News A round up of all the latest happenings

Outset Cornwall

With all the excitement and activity surrounding the G7 Summit taking place in Cornwall recently, the spotlight has been firmly fixed on our beautiful county, highlighting what a truly wonderful place it is to live and work in.

But while having the freedom to enjoy an idyllic lifestyle by the sea or in the lush Cornish countryside may seem a long way off, others are actually making that dream a reality.

How are they doing it? For many, it’s through realising another long-held dream; the dream of starting their own business or becoming selfemployed. Whether it’s repurposing your existing skills and experience, turning a hobby, passion or side-hustle into a fully-fledged enterprise or developing a completely new idea, starting your own business gives you the freedom to choose when, and where, you work.

And if you need support in getting your ideas off the ground and becoming your own boss, then Outset Cornwall is on hand to help. up programme, Outset Cornwall gives residents throughout Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly access to professional business support that’s tailored to suit your needs, fully-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, HM Government and the Outset Foundation.

Covering everything you’ll need to know to get up and running and delivered by a team of friendly business experts via an online training room or face-to-face sessions, there’s never been a better time to start making your dreams a reality. l For more information, visit www.outset.org/cornwall or call 01209 311063 to have a chat with one of the team and see how you can get started on your business journey.

Young musicians bringing classical music home to Wheal Martyn

Live music is coming back to St Austell on 6th and 7th August 2021 : after a year of making do with online performances, a brand new classical music festival, Nova, will host young musicians and live audiences in the real world, at the wonderful Wheal Martyn Museum in St Austell.

Joseph Barker, the artistic director and founder, has teamed up with fellow Cornish musicians, now in their first year at London and Birmingham conservatoires, to bring a fantastic, varied programme over two nights to entertain locals and holiday-makers alike in this sometimes culturallyoverlooked area of Cornwall.

With pre-concert drinks and snacks on the pretty clematis-strewn terrace, and beautiful Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Mozart movements played by a variety of ensembles in the lovely glass entry area of the museum, it’s the perfect, chilled summer evening out; an antidote to everything we’ve been missing over this last dreadful year.

The festival is named Nova after the term for a new star, representing not only its aim to celebrate young musicians on the cusp of their careers, but also to give them performance experience, provide fresh concerts for local audiences and to encourage new musicians right from scratch, to encourage local kids to enjoy and get into music.

The festival plans to offer free workshops and interactive performances in St Austell town centre (with help from a Feast grant) for children who are beginning to learn their instruments or who don’t know they want to play an instrument yet! “I decided I wanted to play the cello when I was seven after Karen Frost invited a string quartet to come into our school to play for us at St Mewan. I don’t think I would have thought of it without that.” says Joseph “If we can offer that lightbulb moment to even just one child, it would all be worth it”. l

Go to www.novalclassicalfestival. com for more info and ticket sales: adults £15 in advance, under 25s £6

Gorgeous new vintage and sustainable clothing store delights Cornwall’s fashion enthusiasts

A new uniquely curated vintage and sustainable fashion hub in Cornwall is bringing the latest in environmentally friendly brands and stunning vintage clothing to the people of Cornwall.

With a store set to open this September, Love of Lemons is the creation of Bex Osman, who launched the business online after lockdown lifted earlier this year. The Store has received backing of Prince Charles and will be based at his estate of Nansledan. The store is set to boast one-of-a-kind finds handpicked by Bex herself. Her motto, ‘Rework. Restyle. Re-love,’ champions an aim to bring the old back to life alongside the new, all the while reducing the impact that the fashion industry has on the planet. On her upcoming store, Bex says, "I want to thank everyone who has backed my dream, supported me on my vintage journey and already become loyal customers. The response has been overwhelming and affirms everything I felt when dreaming about starting Love of Lemons. There's such a strong local community vibe in Nansledan of start-up businesses and established Cornish brands, I cannot wait to open my store there this September, so keep your eyes peeled! Let's do this together - enjoy shopping one-of-a-kind finds!" l

To find out more and keep up to date, check out the Love of Lemons website at www.loveoflemons.co.uk

Plymouth Pavilions Ice Rink re-opens after 15 months

Plymouth Pavilions have announced that the city’s beloved Ice Rink will reopen on Friday 27th August and it’s a double celebration as September marks an incredible milestone for the venue with its 30th birthday.

