Band hopes to start year on bright note
MEMBERS of Torpoint Silver Band are hoping other musicians in the town will make a resolution to join them this year.
The band is keen to attract new members so that it can resume a full programme of engagements.
Band member Pat Vanderwolf said: "The emphasis is on having fun and making music together. At the moment there are about seven adults in the band and 10 children who are learning instruments.
"We are keen amateurs. Our doors are open to anybody who has started to learn and wants to carry on, or people who started to play maybe a long time ago and want to come back to it.
"We are a long-established band and offer free tuition and free use of instruments.
"The youngsters usually start on the cornet.
"Other instruments include the E-flat horn, the baritone horn, the euphonium, the trombone, the double E-flat bass, the double B-flat bass, the flugel horn and the drums.
"At present the learners practice on Mondays from 4pm to 5pm in the Band Hut. They are led by musical director Alan Hambidge. The adults have a practice at 5pm.
"If more players come forward in the New Year then we would revert to an evening band practice at 7.30pm."
Band members have taken part in engagements over the festive period.
For more information on joining the band, telephone 01752 813972.
Council puts tax up
COUNCIL Tax payers in Torpoint face higher bills in the coming financial year following the town council's decision to increase the amount it levies from local households by more than £6,000.
The council will be receiving a total of £120,436 in taxes from the town between April this year and April 2003, a rise of around 5.3 per cent.
The town council's levy forms part of householders' council tax bills which also include payments to the county council, the district council and the police authority.
Along with staff costs, the town council's other largest expenditure will be the repayment of part of a loan taken out to fund a major improvement scheme at the Council Chambers in York Road.
Pantomime
fun for town
PANTOMIME fun comes to Torpoint next week when "Robin Hood meets the Babes in the Wood" runs at the Council Chambers in York Road.
The Torpoint Ferryboat Entertainers will be performing from January 9 to 12 with each performance starting at 7.30pm. There is also a matinee at 2.30pm on the Saturday.
Tickets, priced at £4 for adults and £3 for children and pensioners, are being sold through Dashers, R & A Carpets and Gliddons.
Traffic faces
disruption
ROADWORKS are set to cause disruption to traffic in streets near the centre of Torpoint this month.
Cornwall County Council is carrying out patching works in Rowe Street, Wellington Street and Bickern Road. The work is expected to take around three days and should be completed by the end of next week (January 11).
Workshops
for helpers
WORKSHOPS for voluntary helpers are to be held at Torpoint Infant School this month.
The school is holding two identical workshops, to be run by Jean Miller, to give potential volunteers an insight into what helping at the school involves.
The workshop, aimed at parents of pupils at the school, will run on Wednesday, January 9, and will be repeated on Wednesday, January 16. Both start at 2pm and will finish in time for parents to collect their children at the end of the school day.
Update for
directory
A NEW CHAT (Community Health Around Torpoint) Directory is to be published this year.
The present directory, which contains contact information for numerous organisations in the town and surrounding district, was published in 2000.
The new directory, the fifth edition to be published by CHAT since it began in 1991, will carry updated information.
Any new information for the directory can be given to Lyn Murray on 01752 812859.
Commission
proposals
THE Local Government Commission has drawn up proposals to increase the representation of Torpoint on Caradon District Council.
The commission is proposing that there should be four district councillors for the town rather than the present three.
Also the commission says there should be 16 town councillors for Torpoint.
Cliff works to
close road
PART of the Earl's Drive on the Rame Peninsula is to be closed to vehicles for around 10 weeks because of cliff stabilisation works.
Caradon District Council is to carry out the works in the vicinity of Penlee Cottages.
The road closure is due to come into force on January 7.
Part of the public footpath from Penlee to Rame Head will also be closed for around 10 weeks.