1

Jan

- Mar

ch 2

017

New

s Pe

ople

Pl

aces

Lo

cal e

vent

s

St Cleer and local area newsletter no 47 Jan-March 2017Granite PostTHE

The Old Liberal building meets2017 in style plus Open Doors

celebration - see page 8

Also inside:

Our 2017/8Wish list- page 9

Help your youthclub - page 19

But let us not forgetthose past and present who served their country - page 12

2

THE GRANITE POST - is delivered to; St Cleer,Tremar, Rosecraddoc, Common Moor, Minions,Darite, Crows Nest and Redgate.It is a community newsletter run by volunteers.

We publ ish and deliver in the middle ofJanuary, April, May, July, September andNovember. All articles should be with us bythe middle of the previous month and finishedadverts by dates in the advert guide (sent byemail). The ‘GP’ is delivered by volunteers toaround 1400 homes and local businesses sowe estimate a 3,000-plus readership.

## Our team of three people is trying hard tokeep up with the demands of publishing a verypopular newsletter. We could do with twomore volunteers, one to organise distributionand one as a reporter, copywriter and photog-rapher. Please don’t hesitate to offer yourservices, the tasks are straightforward but wework to tight deadlines. ##

LOCAL BUSINESSES THRIVE on local people’sneeds. What better way to target yourpotential sales as well as keeping existingcustomers in the picture. If you want anyinformation on size, design or cost send for anadvertising pack. Emails are the most efficientway of communicating quickly and with thedetail you need. Text me on 07804125894 oremail GP if you need a pack in the post.

ADVERTISING RATESThese prices are per issue for 6 issues. Single

issue price higher.Full page w13.3cm x h19.5cm £49.00

(back page £65)Half page w13.3cm x h9.5cm £24.50

Quarter page w6.7cm x h9.5cm £12.50Eighth page £8.00

Please supply artwork in CMYK PDF or jpgformat in 600 dpi resolution if possible.

Email granitepost@gmail.com

ADVERTISING IN Granite Post

it’s effective

April issue deadline for articles is March 30th. Please follow our guidelines emailed on demand.

Serving the Community

Granite Post DisclaimerWhilst we take every care to ensure details are correct the Granite Post will take no responsibility for errors or omissions. Whereprices or dates are quoted they are correct at the time of publication and may be subject to change. Links to websites, phonenumbers and email addresses are by no way an endorsement of the people, products or services found. The Granite Post takes noresponsibility for the content or accuracy of editorials and articles appearing. Unless specifically stated Granite Post does notendorse any product or service appearing in the directory, classifieds, editorial or display advertising featured on the website.Photographs appearing that may identify people have been supplied from an authorised source and general interest photographshave been obtained from the public domain with credits where available.

Classified ads. Price 50p/line per issue. Wereserve the right to refuse any ad that

seems unsuitable for our readers.2nd user goods only.

Announcements and personal Price50p/line, you must verify the information. A

passport size photo can be added for anextra £4.50. Email onlygranitepost@gmail.com

Please note that when you place an adGP is bi-monthly and circulation dates

are approximate.

The GP TeamPaul Wright: 07804125894 granitepost@gmail.comSue Penfold:susanne.penfold@btinternet.comPeter Jones: peterjones413@btinternet.com

3

Police non-urgent phone 101 and 999 for an emergency.Local: St Cleer Parish Council website: www.stcleerparishcouncil.gov.ukSt. Cleer Memorial Hall: stcleermemorialhallbookings@outlook.comParish Clerk: Chris Harris - clerk@stcleerparishcouncil.gov.ukClerestory Community Magazine: Brian Smith 01579 342426 - stcleernews@btinternet.comOpen Doors Project: www.opendoorsstcleer.co.uk - dwhambly@btinternet.comDarite Village Hall - Booking and enquiries phone 07798671087 Facebook: ‘Darite Village’St Cleer Youth Football Club: Chairman: Jon Colenzo 07920497425Secretary/Treasurer: Peter Hockin 07870 497749 - phockin@tiscali.co.uk

Page 3 Community information and editorialPage 5 Derris Watson on Bodmin MoorPage 7 Local news and eventsPage 8 Old Liberal Building AssociationPage 9 Wish list for 2017/8Page 12 Royal British Legion poppy appealPage 15 Farm shop under threatPage 16 Memorial Hall and Pentiddy newsPage 17 St Cleer development plan update and Gardening ClubPage 19 Youth club volunteers and Darite Craft FairPage 21 Jack - ‘Just an ordinary bloke’

