Bude Flower Club’s members were treated to some inspirational arrangements for their October meeting.

Fiona Hammond is a floral demonstrator who enjoys ‘Imposed’ arranging. This is where our committee provide all the foliage, flowers and containers two hours before the meeting and the demonstrator takes her inspiration for each arrangement from the materials provided. Quite a challenge.

But Fiona did not disappoint. She produced six beautiful, varied arrangements with ease; along with entertaining dialogue.

Fiona’s final arrangement was inspired by Hallowe’en and for this, she chose a wicker basket into which she placed a tray of florist foam. Tall contorted willow created a frame to which she added burgundy Acer, dark Pittosporum and burgundy Spirea. Several stems of a small variety of Sunflower were added and amazing pale orange Lillies called ‘Fudge’. Mini Gerberas were next along with yellow- ochre Kangaroo Ears. Finally, Chinese Lanterns were wired onto the willow and a gord with a face place amongst it. A spectacular arrangement.

Six lucky members won the arrangements in the raffle.

The next meeting is our Christmas Spectacular which is held in the Ivor Potter Hall at the Parkhouse, Bude on Thursday, November 28, at 2.30pm when Angela Turner, a national demonstrator and Chelsea Gold Medal winner, presents ‘A Natural Christmas’. This promises to be a wonderful occasion with a raffle for the arrangements and a Christmas hamper to be won as well as complimentary tea/coffee and mince pies and cream.

Tickets from Joan Trewin on 07980 312161.

The (Bude) Wyvern Friends Group held a coffee morning at Holsworthy Memorial Hall on Wednesday, October 23, with homemade cakes, tombola, craft items and many other items for sale, as well.

An amazing total of £485 was raised for the Children's Hospice South West.

Thank you to everyone who came along to support our Cats Protection Autumn Fair on Saturday 12th October at Kensey Vale Bowling Club.

After heavy rain in the preceding days, Saturday turned out to be bright and dry meaning that, from early on a queue began to form, as customers were eager to see what was on offer!

Tables were laden with donated goods, delicious refreshments, Cats Protection Christmas calendars, diaries and cards along with raffle tickets for a superb hamper packed full of goodies etc. In total the amount raised was an amazing £1,550, to include a generous donation from Dunheved Lodge.

We are grateful to everyone who participated, both beforehand and on the day, in achieving such an excellent result! Quite frankly, your help is invaluable.

All proceeds go towards care for numerous cats and kittens in our local branch, waiting patiently to find their new homes.

Thanks also went to Wendy, Nicky and Marion at Kensey Vale Bowling Club.

For news of forthcoming events please visit our website www.cats.org.uk/launceston or keep an eye on Facebook Launceston-District-Cats-Protection-Branch

The Dunheved Flower & Garden Group, our October meeting chairman John Ellacott welcomed Adrian Langdon a well known Cornish Wildlife Photographer to give us his presentation and talk on his Alaska Tour in 2015.

Landing in Anchorage his tour images soon started with wife Linda mastering the art of filling a large motor-home with all you need for camping and nearly three weeks travel. His camera soon got clicking showing us the landscape, forest, rivers and lake side mountains.

Booking a cruise, pictures depicted Portage Glacier and how climate change had shrunk its trail in parts to the lakeside, but still with huge chunks falling into the waters edge. Adrian captured the Blue tinted light shades on this jagged ice as it very slowly swept the rocky slopes clean over many years. North to Girdwood Linda’s Birthday treat was a helicopter trip onto the Glacier combined with a dog sledding ride on the ice, soon making friends with the dogs to pull them along the guided trail.

Calling at Seward the crowds were out as US President Barack Obama was in town, a return visit by Adrian gave some great shots at the Alaska Sealife Centre of the mammals and marine birds. Moving a few hundred miles North on the Parks Highway to Denali National Park with North America’s highest mountain peaks. Joining the Park Bus, this took them 56 miles across riverbeds, wet land taiga and tundra vegetation to watch caribou and moose grazing the red, orange and yellow coloured valley slopes, also watching grizzly bears from a distance, with his long camera lens some amazing pictures set the scene.

