Santa's on
his sleigh
FORE Street in Torpoint was packed with people for the switch-on of the Christmas lights and Santa Claus was present in a newly-refurbished illuminated sleigh.
Torpoint and Rame Peninsula Lions president Stephen Murray took the opportunity to present a cheque for £1,000 to George Crago for the Ambulance Front Line Emergency Equipment Trust. He also presented Michael Turner of the Cavitron Fund with a cheque for £1,000, which represented the bulk of the money raised on the belated Father's Day sponsored walk run by the lions.
Santa and the Lions will be making visits every evening throughout Torpoint and the surrounding district between 7pm and 9pm. The itinerary is as follows: Monday, December 10 - Crafthole and Sheviock; Tuesday 11 - Antony, Wilcove and St John; Wednesday 12 - Penlee and Costains; Thursday 13 - Borough Park, Goad and Clegg Avenues; Friday 14 - Trelawney, Davy Close and Trevol; Saturday 15 (am) - Somerfield, Torpoint, (pm) - Cawsand and Kingsand; Monday 17 - Sycamore Drive, Carbeile and Kingsley Avenue; Tuesday 18 - Carbeile, Marine Drive, Carew Tce, Hamoaze and Cremyll, Chapeldown and Maker Roads; Wednesday 19 - North Road, Peacock and Rosslyn Avenues, Victoria and Wellington Streets, St James Road; Thursday 20 - Buller, Clarence and Sconner Roads, Moorview, Sydney Tce and Guinness Trust; Friday 21 - Millbrook, Southdown, Pottery and New Street; Sunday 23 - Anderton, Molesworth and Main Street (5.00pm-7.00pm); Monday 24 - Fore Street, Torpoint (9.00am-3.00pm).
The Lions' Senior Citizens Annual Concert will be held on Thursday, March 14, 2002, in the Torpoint Council Hall.
The Lions coffee morning will be held on January 19 at Cornerstone Church, Fore Street, Torpoint, from 10am-12.30pm.
On Saturday, January 12, the Lions Christmas Party will be held at Antony Village Hall at 7.30pm and on Saturday, February 9, the Lions Charter Dinner will be held at Looe Holiday Park.
Record poppy appeal
WITH six months still to go before the end of the Poppy Appeal 2001, the communities of Torpoint and district have already exceeded their previous year's total record donations by over £400.
This was achieved despite collection tins being taken from two locations in Torpoint.
With a small team of helpers from the Torpoint branch of the Royal British Legion 62 wreaths and 139 trays of poppies and collecting tins were distributed from Torpoint to Polbathic and the Rame Peninsula. Additionally there were those who voluntarily stood at strategic points, or collected around the villages.
Volunteers from '33 Torpoint Platoon' ACF collected a record £485.12 from motorists and pedestrians using the Torpoint ferries in just four hours. The men and women of HMS Raleigh raised substantial amounts, while money was collected via the raffle of a painting donated by the artist Ray Hunt of Freathy.
The open air service, held on Remembrance Sunday at St James Church, Torpoint, produced a record collection from the congregation of £457.75 and the congregation at Antony Church donated £116.40 to the appeal.
Donations banked to date now amount to £6939.78. For contributions yet to be submitted contact Poppy Appeal organiser, Keith Sollick, by telephoning 01752 813920.
Mr Sollick said of the thefts: 'To the unauthorised person, or persons, who stole the collection tins from the two locations in Torpoint, these donations were given by old and young alike to help those people, and their dependants, who fought during conflicts past and present so you might live in the freedom that you enjoy today. Have you no conscience?'
Big entry for fun
Christmas quiz
AROUND 25 teams will be taking part in a fun Christmas charity quiz in Torpoint tonight (Friday, December 7).
The quiz, organised by Mal Girling, will take place at the Torpoint and District Comrades and United Services Club from 7.30pm.
Teams of up to four people are being charged an entry fee of £5 and all entry money will be returned to the top three teams for their nominated charities.
There will also be a raffle raising money for the St John Ambulance Nursing Cadets in Torpoint. There are 25 girls, aged between 10 and 18, in the cadets and they need funds for first aid kits and uniforms.
The St John Ambulance branch in the town provides cover at a number of annual events including the Antony House Fair and the town's carnival which are both organised by the Torpoint and Rame Peninsula Lions Club.
Mal has staged seven quizzes since May 1998 which have raised more than £2,400 for local causes.
He said: "The raffle prizes for the quiz evening have been supplied by businesses in Torpoint - and there are several 'star' prizes."
School's annual fayre
TORPOINT Infant School is holding its annual Christmas fayre today (Friday, December 7) from 1.45pm.
The event at the school in Albion Road will feature a visit from Father Christmas, games for the children, badge making, stalls, cakes, refreshments and a raffle with prizes including a DVD player and £100 in cash.
Tomorrow there will be a Christmas shopping coach trip to London organised by the Friends of Torpoint Infant School.