Probus News MAGAZINE
December 2019-January 2020 Issue No. 242
Your FREE Village Magazine
• Car & motorcycle MOTs • Servicing & repairs • • Vehicle diagnostics • Air conditioning service • • Tyres & braking • Vehicle sales • Performance remapping by Pendle Performance
Tel: 01872 520654 Email: service@collinsofprobus.co.uk Units 1-3, Tresillian Business Park, Probus, Truro TR2 4HF Visit us online at www.collinsofprobus.co.uk for more information 2
Christmas Draw Thank you to everyone that bought Christmas Draw tickets this year and a thank you to the volunteers who trudged the streets, knocking on doors, selling the tickets. Without the dedication of these kind volunteers, the draw would not be possible.
COMMUNITY NEWS AND NOTICES This year’s winners were:£200 J Burr – The Square £100 Ray Freeman – Probus £50 Derek Colton – Tresowger £50 Kathy McFarlane – Bosnoweth £25 John Cole – College Close £25 Shirley Boyce – Carne View
We raised nearly £1,700 which goes towards the costs of printing the magazine and helps ensure that we continue to deliver a magazine to every house in the village, free of charge, each month. As a matter of interest, our printing costs are in the region of £1,000 per month.
Congratulations to all the winners and once again, many thanks to everyone that helped, in whatever capacity. Terry Hodge Committee Member and Draw Promoter.
Should you have missed the opportunity to contribute in this way, donations to the magazine will be gratefully received and may be passed to me, or given to any committee member.
Front Cover: Probus Church in the snow by Roger Gluyas
Probus Exhibition Fund is now open for applications Are you a young person (11 to 25 years), resident in the parish of Probus, and attending a school, college or approved training establishment, or preparing to start a job, and in need of financial assistance (see website for qualifying conditions)? If so, you can apply for a grant for books, training, work-related clothing, tools of a trade, work-related travel, uniforms, professional fees (or other costs at the discretion of the trustees). Typical grant in range £200-300, maximum £500. Application forms can be downloaded from the website or ring Bob Egerton on 07785 748844 for a paper copy of the form. Applications must be received by 10 January 2020.
www.probusexhibition.org.uk 3
A-Z of Probus Clubs, Societies, Organisations and some useful contacts Acoustics Night (Comrades Club) Badminton Club Bees (swarms/issues/questions) Bowling Club
Tim Joyce Pauline Partridge Tony Paddock John Cobbold
Church Floodlighting Fund Churchwarden Comrades Club Cornwall Councillor Cycling – Probus Pedallers Dance Classes Children (4Real) Football - Saturday Club Probus Youth FC - Juniors Probus FC - Seniors (First Team) Probus FC - Seniors (Reserves)
Robert Dodd 01726 883408 robertjdodd@hotmail.com Neil Staten 01726 883699 neil.staten@live.co.uk Bryan Trebilcock 01726 882747 Bob Egerton 01726 884451 bobegerton@mac.com Dave Light 01726 882087 Angie Smith 07825234855 contactus4real@gmail.com Steve Flack 07956 049727 Please send updates to Nigel Schofield 07974 577876 orprobusnews@gmail.com edit Tony Paddock 07486 295414 Graham Smith 07968 478970 Laura Van Kemp01726 883109 skooch.vkw@googlemail.com en-Wilson Anthea Johnson or Verity Allen 01726 882745
Church Bell Ringers
Friends of Probus Church Friends of Probus Surgery Hawkins Arms Historic Cornwall Society
Kids Club Breakfast/after-school/ holiday club at Probus School
Knit & Natter Group Ladies Group Little Lights Live at Home Friendship Group Little Acorns Pre-School Martial Arts Group Memory Cafe Mid Cornwall Wood Turners Motion Fitness (Circuit training) Over 60s Luncheon Club Parish Players (Pantomime) Playing Field Mgmt Committee Parish Church Parish Council
Primary School Primary School PTA Probus Club of Probus The Roseland Academy U3A Roseland & District Village Hall Letting Secretary Wednesday Walking Group Yoga Young Farmers Other village
07412 126774 timstravels01@hotmail.com 01726 882649 07486 295414 01726 882495
Peter & Anne-Marie
01726 882208 hello@hawkinsarmsprobus.com
Vince Van Kempen-Wilson 01726 883019 vince.vkw@gmail.com Diane Gibbs
01726 882647
kidsclub@probusschool.org.uk
Eve Richards 01726 882657 or 07767 383982 Pat Gluyas 01726 882978 patgluyas68@btinternet.com Pam Cobbold 01726 882495 jplelissick@btinternet.com Tracy Beavill 01209 719062 camborne.liveathome@mha.org.uk Sarah Brown 01726 882647 Is your group missing? Chris Pearson 01726 883661 Let us know Jill Prisk 01726 884388 Richard Elliott 07980 449305 info@midcornwallturners.com Kay Middleditch 07812 380651 kay.louise81@icloud.com Zena 01726 882751 or Janet 01726 882927 Cathy Cadby 07860 755787 cathycadby@gmail.com Graham Smith 07968 478 970
Rev. Joachim Foot 01726 882218/07930 095687 rector@probusteam.com probuspc@gmail.com Amanda Kendall 01726 883614 www.probusparishcouncil.gov.uk Caroline Wood 01726 882647 secretary@probusschool.org.uk Naomi Buckland 01726 882647 Nick Hibbett 01726 883093 nick.hibbett@btinternet.com 01872 530675 www.theroseland.co.uk Terry Neil 01872 530196 Frank Fuller 07749 368162 probusvillagehallenquiries@gmail.com www.probusvillagehall.co.uk Terry Hodge or Tim Joyce 01726 884495 or 01726 884574 Tony Bathmaker
07854 999612 toneupwinddown@gmail.com
Tegan Arthur
07900 797750
pages: Probus Cornwall, Probus Super Mums!, Probus News Magazine, Probus Rocks 4
OTHER NOTICES
Viv and Verity’s fundraiser Due to the success of the cream tea event raising money for the Little Hearts Matter charity, we will be hosting Viv and Verity's Mince Pie and Mulled Wine Fundraising Afternoon on Saturday 14th December at 1 pm in Probus Village Hall. Pop along and get into the festive spirit and enjoy a homemade mince pie and mulled wine or cup of tea. We will be selling some knitted Christmas decorations, knitted hearts, a book stall and of course a raffle. Thanks for all your continued support. Viv Pyatt, 07868 708062.
