While the tentacle of the internet means our listener reach is limitless, with our listeners able to access the station from far and wide, NCB Radio is in many ways, a Bodmin radio station at its heart and genesis.

It’s where the majority of our team come from, it’s where we launched and indeed Bodmin is in our genesis, as if you look far enough back, you’ll find we started off as a plan to launch a Bodmin community radio station.

As many of you will see and read, the town of Bodmin is in a state of shock and mourning this week after the stabbing on Castle Canyke Road, in the early hours of Sunday morning, which left one person dead and seven injured.

For that reason, it doesn’t seem right to tell you about whatever usual japery we would have lined up this week, but rather, to share a few thoughts on the place we call home.

The reason why it is such a big shock is more often than not, incidents like this are stuff we residents of Bodmin are more likely to see in the news about other areas than our own. Yes, Bodmin has its challenges, such as anti-social behaviour, a high street which some feel has too many hairdressers and charity shops and the fact that beyond the picture postcards, there are some areas of Bodmin which do experience hardship and poverty. Thankfully, incidents like this are rare, although the fact it has happened tells you it isn’t quite rare enough.

But overarching it all is the sort of community spirit that other places in the United Kingdom tell you died years ago.

It is that community that right now, will be doing its best to come together to support the friends and family of Mike Allen, who lost his life while enjoying a night out and the seven others who were injured in the attack.

But, just as equally, they’ll be supporting all of those who witnessed the events first hand.

The Bodmin that some national media titles may claim exists in the coming days and weeks isn’t the Bodmin that many of us know, and as a station which has Bodmin at its genesis and its heart, we wanted you to know that.

The Bodmin we know is the aforementioned community spirit, a place which is relatively quiet and sleepy compared to cities such as London or even Plymouth, a place where you can enjoy the great outdoors or indeed, settle down and have a family.

But most of all, right now, we’d like to take a moment to express our condolences and best wishes to the family, friends and colleagues of Mike Allen and everyone else impacted by the events of last weekend.

The words shared about Mike online can tell even those who never knew him at all about the person that he was – for at the heart of every tribute is the love for a brother, son, grandson, friend, rugby player and most of all – someone who people loved having in their lives.

Bodmin is with you.