THINK of Dobwalls and the vision which springs to mind will probably be long queues of traffic, accompanied by the thought – 'build a bypass now'.
Most people have suffered the congestion and snarl ups through the village, especially in the summer months with the added vehicles from visitors.
But there is much more to this bustling place than the A38 spine road which divides it into two halves. As far as the residents are concerned it is far from divided, for as well as being united in their vociferous campaign for the bypass, they also enjoy an excellent community spirit. They will tell you that in spite of the daily difficulties they have in crossing the road, they are very happy living in Dobwalls.
Not over much is known about its origins but it is thought the name Dobwalls could have derived from the word 'Cobwalls', because the first cottages were built from cob stones. Originally it was just one narrow road with five lanes leading off from it mainly to farms. It has its own parish which includes nearby Treburgie Water and Trewidland.
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An indication of how it has grown is the school. Built in Victorian times in 1880, it has 201 pupils on roll, with seven classes and nine teachers, and is continuing to expand. Head teacher Jane Bulmer says it is an exciting time for with the aid of PFI (Private Finance Initiative), it is to have a larger new hall and library and SEN room, and two classes presently in temporary huts are to be brought into the main school.
With an excellent Ofsted the school excels at sports and music, having won the area athletics shield for intermediate sized schools in the summer, and is awaiting the delivery of 16 second hand computers to form a computer suite to enable whole class lessons. 'We are a happy team here from the teachers to the cleaners' says Jane, 'and I would like to pay tribute to everyone's hard work for the children'.
Like most villages many of the original services used by the residents have long since gone, but Dobwalls is still served better than most. It has a busy Spar shop in Duloe road owned by the Gillett family of Callington, which for some time now has also been the Post Office, the sub post master being Geoff Jubb.
Friendly
Then there is Heads or Tales, a friendly little grocery cum newsagents shop which also doubles as a hairdressing salon in the back room. Years ago it was a Co-operative branch.
Owners for the last six years have been Viv and Daphne Davison originally from Luton. They say they love Dobwalls. 'The people are brilliant, really friendly', says Viv'. Shop assistant for the last three years has been Dorothy Snowdon, also one of the church warden's at St Peter's Church. She came to the village from Lanreath 46 years ago when she married her now late husband Donald, a Dobwalls man born and bred. 'I couldn't imagine living anywhere else now' she says.
The hairdresser in the 'Heads' part of the premises, - the 'Tales' standing for the newsagency - is Paula Ede, who has been there for 13 years, and the last eight as manager.
Residents are spoilt for choice because they can also shop at Rowes Service Station, which besides having a busy fuel forecourt, also has a convenience store which is somewhat famous for its tasty pasties. Manager is personality extraordinaire Adrian Wilton, who is sought after as a compere for various events as a teller of humorous Cornish tales. He is also a member of Liskerret Male Voice Choir and vice chairman of the Cornwall County Male Voice Choir. Before Ken Rowe asked him to manage the station, Adrian was well known as the village butcher, but had to give up in 1987 because of a health problem.
Sausage maker
He took over from butcher Honey at Limes House in 1969, and three years later he built a new butcher's shop in Havett Close behind his bungalow. Wife Kath was kept busy as the chief sausage maker. Helping him at the garage are Sue Brenton, Lesley Mutton, Chris Bowler and Hugh Whitehead who is also secretary of Lostwithiel Town Band.
A former parish council chairman, Adrian was chairman of Dobwalls Carnival committee for 20 years, the vice chairman being his good friend, and the local plumber, Derek Newton. 'We have had some good fun over the years' said Derek, who apparently supplies Adrian with most of his jokes.
As chairman of the parish council two years ago, Derek was responsible for highlighting the bypass campaign. He is currently chairman of the Memorial Hall, which was built in 1954 in memory of the fallen of the parish from the two World Wars. A Sub committee of the Royal British Legion has been resurrected with a new standard in the hall next to the roll of honour and the hall has now been officially entered on the War Graves Register. The hall is also home to short mat bowls, the Sequence Dance Club every Tuesday, the Good Companions Club and the hall's own activities which includes a monthly dance.