Submissions deadlines 2020 The submissions deadline for articles, adverts, alterations and other items for the magazine is 5pm on the 10th of every month. Items submitted after the deadline are unlikely to be considered for publication. Edition
Copy Deadline (5pm)
Delivery from
January
No edition
February
Friday 10th January
Friday 31st January
March
Monday 10th February
Friday 28th February
April
Tuesday 10th March
Friday 27th March
May
Friday 10th April
Friday 1st May
Now available online
How to contact the magazine... By hand: Articles for Probus News can be left at Trudgian Farm Shop in Probus Square, or at Treviglas Cottage, Treviglas Lane, TR2 4LH. By e-mail: editorprobusnews@gmail.com
MANAGEMENT TEAM EDITOR: John Denyer
01726 884531 mob: 07824 555519 editorprobusnews@gmail.com
CHAIRMAN: Sheila Bing 01726 883400 sheila.bing@outlook.com
SECRETARY: Peter Clarke peteclarke1950@gmail.com 01726 884177
SUB EDITOR: David Meggs 01726 883443 minesaredwine@hotmail.com
TREASURER: Ryland Shephard 01726 884365 ryland.shephard@btinternet.com
ADVERTISING: Kaye Ludlow
07968 722430 advertisingprobusnews@gmail.com
DEPUTY TREASURER: Terry Hodge 01726 884495 tjhodge321@gmail.com
DELIVERY MANAGER: Tim Joyce 01726 884574 timstravels01@hotmail.com
Ian Tumilty
01726 883202 itumilty@btinternet.com
Probus News Magazine is available to read online via www.issuu.com/probusnews/
SOCIAL MEDIA: Vanessa McGill
Public notice
The inclusion of any article or advertisement in this magazine does not constitute any form of accreditation by the editor or management committee. They are unable to vouch for the professional qualifications, etc, of any advertiser. It is the advertiser’s responsibility to ensure conformity with the Trades Descriptions Act 1975, Business Advertisements Disclosure Order 1977 and the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Readers must satisfy themselves that an advertiser meets all their necessary requirements. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of their authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor or management committee. 5
PROOFREADERS: Marilyn Joyce Tania Williams and Teresa Hayhoe
Probus News is a non-profit making independent voluntary organisation. Your donations are always welcome. Printed by: Printout Ltd, Threemilestone
Accountants/Finance
Robert Larter 01872 500995 Wills & Bingley 01726 63344
Page
31
Vernon Keen 01872 520433
N & S Builders 01726 860736
45
Peter Donnelly 01872 531899
9
Home Inspection/Energy Assessors
37
Mobile Valeting
22 32
Room Fresh 07742 913105 Sparkling Gem 07720 907 640
M A Grigg 01726 65656 Digger Hire Phil Dymond 01726 883273
Paul Mulkeen 01726 882528 Collins of Probus 01872 520654 S J Grigg 01726 882330
Music Therapy
32
Painting & Decorating
22 31
Country Stores
D May & Son 01726 883838
Clive Butler 07837 208939
23
Cleaning Services
K T Mace Housekeeping 07837 202209
Emma Packer 07989 881248 L A Nolan & Son 01726 883004 R & S Property Services 01726 884614
M-Way 01726 883333 or 07779 028549
36
PC Doctor Dickson 01726 883748
8
Pet Food and Accessories
34
Plumbing and/or Heating
Fal Valley Pets 01726 883988 Paul Ashby Johnson 07717 712387 Andrew McMonagle 07534 999740
37 50
Chris Rogers 01326 270217
50
A R Woodcock 01872 580935
Roller Bathrooms 07443 493037
Electric Contractors/Home Security J K Electrical 07785 367734
Recall Electrical/Home Security 01726 839333 Roseland Electrical 07968 339408
24
36 2 52 30 30 44 44 44 45 37 34 30 45
Property Maintenance
9
Ren’s Carpentry & Property Maintenance 01726 883828
23
19
Alastaire Hambly Property Maintenance 01726 883789
34
48
Peter Woolcock 01726 882078
Fuel Supplies
Logs ’n’ Coal 01637 873074
30
Shaun Beresford 01726 882635
23
Estate Agent/Surveyor Philip Martin 01872 242244
35
PC & Network Support
Driving Instruction
Mike Marris 01726 883861
36
Motor Servicing, Sales & Repairs
Chimney Sweep
Soot & Sweep 07713 642519
9
Optician
Butcher and Farm Shop
Trudgian Farm Shop 01726 883946
Karina Lutey MCSP 01872 521080
9
Building Contractors
Craig Edwards 01726 860836
Page
Physiotherapy
Blinds/Awnings Hello Blinds 01726 860576
Lesley Stevens 01726 882688
35
Beauty, Nails and Massage Nicky Waters 01726 883305
Health
Chiropody/Reflexology
Funeral Directors
Ben Heather 07972 396137
48 45
Retirement Village
W J Beswetherick 01872 274021
22
The Cornish Funeral Company 01872 521172
31
L J Tregunna 01872 273568
51
Hairdressers
Roseland Parc 01372 383950
49
Stone Mason & Plant Hire Ed Faull 07855 602489
34
Taxi/Private Hire
Hair 4 U 01726 882888
23
Carlton Cars 07732 362353
Hair by Jen 07534 208936
32
TV Aerial & Satellite Services
Janey Paul 01726 337600
22
Hawkins Arms 01726 882208
7
Comrades Club 01726 882747
47
Shane Perry 01726 883655
35 49
Washing Machine Repairs Joe Pridmore 01872 270896
6
48
Do you have a problem? Why not contact one of your local Parish Councillors for advice or visit www.probusparishcouncil.gov.uk Kevin Blayney Nik Budden Steve Dalton Liza Deards James Faull Nick Gillard (chair) Ross Goldworthy Malcolm Maskill Bill Sutherland
Rosparc, Probus Gwell an Nans Ridgeway, Probus Holly Farm, Truck Hill Tresowgar Cottage Fore Street, Probus Gwell an Nans Lamellyn Vean Bosnoweth, Probus
01726 882877 07922 155600 01726 884080 07888 684425 07494 756249 01726 883926 07967 125526 01726 884368 01726 884007
There are currently two vacancies for parish councillors. Please contact the clerk or any of the above for details Remember, if you are not able to contact a particular councillor, then you may contact the Parish Council Clerk Amanda Kendall on 01726 883614 (email probuspc@gmail.com). Cornwall Councillor Bob Egerton on 01726 884451 or 07785 748844 can also be contacted for advice. 7
Come and visit us instore to see our new extended clothing department with a wide range of products! Not got time to pop in? Why not shop online! Open 7 days a week, including bank holidays!
WWW.MAGRIGG.CO.UK
for country, lifestyle & footwear
WWW.GRIGGSEQUESTRIAN.CO.UK for all your equestrian needs
Offering a large dining area and cosy sofa’s for a relaxed feel as well as the option to dine al fresco on our balcony while you enjoy some stunning rural views of the surrounding farmland.
Pendennis, Lower Sticker, St. Austell, PL26 7JH 01726 65656 online@magrigg.co.uk
8
BLINDS & AWNINGS Made to Measure Blinds including Venetians, Verticals, Roller and Roman in a variety of materials and colours
We also supply and fit Luxaflex Awnings
Vernon Keen
Telephone 01872 520433 Mobile 07717 833658 Geen Mill House, Probus, Truro. TR2 4HX 9
Probus News AGM
The Shrine
This is my fifth Annual Report as Chair of Probus News. I am indebted to all those who have assisted in the production of what I believe to be an excellent magazine, one of which we can all be very proud.
Probus Parish Council recently commissioned a craftsman to repair fittings and replace the two wooden doors to the Shrine that can be found on the gable end of Church Cottages by the cobbles. The Shrine was originally created in 1918 as a memorial to all those young men from Probus that served and survived the First World War.
Many people are involved in producing and delivering 11 editions of this magazine yearly to every household in the village, completely free. A huge thank you must go to the committee for their hard work and dedication in producing this high-quality magazine every month. Probus is extremely fortunate in having such a committed group of people who work as a great team. We owe a big thank you to the small army of deliverers and their deputies who deliver the magazine to every household, come rain or shine. A thank you must also go to the dedicated proof-readers who do a sterling job in making sure our magazine goes out correctly. Huge thanks also goes to our loyal advertisers without whose support the magazine would not be financially viable. We also thank the Parish Council for their welcomed grant.
Over the years there have been several refurbishments including replacing the thatch with tiles, strengthening the oak frame and replacing the crucifix. The original doors were vandalised beyond repair about 15 years ago and have been missing since. The new doors, listing those WW1 survivors, were rededicated by Rev. Brian McQuillen on 10th November as part of the Remembrance service.