Travelling farther north the Green shades of Northern Lights Aurora graced the sky. The Alaska State Railroad passed at Talkeetna with more pictures to admire against the colourful leafy woodland. Travelling South to Quartz Creek Campground near Cooper Landing the deep Kenai Lake over 20 miles long saw pictures of Sea Otters, Harlequin Ducks and a Bald Eagle. Booking a flight to Brooks Falls to watch the Bears, the 10 seater float plane’s 90 minute hop over Katmai National Park provided views of mountains, lakes, volcanoes and glaciers, the pilot wearing high waders landed safely then jumped in the water to turn the plane and checked for Bears wandering around.

The Park Rangers led the trail through the woods to the falls viewing area. With Bear Safety training and a badge to show, the Bears skipped a Cornish lunch, and so continued in the fast flowing water catching and feeding on salmon, leaving riverbank bits littered around with dead and dying salmon, great artwork for the camera, but the Bear’s and Cub images here in the wild and animals at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre made Adrian’s afternoon presentation and chatter a trip for all of us to enjoy.

John thanked Adrian for the work putting his adventure all together for very memorable viewing.

Having restarted Launceston Folk Dance Group following the summer break the members are enjoying the fun and exercise that Tuesday nights provide. With several callers-whose job is to give instructions so people can dance to some fast or slow tunes gives a lot of variety. Open to everyone the club offers evenings of fun and friendship and one caller has developed dances where a partner is not needed-so no excuses for sitting out! The club is welcoming back a couple from Redruth who will be leading us on a couple of evenings.

The Autumn Dance was held on October 19 when Jane Thomas and A Pair of Shears brother and sister team led a fun evening in Launceston Town Hall - a venue that impressed them. Their journey from Collumpton was appreciated and who would have thought that two talented musicians could and did share so much of their talent - playing even in the break etc.

Almost last for their share of the Bring and Share supper- what talent we have around us. The Spring Dance is booked for Saturday, May 17, when Sarah Bazely and the Dartmoor Pixie Band will lead the dance.

At our recent Probus meeting the speaker Terry Faull shared his enthusiasm for local history with us when he gave an illustrated talk on St Thomas Priory.

Terry clarified the uncertainty of the priory name. Situated in the St Thomas parish, it is also known as St. Stephens Priory referring to the original site, and Launceston Priory. He outlined the origins of the Priory and significant events.

In the seventh century St Augustine converted the King and most of England to the form of Christianity which was centred on Rome. However St Aidan converted Cornwall to Celtic Christianity, which is practised by priests on a local basis. In the 9th century the then King declared Roman Christianity the state religion. Celtic Christianityn was still practised west of the Tamar, but, eventually St Stephens Priory (as it then was) got a charter to follow the state structure.

In the 12th century the Priory at St Stephens was destroyed as punishment for the local support of Queen Matilda in her attempt to claim the throne of England. The Priory was rebuilt at St Thomas in order to be nearer the Castle. This was done to make it easier to control! It was interesting to hear that at this time church attendance was principally for the gentry, and the Priory gave minimal support to the poor.

In the 14th century the Priory was denounced as ‘not well run’ by the Bishop of Exeter, as a result of the lifestyle of the then Prior.

By the 16th century the Priory had become very wealthy, largely due to bequests by landowners looking to secure their place in heaven. It was therefore on Henry VIII’s hit list when he his dissolved the Monastries. A man called John Tregonwell acted on behalf of Henry, but he did a deal which gave the Prior a good pension for life.

The Priory then remained a ruin to this day, and has never been formally investigated as an archaeological site.

The talk concluded with a discussion and questions from club members.

During the discussion member Jim recalled playing on the site as a boy, and seeing part of the original tiled floor.

A vote of thanks was then led by club member Terry.

For our first meeting in November Chairman Paul will be giving a presentation on the history and different forms of Remembrance to tie in with Artmistice Day.

Are you interested in becoming a Probus member? We meet regularly on the second and fourth Mondays to be entertained by a speaker or partake in an outside visit

For further information on past and future activities of Probus, including talks and visits, visit the website at probusclub.net/launcestoncornwalluk/ which also gives details on how to contact us.

Trebullett has had a busy summer with its annual Strawberry Tea which went ahead and enjoyed a spell of sunshine in between our "summer" showers!

