The first ever Children’s Hospice Awareness Week was launched in style in Launceston last Saturday when 500 balloons were sold at the Launceston Castle during the morning and Paul Tyler, MP for North Cornwall, launched them in the afternoon. He was assisted by many excited children who were asked to rescue him should he take off with the balloons.

This year’s Week of St Mary Revel was quite simply a phenomenal success. A great deal of effort had been put in by all sections of the community to enlarge and enliven the traditional revel which always takes place this time of the year.

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Superclub winners — the police team of Nick Fielding and Kevin Reed — received their awards from the Mayor Mrs Cynthia Buckingham. With them were Jeremy Rogers and Leo Bryant (squash) and Roger Goodman and Eric Jewell (Lezant tug-of-war), who were joint runners-up.

Junior members of Bude Surf Life-Saving Club made the draw for the 30th anniversary lottery on Tuesday week. Timmy Moyle drew the winning ticket. First prize was an original painting by local maritime artist Don Blizzard.

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Canon W G Steer conducted a harvest festival at the White Horse inn, Newport, Launceston (By Permission of Mr and Mrs S Field), in aid of the Arthritis and Rhematism Council for Research. Canon Steer said this was the first time in 38 years he had held a service on licensed premises.

Mr Alfred Penhale, 51, dairy farmer, of Trenault House, Piper’s Pool, was rushed to hospital after being gored by a bull. Alexander the bull was hand reared by the Penhales, and is worth hundred of pounds, but we understand he is to be destroyed.

Police Sergeant Reginald Berry’s prize-winning bloom stole the major trophies at Bude’s early chrysanthemum and dahlia show.

Camelford Rural Council has agreed to purchase Bottreaux Castle at Boscastle. The purchase price is £2,500 with the English Tourist Board willing to give a grant of £1,500. “This is a very generous offer by the tourist board” said council chairman Mr M H Hicks.

For the first time ever at Milton Damerell, an amateur clay pigeon shoot was held. It was organised by Mr C C Stidwell, who in 40 years has organised 208 shoots for various charities.

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Trouble is being caused at Callington because oil is being poured down domestic drains and clogging up the filter of the sewerage disposal plant. The surveyor, Mr William Grylls, told St Germans Rural Council at Saltash last week that the identity of the culprit of culprits remained a mystery. One of the first suspects, local garages, had been exonerated after enquiries.

A Bude inquest jury on Monday returned a verdict of murder on 16-year-old Bude grammar school girl Nora Phyllis Ellen Skinner, of 4 St Michael’s Road, Hillhead, Stratton, who was found battered to death at her home on September 8. Her murderer was not named.

A verdict of suicide whilst the balance of her mind was disturbed was returned by Mr W E J Major, the city coroner, at the Plymouth inquest on Friday on Mrs Betty Margaret Skinner, aged 43, who died at Freedom Fields Hospital.

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Fans thoroughly enjoyed the visit of Joe Davis to the Town Hall, Wadebridge, where they were treated to a fine exhibition of both billiards and snooker.

Okehampton Rural Council have fixed the rents for six new Bailey-Stratton houses at 15s a week.

Unless more interest is shown there will be no carnival at Boscastle this year, it was stated after two attempts to call a representation public meeting had failed.

Attention was drawn to the dangerous corner at Newport at a meeting of Launceston Chamber of Trade. It was agreed to ask for warning signs to be fixed at the approaches to the junction.

Launceston and District Male Choir, under its founder, trainer and conductor, Mr Lewis Poore, was an outstanding success in its first public appearance at Launceston Town Hall on Friday.

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Reported missing: Pte Harry Cottell, Army, of Rough Park, Delabole. Wounded in action: Pte W E Bryant, of Coast View, Stratton; Cpl E N Baker, Holsworthy; Pte, Stuart Martin, of Launceston.

The government’s comprehensive scheme for social security after the war is announced this week. It covers a national health service for all and will provide sickness and unemployment of 24s a week for a single man and a retirement pension of 20s a week. Free school milk and meals will be supplied. Cost of the weekly stamp will be 3s 10d to an adult male worker.

A Launceston man, Seaman E H Howett, was aboard the cruiser Aurora, which bombarded Toulon Harbour in the recent invasion of Southern France.

S/Ldr R N Chudleigh, of Rowlandsfield, Bude, piloting a Mosquito, has shot down four flying bombs in one night over southern England. In addition to a number of flying bombs, he has also destroyed two J 88s at night.

Graham James Hodge, aged three, of Westbridge Road, fell into the river at St Thomas on Monday and would have drowned, had not Mr A E Jones, who happened to be passing, spotted him and hauled him out.

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Noisy motor-cyclists are becoming a great nuisance and in future would be dealt with severely, said the Mayor, Mr W H Gilbert, at Launceston County Sessions, Monday, fining one 5s.

George Staddon, a 20-year-old Bude golfer, won the Artisan Golfers’ Association tournament at Stoke Poges recently with a score which made bogey look ridiculous. Staddon with a handicap of 10, equalled the scratch score of the old course with 75 and was only three strokes more than the scratch score on the new course with 77. He had the best net score with 132. Staddon, a carpenter, is one of those artisans who have to play their golf before going to work. He has one club which carried him thorough. It was an old putting cleek with which he holed out form all distances on the green. It was his excellent putting that enabled him to win, and he overshadowed many good performances.

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Members of Bude WI realised their greatest ambition since its inception some years since, when on Thursday the Institute was opened by Mr Wise, formerly of Launceston. Cost of the new hall is £1,000 and £357 has already been raised. The president is Mrs Carver.

The chairman, Mr J Treleaven, reported to Launceston Chamber of Trade on Monday that the committee thought it rather useless to pursue the question of a golf course in view of the enormous expenses involved. However, they were still trying to find a site and at North Cornwall Creameries and one in the Duchy field below Western Terrace were being investigated.