It takes time and effort to fill the magazine with relevant and interesting content each month. We are very grateful to those people who take the time to send in their monthly reports, contribute by writing regular or one-off articles, and send in photographs. Our Editor is always pleased to receive your letters. I look forward to the next year and the continued success of our excellent magazine. Sheila Bing 10
Probus Book Club
portrait of himself and his beautiful young wife Sophia. The painting is set in the fine house that is home to the couple and their loyal maid, Maria. Included in the portrait is a vase of prized tulips.’ The story then begins as Sophia and Jan fall in love and chaos results. Each character is caught up in
We had a very lively meeting of the Probus Book Club this month, probably because we are all getting to know each other by now, and David, our only male member, continues to delight us with his very insightful and unexpected comments. We also have a new member to the group which now totals 11 altogether. Unfortunately, we cannot now accommodate any new members as the group would be too large to comfortably fit into my lounge. If there is anyone in Probus who would like to set up a second reading group, I would gladly advise them on how to go about it. My telephone number is 01726 883318. This month we read the book Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach which two of our members had read 11 years before, when a previous Probus Book Club was in existence. In 2008, Sheila Bing wrote a review in the Probus News and as she did such an excellent summary, I will refer to this at times. The title is a bit deceptive as it does not really deal in depth with the tulip mania that occurred in Amsterdam in the 17th century, but the story of love, lust, greed and deception has this mania woven into it. At the same period in history, fine art in Holland ‘reached a high point where paintings were valued as much for their reflection of this successful, independent and thriving society as for the exquisite skill with which the painter could convey every detail.’ This is why the author has interspersed the book with reproductions of Dutch masters, paintings that can be used to help illustrate the story. ‘Cornelis, an elderly successful merchant, commissions the young painter Jan to paint a
a frenzied chain of events. ‘The young artist falls in love, the mistress of the house passes herself off as a maid, the maid bears a child passed off as that of the mistress’s. A lover is deceived by a disguise and is beguiled into losing his savings, a husband is deceived by a coffin filled with stones, a manservant mistakes a tulip bulb for an onion.’ It is a very fast paced book, not a relaxing read, with short chapters and the conclusion is dramatic. Some of the group thought that it was a bit too frenetic. Liz Horder with quotes from Sheila Bing 11
Letters to the Editor
publicised!) a school, pub and many wonderful places to eat. All of these services are supported by young families. We need fresh blood and not whinging old NIMBYS whose ‘I’m alright Jack’ attitude sadly contributes to the housing crisis that Cornwall finds itself in.
Dear Editor, I am writing in response to your somewhat biased article in last month’s Probus News about the public consultation event around the second phase of the Wainhomes estate. Along with the letter to the editor admonishing people for not voting for a Probus Neighbourhood Plan, it gives the distinct impression that Probus is ‘closed for business’! Looking at the sea of grey hair and middle-aged faces in the photo from the event, I would be willing to bet that 9 out of 10 people at the consultation event were aged 50+, adequately housed in their mortgage-free £300k+ houses, that were once the site of green fields (as much of the development in Probus over the last 50 years will have been), and benefited from historically low house prices on purchase. How wonderful for them to ‘do their bit’ and try and prevent Probus from providing any more housing for local families who may work locally and support the many wonderful facilities Probus benefits from as a booming village.
Image: Fifty shades of grey at the PACE meeting?
Incidentally, several council and Wainhomes representatives were approached by younger people at the event who were asking about how they put their names down for the housing. How about you run an article from someone with a different perspective? Mr A. Smith Bosnoweth
I agree that access along Tregony Road is poor however I think a lot of this is actually to do with the Doctors Surgery which has greatly increased its services in the last couple of years - don’t blame it all on housing!
Editor: Many thanks for your letter Mr Smith. I appreciate you taking the time to write in and articulate your viewpoints. I regularly appeal for contributions for the magazine, so if you’d like to write the article you refer to (perhaps setting your vision of Probus in 2030, 40 or 50?), I’d be very happy to consider for publication. Please get in contact with me.
Probus is a great location for expansion. It is close to the employment centres of Truro and St. Austell, has brilliant public transport with buses running frequently, a recently improved play park and astro pitch (provided off the back of developer financial contributions, not that you’d know as it isn’t widely
Dear Editor, On my round of College Close to sell Probus News Christmas Draw tickets, I met Kate Woolven. Our conversation centred around buying the draw tickets and our lovely village. She told me that she had used the Probus News to invite residents of 12
the village to come to a demonstration in the use of the defibrillators which are situated outside the garage and the surgery. There is enough money, she told me, for another defibrillator for the middle of the village. Only three people turned up for this demonstration and I am sorry to say I wasn’t one of them. There are over 3000 people living in our village, a poor show don’t you think? I have looked at the box and know you have to ring 999 to get a code to open it but don’t know how to use it.
competition was played as a team event with teams of three or four. The winning team, with a score of one under par, was the team of Curtis Newberry, Graham Bishop, Joe Manders and Alan Pearce (pictured with the trophy).
We, as a village need to go to the next demonstration Kate organises. How would you feel if someone collapsed and you did not have the knowledge to use this apparatus to try and save them? If people at least know how this works then surely it’s better than standing by doing nothing?
Second, on level par, was the team of Martin Bishop, Jer Pascoe and Gary Champion. Third was the team of Colin Richards, James Noble, Andy Stott and Roger Puckey. Also pictured are the losing team with their prizes Mark Carveth, Harry Lobb, Mark Bishop and Ian Poore.
Janice Lee The Green Dear Editor, I just wanted to congratulate you on a great magazine this month. Thanks to everyone for their hard work in the ongoing development of the best village magazine ever! Best wishes Ann Staten
More letters on page 18
Comrades Golf Day at Newquay
The longest drive prize went to Martin Bishop and Andy Stott won the nearest the pin. Refreshments were provided at the Golf Club and celebrations continued with an evening in Newquay.
In testing conditions on 18th October, 29 golfers from the Comrades Club contested the Probus Fourplay Trophy at Newquay Golf Course. Gale force winds with heavy showers, some containing hail, made this a really tough challenge. The
Thanks to everyone who turned up despite the weather. Thanks also to the Golf Club and Colin and Martin for organising the event and the transport. 13
A message from Rev. Linda
God’s never ending love that encompasses us in every moment. May you each receive the blessing you need as we journey through December. Linda
December is a time when, for most of us, our thoughts begin to turn to the Christmas season. The 1st December is the first Sunday of the Christian Year, a time we call Advent. Season by season, the Christian year invites us to travel through the circle of stories, traditions, rituals, and memories that help us know who we are as the people of God.
Probus Church diary December Services Sunday 1st 9:30 am Connect 11 am Holy Communion Sunday 8th 9:30 am Holy Communion with Sunday Club Sunday 15th 9:30 am Holy Communion with Sunday Club Wedneday 18th 6 pm Carols on the Cobbles Saturday 21st 4 pm Christingle Service Sunday 22nd 9:30 am Family Service 11 am Said Holy Communion 6 pm Carol Service Tuesday 24th 11 pm Midnight Mass Wednesday 25th 9 am Holy Communion 10 am Family Service Sunday 29th 9:30 am Cafe Church 11 am Team Service at Creed
One of the great images we use in the Advent season is the Advent wreath. The wreath is a circle and it represents God’s love for us, it has no beginning and no end. It has a lot of symbolism to it, with the coloured candles marking the different Sundays leading to Christmas. Each Sunday, as we light a candle, we hear a little about the characters and get to know what Christmas is all about, right from the beginning. This celebration of the first coming of Christ is not a memorial of a thing past and gone, but preparation for what is to come. It is a time of hopeful anticipation during which many will be planning celebrations, and many, sadly, will be struggling with losses and difficulties that will make this season hard.
January Services Sunday 5th 9:30 am Connect 11 am Holy Communion Sunday 12th 9:30 am Holy Communion with Sunday Club Sunday 19th 9:30 am Holy Communion with Sunday Club Sunday 26th 9:30 am Family Service
Whatever this season holds for you, take a look at an Advent wreath and note that it is a circle of light. Within that circle we join with all of creation, past, present, and future. We celebrate together, we mourn together; we live together through the highs and lows of life within an invisible circle of 14
Other events: December Thursday 5th 1:45 pm Little Lights Thursday 12th 1:45 pm Tower Tots Saturday 14th 4 pm Messy Church Thursday 19th 1:45 pm End of Term Nativity
The Robin…Britain’s favourite bird
January Thursday 16th 1:45 pm Little Lights Thursday 9th, 23rd and 30th 1:45 pm Tower Tots Every Tuesday 10 am Said Communion in the Lady Chapel 10:30 am -12 noon coffee morning Every Friday (During Term Time) 9 am - 10:30 am coffee morning
Christmas Fayre Thanks to all who attended Probus Church’s Christmas Fayre raising the incredible sum of £1,923.52. A good time was had by all.
