Probus News Magazine - December 2022

Probus

Community

Christmas hamper appeal

and Notices

In addition, if you can spare a couple of hours to help assemble and deliver the hampers on 23rd December, email nochildgoeshungryprobus@gmail.com.

IFyou haven’t already done so, there’s still time to donate to the Community Larder’s Christmas hamper appeal. You can leave donations outside Trudgian Farm Shop and the Spar shop, in the church porch and in the pub. All donations greatly appreciated. Here’s what’s still needed:

The Community Larder has already seen an increase in demand in recent months and, with the cost-of-living crisis hitting harder with every passing week, that looks set to rise even further in 2023. If you’re able to add just one item to your weekly shop next year to help out, please leave your donations in the church porch.

As well as supplying food and other items to people who need a helping hand, the larder is also keen to help reduce food wastage. Their Facebook page regularly posts details of surplus food that’s close to its use-by date, which is available for anyone to take – and if you’re able to donate some cash in return to help the organisation carry on its amazing work, that’s always hugely appreciated.

Below: Christmas hampers being packed in 2021.

By the Editor

INOctober we started delivering to the first 32 new properties in Tower Parc, plus the first two new properties in Netherfield, Treviglas Lane.

Help needed WE

are constantly looking for new contributors to the village magazine. Fresh ideas, new energy and enthusiastic volunteers are needed to help us keep relevant and resonating with everyone in the village.

We welcome all new readers and hope that you enjoy and find the village magazine informative. We thank Mike, Debbie and Michelle Way who have agreed to take on the new Tower Parc round between them.

Would you like to write a column about something of local interest either regularly, occasionally or as a one-off? We are keen to start regular features on repairing, recycling and/or other environmental and climate-related topics - even composting (see page 30 for an example), but we need support from those with knowledge, time and enthuasium to write about them.

If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production.

Pete Seeger

These new additions mean that the Probus News Magazine is delivered by our volunteer deliverers to 1,117 properties in Probus. Additionally, we deliver to local businesses, to properties in and around Geen Mill, to the church, the surgery and that leaves around 45 copies for the village shops - normally all picked up by folks from surrounding hamlets, farms and other remote locations. We post a handful of copies to various places in the UK.

We also publish online where 100-200 people check us out every month. In the last 30 days we’ve had online readers from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Canada, Australia, French Guiana and Togo. Proof perhaps that ‘Cousin Jacks and Jennys’ haven’t stopped travelling.

We’d also love someone to help interpret and articulate the 2021 census results as that should be fascinating to look into. We are good at editing and getting work ready for print but we need your time, experience, thoughts and words.

The same thing goes for anyone who has an interest in reporting on local sport, politics, or young people’s interests. In fact, we’d be very keen indeed to talk to those from Gen Z and Gen Alpha and give you a platform to have your say.

If any of these topics pique your interest and you fancy having a go with no obligation, please contact the Editor.

We are also looking for one or more permanent or standby deliverers, so if you have a little time once a month, or when needed, and want to support the community, please reach out to Tim the Delivery Manager. Details on page three.

Acoustics Night (Comrades Club) Tim Joyce 07412 126774 or Ian Tumilty or 07849 199959

Badminton Club

Pauline Partridge 01726 882649

Bees (swarms/issues/questions) Tony Paddock 07486 295414

Bowling Club David Meggs 01726 883443

Church Bell Ringers Liza Deards 07888 684425

Churchwarden Andy McCartney probus.churchwarden@gmail.com

Comrades Club

Bryan Trebilcock 01726 882747

Cornwall Councillor Karen Glasson 07980 975527 cllr.karen.glasson@cornwall.gov.uk

Cycling – Probus Pedallers Dave Light 07966 683852 or Colin Brown 07484 740249

Dance Classes Children (4Real) Angie Smith 07825 234855 contactus4real@gmail.com

Football - Saturday Club Steve Flack 07956 049727

Probus Youth FC - Juniors Eric Bendelow 07917 008491 Probus FC - Seniors (First Team) Graham Smith 07968 478970

Friends of Probus Church Richard Heath 07849 315432 geotechrich@gmail.com

Friends of Probus Surgery Anthea Johnson tbc

Grampound Road Cricket Club The Club House 07800 915578 grampoundroadcricketclub@gmail. com

