Torpoint tots
get free fruit on Fridays
FREE fruit is being given to Torpoint Infant School pupils each Friday morning.
The school is running its own Fruity Friday initiative to encourage children to have a healthy diet.
The first free fruit was given out on Friday at the school in Albion Road.
Teacher Jean Miller is the driving force behind the initiative and has obtained £800 in sponsorship to pay for the fruit for the next 12 months.
She said: "Some of the children don't have fruit as part of their staple diet. The initiative will help towards the aim of everyone having five portions of fruit and veg per day."
The school, which has "Healthy School" status, launched Fruity Fridays last term on a trial basis.
Children were encouraged to leave crisps and biscuits at home on Fridays and take a piece of fruit to school instead. Or they could take 10p to school to pay for some fruit.
After a slow start, the scheme really took off with about one third of the pupils taking in fruit and another third taking money.
While the trial was running, Jean was able to obtain sponsorship from three businesses and one individual so that free fruit could be offered to Year 1, Year 2 and reception pupils from the beginning of this year.
"The sponsorship means I can buy good quality fruit including some exotic varieties like kiwi," said Jean.
"On Thursday evenings I am buying fruit for almost 200 children at a generous discount from the Trecaro fruit and veg shop in Fore Street. It includes pears, bananas, melons, grapes, oranges, apples and seasonal fruits like plums.
"On Friday mornings it is prepared and put on plates in time for the children's playtime. "The children are quite happy to eat it."
Burns Night to be held in Antony
AN evening with a Scottish theme is to be held in Antony to raise funds for the Mayor of Torpoint's charity.
The Burns Night celebration will take place in the parish hall on Saturday, February 2.
Torpoint town councillors Alan Brimacombe and Julie Martin are organising the event on behalf of the town council.
Alan said: "We wanted to do something different to raise money for the mayor's charity and decided on the Burns Night when the Scottish poet Robbie Burns is celebrated.
"The actual date of Burns Night is in January but because so much was happening around that time we decided to hold it slightly later.
"The tickets cost £15 per person and will include a three-course meal and a drink of whisky. A haggis will be paraded and there will be an address to the haggis.
"There will be a Scottish theme to the entertainment at the event which we hope will be a lot of fun."
Tickets are available from Alan on 01752 812136 or from the mayor, Stan Martin, at the Torpoint Florist shop in Fore Street.
The mayor's charity this year is the Chestnut Appeal which aims to raise money to set up a state-of-the-art unit at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth for prostrate cancer patients.
Local artist produces print
of stricken tanker
TORPOINT artist Michael Howells has sketched the tanker, the MV Willy, which is currently on rocks off Dead Man's Cove, Cawsand, and is now selling copies.
They can bought from him, sized A4, on (01752) 816615.
New lights turn on Fore Street shoppers
THE improved Christmas lights in Torpoint town centre have been voted a success.
Over the festive season new upgraded decorations brought cheer to Fore Street in a display organised by the town's chamber of commerce.
Chamber chairman Alan Brimacombe, speaking after the lights were taken down on Twelfth Night, said: "Members of the public were very pleased on the whole with the way the chamber presented the lights this Christmas.
"And the new decorative lights, which were sponsored by individual businesses, required very little maintenance compared to the small Christmas trees with lights we've had previously. Next Christmas the chamber hopes to make the switch-on of the lights more of an event at the end of November.
"We are hoping to have street entertainers, like jugglers and fire-eaters, to create a livelier atmosphere in the street during the afternoon. We hope this will encourage more of the traders to dress up for the occasion."
The lights have been supported by donations from traders and a grant from the town council.
Park plans on display
PLANS to revamp Rendel Park in Torpoint are on display in the town's library.
The Groundwork Trust has produced draft drawings showing how the park on the waterfront by the Torpoint Ferry lanes could be improved.
The plan is to give the park a less enclosed feel by removing some of the walls and by placing portholes in walls that remain.
A water feature could be created and some decking could also be provided.
The park could be given a new lease of life as part of the process of regenerating the town.