Robins are one of the commonest birds in Britain. They are a bird of woodland and glades, a habitat almost perfectly replicated by millions of gardens, of all shapes and sizes, the length and breadth of the country. It follows then that we are very familiar with them. On the continent however the relationship between man and robin is very different and British birdwatchers on foreign trips are surprised by how hard they are to find, confined normally to woods and hedgerows. Here, of course, they adorn countless Christmas cards every year. Why robins? Well, the answer is in the colour of every Royal Mail van. Red. In Victorian times the uniform of postal workers was red and they had the nick-name ‘robins’. They, of course, delivered Christmas cards and a few clever artists started putting a real robin on a card, some even carrying an envelope in its beak. This association with Christmas was clearly popular and it has stuck to the present day. Strangely, a card usually depicts a robin in a setting of thick snow, which for the robin would be decidedly harsh but cute to look at for us! Continued on page 16 15
From previous page
is a way to mark their territorial boundaries. Woe betide a rival robin who enters as any illusion that they are a ‘bird of peace’, such as on the Christmas card, is quickly dispelled in the mayhem of fighting that will ensue. In winter a rival doesn’t just mean another male. Females are unwanted too, as the winter territory is defended as a food resource for that single bird and no other.
It was thought for decades that robins belonged to the thrush family. Modern DNA analysis has proven this wrong and now they are placed in the family of Old World Flycatchers. From a birdwatcher’s point of view this is much posher as most of us would far sooner see a type of flycatcher than a thrush!
Come spring of course and the mechanics of mating require there to be another bird of the opposite sex around and this is the only time when that happens. The sites chosen by robins for their nest are many. A shelf in a garden shed, inside a pile of old tyres, inside a greenhouse that has a broken pane of glass or a hole in a stone wall, even wood piles. Anywhere that offers a dry, safe nest. Tragically, many in suburban areas fall prey to cats and magpies can be seen actively searching bushes in a garden, looking for unguarded robin and blackbird nests.
Weirdly though, the name robin red-breast persists but the breast isn’t red at all, (except on the worst Christmas cards), it’s orange. It’s that colour for a reason too. Not for wooing a female, as she has the same colour breast, but for threatening others. Robins are highly territorial and it will defend it’s breeding territory from about February. In winter it defends a much smaller area. They sing different songs in spring, summer and winter. The winter one is particularly weak and almost mournful and as soon as it is heard you know the season is changing. They also sing at night in areas with street lights. This gives rise to the many erroneous claims of hearing a nightingale, just because it is dark. This singing
Young robins just out of the nest have no orange on them. If they did they would be driven away. They are small dumpy little birds with a heavily speckled chest. Robins have a clever way of limiting losses of babies at this most vulnerable stage. They spread them out, one under this bush, another over there, another behind that bush and so on. In this way, if a predator finds and takes one, it hasn’t found them all. People become concerned if they find a baby robin seemingly ‘abandoned’. It isn’t, it’s been hidden on its own for a reason and needs to be left where it is. Mum and Dad know it’s exact location and will bring food to it and all the others until they are independent. Roger Hooper, Cornwall RSPB Local Group Images: Courtesy of RSPB-images 16
Williams of Probus
Fast forward ten years and the 1891 census records just three members of the Williams family all living at number 3, St Austell Road, Probus in what was by then also called The Wine Store.
In the October edition of this magazine we featured a photo of a stoneware bottle marked Williams Wine and Spirit Merchants of Probus. This bottle is dated circa 1870 and we asked if anyone knew where in Probus this merchant was located.
Head of household was Elizabeth Williams aged 58, a widow, Spirit Merchant. Ada Williams, daughter, aged 23, spinster, barmaid. Alfred Williams aged 18, bachelor, Spirit Merchant. Mary Williams aged 23, servant.
Pam Dodd found the Williams family listed in the 1881 census. For anyone interested in similar research, this is available online via the Cornwall Online Census Project.
So we can tell that between 1881 and 1891, Thomas Williams died and Elizabeth and Alfred continued the family business. It’s unclear if Ada was working in the family business too or elsewhere. It's also interesting to note that Ada and Mary are the same age and have the same last name, but only Ada is listed as a daughter.
The 1881 census detailed the following residents of an unnumbered property on St Austell Road.
Pictured below is another beer bottle, dated circa 1900, with Alfred Williams, Wine Merchant from Probus stamped on it. So by then Alfred had clearly taken over the family business.
Thomas Williams, Head of Household aged 49, Wine and Spirit Merchant from St Columb, Cornwall. Elizabeth Williams, Wife, aged 47 from St Columb, Cornwall. Ada E. Williams, Daughter, aged 12, Scholar, from St Eval, Cornwall. Alfred W.D. Williams, Son, aged 8, Scholar, from Probus, Cornwall. Mary Jane May, a Servant, Spinster, aged 22, General Servant, from St Columb Cornwall. Maria Darke, a visitor, Spinster, aged 57, formerly Matron, from St Columb, Cornwall.
If any of our readers have further information about the Williams family of Probus, or early photos of the houses in St Austell Road, please contact the Editor.
17
Letters continued
dington or wherever; quite remarkable - a walking timetable one might say.
Dear Editor,
Renfree L C Stephens
My memory was nudged after I read “I remember when ...........” , the very interesting snippet relating to Dr and Mrs Eastcott in the October edition of Probus News.
Below, two photographs at a Tregarden tennis party between the wars. Top: Percy Stephens second left front row (white shirt), Edwin Eastcott standing at the rear on the left. Bottom: From L to R :- Percy Stephens, ?, Edwin Eastcott, ? , Richard Varcoe, Eva Varcoe (remainder unknown).
Dr Edwin Eastcott was my GP along with Dr Stewart (who delivered me) and later Dr Eastcott lanced a boil on my hand when I was a small boy. The surgery was carried out in his house situated on the Ladock Road. I still have the scar to prove the moment! My father Percy was a friend of Dr Eastcott and regularly played tennis with him at Tregarden, St Austell which is now the Arts Club on Truro Road. Father’s sister Eva lived at Tregarden with her husband Richard Varcoe who owned a clay company. Dad told me that Edwin was quite a character. One of Edwin’s impish traits would be to cease playing immediately when he heard a train passing over the viaduct and then announce with the exact time that it was the so-and-so train from Pad18
19
Probus Parish Council meeting update
the public to tackle dog fouling. There were only two reports of dog fouling in Probus Parish in the four years to 31 March 2019.
The Parish Council met on 18th November, writes David Meggs.
Reports can be made in writing or using the online form at www.cornwall.gov.uk website. Please use the process to report what you see – it takes less than five minutes. Just knowing where and when you saw the poo is a good start!
The Planning Committee reviewed three planning applications which were all supported with one having a condition attached. A fourth application on the Industrial Park was also supported.
Cornwall Council would be in a better position to take action if you could provide full details of what happened including what you witnessed, description/identity of the dog/owner and as much other information as possible, perhaps a vehicle registration number. But any details are better than none!
In the main council meeting, the police report said that three residents had volunteered to join the Speed Watch and will receive training in January. A fourth person also volunteered who had already completed training.
You may be asked to provide a witness statement but will be given help with this. If enough evidence is supplied a fixed penalty for £100 will be issued. If the fixed penalty is not paid, it is possible that you would be asked to attend court where the owner can be fined a maximum of £1000. We need to keep our village clean, but everyone must play their part in achieving this goal.
Other items discussed included the Post Office operating from the village hall on Tuesdays and Fridays 2 pm - 4 pm. On days when the village hall is not available it will move to Time Too Café. Cornwall Councillor Bob Egerton also gave his report with local issues being Wainhomes Phase 2, Probus Exhibition Fund and obstruction of a footpath. The precept for 2020-21 was agreed at £50,702.11.
Ross Goldsworthy Parish Councillor
Dog fouling
Weed control scheme
There are still dog owners in the village who don’t have the decency to clear up after their pets. Dog bins are provided around the village but please remember that dog poo bags can also be put in any village litter bin or taken home to put in your black bag or bin.
As part of Cornwall Council’s Environmental Growth strategy there is a commitment at Parish Council levels to reduce the use of glyphosphates in the control of weeds on roads and pavements.
Cornwall Council say that they rely on help from
Earlier this year, members of the Parish Council attended an Alternatives to Pesticide workshop which was organised by Cornwall Council as part 20
of their Environmental Growth strategy. The event showed how the toxic chemicals used to spray the weeds on our roads and pavements every year are eventually washed by rain into the drainage systems and end up in the local streams and rivers causing damage to the wildlife there.