GRANITE POST No 47 CONTENTS AND CONTACTS

RECENTLY RETURNED FROM the ‘frozen’ midlands tobalmy Cornwall. Going from 10 below zero to +10in a few hours is always a reminder of what beingsurrounded by sea brings to us. Our old largehousing estate has doubled in size since wemoved south and that pattern has been repeatedacross Leicestershire, yet there is still a housingshortage. Between 2010 and 2020 the UK popula-tion is expected to increase by 3.9m.THE POPULATION AGED 65 and over has grown by47% since mid-1974 making up nearly 18% of thetotal population in mid-2014 (from the ONS). Astaggering 89% increase in the over 75’s in thesame period is a sobering figure.PRICE RISES FOR paper have been hitting the printindustry for a while but a massive 10% increase inwhite print paper in December is causing us con-cern. Granite Post has had to increase its advertprices, the first rise for quite some time, to makeproduction viable. Our printers have absorbedsome of the cost but we have to plan ahead. Wewill contact all advertisers with our new rates assoon as we can. Paul

Editor’s rambling

4

5

Look after Bodmin Moor - please

WE ARE EXTREMELY lucky to have such an amaz-ingly beautiful and rich area on our doorsteps,but there are many misconceptions andthreats around this due to actions of people.

MYTHS AND REALITY

‘THIS IS PUBLIC land’

NO, THE LAND is privately ownedand Commoners (local farmerswith land adjoining) have theright to graze a number of sheepor cattle on an area of the moor.The public have a right under the

CROW Act to walk on the open moorland noth-ing else.

‘DOGS CAN BE exercised on the moor’

DOGS CAN BE walked but only under directcontrol: this means that they should be by yourside and if they will not stay at heel should beon a lead. The reason is that sheep particularlywill run when approached and in doing so caninjure themselves or lose the lambs they arecarrying. They are always distressed by encoun-ters with dogs (or noisy people or bikes).Ground nesting birds are disturbed or killed bydogs not under control. Dog faeces should al-ways be picked up as diseases carried by dogscan cause cows to abort their calves and causeother animal health problems.

‘THE MOOR IS great for riding your motoX bike’

ALL VEHICULAR TRAFFIC including 4X4s,motoX, mountain bikes etc are forbid-den by law on the Common Land andyour vehicle can be seized by the policeand crushed if you break this law. Italso distresses stock and wildlife

‘PONIES NEED TO be fed’

THE ONLY FEEDING of any stock on the Com-mons should be by their owners who under-stand the needs of the animals. Feeding grasscuttings, carrots or apples can kill ponies. It cancause colic which means that the animal candie in agony.

THERE ARE OTHER issues of animal welfarewhich can only be addressed by the peoplewho live on and work the moor, such as theneed to remove stallions to give the mares achance to recuperate. This also curbs the indis-criminate breeding that has taken place in re-cent years, leading to overstocking in someareas and the total lack of stock in others, thusdestroying the moorland landscape.

UNLESS EVERYONE PLAYS their part in treatingthe moorland commons with respect we shalllose the very things we value about the area.Look at the plight of St Cleer Common. So muchused by dog walkers and with such an amountof speeding traffic that graziers are no longerwilling to put their animals at risk, with theresult that it now becoming too overgrowneven to walk through.

PLEASE FOR THE sake of the generations tocome help protect and preserve the things wevalue and look after the moorland commons.DERRIS

South Caradon MineLooking west at sunset past the ruins of Hol-man’s engine house which stands over thecenter of Kitto’s lode. The lode which alsoruns east – west under the south side of

Caradon Hill was the richest copper mine inEast Cornwall in it’s heyday 150 years ago.

Courtesy Gerry Hillman

6

Reader’s LettersWe will happily publish lettersand emails or text messagesthat may be of general interestor contain information relatingto a featured article. Wewelcome hand written lettersbut you will have to email orphone for a postal address asGP does not have an ‘official’office just yet.

Tel or text 07804125894

The Good Lord does help his supportersAT BEATRICE CHURCH, Nebraska in 1950 all 15 choir members due to practiceat 19:20 hrs were 10 minutes late for unconnected reasons. Arriving at 19:30hrs they were shocked to find the church had been destroyed by an explosionjust 5 minutes previously!