Between December and May part of the rink’s concourse was used for the Pavilions Vaccination Centre.

Shelby Natkaniec, Duty Ice Rink Manager, has been with the Ice Rink for 11 years, “I love the Ice Rink, we’re so grateful for the hard work that has gone into maintaining the business over the last year and thrilled to be getting back to work, implementing everything that needs to happen before we open the doors to our wonderful skaters and we are planning an exciting new timetable.”

There’s no doubt it’s the hard work of the team at the Pavilions that have made it possible, and staff and visitors alike are thrilled that the venue now has a date for its reopening. Eager fans will be able to follow the team’s progress behind the scenes setting up the rink after the longest closure in its history on their brand new Instagram account launched in celebration of the reopening at www.instagram.com/ppicerink heritage as a place in people’s hearts, the reopening of Pavilions Ice Rink will be welcome news for the community of visitors who have been unable to skate at the South West’s only permanent Ice Rink since March 2020.

For the latest news and updates about the rink you can visit www.plymouthice.co.uk and follow them on social media

facebook.com/PlymouthIceRink twitter.com/PlymIceRink

Once announced, tickets for the new timetable and gift vouchers will be available 24/7 from their box office provider The Ticket Store at www.theticketstore.co.uk. l

Battle Lines @ Annie Ovenden St Catherines Castle @ Mark Pearson

Sennen Cove Pillbox @ Mark Pearson Mengham Salterns @ Katherine Anteny

Concrete Castles: Britain’s War Defences of 1940

As part of a year-long programme of events telling the stories of Cornwall and the Second World War, Bodmin Keep is mounting an exciting new art exhibition entitled Concrete Castles: Britain’s War Defences of 1940.

The exhibition, which runs from 27th July to 4th December, explores Britain’s Second World War defence structures, especially pillboxes, that are found on the coast and in the landscape. Works by 30 artists will be on display, including sculpture, paintings and photography, celebrating these unsung structures that we so often ignore.

In reaction to the threat of invasion by Nazi Germany in the summer of 1940, Britain hastily constructed 89,000 pillboxes around the coast and across the countryside. While a few of the more impressive ones have been restored and are even tourist attractions, others are acknowledged through interpretive signage, and many have become ruinous and half-hidden by encroaching nature. Concrete Castles celebrates these small but iconic buildings that were designed to protect Britain in time of war. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue including essays on the war artists who painted the subjects when new, why contemporary artists are now drawn to them, and a short history of Britain’s invasion scare in the summer of 1940.

“Concrete Castles brings exciting work by some brilliant artists from across the UK to Bodmin,” says Bodmin Keep’s Director, Mary Godwin, “We hope that the exhibition will attract new visitors with an interest in the visual Arts, as well as people who are fascinated by the Second World War story that has inspired them.”

There will also be an Illustrated talk by the Curator of the exhibition, Tim Craven, at 7pm on Friday 24th September and a talk by some of the contributing artists at 7pm on Friday 22nd October. l

Admission to the exhibition is included in the museum’s usual ticket price. For further information and opening hours please visit the museum’s website www.bodminkeep.org or call 01208 72810.

The exhibition has been made possible thanks to the Arts Council England’s National Portfolio programme and Cornwall Museums Partnership.

St Ives September Festival returns for 2021

After its cancellation in 2020, the St Ives September Festival is back for 2021!

Running from the 11th to the 25th of September, the famous arts themed festival is returning for two weeks’ worth of music, art and performance and whilst some aspects of the festival are set to be a little different, locals and visitors are still in for an extravaganza of creativity in this historic town.

Several acts are already confirmed for the festival, such as performance poet Bob Devereux, a St Ives September Festival original, who will be bringing his lunchtime poetry and music sessions back to Norway Square. Bob will also be holding two Big Frug nights at the St Ives Art Club, where chairman Stephen Litherland has a near full fortnight of evening entertainment booked in.

Also booked is the St Ives September Festival’s opening night return of madcap duo John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett to St Ives Theatre. Festival secretary Susan Thomas is taking over the running of this year’s Open Studios programme which sees many artists around the town inviting Festivalgoers into their studios, some of them not normally open to the public.