This would need to be a long-term commitment by those people who would wish to be involved in this initiative rather than a one-off exercise. Feed-back from several residents involved in bulb planting this year regarding this proposed new approach as very positive. They have described how being able to make a difference to the environment, however small, means a lot to them, and the bonus of seeing even more beautiful plants and flowers gracing our village would make it very worthwhile.
The workshop described how machines using non-toxic hot foam or scrubbers could be used to remove the weeds instead of using weed killer/ glyphosphates. These machines are a considerable expense to buy and operate and not a viable option for Parish Councils due to the economy of scale involved. If the Parish Council could establish a contract for this sort of service, the cost will be considerably higher (in excess of ÂŁ1000 pa) than the current arrangements.
If you are interested in being involved in this initiative, please contact Liza Deards at lizadeards@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk (or phone 07888 684425) or Steve Dalton by email at stevedalton@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk (or phone 07813 995206).
The current weed spraying service is discretionary and funded as such by the Parish Council. The annual cost incurred for spraying with glyphosphate is around ÂŁ150 plus labour. The roads and pavements in Probus are sprayed twice each year.
Probus Pantomime Volunteers are needed to ensure the pantomime in February runs smoothly. We need a backstage crew of at least six members for each show, front of house people, follow-spot operators as well as various other helpers. No experience is necessary for any role - just a willingness to get stuck in. If you can help, please contact the Probus Parish Players Secretary. Contact details on page 4.
Following the very successful community bulb planting exercise that was reported in the November Probus News, the Parish Council is considering an alternative to the current regime for weed control, if there is sufficient interest from Probus residents.
Jane Fletcher
If teams of residents could be organised to perform this weeding twice each year using hand tools, then no spraying with the weed killer would be needed. In return, the Parish Council could re-allocate the money saved to be available for more bulbs, or any other plants, to be purchased according to the wishes of those volunteers.
We are sad to report that Jane Fletcher passed away on 31st October 2019 aged 70. Jane and her husband Peter were married in Probus Church. She was Headteacher of Gerrans School, Chair of the Cornwall Music Festival and known to many in the village. A celebration of Jane's life took place on 25th November at Gerrans Church. 21
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Village Show What do St Erme, Tregony, Veryan, St Stephen, St Ewe and many other villages have that Probus doesn’t have? The answer is a village garden and craft show. These events are a great way for local people to compete with others by exhibiting their vegetables, fruit and flowers, or handicrafts, artwork and baking. Also, by including children's classes, they are an excellent way to encourage young people to learn new skills which they may not have exposure to otherwise. And no village show would be complete without a tea and cakes! But starting a show from scratch is no easy task. What classes do we have in the first show? How do we pay for the village hall? Will we have enough tables? Who would organise the catering? How do we recruit volunteers to assist on the day of the show? And even if we could successfully organise all these things, and many more besides, would enough people be interested to attend? An initial committee comprising Steve Dalton, Sam Shearing and Teresa Hayhoe has been formed to look into the feasibility of holding a trial show in 2020 at the village hall. They will investigate potential funding, determine the best day for the show, and produce a draft list of potential entries for the various competition classes for the trial show. Once their initial work is complete, they will provide an update for Probus News and look into arranging a public meeting to discuss next steps. If you have any questions about this, please have a chat to any of the committee, or contact Steve on 01726 884080 or by email at stevedalton166@ btinternet.com.
24
Used postage stamps
with neighbours to set up their own children’s street parties. If you are interested in doing something for your street, get in touch.
Jean Paton is collecting postage stamps for the Bone Cancer Research Trust. Any undamaged British decimal, British pre-decimal and foreign stamps, as well as gold or white postage labels are suitable.
A bugler playing the Last Post & Reveille. A piper playing two laments. A ‘Nation’s Toast’ to the heroes of World War 2. Ringing out for Peace from Probus Church.
Please save envelopes or parts of envelopes, packages and postcards, and place in the collection box at Trudgian Farm Shop, or deliver by hand to Fair Rising, Wagg Lane, TR2 4JX.
Saturday 9th May 2020 A 1940’s live swing trio and entertainment in Probus Village Hall. This will be an evening event, and an opportunity to dress up 40s style and get your dancing shoes on. This will be a ticketed/paid for event with a licensed bar (non-profit, to cover costs).
VE Day 75 update VE Day 75 in May 2020 is a three-day national and international event to celebrate and commemorate the end of World War 2 in Europe.
WW2 Exhibition in Probus Church Similar to the WW1 exhibition held in November 2018 (that over 500 people visited) but with focus on WW2. Our researchers are seeking photographs, stories, memories and records of Probus during this period. If you can help, please get in touch.
The small committee formed to organise village events has met regularly over the past few months.
Village Fete - We’d love to put on a village fete with traditional stalls and games but will need a lot of support from village organisations, groups, teams etc. to help organise it. Again, if you can help, please get in touch.
So far, we have two events confirmed with a few more events at ‘semi-firm’ stage and other ideas still at the feasibility stage.
Other ideas being considered: Re-enactment, living history display, cavalcade/street parade, village peace circle and lighting the beacon.
Friday 8th May 2020 (rescheduled Bank Holiday) Tea Dance and singalong - This will be held in Probus Village Hall and will be an afternoon event, aimed at older residents. Join for a fun few hours, dancing to 1940s classics as well as a singalong with local musicians. This will be a ticketed but free event.
There is a lot still to do, and volunteers are still needed to join the committee or help out with specific events. If you would like to know more, to volunteer or have other ideas, please contact the Editor or email probusveday75@gmail.com. More info on the official website www.veday75.org
Street Parties - The committee is keen to encourage groups of residents to join together 25
The Roseland Academy
Probus Ladies Group The speaker for the November meeting was Greg accompanied by his wife Joyce. Greg is a retired vicar whose last ministry was in Devon but who now resides in Probus. His previous occupations were varied and included Steam Trains, Ambulance Service and Chaplain in the coal mines. Greg related his time at Cannock Chase Colliery as Chaplain which was the first of his religious duties. We hope they both enjoy living in Probus.
Probus Ladies Group
The Department for Education School Performance Tables for 2019 have been published and we are delighted to announce that The Roseland Academy is the top performing comprehensive school in the South West. The Roseland Academy achieved the 53rd highest performance score (dense rank) out of 6,489 schools nationally, outperforming many selective institutions in the process and building on the continued success of the past two years.
The year 2020 begins with an illustrated talk by Julie Elvin entitled Wiltshire Farm Foods on Wednesday 8th January at 2:30 pm in Probus Village Hall. Visitors and new members always welcome. For more information contact Pat on 01726 882978 .
Our Year 7 and 8 students were recently invited to take part in our annual British Aerospace Engineering Workshop. The show for this year focussed on themes of communication technology, programming and online security - aiming to encourage students to engage with all the STEM subjects. The roadshow was devised in response to the Government’s acknowledgement that there is already a shortfall of ‘home grown’ scientists and engineers to meet the needs of the country and by capturing the interest of young people aged 10 – 13, we can hopefully increase the numbers that take STEM subjects and ultimately increase the pool of talent in years to come.
Nice one Tom Well done to 12 year old Tom Cope, who shaved his head in August raising £414.34 for Cornwall Hospice Care. He did it in memory of his Grandad Sonny Keogh who died at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in 2017. Sonny was a member of the Comrades Club where the shave took place with hairdresser Tammie Moore doing the honours. Tom visited Mount Edgcumbe Hospice on what would have been his Grandad’s 76th birthday to present his cheque.
Students were introduced to the science behind mobile phones, Bluetooth, radar and infra-red sensing, gaining an insight into how some of these technologies are applied both at home and in the workplace. They also took part in a series of fun and fascinating activities that showed how maths is applicable in everyday life. 26
Memory of a Christmas Past
were sleeping when, in the early hours of Boxing Day morning, a voice came over the intercom, “This is the Captain speaking.” There was a hush of expectation on all decks. “We have just received news from Norway that the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst has sailed from Altenfiord, apparently on a course to intercept and attack the convoy.” For most of us this heralded the prospect of our first engagement with the enemy. All hearts beat a little faster. Belfast gave a shudder and a deep rumble indicating that she was increasing speed. Swinging to port she set a course to put the cruisers between the enemy force and the convoy.