There is also the Institute Snooker Hall which was originally given as a Reading Room by the then owners of Doublebois House, Mr and Mrs Hermon. It has three teams in the Liskeard and District Snooker League and also has billiards teams. Open every day, the chairman is Andy Cole and the secretary Ron Horrell.
After the closure of The Red Lion many years ago, when two sisters bought it specifically to close it down, the village was without a pub right up until 1963, when against much opposition, a private home called Dobwalls House became the Highway Inn now known as the Highwayman. A popular Courage house the mine hosts for the last five years have been Stewart and Sue West.
Friendly
The present council chairman is John Mellor who moved to Dobwalls in 1983, with wife Jenny and now 21 year old twins, Ian and Ann Marie. He is hopeful the Government will have an answer about the bypass - estimated to cost in the region of £14million, and due to run to the north of the village - before the summer. Failure will mean a return to the weekending protesting he says.
Looking to the future John says that in conjunction with the millennium committee the council is looking into finding a suitable property to develop into a coffee/bar and youth club for the village's growing population of teenagers.
Football
Already having their own premises are the Dobwalls scouts and cubs who meet on Thursdays and Mondays respectively. Mr Garth Launce is leader of about 11 scouts, and Mrs Marcia Launce was cubs' Akela until recently for the last five years. Anyone wishing to take on the cubs is asked to contact Group Scout Leader Colin Searle (01579) 320454.
Dobwalls also has a successful senior football side in the Duchy League, and for almost ten years has had an active junior club attracting boys from all over the district. It was founded by Ken Satterley, Andy Towers and Mark Walton. It currently has U-10s and U-14s teams playing in the Studs Sports League.
At the western end of the village at what is known as Five Lanes, is Rowes Garage Ltd, which was started in 1932 by Mr 'MG' Rowe, father of the present director, Ken Rowe.
From its small beginnings as a garage with petrol pump and repair shop it developed into agricultural and commercial repairs with an added taxi and coach business by the late 1940s. In 1953 an Austin franchise was gained and in 1980 Rowes became a main dealer for Honda, and now also represents Honda at their other interests in Plymouth and at Trispen near Truro. The modern car showroom is part of the original garage, and among the 15 employees there are Martyn Beswetherick as services manager, Mike Hooper, in charge of crash repairs, and Mandy Mitchell who is sales manager.When he's not busy in one of the showrooms, Ken, a former rugby player, and president of Liskeard/Looe RFC, can be found on most Sunday mornings during the season, refereeing matches for the junior clubs. His wife Suzanne is a teacher at Looe Community School.
Chapel
Almost opposite the garage is the business known as Wiltons builders and undertakers, the workshops and chapel of rest being the site of a former Bible Christian Chapel. The late Mr Fred Wilton took over the business from his former boss, Mr Edgar Henwood in 1946, and was joined by his son Mike when he left school.
Mike, who was born in Dobwalls, as was his father, also learned his trade with him, but he will be the last in the family business, as his own two sons, Gary and Kevin, have chosen different careers.
The present vice chairman of the Memorial Hall, of which his late father was a member of the original building committee, Mike also served on the parish council for 20 years. Together with his wife Cynthia, he is also in full support of the by pass campaign. Cynthia, who moved to Dobwalls at the age of ten, recalls how as a child, she and her friends were able to play in the main road it was so quiet!
Also at this end of the village is Olden Days, an antiques, old furniture and bric a brac shop which for the last three years has been owned by Jack Trevellian and Frances Nancarrow. Outside is a sign which says 'We're bigger than you think' as the small front shop hides the treasure trove within. The couple also make and restore furniture, carry out house clearances and provide a fitted kitchens service.
Theme Park
Dobwalls is also home to Pearces Portable Buildings and at Treburgie Water is the large Tiflex factory.
