'

Fishermen to meet with MPs

Looe fishermen will gather on the fish market today (Friday) at 1pm where they will have the opportunity to discuss the current issues facing the fishing industry with South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed and Graham Watson MEP.

On the agenda will be sea safety measures and minimum landing sizes. Mr Breed has backed the sea safety campaign by signing a Parliamentary Early Day Motion urging action to improve the industry's safety record. The motion calls for measures such as a more thorough consultation between fishermen and the Maritime Coastguard Agency and urges the Government to re-introduce fishing safety grants and to back greater research into practical safety jackets.

'It is important that we back the sea safety campaign and more research and action is needed into life jackets which fishermen will find practical and easy to wear,' says Mr Breed.

Tourism course at job centre

The Looe Job Centre is running an information session called 'First steps into a career in tourism' beginning on Thursday next, March 23, at 11am. Officer in Charge Mark Tregenza says anyone who is interested can just turn up on the day or call into the office to ask for more details.

This free training course attracts a subsidy for future employers which almost guarantees a placement for those job searching.

Unusual sprat haul for port

There was an unusual landing at Looe Fish Market on Wednesday by Bill Hocking and son Robert who were pair trawling. They brought in 300kg of sprats. However, only half were sold due mainly to their small size - more like whitebait.

Fish sold at auction from Tuesday/Thursday March 14/16 included: Tues - cuttle (200kg), lemons (750kg), plaice (110kg), whiting (120kg), pollack (450kg), ling 270kg), mackerel (1600kg).

Weds - lemons (1600kg), plaice (700kg), conger (400kg), pollack (360kg), ling (170kg), mackerel (1200kg), cuttle (500kg).

Thurs - lemons (1000kg), cuttle (225kg), plaice (460), pollack (350kg), ling (180kg), dover soles (200kg), mackerel (900kg), conger (270kg).

Figures supplied courtesy of Looe Fish Selling.

Support for centre

A request from Mrs Jean Grimer for the Town Forum to support in principle the idea of a multi-purpose community centre for Looe was approved unanimously.

Discover some volunteers

The Discovery Centre based on the Millpool is looking for volunteers for the tourist season to help out behind the counter for about 3-4 hours per week. Anyone interested is asked to contact the centre on 01503 262777 or pop in and ask to see the manager.

Coffee morning

A coffee morning at The Dagger Restaurant, Pelynt, raised £53 for the Looe branch of the Royal British Legion. Thanks were expressed to all who supported the event. The next coffee morning at the same venue will be on Friday, April 14.

John Kenshole, a former pupil of Looe Community School, has recently graduated from Plymouth University with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) 2.2 degree in computing and informatics. He is currently employed by IBM at Hursley near Winchester.