Truly amazing mind bogglers, Lagoon Books

7

Events and local news

ONE OF CORNWALL’S finest exports, comedian Johnny Cowling, is coming to St Cleer in January.Cowling’s celebrity fans include Jack Whitehall, Ben Elton, Alan Carr, and Paddy McGuinness, who

he has supported on tour, as well as Fern Britton, who asked him toperform at her birthday party. Johnny is a big hit with Cornish audiencesand recently appeared in a charity gig at Monkey Tree Holiday Park.

“JOHNNY COWLING IS one of the county’s best comedians,” said eventorganiser Laura Walker, “I’ve seen him on stage loads of times before andlove his style of humour mixed with music and mischief! We were delightedwhen he agreed to perform at the holiday park and look forward to raisinglots of money and awareness for the two charities we’re working with.Johnny Cowling Concert in St Cleer church, 7.30pm on Thursday 26thJanuary. Tickets £10, available from 07733 298 969 / Tourist Information

Centre, Liskeard, to include food. Cash bar.

Welcome to St Neot Nursery

From January 2017 we offer sessions Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 3.00 pmfor 2, 3 and 4 year olds. There is also a Breakfast Club which runs daily from 8.00am to 9.00 pm, and after school provision from 3.00 pm-5.00 pm.We have dedicated and experienced staff who provide a stimulating and fun envi-ronment in a dedicated Nursery attached to St Neot Primary School.We welcome visitors - if you would like to arrange a visit please phone 01579320580 or email secretary@st-neot.cornwall.sch.uk.

Photo from Johnny’swebsite/FB

Granite Post will publish artwork and photographs of local scenes if we feel that they will be of interestto our readers. Permission to reproduce is implied by you confirming that it is original and belongs toyou. We are aware of plagiarism on the internet and do everything we can to credit all work published.

8

OPEN DOORS 11TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONOn November 24th an informal gathering of supporters and friends celebrated 11

successful years of Open Doors. 11 candles on a beautiful cake completed the picture.

THE TRUSTEES OF the Old Liberal Building ar-ranged a special event to mark the completionof the Roof Replacement & Insulation Projectby inviting everyone who had given support toa cream tea. The Hall was built in 1907 at a costof £210 through local subscription to provide arecreational facility for the local community.ALTHOUGH ORIGINALLY INSTIGATED by local Liberals,today the building is managed by three localTrustees and ceases to have any Political affilia-tion. It continues to be used as a snooker cluband the Open Doors project.THE METAL ROOF had been patched and repairedover recent years and was in desperate need ofreplacement. Despite overcoming various ob-stacles, the building has been given a new leaseof life with adequate roof insulation as well,thanks to the financial help of the following :-

THE BIG LOTTERY – Awards for All almost £10000CORNWALL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION £2000

OPEN DOORS PROJECTCORNWALL COUNCILLORS COMMUNITY ChestST CLEER PARISH Council(THE TOTAL COST of the works came to £14000)THE BUILDING CONTRACTOR was Keith HolwillARCHITECTURAL SURVEYOR – Philip SweetTHE TRUSTEES WISH to thank the various Commu-nity Groups who use the Hall and have provid-ed letters of support for Grant Fundingpurposes and also to the individuals who pro-vided references.

IT IS HOPED this work will enable the Hall tocontinue serving the local community, forwhich it was originally built, for many years tocome.

FURTHER INFORMATION FROM:DAVID HAMBLY (CO Trustee)TEL 01579 342113 (day)

THE OLD LIBERAL BUILDING ASSOCIATION

9

Our 2017/18 wish listLAST YEAR GRANITE Post sent a set of questions let’s have a community minibus, both selfto 23 of our volunteers and associates, all peo- drive and volunteer drivers?ple who know our readership, to ask how they IMPROVE THE ROADS including more speed re-saw our communities and any changes they strictions.would like. *Twelve people very kindly replied IMPROVE CONSULTATIONS ABOUT housing and busi-and gave us a good glimpse of what may be on ness developments, make use of all the com-people’s minds. This is only a small number,

munication techniques available in this 21stand we do not pretend that it represents wid- century, agree a Neighbourhood Plan and geter views, but it offered some starting points it up and running.for us at GP to focus on.

HERE ARE SOME of the ideas for the not too JOIN UP THE thinking between housing, schoolsdistant future:GIVE US A post office, it could be community-run, could be in a community information cen-

tre -particularly important for the retired andthe elderly.MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE the bus services withsmaller buses, more frequent, later running;

and available services.HOW ABOUT A modern multi-use space with fastbroadband for voluntary groups (includingGranite Post!), meetings, business communica-tions, day and evening activities and learningopportunities.DO YOU THINK all or any of these ideas needpursuing? Other places have succeeded in

achieving some of these kinds of changes, howdo you think we might achieve the same?Contact us with your ideas.