The following first-hand account was given to Mike and Tess Bowen almost 40 years ago by their friend and neighbour, Reg Dean, a retired WW2 era Royal Navy officer. ‘It was the approach of another Christmas and a telephone conversation with my daughter which led my thoughts back to a Christmas 36 years ago. She had recently taken some pupils to see the warship HMS Belfast anchored in the river Thames near Tower Bridge, and she was ‘rather tickled’ to see my signature as officer of the watch on an old entry in the ship’s log dated 26th December 1943.
350 miles away to the west, the Commander in Chief Admiral Fraser, in the battleship Duke of York, with the cruiser Jamaica and four destroyers, also received the message from Norway and immediately set course eastwards towards the convoy. The relative positions caused Admiral Fraser some doubt as to whether he could intercept the German force in time. Huge waves whipped up by a force 8 gale from the south west put the destroyers in danger of broaching to and at times the battleship seemed partially submerged like a huge submarine as she tried to maintain a speed of 24 knots. In desperation, he decided to risk detection and break radio silence. He radioed the convoy to alter course to the north. A U boat shadowing the convoy reported the alteration of the convoy’s course to the Scharnhorst. She altered course accordingly and flashed a signal to her destroyers but in the foul weather conditions they never received it. Through this error, Scharnhorst lost her escort and never regained it.
Early in the morning of that day began the last act of a drama which reached its awful climax at 7:45 pm that night. Surrounded by warships of the British Home Fleet and pin pointed by their radar scanners, the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst was battered by gun and torpedo fire until she became visible in the Arctic night as a dull red glow and finally sank beneath the icy waves with almost all of her 1800 crew. On Christmas night, cruising at 17 knots in line abreast, in stormy Arctic seas west of Bear Island, was the British 10th Cruiser Squadron under Admiral Burnett in HMS Belfast together with HMS Norfolk and HMS Sheffield. Some 200 miles to the east, a convoy of 18 heavily laden merchant ships closely escorted by destroyers and minesweepers, was heading towards Northern Russia at 8 knots with valuable war equipment for the Russian forces.
Around 8:30 am, the 10th Cruiser Squadron with all radar sets eagerly scanning the Arctic gloom picked up the echo of a large ship 20 miles to the south. When the range closed to around 7 miles it
In heavy seas, few of the off-watch crew in Belfast 27
became clear from its great size that the target was the Scharnhorst and all three cruisers opened fire with their main armament. Scharnhorst promptly turned away firing a few ineffectual salvoes from her rear turret. Admiral Burnett decided not to chase her but to turn back towards the convoy. In fact Scharnhorst, moving at high speed then circled out of range opting to attack the convoy from a different direction. Three hours later, when the cruisers were in close company with the convoy, their radar again detected a large ship approaching from the north east. Belfast fired star shells towards the radar echo and illuminated the approaching German battlecruiser. The three cruisers turned to line ahead bringing all guns to bear on the starboard beam and broadsides crashed out with a deafening roar. Norfolk unfortunately was not equipped with fleshless cordite and the German gunners were able to range accurately on to the flashes from her 8 inch guns. Norfolk was soon hit by several of Scharnhorst’s 11 inch shells and X turret was put out of action. The battle lasted nearly an hour with Norfolk receiving most of Scharnhorst’s fire but leaving the convoy undamaged. Suddenly the Scharnhorst broke off the action and
the battlecruiser. I recall the hasty conference between Admiral Burnett and Captain Parham which immediately followed on the bridge of HMS
Belfast. It was decided to leave the convoy and give chase. There followed a grim struggle to keep contact with the Scharnhorst whose 160,000 horse power engines were sending her crashing through the heavy seas at 30 knots. Norfolk was forced to drop back to fight fires on board. Sheffield, using full power to keep up, eventually stripped one of her propeller shaft bearings and she too dropped behind. For a while Belfast fired salvoes from her forward turrets but although the engine room used her 80,000 horse power to the limit, she could not better 28 knots and was soon out of gun range and taking severe damage from huge waves which smashed her boats and guard rails. Our hopes then relied on the battleship Duke of York which, unknown to the Scharnhorst, was approaching at maximum possible speed from the west. The atmosphere in Belfast’s Operations room was extremely tense as the tracks of the three ships were plotted showing at one time that Duke of York might fail to intercept. Scharnhorst was no longer visible from the bridge of Belfast but was held in radar contact at a range which was relentlessly increasing towards the radar
turned south acting, as we learned later, under orders from Hitler not to risk serious damage to 28
set’s limit of around 20 miles as Scharnhorst continued to smash her way through the waves at a higher speed. At intervals, Belfast radioed the position, course and speed of Scharnhorst. Duke of York and her accompanying destroyers picked up the messages and adjusted their interception course accordingly. At 4 pm with intense relief, we detected the Duke of York ideally placed to cut off the Scharnhorst’s retreat. At the same time the Duke of York’s radar pinpointed the enemy target and her armament of ten 14-inch and 16 5.25-inch guns came to the ready.
Admiral Fraser, “Finish her off with torpedoes.” Belfast fired a salvo of star shells and steamed in on the last radar bearing, torpedo tubes loaded but the great battlecruiser, 770 feet in length and 39,000 tons in weight, had disappeared leaving a mass of smoking oil, debris and bodies. At once our destroyers moved in with search lights piercing the darkness to pick up the very few survivors. Then the deafening gunfire still ringing in our ears began to fade and there was a deathly silence all around Belfast, even the wind and sea seemed hushed. Then the satisfaction of a victory in a just war became tempered with sadness at the destruction of a beautiful warship but above all there came to many an agony born of the brotherhood which all sailors feel for each other in times of disaster. Not a few eyes were moist with emotion as pictures came fully to mind of the hell in which almost all her 1800 crew must have perished. Not a few prayed then to God for a speedy end to the war and, fervently, that never again might man be obliged to turn to such brutal killing to settle disputes.’
The final battle began when the Duke of York hidden in pitch darkness illuminated Scharnhorst with star shells. Then turning beam on, the Duke of York released a broadside of 14-inch shells at 7 miles range. This was the first indication to the crew of Scharnhorst that a heavy warships was near and one can image the shock and apprehension that ran through the ship. The British warships then turned bows on the enemy to comb the tracks of any torpedoes Scharnhorst might well have fired blind into the night in retaliation. Belfast then began firing at extreme range from forward turrets. Duke of York scored several hits and Scharnhorst turned south west. At full speed she began to draw away with all her undamaged turrets firing but she was being repeatedly hit. Moving in at 33 knots destroyers launched an effective torpedo attack which reduced Scharnhorst’s speed to 20 knots. Later, her erratic movements indicated that her steering was damaged and gradually she came almost to a standstill. For nearly three hours Scharnhorst was steadily hit by shells and torpedoes. Her return gunfire grew less and less. Her radio message addressed to Hitler was overheard, “We shall fight to our last shell.” At 7:45 pm when Scharnhorst had ceased firing, Belfast received the order from
Commander Reginald Dean RN Images: Lt Dean RNVR front row far right. Page left top: HMS Belfast and bottom, the German Battlecruiser Scharnhorst
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Pub Quiz
Round 3 - Offspring 1. What animal’s offspring is called a kit? 2. Who is actress Kate Hudson’s famous mother? 3. What is the name for a baby whale? 4. Who is actress Liza Minnelli’s famous mother? 5. What is the name for a baby kangaroo?
Here are five quiz rounds set to the teams at the Hawkins Arms pub quiz earlier this year. Scoring: One point per correct answer for rounds 1-4. Three points for each correct answer in round 5, but any incorrect answer in round 5 wipes out all scores in that round. Maximum score possible is 43.
Round 4 - Random 1. In millilitres, what is the average volume of blood given in the UK for an individual blood donation? 2. How much is a first class stamp? 3. There are two Park & Ride carparks in Truro. Langarth is in the west. What is the name for the one on the eastern side of Truro? 4. Colombia has borders with five countries. Panama, Brazil, Equador, Peru and who else? 5. On Thursday 12 March 1646 the treaty of surrender was signed at Tresillian Bridge by the Royalist forces of General Ralph, Lord Hopton. To whom did he surrender?