St Ives Rotary Club have confirmed they will be holding their popular charity sale of paintings, where the keenest buyers’ queue overnight to spot and snap up bargain donations from well-known artists who have only signed them on the back, on the middle Sunday of the Festival.

The decision to push back this year’s St Ives Food and Drink Festival on Porthminster beach until September 17 to 19 - the middle weekend of the September Festival – means that the two events will run alongside each other for the first time. l

To find out more about what will be taking place, including what you can get involved in, head to www.stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk

Cornwall Air Ambulance has been tasked to over 500 incidents in the first six months of the year.

The charity is preparing for a peak in missions over the summer period as more people take staycations in the county and social distancing measures are set to come to an end. The crew respond to an average of three incidents a day over the course of a year, but this can increase to over 10 during the busy summer season.

In the period from 1st January until 30th June, critical care paramedics were tasked to 280 trauma incidents, which included 85 road traffic collisions, 85 falls and 14 equestrian- related emergencies.

Crews responded to 232 medical incidents, including 135 cardiac-related emergencies.

Steve Murdoch, Interim Chief Executive for Cornwall Air Ambulance, said: “It looks like Cornwall will be exceptionally busy this summer, with more people than ever taking holidays at home. More visitors mean more traffic on the roads, more people on the beaches and exploring the coastline – which all increases the risk of incidents and the need for the helicopter service.

“This is the first summer we have been able to respond 19 hours a day on the helicopter, which is now a necessity to meet the ever-increasing demand for critical care by air.”

Cornwall Air Ambulance has continued to operate throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring the critical care team can respond to emergencies in someone’s moment of need.

The charity relies on donations to provide the service. For more information visit cornwallairambulancetrust.org l

Music line-up for St Ives Food Festival announced

As the St Ives Food Festival returns to the golden sands of Porthminster beach this September (17th – 19th), the team behind the coveted event have announced the music line-up.

Andy Quick, Freshly Squeezed, Cable Collective and Roustabouts will be taking to the stage to delight festival goers alongside local singer songwriter Bailey Tomkinson and Leed’s based band Howlin’ Ric & the Rocketeers.

Whilst the festival is free to attend during the day, tickets will need to be purchased to enjoy the event's evening music. Children are welcome and under 12s go free with no ticket required. Children aged 12 and over will need a ticket and all under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

With a daytime of foodie highlights from renowned chefs and pop-ups with plenty of demos and tastings, spend your day sampling the delights of Cornwall’s food scene before enjoying a night of authentic live music.

Wildflowers flourish on Cornwall’s urban roads

A new approach to verge cutting on some of Cornwall’s urban roads has seen native wildflowers flourish, drawing in insects and other wildlife.

The Council is responsible for maintaining over 75 hectares of urban verges across the Duchy. These are the verges you see within 30mph zones.

Previously, these sites were mown around eight times a year starting in spring. However, at the start of the pandemic, grounds maintenance operations on urban verges were held back which resulted in a flush of native wild flora, drawing in insects and other wildlife.

Over the winter, Cornwall Council carried out a public consultation asking residents how they wanted the verges managed moving forward. The survey saw over 2,000 responses which overwhelmingly suggested that residents wanted to see nature encouraged. As a result, Cornwall Council has introduced a new policy which aims to encourage wildflowers and pollinators to thrive, without compromising road safety. Verges will now be cut two or three times a year, instead of eight, and cuttings will take place after the flowers have finished blooming and seeds have been set.

The Council will still be tidying path edges, cutting around benches and fixtures, ensuring visibility for safety reasons, as well as removing noxious weeds. Cutting at junctions and bends on the highway will also continue to ensure roads remain safe and visibility is not compromised. l

16 TEN THINGS TO DO IN CORNWALL 18 OUT & ABOUT SPECIAL 20 DOG FRIENDLY CORNWALL 22 ADORE MY STORE 24 THE WANT LIST 26 DESIGN HUB 29 A DAY ON THE RAME PENINSULA 32 UNCOVER THE LAYERS OF CORNWALL 35 CELEBRATING CREATIVITY IN PORTHLEVEN