*IF YOU WANT to read a more detailedsummary of the replies we received it is

available at www.granitepost.org

Granite Post would love to hear fromyour club, group, society or anyoneorganising an event to support thecommunity or a charity. Don’t be shy!None of the above suggestions can getunder way unless you and a few othersget behind it.

CleerWay Community ChurchWe meet regularly in St Cleer. All arewelcome to come to any of our services,whatever their background or belief. Ouraim is to present the Christian faith in aneasy to understand, jargon-free way.Please find out more at:

www.cleerway.org.uk

10

St Cleer Film ClubATTENTION! New Members needed. Theclub meets monthly on a Saturday in theMemorial Hall and films start promptly at7.30 pm. The specific films and dates are ona news sheet given out when you join. Ouryear is from May 2016to April 2017 withsmall subscriptionspaid annually inadvance. 10 or 11films are shownannually and aselection is chosen by members. Membersmay bring visitors, but the organisers mustbe informed and visitors paid for in advance.The evenings ar e informal social occasions,at the end of the film there is always a raffle.Come along and meet new friends andneighbours, and boost our numbers asthings have been quiet lately.Keep this val uabl e asset to our village goingby joining us now! For information phone:

Pete or Shir l ey Waye 01579 346089.

Advertising in Granite Postis very cost effective because it reachesup to 3000 people every 2 months. Anad this size (1/8) costs £8 per issue for 6issues, that’s under 1p per house. Wecan design your ad content, just emailor text or post the details plus a photo.

11

12

Remembrance Sunday at St Cleer War memorialREMEMBRANCE SUNDAY PARADE was blessed withfine weather, a large participation by the Com-munity and an abundance of leaves. TheChurch Service was also very well attended andwas conducted by Reverend Becca (RebeccaMary Bell) the new vicar. The collection for the

RBL Poppy appeal raisedover £200.

WREATHS WERE LAID at theWar Memorial accompa-nied with a lament by Mar-

cus the Bugler. Organisations representedwere the RBL, Parish Council, Her Majesty'sCoast Guard, The Memorial Hall, CleerWaysChurch, Open Doors, Youth Club and theBrownies. A 'House of Commons' wreath waslaid on behalf of our MP.

Original article published in Clerestory Dec 2016

13

14

15

For the past four years Garry and Penny, themanagers of St Cleer Farm and Grocery storesLtd, have worked tirelessly to make their shophighly valued and very convenient to customersnear and far. In a fiercely competitive industrythey have managed to keep the businessprofitable, enhance the product range andmake the shop one of our community focalpoints. However Granite Post has learned fromGarry that they have been constantly battlingthe landlord to provide a lease at the initiallyagreed rent, in the face of attempts to raise itto unreasonably high levels.When they took over the shop in 2012 the lackof a formal written lease made financialplanning difficult. Despite many promises madeby the landlord via solicitors the problem wasnot resolved and legal costs mounted with thelandlord apparently not making any reasonableattempt to provide a solution.In 2014 the landlord was sent to prison for 9years for his involvement in a drug traffickingring, trying to bring hundreds of thousands ofpounds worth of class A drugs from London tothe West Country*. This imprisonment further

complicated the situation and eventually alease was offered with an unrealistically highprice attached and pressure put on Garry andhis staff to settle matters.Gar r y enjoys r unning the business and wantsto carry on. He told us recently "We hope thatwe can keep the shop trading and are exploringseveral avenues to achieve this aim. Hopefullygreed and bully boy tactics will not winthrough.” As readers know, St Cleer has yet toget a coherent planning strategy establishedwith Cornwall Council via a NeighbourhoodDevelopment Plan. There will be very fewopportunities for some time to come for anybusiness to establish itself in the area due tolack of commercial property.The possibl e l oss of this superb and successfulFarm and Grocery store is not a good start to2017 and we hope that a solution is found verysoon.*The or iginal infor mation about the drugtrafficking ring was widely publicised and can befound on the BBC news and the Plymouth Heraldwebsites. Editor.