Round 1 - Do you think you know your books? Match the author with the correct book title. 1. Zadie Smith Memoirs of a Geisha 2. Khaled Hosseini Winter in Madrid 3. Thomas Hardy Catcher in the Rye 4. Herman Melville The Snows of Kilimanjaro 5. Haruki Murakami The Mayor of Casterbridge 6. J.D. Salinger The Kite Runner 7. Ernest Hemmingway On the Origin of Species 8. Arthur Golden Norwegian Wood 9. C.J. Sansom White Teeth 10. Charles Darwin Moby-Dick
Round 5 - Wipe out round 1. Which British architect designed the striking Reichstag glass dome in Berlin? a) Sir Norman Foster b) Richard Rogers c) Frank Gehry 2. Which Hindu festival is celebrated over a 5-day period during mid-October to midNovember? 3. Who was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V and took the throne aged just six days old? 4. St Patrick’s day is on 17th March - What nationality was St Patrick? 5. It was St Piran’s day on 5th March - What nationality was St Piran supposedly? 6. True or False: Berlin has more bridges than Venice? Answers on page 43.
Round 2 - Palindromes A simple example could be the word level. 1. Name a small river or sea boat or craft that is also a palindrome. 2. My car shows 140041 miles on the clock. How many more miles do I have to drive before the odometer will once again be a palindrome? 3. Write down any first or given name that is also a palindrome. 4. Name the successful 1970s pop band whose name was also a palindrome. 5. Name a method of detecting direction and distance of faraway objects that is also a palindrome.
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I remember when...
saffron cake - and still there was more.
Below are the 10th and 11th of the ‘Probus Memories’ articles taken from a small handbook produced by the Probus Old Cornwall Society in 1982.
Oh yes, happy childhood memories of Probus and my brother and I still enjoy our visits to meet old friends and neighbours. Mr and Mrs Philp Yes, I remember the Circus used to come through. About six one morning father would shout ‘Quick! Circus coming!’ The elephants were walking up the road and they’d follow us in for a bit of bun. The lions were in a cage, but the monkeys weren’t and we children were all watching in our night clothes. There were big families then all around the Green nine or ten children - happy times.
Mr Guy Lewman I was born in Probus School when my father, one of the proprietors, was joint headmaster in Mr Handsomebody’s time. My mother was the matron, looking after 100 boarders. She was an exceptional woman in her own right, as she became the first woman J.P. at Tregony and was involved in many local interests.
Oh yes, we had a treat to Newquay by wagonette and nearly went mad when we saw the sea! And Sunday school treat down to Portscatho and the Rechabite walk - remember Mr Savage? We had sports in the field and tea treat buns for tea. The prizes were three ha’pence, penny and ha’penny and I couldn’t run very well, so I was always down to ha’penny!
For me, as a small boy growing up in Probus School, the highlights were usually connected with church, sports and sweets. One special day remains in my memory. My brother and I were given a whole shilling and we spent it in a glorious burst of extravagance as we visited the sweet shops all the way down the village!
We’re the same age - born 71 years ago and used to go to the school together - fight, we did! Never missed school because our parents needed the five shillings prize for full attendance. We got money prizes for the needlework competitions for the girls and sums for the boys and bonuses from the Tredenham charities if we paid into the boots club till Christmas.
Sport was very important, especially the football matches between Probus and Grampound and these were usually finished unofficially next day at New Stables crossroads! Probus Feast was an occasion that went on for days and as the school had the best cycle track in the west, it attracted riders from as far as Dorset. At the feast there was the most wonderful tea laid on by Mrs Prime. All you could eat for a shilling - splits and cream,
We knew everybody in the village and though time were hard, they were good old days. Editor’s note: Can anyone shed light on what the ‘Rechabite walk’ is or was? 38
Tales from Old Truck
for our Christmas concerts now so a good time to come along and join in with us.
Continuing from earlier articles about Truck. One evening in the Hawkins Arms, I spoke to Pete who said he was born, raised and still lives in the same house in Truck.
Any further information please contact Jo Elliott on 07784 195051 Editors note: I heard the sing-song in the Hawkins Arms after the show was every bit as good as the concert!
Pete commented that he clearly remembers as a youngster walking up the lane past Spring Cottage to collect pails of water from the well. He said that mains water wasn’t connected to his house until the 1970s so all the water needed for drinking, bathing, cooking etc. had to be brought down the lane from that well.
Well done Andrew Andrew Kennedy, a long standing member of Probus Parish Players, has recently won a trophy awarded by the Cornwall Drama Association for his outstanding role as Baldrick in Truro Amateur and Operatic Societies’ production of Blackadder Goes Forth. Andrew has been involved with amateur dramatics for many years and has had many different roles appearing at the Hall for Cornwall and The Minack.
It’s probably quite hard for many of us living in the developed west to imagine living in a house without a mains water supply, or water piped directly from an underground source, but clearly, it’s still within living memory for some. Many thanks for the update Pete. Editor
Tresillian Singers Tresillian Singers were delighted to have presented a cheque for £501.99 to Cornwall Hospice Care, the proceeds from their joint concert with City of Truro Male Choir at Probus Church in October. The audience was entertained by the Choirs singing a wide range from their repertoires, finishing with a joint piece The Cloths of Heaven written by Russell Pascoe the MD of City of Truro Male Choir. Tresillian Singers meet on a Tuesday evening at 7:30 pm at Tresillian Village Hall, and are always pleased to see any ladies who would like to come along and join them. No need to be able to read music, it's all possible without! We are preparing 39
Remembrance Sunday With a bright blue sky backdrop, the annual Remembrance Service was held on Sunday 10th November at the Probus War Memorial. Before the main ceremony, some residents gathered at the WW1 memorial by the village hall where a series of poems, letters and readings were read. Rev. Brian McQuillen started the service by rededicating the Shrine that commemorates those from Probus that survived the First World War, following the repair and replacement of its doors by Probus Parish Council. Cornet player Tristan Bowden, from St Stythians Band, played the Last Post and Reveille perfectly. David Juleff read the Roll of Honour before representatives from the Probus Parish Council, local organisations and individuals placed wreaths, Flanders Poppies and Remembrance Crosses. Those who fell in the Great War Annear N Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Beard H Lancashire Fusiliers Buckingham H Lancashire Fusiliers Champion S Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Chapman A Lancashire Fusiliers Dowrick A Royal Engineers Endean R J Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Fugler R Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Gill W Royal Devon and Royal North Devon Yeomanry Hugh C Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Jane L P Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Lyndon E P Hampshire Regiment Lyndon H Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry May F G Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Raison W J Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Rolling F Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Searle A Royal Devon and Royal North Devon Yeomanry Webb W S Dorset Regiment West J Machine Gun Corps (Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry) Westmacott S R Leinster Regiment Westmacott F C Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment 40
Second World War Andrew J F Champion F J Clayton R J H DFC Doney P H C Luscombe J Philp C W Philp D C Pollard C Toms J Walters S Watts G Korean War Tresawna J H DSO
Royal Air Force Royal Army Ordnance Corps Royal Air Force King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force) Naval Auxiliary Personnel (Merchant Navy) Royal Navy King’s Own Scottish Borderers Royal Navy Royal Air Force Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (attached to Durham Light Infantry)
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Probus Historic Cornwall Society
of life. Peter showed us parts of the wonderfully detailed 1748 map of Cornwall by Tomas Martyn. Hamlets, farmsteads and manor houses are indicated by stylised drawings, churches have either steeples or towers and roads are shown as being either enclosed or open at the sides.
How to ‘do archaeology’ At our October meeting, members of the Probus Historic Cornwall Society were delighted to welcome Peter Herring from the Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU) to talk about its work, with particular emphasis on Probus.
Probus was very unusual as it had a large number of farmsteads and manor houses, and very few hamlets within its Parish, indicating a prosperous area. Modern aerial views of Probus show that it still lies in a more rural setting than most inhabited areas of Cornwall enjoy; long may it continue.
