COADS GREEN is a small village with panoramic views over Cornish hills.

Doris Baker gathered many memories from her husband, Samuel, who died in 1993 and made them into a book, called Memories of Coads Green, published in 1998.

It tells of the earliest date of any member of the Coad family from the village is Samuel Coad, born in 1809, who died in 1865, aged 56. He was buried in Coads Green cemetery.

The origin of of the name 'Coads Green' is thought to have derived from a Mr Coad who owned land (or green). There is no reference to the village in the 1817 Gazetteer of Cornwall.

Before the first Methodist chapel was erected in 1826 there were very few houses to call a village. The chapel tower was demolished in 1973 and the chapel kitchen was opened in June 1976.

Sunday school

The school was originally built as a Chapel in 1826 then, 23 years later, the current Chapel was erected so the previous building was then used as a Sunday School and later a day school. In 1867 the school opened with 12 children, aged from three - 12.

Nowadays 80 children from the area are taught there by three full time teachers and two part time teachers. The school has a new acting head teacher, Adrian Massey, who was only into his seventh day as head when The Cornish Times visited.

Adrian said: 'It is going fantastically well, they are a really happy, friendly bunch of people.'

The deputy head from Brunel school at Saltash, he has been seconded to Coads Green for two terms as acting head teacher.

The other teachers are Claire Goodnight (early years), John Phillpotts (class two) and Laurie Meitiner (class four). They are assisted by Kathy Davis, Jan Bartlett and Rona Hidderley. The school's administrator is Jayne Pugsley and chair of governors is Michael Browne

The North Hill and Coads Green Playgroup, who meet at North Hill village hall on Monday and Friday mornings, celebrated their 20th anniversary in November. The current Chairperson is Michelle Heale who lives just outside of Coads Green and has a two year old son, James.

Coads Green WI was formed in October 1961, the current chairperson being Alison Gribble and the secretary Daphne Tucker. The correspondent is Angela White who is also the Chapel secretary. The WI meet on the second Wednesday of the month at the Chapel Parlour during the winter and at the social centre during the summer.

They hold a Senior Citizens' Christmas Meal a few weeks before Christmas with various entertainments at the Social Centre. The WI is celebrating its 40th anniversary and to mark the occasion is to twin with a WI at Gwinear near Hayle, who are also celebrating a 40th year.

A character of the village is Egdar Brent, better known as the former dame of the annual panto. This is given by Coads Green Amateur Players in the social centre, which was opened in 1961. Edgar moved to the village with his parents 67 years ago, when he was just 11-years-old from Widdecombe-on-the-moor.

His father, John, was a smallholder and rented 36 acres from Francis Davey. When Egdar realised the future of farming was in jeopardy he applied for a job at the Artificial Insemination Centre for Cattle in Liskeard and started work there in 1948. Edgar retired 15 years ago due to a stroke.

He met his wife of 50 years, Pearl, while driving home from work one night. She was cycling home in the same direction from her job at the Ministry of National Insurance at Liskeard.

Edgar has been playing the dame with the Players for 40 years and became the Chairman of the Players two years ago. He was awarded the Calorgas Cornwall Village Pantomime Competition award of merit for 30 years service to Panto in 1996 and was also highly commended by Calorgas after a cameo performance in The Queen of Hearts.

Edgar said: 'I started in pantomime at Lewannick and learnt the trade of a panto dame from Claude Harris. Mrs Bowyer-Smith started the Coads Green Amateur Players and after 40 wonderful years of being a member I am now very proud to be their chairman.'

Nancy Bowyer-Smith, with her husband James, founded the Coads Green Amateur Players. She explained: 'We had a amateur dramatics society and someone had the idea of doing a pantomime. We produced the first full size panto in 1958 called 'Mother Goose', in which Edgar played Mother Goose. It just went on from there. It was good fun, a lot of trial and error was involved!'

James was chairman of the Players for several years and president of the bowling club. The Bowyer-Smith shield is now played for by youngsters each year.

James and Nancy moved to the village in 1959 when they built the bungalow in which they still live. Nancy said: 'We didn't really intend to stay but one thing led to another and we did.' Nancy has held office in the Coads Green WI, and 20 years ago published her first book of poetry which was sold in aid of the social hall funds. The first poem she wrote was about the characters in the village.

