THOSE who come to live in Nomansland seem to stay there, seeing no need to move on, but content with the peace, and community spirit. They are undaunted that its name appears to suggest it is marooned in the middle of nowhere - but delight in its countryside views, and the fact it retains its quiet, although near the bustle of Looe.

Unfortunately not everyone is aware of the delights that Nomansland really offers. Maureen and Bill Matthews, who have run local Bindown stores and post office for seven years this September, were thwarted by the name when they applied for a Lottery outlet. Maureen explained: 'As soon as I told them our address was Nomansland they did not want to know, just because of the name. I have to say some firms seem to see it as a joke - and that is before they realise what it is like.'

In fact, although small, it is a thriving village. Ron Hards has been chairman of the busy hall committee for over four years having succeeded his son in the post, and has lived in St Martin's parish all his life. In fact he has only ever been away from there for one week - when he took a holiday in North Wales many years ago. He moved to Nomansland, after marrying, having previously lived by St Martin's church. Where he lives now he can stand with one foot in St Martin's, and one in Morval parish. Ron highlighted the regular events the hall hosts - the recent village flower and produce show, modern sequence dancing, a snooker room which is now up and running again and open to 12-18 year olds on Tuesdays and Thursdays and over l8s for the rest of the week, parish council meetings, whist drives, numerous jumble sales, family evening services and harvest festivals. In days gone by the snooker room served more for billiards, with a team playing in the St Germans and district league and a darts team in the Liskeard and district league. The room is currently being redecorated, and when The Cornish Times visited last Tuesday Ken Rogers, now of Looe but a regular committee member in the past, had paintbrush in hand, giving it a fresh, new look. His ties with Nomansland include meeting his wife Margaret at one of the local dances.

Stalwarts

Ron, 68 and his wife Iris brought up three children, Sharon, Andrew and Kevin, in the village. Sharon, who lives at St Keyne, is still hall committee secretary, and organises the flower show. Kevin and Iris are also stalwarts of the hall, Kevin being sexton of St Martin's churchyard. Plans for the hall began to be laid in l950, and the official opening was on 3 May l952, the honours being carried out by two Duchy representatives, Charles Williams and Mr T N Stanier. Local youngsters now attend Trenode primary school, but the area also once boasted Great Tree school which closed in l958 after 128 years. Ron said the current rector of St Martin's parish church is Rev Brian McQuillen, but the longest serving rector in this century was Rev William Middlewood Martin Picken, whose tenure was from 24 September l937 until 6 June l971. He only died in l998.

Maurice Lightfoot, 78, is one of the local Good Samaritans, always on hand to help people out or work in their gardens. He has been in the area since he was ten, and lived in Nomansland for 45 years. He remembers when the housing estate was all fields, saying he believed the first swathe of houses was put up by Edwin Pearce, and then a number of Cornish units were erected by a Downderry firm. Initially there were just a couple of old cottages, and a lodge at Nomansland, owned by Morval estate. He remembers the Coronation being shown in the village hall on the first television he had ever seen, and the hall being packed for the occasion. A keen gardener, with an allotment as well as his back garden, he gained firsts for his broad beans and parsnips in the local flower show, and three seconds out of seven entries.

Maurice, who met his wife Jean at a dance at Morval, attended Trenode school until he was ten. Although not living in Morval parish he has been involved in the Morval rally committee for 20 years, and is in charge of traffic control on the gate. This year the rally will run from August 26-28, and will raise funds for breast cancer treatment at Treliske Hospital, Truro. Another long-time resident is 86-year-old Kenneth Alford, who has been in the village for 39 years, and now lives with his dog Penny. Born at Tideford, he moved there from Hessenford.

Norman Newbury, a great dahlia grower and a Welshman by birth, moved to Cornwall to 'escape going down the pits'. He married local girl, Mary Wilcox, and has now been at Nomansland for 45 years. Instead of mining he worked for Cornwall county highways.