Hawkins Arms Graham and Phil 01726 882208 www.thehawkinsprobus.co.uk

Historic Cornwall Society Vince Van Kempen-Wilson 01726 883019 vince.vkw@gmail.com

Kids Club Breakfast/after-school at Probus School Diane Gibbs 01726 882647 kidsclub@probusschool.org.uk

Knit & Natter Group Eve Richards 01726 882657 or 07767 383982

Litter Picking Group Steve Dalton 07813 995206 stevedalton166@btinternet.com

Little Lights Pam Cobbold 01726 882495 jplelissick@btinternet.com

Mid Cornwall Wood Turners Pauline Salisbury secretary@midcornwallturners.com

Over 60s Luncheon Club Zena 01726 882751 or Janet 01726 882927

Parish Players (Pantomime) Cathy Cadby 07860 755787 info@probusparishplayers.co.uk

Playing Field Mgmt Committee Graham Smith 07968 478 970 Parish Church Rev. Joachim Foot 01726 882218/07930 095687 rector@probusteam.com

Parish Council Clerk Maria Roper 07749 626021 clerk@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Primary School Angela Praed 01726 882647 hello@probusschool.org.uk

Primary School PTA Sophie Baker 01726 882647 Probus Club of Probus Nick Hibbett 01726 883093 nick.hibbett@btinternet.com

Probus Environmental Action Team (PEAT)/Probus Churchground maintenance

Probus Nursery

Steve Dalton 07813 995206 probus.peat@btinternet.com Nick Lauder 07403 659869 n.lauder29@btinternet.com

Angela Praed 01726 882647 hello@probusschool.org.uk

Sticker Memory Cafe 07901 147353 or 07717333713

The Roseland Academy 01872 530675 www.theroseland.co.uk

U3A Roseland & District

Terry Neil 01872 530196 Village Hall Letting Secretary 07749 368162 lettings@probusvillagehall.co.uk

Walking Group - Wednesdays

Terry Hodge or Tim Joyce 01726 884495 or 01726 884574 - Fridays Teresa Hayhoe or Kaye Ludlow 07720 393745 or 07968 722430

Young Farmers

Joey Wagstaff 07443 514854

Other village pages: Probus Cornwall, Probus Super Mums!, Probus News Magazine, Probus Swap and Sell

Do you have a problem?

Why not contact one of your local parish councillors for advice?

Liza Deards

wwwprobusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Holly Farm, Truck Hill 07888 684425 lizadeards@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Chris Dutton Carne View Road 07969 451207 chrisdutton@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

James Faull Tresowgar Cottage 07494 756249 jamesfaull@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Nick Gillard (chair) Fore Street 01726 883926 nicholasgillard@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Neil Glasson Ladock Road 07709 286850 neilglasson@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Ross Goldworthy Gwell an Nans 07967 125526 rossgoldsworthy@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Malcolm Maskill Lamellyn Vean 01726 884368 malcolmmaskill@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Paul Quinlan Fore Street 07498 304044 paulquinlan@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

Bill Sutherland Bosnoweth 01726 884007

Rachel Tofts Carne View Road 07432 566055 racheltofts@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk

There is currently one parish councillor vacancy. Please contact the clerk or any of the above for details.

If you are not able to contact a particular councillor, then contact the Parish Council Clerk Maria Roper 07749 626021 clerk@probusparishcouncil.gov.uk - Cornwall Councillor Karen Glasson can also be contacted on 07980 975527 or cllr.karen.glasson@cornwall.gov.uk for advice.

Apology

By John Denyer

THEmost attentive of our readers may have noticed an error on page 31 of last month’s magazine. In the article relating to the fundraising the club carried out for the Cornwall Man Down charity, I incorrectly credited Rosi and Beth Pollard, when of course, it should have been Rosi and Beth Pritchard (pictured below). Sorry ladies!

Not big, not clever I’M

not sure who thought it would be fun to drive his/her car over the heavily-rained-upon football pitch on 13th November causing the damage below.

The pitch is maintained by Graham Smith, who freely gives hundreds of hours of his time, without pay, to keep the pitch in the best condition possible. Graham is a selfless person who does an immense amount for the community. Whoever you are, whatever age you are, it’s time to grow up.

Editorial

Here we are again as we reach another year end having produced 11 editions of your village magazine in 2022.

