Holsworthy businessman and former portreeve, Mr William Oke, has been elected vice-president of the Old Shebbearians — former pupils of Shebbear College.

Big brother is now watching pupils who misbehave at Holsworthy College – but he will also reward those who don’t step out of line.

St Stephen’s CP School, Launceston, entered two teams in the Launceston Area Youth Speaks Competition run by the Rotary Club at Launceston College. The winning team, who will go on to the district competition are Hannah Sillifant (vote of thanks), Sarah Webber (chairman), Jodie Whitehead (speaker). Their topic was ‘smoking’.

Dynamic Phyllis Griffiths of Holsworthy is looking forward to a swish dinner in the Millennium Dome, where she will be presented with a national community award from the Home Office.

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Members of 2nd Bude (Jacobstow) cub pack proudly displayed some of the 100 jerseys that they — together with mums, grans and friends — have knitted for refugee children in Ethiopia and the Sudan.

Launceston’s mayor, Mr Barry Jordan, went back to his old school — Windmill County Primary — on Monday to talk to the children about the Launceston-Plestin twinning due to be finalised next month.

By coincidence, the fixture list of the Launceston Ladies’ Darts League brought together the four ladies’ teams of the White Horse Inn to play against each other at their Newport stables — and on St Valentine’s Day too. To mark this special occasion, landlord John Hairs presented all the ladies with a box of chocolate and a carnation.

Launceston ladder makers Abru Aluminium have been sold to the Essex-based Henderson Group for £618,000, it was announced this week — Abru’s 180 employees were told the new firm will take over next month.

Karate Keith — Ten-year-old Keith Blatchford became one of the youngest winners of Karate’s prized Black Belt, when he passed his grading last weekend. Keith has been a member of Bude Karate Club for three years and attends Stratton Primary School.

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Mr Ken Davies, who has lived in the Launceston district for 15 years; has been selected as divisional agent for North Cornwall Liberal Association.

Mrs Dora Davis has been running the Bideford Inn at Stratton for the past 37 years — at first with her late husband and then for 35 years on her own — being the longest serving licencee in the area.

Johnny Morris visited Delabole Quarry as part of his ‘4th Dimension’ series on BBC Radio 4 and how he was taught to split slates will be broadcast on Saturday, March 1.

Bouquets of flowers were presented to Mesdames Joan Higgins and Joan Huggins in appreciation of their services to the Lodge at the annual dinner of the John O’Gaunt Lodge of the RAOB (Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes).

Steven George Knight, 17, who was born at Davidstow and educated at Sir James Smith’s School, Camelford, had his first horse racing win on television last week. He is with Mr J Cann’s stables at Cullompton, Devon.

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The last remaining British Rail steam locomotive in service in Cornwall went into retirement on Saturday. Number 1369, a pannier tank six-wheeled shunting engine, was built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon in 1934.

Further discussions about the future of Cleave Camp, Morwenstow, have been taking place between representatives of the Cornwall county planning committee, the Ministries of Defence and Housing, and local government. The conclusions reached are that the buildings erected for military purposes have no useful place in the county development plan and that the land should revert as far as possible to its former use as agriculture.

After several weeks of fears that the county rate might rise up to 1s 0d, the new rate recommended to Devon County Council was 7s 9d — an increase of 4d. The Cornwall county rate for the coming year will be 8s in the £ — an increase of 3d on the current figure of 7s 9d.

During excavations in the main street of Tintagel, a Roman coin was found by Mr Ted Littlejohns, who was working beside the mechanical excavator.

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A long-term plan entailing the demolition of many properties in the Northgate Street and Tower Street area of Launceston and the re-housing of at least 100 families from that area is envisaged in a report adopted in principle by the town council. The report was prepared and presented by Ald R L Hicks, chairman of the housing committee.

Heavy snowfall throughout the area during the week caused chaos on many local roads. A large number of vehicles, estimated at between 40 and 50 were stranded on the stretch of road between Pipers Pool and Hallworthy. Four postmen — Messrs C J H Dymond, L J Cullis, R J Parnell and T West — were caught in drifts, but continued their roads after being dug out.

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Killed in action: Sgt E H D Orchard, RAF, of Sunnyside, Whitstone. Prisoner of war: John Jewell, of 1, King Arthur’s Terrace, Tintagel. Mentioned in despatches: AB Raymond Robert Halfacre, RN, whose parents live at Launceston.

Major Christopher Morshead, RA, son of the late Mr Leonard Morshead, of Clampits, has been awarded the MC for service in Burma. Mrs Morshead is at present on a visit to Lifton.

A public meeting at Camelford has voted in favour of the erection of a public hall as a war memorial for the town.

Okehampton Town Council have received a report on the ventilation and sanitary arrangements in the town’s Junior School, and are notifying the County Education Committee that the accommodation is inadequate and the premises unsuitable.

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“Why should we continue to send trainloads of pigs to the Midlands?” said Mr E T Hawkey, county vice-chairman, at a meeting of Launceston Farmers’ Union on Tuesday, when members were unanimously of the opinion that Launceston would be a suitable centre for a bacon factory in North Cornwall.

Stratton Rural Council at their meeting on Tuesday received a petition from the inhabitants of Woodford, Morwenstow, asking that a door be provided at the public well there, which could be locked to prevent unclean buckets being used to obtain water. They also asked that a pump be provided and this was agreed.

Holsworthy’s memorial to the forthcoming Royal Silver Jubilee is likely to be a drinking fountain in the park, the £15 cost of which it is proposed to raise by public subscription.

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The junior Wesleyan minister, Rev S H Moody, speaking at last week’s Camelford Guild, contended that dancing lowered moral standards and urged young people not to attend dances. Mr P Pearce opposed this view, and Mr P E Wakefield, presiding, considered the speaker had gone too far.

Heavy gales and tremendous seas caused flooding at Port Isaac. In Middle Street water reached well up the stairs and horses had to be rescued from stables where they were standing where they were standing in four foot of water. Some boats have been hauled to safety in the streets, but fears are entertained for the safety of the remainder.