The haze of daffodils, currently resplendent at the turning off the A390 road, and along the lane which winds down into the village of Trevelmond, is a testament to the community spirit of Trevelmond itself.

The daffodils were planted as part of a Millennium project to help cover ravages left when a Transco pipeline was laid across the countryside. A residents' committee has organised the planting as well as a number of other events for the year 2000.

Trevelmond, nestling in a valley five miles from Liskeard, has changed little over the years, as almost negligible new building has taken place. The chapel has survived but, unfortunately, the small post office which currently operates on three days per week, will close at the end of the month.

Postmistress Betty King has decided that, at almost 79, it is time to retire. In her place a mobile post office van will visit every Tuesday afternoon. Betty has been postmistress for the past 19 years, moving to the village from Fraddon.

In that time the post office, set in her front room, has become a focal point where locals gather for a chat, and children shelter from the rain while awaiting the school bus. She described Trevelmond as a 'lovely, friendly village', and her daughter, Margaret Bess, who has lived there for around 16 months already knows she never wants to move away. Another daughter, Jane Box, a mother of four, has also decided it is the place to live.

Despite being small, the village offers a youth club for those under 11, this run at the chapel by Karen Hoskin, Bridget King, Joan Chenoweth and others.

The foundation stone of the then new Wesleyan chapel was laid on Wednesday, October 9, l885. The chapel was built, and given to Trevelmond and Dobwalls, by William Geake of St Columb. Up until then Methodists had worshipped in a nearby chapel, first dedicated in l8l7 which stood on a site given by John Butten, owner of Caduscott Farm.

A package, containing a copy of the Cornish Times, the plans of the Liskeard and St Columb Wesleyan circuits, and a coin of the realm were placed in a crevice beneath the stone. Afterwards, in a nearby barn, 'excellent meat and plain teas were dispensed to large numbers' and a public meeting was held in the old chapel.

The chapel was finally opened in July l886. It cost £700, the greater portion borne by Mr Geake. Building work was carried out by Messrs A Ede and W Pitt of Trevelmond, the walls being of local stone, with granite dressings 'of superior quality' from the Cheesewring quarries.

A building comprising Sunday School, stable, coach house and furnace room was then erected, the stone laying being held on March 3, l903, but previously, on this site, there was a blacksmiths shop.

Later the Sunday school was used just for feast days and anniversaries etc. The current Methodist minister is the Rev Rose Westwood.

Another old meeting place, which still stands, is the Institute which opened on October 10, l929, Mr W Webber lending his field for the occasion. Sports were arranged such as ringing the lady, ring the bottle, skittles and bowling. It still houses snooker teams - there being two in the village.

A school project, written in l972 by local girl Patricia Cole, explains that the Old Timber yard in the village used to belong to the Pitt family who made wedges for shipbuilding at Plymouth dockyard. Mr Pitt also built a terrace of houses in Trevelmond, one of which he lived in himself. The yard closed down when the family moved to Leicester and a house now stands on the site of the yard.

Shopping

Mains water arrived in the village in l957 - a bill sent to Mr A Cole to cover this being £7. At the bottom of a steep hill leading towards St Pinnock is a water chute with a source rising from a spring a few yards away. Years ago horses used to drink at the trough.

Mrs Ede owned the first shop in Trevelmond, held in her cottage. After her death another shop was built opposite, which became the post office.

Evelyn Scott Brown has lived in the village for 44 years. She ran the post office for 24-and-a-half years, and said initially, before the advent of supermarkets etc, it proved to be quite a flourishing business. She retired in l980, just before her 60th birthday, to a bungalow in the village. Shopping has not proved to be easy since, because she has been disabled, and because public bus transport into Liskeard is so infrequent.

Nevertheless neighbours have helped her out, and she praised Trevelmond for its friendly spirit.

Reg Chenoweth, born in St Wenn, has lived in the village since l921, moving there when aged three. His family, traditionally farmers, run Trevelmond farm on which there are cattle and sheep. He said the village has altered little since he first arrived, but he has now retired from the farm after gradually giving over its running to his son, Geoffrey. Nevertheless, he continues to live very close. Reg, whose father was Ralph Chenoweth, is also reliant on others for help with shopping due to a poor transport system, but his son and daughter-in-law Joan - who have two sons Richard and Oliver - help out.

Residents Joan Pearce and Len celebrated their golden wedding last year. Len is locally born, and Joan has not moved far from the area of her childhood - near Bethany. The couple have two sons and one daughter - Marilyn, Christopher and Graham - who attended Dobwalls school (primary school aged pupils in Trevelmond travel to either Braddock or Dobwalls schools, but attend Liskeard school and community college when older).