Followed a few weeks later with the annual Sunday lunch which was very well attended and gave people a chance to catch up and make new friends. So many people from around contributed food but the main organisers were Mary Tucker and Ruth Burden and a willing band of volunteers. October saw Harvest Festival where it was lovely to see the chapel decorated with natural greenery and flowers which reminds us of where food comes from. Some food was deliberately given to be passed to the Foodbank so that the old went alongside the new. David Ley led the service in a relaxed, humourous way but got his message across about how many people were involved in producing a litre of milk and how everyone is important as they contribute their skill.

October 17 was the first autumn lecture for a while. Corinne Dennis shared how a friends challenge when she reached forty was to learn to fly, led her gaining her pilots licence, to designing, building and flying her own bi-plane and taking part in aerial acrobatics! Initially she had a 1/4 share in an aircraft but with three other owners it was difficult to have the plane when needed as she took part in displays.

This led her to buy a partially built plane which had to be stripped back to its metal frame in order for each part to be certified safe as the plane was built which took six years. Flying started in Yorkshire where land was flatter, moved to Someset and finally to Cornwall. Taking part in aerial displays at various venues including displays at Gloucester, St Mawes Regatta, weddings at Pentillie etc and the final flight in a display at Lincolnshire. For many years she was the only female entering competitions and reached the "Advanced level" of flying.

Bringing her flying kit with her she provided an entertaining and interesting evening. Her final display was in 2019 when she sold the plane in 2020. Having been a member of Bodmin Flying Club she felt it time to hang up her wings and move on to something else. She maintained that the most difficult part of aerial acrobatics was the landing-many in the audience weren't convinced! During refreshments Corinne spent time talking with people and sharing her experiences and her love of flying.

An Angel Festival is the next event planned and will take place on December 5 to 8 with many groups and individuals taking part it looks to prove an interesting, thought provoking and fun event depending on peoples interpretation of their angel. Saturday will see three people leading three different short workshops so that people can take home their own angel if they want. Open mornings and afternoons (a normal service on Sunday with an angel theme) it's hoped will help to start the Christmas period. Who wants to buy crackers in October?

The Coad’s Green WI held their annual anniversary dinner, at the end of October, at the Archer Arms in Lewannick.

President, Linda Willan had great pleasure in welcoming members with their husbands and partners.

It was also an opportunity for Linda to thank her active committee and supportive members for all their hard work. Daphne Tucker provided the entertainment with a table quiz, with prizes for the winners.

The friendly and efficient catering and hospitality staff were thanked for providing a delicious meal, at the end of a very successful evening.

Sunday, November 10 - A Two Minute Silence followed by Wreath Laying will take place at The War Memorial, St Julitta’s Church, Lanteglos by Camelford at 11am.

Organisations taking part are asked to assemble on the road outside the Church by 10.45am. After the Act of Remembrance a Service will take place in the Church.

Monday, November 11 - A two minute silence followed by Wreath Laying will take place at the War Memorial outside Enfield Park at 11am.

Harvest Festival was celebrated at Bradworthy Methodist Church with a Sunday morning service led by Rev Shirley Henderson of Woolsery.

Angela Bond was the welcome steward and the organist for Harvest hymns was Shirley Davis. The lesson was read by Jennifer Pengilly and the collection was taken up by Angela Bond and Marion Pomeroy. The Church had been decorated beautifully for the celebrations by ladies of the Church with stunning displays of flowers with fruit and vegetables combined.

After the service a traditional Harvest Lunch was shared in the Sunday School Room and a Stall was set up with the fresh produce being sold off on a donation basis, with the stall bringing in £170 for Cancer Research UK.

A large amount of non-perishable food items were given and were taken to Holsworthy Food Bank the following Wednesday where they weighed in at an amazing 46.40 Kgs. Clive Smale gave a vote of thanks to all who had so generously contributed to such a successful Harvest Festival.

A very successful coffee and cake morning was held in the hall on October 18. A total of £250 was raised for Dementia. Thanks go to everyone who supported this event.

St Pancras Church was beautifully decorated for the Harvest Festival which was held on Sunday, October 27.

The Rev Alison Hardy welcomed everyone to the service which began with a harvest song "Ten wave of Harvest Gifts" sung to the tune of Twelve Days of Christmas. Lessons were read by Mandy Vanstone and Adam Revitt and the prayers of Intercession were said by Roger Vanstone.The collection was in aid of FCN. The organist was Barbara Cole. Refreshments were served after the service.