Since that time Nancy has also written several more books including one especially for the children at the school. Nancy commented: 'It's a very friendly village and everyone here is wonderful with charitable work.'

Bowling club

Edgar is also a founder member of the bowling club at Coads Green, which meets at the Social Centre, opened in 1961. He was captain for a few years. The current captain is John Dymond, Brian Lake is chairman and secretary, John James is the treasurer and Donald Dymond the Cornish Short Mat Bowls Champion.

Donald was born in the village and apart from moving away for ten years, has always lived there. Donald's wife is Christine Mary and they have two children, Roselynd and Andrew.

Donald, a retired agricultural contractor, said: 'I have been a bowling club member for the past 11 years. It's a nice village to live in.' A young bowling club is being formed by eight children from the primary school who meet on Wednesday afternoons.

Donald and his wife Christine also take care of the Methodist Church at the village, Donald tending the ground and Christine responsible for the interior.

The current Methodist Minister is Rev Chris Tomlinson who has been in the village for the past four and a half years. Chris is retiring at the end of July but is remaining in the area and moving to St Dominick. He said: 'July will signal the end of 40 years in the Methodist Church.'

Chris was an Army Chaplain for 20 years and worked in the UK, North Germany and Northern Ireland. His wife, Janet, is a retired primary school teacher from Sheffield.

Chris said: 'I have never done rural work before so it was a bit of a culture shock. What has most impressed me since I have been here is the gifts and talents that these people have from pottery to tapestry. The traditional view of country people is changing, these people are extraordinarily talented.'

He continued: 'In Coads Green there are three centres of activity, the church, school and social centre. The pantomime which is put on each year is tremendous.'

Each year Linda Medland organises an exhibition of local talent, in July, at the Methodist Church.

Linda explained: 'It started when a local lady organised an arts exhibition for Christian Aid. The exhibition has snowballed from there and is now in aid of Lepra and the Chapel funds. Loads of local talent is on display from the village and the surrounding area, from woodworking, metal working, needlework, pottery, to engine restoring. What people come up with each year amazes me. It also inspires other people to try their hand at something different. The school displays what the children from each class have made over the year.'

Preacher

Linda moved to Coads Green 28 years ago when she married Philip Medland, who has lived on Langstone farm all his life. He is also a local preacher. They have two children, Ruth who is married and living in America and James, who is carrying on the family business.

The former village garage was started by Walter Tucker in 1936 and closed in 1991. It is now owned by RSM Beares Ltd, agricultural machinery dealers from Exeter. They worked with Hamblys from Kelly Bray until 12 months ago when the franchise split, and the company moved to Coads Green. Nine people are employed at the sales and repairs centre, including, manager Brian Taylor, Viv Searle, Steve Cole, Howard Wager, Dave Pellow, Dave Bartholomew, Sue Pitman, Ian Bath and Eaon Wager.

John and Iris Headon live on one of the newer estates in the village, they moved there after retiring from 25 years of farming at Lower Trelabe Farm. John, a keen gardener who has won many prizes, was a bell ringer at Linkinhorne until he suffered a mild stroke. He is, however, considering starting again. Iris said: 'It's a nice little village, quite quiet now there is no shop, but you feel secure in a way.'

Former organiser of the neighbourhood watch scheme was Frank Cornish, who moved to the village with his wife Peggy 14 years ago. Peggy explained: 'I have lived a mile away from the village all my life. The village has been really supportive after Frank died last year.'

Peggy has been organist at the Church for 59 years and said that around 40 to 50 people come to the Sunday service.

Although there is no Post Office a mobile post office now visits the village every Tuesday morning. Peter Gray, who drives the van said: 'I visit Coads Green once a week and 16 other villages during the week.'

Deborah Maunder, known to many as 'Derry' has lived in the village all her life. She explained: 'I was born in the village and in 1938 moved to my current house which my family built and only members of my family have ever lived in it. The village has grown over the years but the old families are still here. The newcomers that are moving in integrate well, especially those families with children.'