Joan, who believes only about a dozen new homes have been built in the village over the last five decades, explained that the children thought the village was quiet when young, but now they have grown up they appreciate being brought up there. The couple have a three-quarter acre garden, which keeps them on their toes, and Len always enjoys tackling jobs in his 'workshop' - currently concentrating on producing wonderful new wooden pew ends for Connon chapel. Before retirement he was a carpenter and builder, and over time built the house in which they now live. Their view takes in the home they moved to when first married.

Joan has been sketching down memories of the village for her grandchildren, and has noted that a walk-in grocery van used to call, as well as a butcher's van, and a van bringing fresh fish caught in Looe and Polperro. Free range eggs were enjoyed, with locally made clotted cream for her parents-in-law's smallholding - and one delicacy regularly enjoyed was pie-fowl. She said during all their time in the village they have never encountered any problems, and said 'some lovely young people have grown up in the village'.

Dorothy Cole has lived in Trevelmond for 36 years, her husband, David, moving there as a boy. He has been a Trevelmond resident for nearly 60 years, being 10 when he first set foot there. His father was a farmer and he worked on the land for 50 years. He and his wife have two sons and a daughter, Patricia, who now lives in London. She worked in Istanbul for 12 years, teaching and running a Christian church. She now has returned to England and has three children, the oldest aged 17.

Mr Cole has been a steward at the chapel for 40 years, a Methodist lay preacher for 42 years, and has served on Dobwalls and Trewidland parish council and, since a border change, is now a member of St Pinnock parish council. His parents originated from Trevelmond, but he was born in Pelynt - the family moving back during the war.

Athletes

Mrs Cole explained that some of the houses have been renovated over the years, and most people now have cars because they are so necessary in such a rural area, but otherwise little has changed. She highlighted the daffodil Millennium project and the good community spirit.

Debbie Drinkell, 33, and her sister Jo Glossop, 21, have grown up in the village. Both are keen athletes - often to be seen on training sessions around the local lanes - and run for Newquay/Par athletic club.

Debbie, who works in the advertising department of The Cornish Times, is married to John and has a three-year-old son, Ross. She has run since her schooldays, when she concentrated on sprints and long jump, but she returned to competitive athletics last year, and will now tackle distances from l00 metres to 3,000 metres. Jo has been a successful cross country and middle distance runner representing club, school and county. Their family first settled in Trevelmond in the l920s, and so far five generations have lived there.

The Webber family lives at Lower Trevelmond farm where they also run a family haulage business, comprising one lorry and one truck, and supply hay for horses. Charles Webber's grandfather, Wilfred, started the haulage business, and his father, Fernley, continues to farm at Glebe Farm, St Pinnock. At one time his grandfather also used to run an abattoir nearby. Although not in the same village, they can look across the valley at each other's land. Charles is married to Kathrine, who was born near Lerryn and moved to Trevelmond when she married 24 years ago. They have two daughters, Joanna aged 20, a member of Pelynt YFC, and Rachel, l8, a Liskeard YFC member. Kathrine explained that, apart from the daffodil project a flower festival will be held this summer, (July 14-16) and a barn dance at Caduscott (June 24).

John Pendray, whose son Hugh farms Home Farm, first went to Trevelmond in l924. He was born at Middle Taphouse, and his father, Ernest, used to farm at Penventon on the Boconnoc estate. They moved to Caduscott, which used to be farmed by the Broad family.

His family have always been staunch chapel members, and he remembers walking across the fields to chapel from Caduscott with a hurricane lamp to light the way.

Wonderful

Underneath the Sunday school there, he said there was an old boiler used for the teas.

He also recalls when around eight people in the village owned small plots on which they kept animals, or grew crops to help them survive. Village stalwarts in years gone by included Ernest Henwood who was a postman, local preacher and cycle repairer and Frank Trigg, a mason who worked on the stone at the chapel and who was Mr Cole's grandfather. Despite his roots being in Trevelmond Mr Pendray, who is married to Ruth, also has Canadian ties - their daughter Margaret is a doctor and paediatrician in Vancouver, and two of his uncles emigrated to Saskatchewan in l903.

Brian Jewell runs a painting and decorating business, together with his son Antony. Brian was born in the village, and his parents and grandparents lived there, so it is a fundamental part of his life. His wife Joyce, who hails from Staffordshire, said she loves the village, and her three children - Antony, Peter and Paula - had a wonderful time being brought up there.

Despite being in a village set apart on its own Paula was able to travel to Dobwalls to take part in the Girls' Brigade, and, together with Peter, belonged to St Pinnock band.

She said she likes to go to Staffordshire to visit, but is always glad to return to Trevelmond.