So, how do you ‘do archaeology’? Well first, you have to find your site! Most of the sites dealt with by the CAU are a reaction to finds made during development, eg the Probus bypass and the Park & Ride site. Others are as a result of projects to look for sites using aerial photography. The presence of hill forts can be indicated by increased crop growth on the deeper soil of ditches, as at Carvossa, Probus. During drought, the shapes of long-vanished buildings and barrows, such as those around Probus, show clearly from the air. Peter also showed us an example of the use of LIDAR. Fast laser pulses, combined with other data, generate precise 3D information. He first showed us the ordinary aerial photograph, then the LIDAR image.
Post Office Thanks to the Post Office in Grampound, Probus Parish Council, Village Hall Committee, Zannah Reid and all others involved in creating the ‘outreach’ post office in Probus Village Hall. Providing a ‘broad range of services’, the Post Office is open every Tuesday and Friday 2-4 pm apart from the following dates when it moves to Zannah’s Time Too cafe: 10th December, 14th January, 14th, 18th and 21st February - all at the same time 2-4pm.
Sites are also identified by comparing old maps with new. Members were shown examples of areas within Probus Parish where settlements had existed but no longer remain. When you have found your site, you can get your boots on the ground and complete your surface and subsurface surveys, now know to all as a result of TV’s ‘Timeteam’ as ‘geophys’ (geophysical). Archaeology leads to knowledge not only of buildings in the past but also people and their way 42
Pub Quiz - Answers
Round 5 - Wipe out round 1. a) Sir Norman Foster 2. Diwali 3. Mary, Queen of Scots 4. British. Born in the 5th Century AD. When he was about sixteen years old, he was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland. 5. Irish 6. True 1,650 bridges in Berlin vs. 409 in Venice.
From page 33. Round 1 - Do you think you know your books? 1. Zadie Smith wrote White Teeth 2. Khaled Hosseini wrote The Kite Runner 3. Thomas Hardy wrote The Mayor of Casterbridge 4. Herman Melville wrote Moby-Dick 5. Haruki Murakami wrote Norwegian Wood 6. J.D. Salinger wrote Catcher in the Rye 7. Ernest Hemmingway wrote The Snows of Kilimanjaro 8. Arthur Golden Memoirs of a Geisha 9. C.J. Sansom Winter in Madrid 10. Charles Darwin On the Origin of Species
Editorial
How did you get on with the quiz? Let us know. Another teaser: Can anyone come up with a palendromic phrase that includes the word Probus? Thanks to everyone who has supported the magazine over the past year not least those who have submitted letters, articles and updates to go into this end-of-year edition. For this month only, the Probus News Committee approved expanding the magazine from 48 to 52 pages, but I still received more content than I could possibly fit in. It’s a lovely problem to have even though it’s not nice having to edit down or even omit content that someone has taken the time to write. That said, please do keep sending in your contributions and ideas to help keep the magazine relevant.
Round 2 - Palindromes 1. Kayak 2. 1100 miles when the odometer displays 141141. 3. Hannah, Ada, Anna, Bob and others. 4. ABBA 5. Radar Round 3 - Offspring 1. Beaver, Badger, ferret, fox, weasel and possibly others too. 2. Goldie Horn 3. Calf 4. Judy Garland 5. Joey Round 4 -Random 1. 470 ml. 2. 70p. 3. Tregurra 4. Venezuela 5. Sir Thomas Fairfax
Next year, we’ll be celebrating the 250th edition of Probus News. From small beginnings in 1998, we’ve come a long way, as indeed, has Probus itself.
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I wish all of our readers peace, good health and happiness this Christmas and for the New Year festivities. We’ll be back with the February edition soon enough. John
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Probus Memory Cafe: We meet at 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm on 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at PVH. Next meetings 8th and 22nd January
EVENTS DIARY 2019
Circuit training at PVH: Mondays 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Motion Fitness Children’s Dance classes at PVH: Fridays 4:30 pm to 5:10 pm Mini Divas and Dudes Dance 3 years plus. 5:15 pm to 6 pm Street Dance 7 years plus. Harvey Smith, 4Real Dance
Secretaries: Are you planning an event? To avoid clashing with another group on your preferred date, why not publicise your event here in advance?
For contact details see page 4 (Club Directory)
Wednesday Walking Group: Every Wednesday. Meet at PVH carpark at 9.30 am (sometimes 9 am). Call Terry/Tim for confirmation of departure time
Key: PVH = Probus Village Hall. PCC = Probus Comrades Club, HA = Hawkins Arms.
Coffee Mornings: In the church every Tuesday 10:30 am to 12 noon. Every Friday during term time in the church 9 am to 10:30 am. Every first Saturday in the month
Acoustic Sessions: Upstairs at PCC normally on the last Monday of each month Hawkins Arms: Quiz night every Monday at 8:30 pm Meat raffle every other Sunday afternoon
Mobile Library: PVH car park Friday 3rd and 31st January 2020 11:10 am -12 noon
Probus Knit and Natter Group: Tuesdays, 10 am to 12 noon at PCC
MHA Live at Home Probus Friendship Group: for people 60+ at PVH. On Thursdays 10 am - 12 noon (except 3rd Thursday of month)
Probus Ladies Group: Wednesday 18th December. Christmas Luncheon at PVH 12:30 for 1 pm.
Roseland Area U3A: Wednesday 18th December Book Club Roseland Parc 2 pm. Monday 20th January, PVH Gardeners’ Question Time with local gardening expert Peter Holden. Bring your queries and problems and you will surely be enthused for the coming year!
Probus Club of Probus: Thursday 19th December at Tresillian Village Hall 10 for 10:30 am. Speaker Sarah Worne The Bird Lady of Fowey followed at 1 pm at PVH for our Christmas Buffet. Thursday 16th January 10 am for 10:30 am at PVH for our AGM Probus Pedallers: Every Sunday. Meet at Probus Surgery car park at 9 am. Arriving back at 12:30 pm
Probus Historic Cornwall Society: Monday 13th January, 7:15 in PVH. The Neville Norway Murder with speaker Chris Batters
Probus Over-60s Luncheon Club: Wednesday 8th January at PVH
Yoga classes at PVH Tuesday evenings with Tony Bathmaker 46
A warm welcome awaits at
Probus
Comrades
Club
St Austell Street, Probus Normal Opening Times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 5 pm to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday 12 noon to midnight, Sunday 12 noon to 11 pm.
Christmas and New Year Events . . . Boxing day - Live band - Flipside 5 pm. Great party band The Officers, Committee and Staff would like to wish all Members a Very Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year
New Year’s Eve - Request your own music from our Resident DJ’s, watch the Big Ben chimes and London Eye fireworks on our big screens.
Christmas and New Year Opening Times . . .
KEEP CALM AND RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Monday 23rd 5pm to 11 pm Christmas Eve 12 noon to 11 pm. Christmas Day 11 am to 1 pm Boxing Day 12 noon to 11 pm Friday 27th 12 noon to 12 pm Saturday 28th 12 noon to 12 pm Sunday 29th 12 noon to 11 pm Monday 30th 5 pm to 11 pm New Year’s Eve 12 noon to 1 am Wednesday 1st January 12 noon to 11 pm
Premier League Football and Premiership Rugby shown all through December/January
Members and Bona Fide Guests Only. New Members are always welcome. For details, contact Bryan Trebilcock at the Club or phone 01726 882747 or 01726 883767 PROBUS COMRADES CLUB 47
Bathroom Fitting, Plumbing, Plastering, Kitchens, Tiling, Property Maintenance & more City and Guilds Qualified. Professional, Friendly and Reliable Contact Ben 07972 396137
bheatherrenovations@outlook.com 48
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Roseland Parc, Tregony, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5PD. Call 01372 383950 or visit www.roselandparc.co.uk 3853ROSE Probus Parish Magazine
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L. J. TREGUNNA FUNERAL DIRECTORS Established in 1948
We are a 3rd Generation Family Run Business, covering Truro and Mid Cornwall. We strive to deliver a professional, respectful and personal 24 hour service. Serving the local community. We are pleased to visit clients at home to discuss Funeral arrangements.
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S. J. GRIGG VEHICLE TESTING STATION
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