But of course the biggest business there has ever been in Dobwalls is the Family Adventure Theme Park owned by the Southern family, and rated as one of the top tourist attractions in Cornwall. John and Barbara Southern moved to Penmount Farm in 1956 as pig farmers and believe that in 1968 they were probably the first farm to diversify.
John converted his train hobby into a business and first opened to the public in 1970, and now, 31 years later, he is approaching 6 million passengers. After the building of the Rio Grande and Union Pacific railway routes, The Forest Railroad Park was born in 1979. It has continued developing through the years with the addition of the large play barns for children to become an all weather attraction.
'I like to think we are a visitor not just a tourist attraction' says John. 'It is also for the benefit of local people, including our special visits for schools and the disabled'. John says that as a farmer he was a one man band but it is a great source of satisfaction to him that in the main season he is able to offer employment for between 50-80 local people.
Chapel
Two sons, Malcolm and Jim are involved in the park, while middle son Graham works in the art world in London.
In the village centre is the Victorian St Peter's Church, built as a small mission church for St Martin's of Liskeard, in about 1840, but the first wedding didn't take place there until 1969.
The Rector is Rev Martin Sellix and the Vicar, Rev Chris Newell. Organist is Paul Fergus who is also secretary of the parochial church council. The pretty pew and communion rail kneelers are the work of members of the congregation and the crochet and lace altar cloth was made by the late Mrs Elsie Hamer.
The church has been much loved and cared for down over the years but now it needs some major repairs which include a new floor and making it water tight. The pews will be permanently removed. The work, which begins in April is out to tender and a designated fund for several years has so far raised £25,000 but more donations are still urgently needed.
One of the churchwardens and a parish councillor is Jo Thorn, whose rescue dog Alfie is a village character. Like his owner he is a seasoned bypass campaigner, and has his own poster attached to his lead. Jo is also editor of The Villager , a newsletter which she began in 1996.
Meeting place
The Methodist Church is much involved in village life as the Sunday School Room doubles up as a meeting place for many organisations. The parish council meets there, as do the Pre School, Tiny Tots, baby clinic, Girls Brigade, Ladies Group and Bright Hour. The minister for the last three years has been Rev Rose Westwood, whose husband Richard is also a minister in the circuit in local appointment. They have two daughters - Catherine (13) and Sarah (11).
Senior steward is Rosemary Finch, property steward is Bob Crouden, and organist is Doris Dawe, with Julie Crouden as her relief when needed.
Dobwalls is also noted as place of longevity and has its share of nonogenarians. Among them, and the oldest resident, is 93 year old Olive Martin, who was born in the village, but came back in 1966 after owning her own ice cream parlour in Helston, to look after her 97 year old mother.
She remembers growing up in Dobwalls and how the highlight of the year was the annual Band of Hope tea and sports day. She still attends chapel and Rose says she can pick out her voice when she is singing.
Almost a daily visitor to Olive is her 92 year old friend Miriam Chanter whom she met when living in Helston. She moved to the area on retirement 32 years ago, and the two have been friends for more than 60 years.
Then there is Edgar Ede, over 90 (he won't say by how many years) and still driving his car. For 30 years he owned the former Felsberg Nursery which he started himself, and which is now to be developed for local need housing.
Not quite in the 90s league is Viv Giles, born in Dobwalls in 1929, and where he has remained all his life except for six years in the RAF from 1946-52. Well known as local bus driver for both Rowes and E J Deeble of Upton Cross, he also owned a taxi business until 1989 until a serious accident forced early retirement at 60.
Viv has now become the village historian and collects old photographs, among them copies of the former Dobwalls Harmonica Band of which he was a member.
Together with his partner Margaret Buzza he is also a bypass campaigner and has kept detailed notes of the traffic movements through the village. On August 31, 2000 for instance, he recorded 1,853 vehicles between 10.30am-11.30am. Let's hope this pleasant community gets its bypass soon!