The youngest inhabitant of Nomansland at present is three-month-old Jedediah Burdon who lives with his sister Lauren aged six, brother Liam aged ten, and his mother and father, Terri and Martin. The family has lived in the village for two years, and Terri praised its peace.

Betty Pearn's husband, William Henry, was born in Nomansland, and never moved away, his family having their roots there. Betty, who is village hall committee president, moved in 35 years ago, from Morval - her former village being where her daughter, Victoria Ann, married.

The captain of St Martin's church tower is Ron 'Rusty' Drown, who has been bellringing for 50 years, and a Nomansland resident for 45 of those. His wife, Joan, moved from Seaton after marrying, and initially didn't want to settle in Nomansland because he was leaving all her friends. Now she is very much at home there, and happy with the choice she made.

The oldest resident, at 89, is Vi Jenkins who moved from Kent, but is a Cockney as she was born within the sound of Bow Bells. She has laid the wreath at the war memorial in the village for the last two years, having served in the WAF during the Second World War. Vi lives in the local sheltered accommodation, and is among those who resident warden, Jean Chenery, keeps a watchful eye on. Jean, who came from St Dominic, stressed the village's welcoming atmosphere, and community spirit, and said the occupants of the eight sheltered houses she is responsible for also keep a caring eye on her!

Helps each other

Betty Powley, who has been hall treasurer since l984, underlined how everyone in the village helps each other. She said at one time, some years back, there was only £1.87 in the village hall kitty, but that has been built up impressively since then, and now stands at over £2,000. Money-raising events have included auctions at the Barbican Inn, a sponsored walk and fashion shows. She and her husband Peter, who looks after the Memorial Gardens, have brought up three sons in Nomansland - Wayne, Carl and Dean.

Other residents include Alan and Margaret Tucker, Carl and Emma Cook and Ashleigh, Kate and Steve Humphreys, Jean Richards, Alice Houkes, Jason and Claire Spring, Betty Houkes who has just celebrated her 80th birthday, Derek and Ruth Basset, Eric Thomas, Kath and Malik Wiltshire, Kathy Davis, Roy and Avis Philip, Shirley Thomas and Philip and Nicola, Wally Mitchell, Mrs Jones, Uncle Ken, Lenny Stephens, Eddie Milbank, and Henry Semminsz who has taken over snooker room stewardship.

Maureen and Bill Matthews have now sold Bindown Stores, which they started from scratch after it was first built, to a couple from Exeter and are to retire, partly due to health reasons. However, they love the area so much they are continuing to live nearby. Bill was born locally, in Pethick Cottages, and although he visited almost everywhere in the world while in the Navy, decided to return home. He and Maureen decided to take on the shop after running a garage in the village - and they praised the friendliness and loyalty of their customers. The loyalty is also on their side, for they have regular charity sales outside their shop, selling items which have been donated. Recently they raised £135 over a few days for the village hall and Trenode school. They have also sold items for a barbecue and firework display at the Snooty Fox pub, and have put money from the sales to helped Morval church and Morval memorial hall. Once retired they will be able to relax a little more than currently - Bill gets up early every morning to do a newspaper round covering 14 miles, come rain and come shine. During their time in the shop they have received great help from their daughter, Carol Donovan, who also makes bouquets and birthday cakes.

Nearby Looe golf course, designed by world champion golfer Harry Varden, opened in l935, and boasts wonderful country and sea views. The club is now privately owned, and its joint general managers are Pat Taroni and resident professional, Alaistair MacDonald, his assistant being Barrie Evans. Pat said the club has gained a reputation for its friendliness. It has very well patronised club competitions, for which the lists fill up with great speed. There is also a happy mix of different groups, and professions represented, which adds to the welcoming atmosphere.

Also nearby is Millendreath, or mill on the sands. Lake's Parochial History of Cornwall explains that in l7l8 a 70' long whale went ashore on the sands, a little east of Millendreath, and a local man, while on a ladder attempting to cut it open, fell inside the mammal and nearly suffocated!