Future of St Cleer farm shop threatened

16

17

THE CLUB MEETS on the 2nd Monday of themonth, 7.30 pm in the Memorial Hall, St.Cleerunless otherwise specified in the programme.At the AGM all the committee members werere-elected. Mrs G. Fothergill has also joined thecommittee. After the AGM many membersmade their own Christmas table decorations.The tables looked very festive with many ele-gant and original floral Christmas designs. Thewinner was Daphne Cook. The evening finishedwith mince pies and a raffle.DATES FOR YOUR Diary:FEBRUARY NO MEETINGMARCH 13TH GROWING veg the oldfashioned way. Nick Bacon.HERB OF THE month.EYEBRIGHT EUPHRASIA OFFICINALIS.THIS IS AN annual herb with a shortbranched leafy stem. The solitaryflowers which are white or tintedyellowish or violet are very attractive to bees,which are lured to the flower’s bright orange

spot. This herb is very common in damp mead-ows, pastures, heathlands and woods through-out the British Isles. It is a semi-parasitic plant,thriving only where its roots can attach them-selves to other plants. It has been used in thetreatment of eye diseases.THE GENERIC NAME Euphrasia, is derived from theGreek word euphraino = to gladden, perhaps areference to the plants reputed ability to pre-serve eyesight! Parts of the plant contain many

complex chemicals that give eye-bright anti-inflammatory propertiesin the treatment of conjunctivitisand tiredness of the eyes. In thepast the plant was used for head-aches, hysteria and insomnia. Eye-bright may also be used to treatstubborn wounds. Medical adviceshould be taken before using thisherb!

FOR MORE INFORMATION phone:IAN FOTHERGILL (CHAIR) 01579 349866 orSHIRLEY WAYE (SECRETARY) 01579 346089.

Gardening Club

THE STEERING GROUP for the St Cleer Plan metagain on Nov 2nd and Dec 7th. The Novembermeeting included discussion of a concern raisedby a member of the public concerning possibleconflict of interest within the steering group dueto interaction with the planning department. Thisled to terms of reference being sent to all groupmembers, some of whom had not seen these.This issue was discussed again in December and itwas agreed that declarations of interest will be anitem on every agenda from January onwards.Both meetings looked at the issue of chasingfunding for a consultant to work with the groupand it was hoped that this might be in place forthe New Year.THE INITIAL QUESTIONS asked by the NDP steeringgroup survey will now be analysed and somefurther more specific questions will be createdbased on the feedback received. Unfortunatelythe results have not yet been finalised.

THE GROUP WANTED to give many thanks to all thosemembers of the public who have responded tothese initial questions and helped to givecommunity views on issues the plan needs toconsider. The steering group will publishinformation arising as soon as possible. I believeanother meeting took place in early January anda new chairperson is in place for future meetings.DETAILS OF THE progress of work on the St CleerDevelopment Plan are available to the public,including the minutes of all meetings. These areavailable at:

http://www.stcleerplan.org.uk/which links to Neighbourhood Plan parts on theCornwall Council website where plans for otherareas may be found. The Granite post will publishregular updates on the progress of futuremeetings and consultations as informationbecomes available.

PETER JONES

St Cleer Neighbourhood Development Plan Update

18

19

Granite Post DistributionThanks to all our volunteers who post GP to nearly every home in the area.

20

21

“I’m just an ordinary bloke”JOHN DAVID GREEN sadly passed away shortly beforeChristmas. He was known to many as Jack and I had thepleasure of knowing him for the last 7 years. Two of his manysketches were published in the November issue of GP and hewas always a supporter of our efforts. Rev Becca Bellconducted the service at Glynn Valley, her first funeral in ourparish. John’s widow Joyce greatly appreciated the service andthe many tributes received.DONATIONS MAY BE made to Kidney Research UK via Ugalde &Son Funeral Directors, 16 Castle St, Liskeard PL143AU

JOHN HAD A long career as a commercial illustrator and Iwas privileged to see some of his professional work andmany of his tinted and detailed sketches. I asked him afew times if he wanted publicity but he always said "notreally, it's a hobby, I'm just an ordinary bloke." Paul

Pensilva Preschool opens its doors at 8am for Breakfast Club!8am - 9am £4 with breakfast. 8:30am - 9am £2 without breakfast.

Breakfast served between 8am & 8:30am. All food will comply with ourNippers Nutrition Programme. If you would like a space for your child/children

please contact 07890 023924 or email pensilvapreschool@hotmail.co.uk.All spaces must be booked in advance to allow for catering and staffing,

Cancellations are non-refundable.

22

23

24