Thanks are due to all those who contribute stories, updates and news of events, as well as all those who choose to advertise with us. Also thanks to those who are involved behind the scenes in the management of the magazine as well as our proofreaders. Thanks to the ever so helpful and capable team from our printers (Printout Ltd), and all those lovely people who go out in all weathers to deliver it once a month to every household in Probus.

On behalf of the editorial team of Sarah, Jon, Dave and myself, we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and fulfilling 2023.

John

is coming and the turkey’s getting fat, please put a penny in the old man’s hat…

A message from the rector CHRISTMAS

I am sure many of you will remember that wonderful little rhyme. I have fond memories of my grandmother telling it to me as a small child.

Christmas is one of those times where we often engage in a bit of nostalgia. We have our own little traditions and ceremonies around Christmas. We like to have a tree and decorate it in a certain way, putting presents underneath. We’ll have a particular time to open them too. We will also eat a special meal together, a meal which is pretty well the same every year. Equally, when we do something a bit different, or something doesn’t quite happen as we expect it to, it will be remembered as part of family history for years to come: ‘remember the year grandpa set fire to the tablecloth’ or ‘remember the year we had duck instead of turkey’ etc. They stick in our minds more than if the events happened at a different time.

We make things special by engaging in our Christmas rituals. It is a way that we bond together as families, it says something very particular about who we are. That is what makes Christmas particularly special for us all. It is often said that the world is changing at a very fast pace, and yet Christmas remains decidedly traditional. That is, I think, quite telling, it shows how important it is to us as a nation.

In the church, we remember Jesus’ birth at Christmas. We re-tell a story that has been told and re-told for some 2000 years. The story is one that itself tells us something profound: that God came

down to earth in human form to save us from our sins and teach us how to live. It is a story that I never tire of telling and retelling because it tells us something about who we are, it gives us our identity and our purpose in life.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Joachim Foot Team Rector, Probus, Ladock, Grampound with Creed and St. Erme 01726 882218/ 07930 095687

Church services

December

Saturday 17th 4 pm Christingle

Sunday 18th 9:30 am Connect

Friday 23rd 6 pm Carols on the Cobbles

Saturday 24th 11:30 pm Midnight Mass Sunday 25th 10 am All age Christmas Service

January Sunday 1st 9:30 am Connect 11 am Holy Communion

Sunday 8th 9:30am Alternative Holy Communion

Sunday 15th 9:30 am Connect

Sunday 22nd 9:30 am Holy Communion Sunday 29th Team Service TBC

Other regular events

Little Lights: 1:30 - 3:30 pm Thursday 5th & 19th

Tower Tots: 1:30 - 3:30 pm Thursday 12th and 26th

Coffee mornings: Tuesdays 10:30 am12 noon. Fridays 9 - 11 am. First Saturday each month 10 am - 12 noon, Youth Club: (Years 7 - 13) alternate Sunday evenings

Probus Church Christmas Fayre

THEProbus Church Christmas fayre was held again on Saturday 26th November. Despite the weather more people than ever turned up.

The stalls were all very busy and they raised a massive £1,350.26 for the church. Thanks go to everyone who helped and also those who braved the weather to attend.

Louie’s big day

ONSunday 6th November 2022, over 100 family members and friends of baby Louie came together to celebrate his christening at Probus Parish Church.

The christening was delivered by the curate, Paul Salaman, as part of the church's regular Connect Family Service, held on every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. It was a beautiful service, supported by a modern twist of a church band to help deliver an upbeat feel to the church hymns.

Following the service, the celebrations continued on at Probus Comrades Club, where local musician Isaac Salaman, delivered an outstanding performance which was enjoyed by all.

Louie's parents, Michelle Way and Daniel Vincent, would like to thank everyone who attended and celebrated Louie's christening with them, as well as all the lovely staff at Probus Comrades Club and the members of the church.

Together, everyone delivered a beautiful day which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Louie was able to wear a family heirloom, his christening gown, which is over 30 years old and had previously been worn by his father Daniel, and his two aunties and two uncles on his father's side.

Louie is lucky enough to have four godparents, Naomi Buckland, Kate Cadby, Sam Bullen and Ben Keevil, who through promise, all agreed to help raise Louie to be the best he can be.

PYF fireworks

WELL

done to Probus Young Farmers who put on another wonderful firework display in the village on 5th November.

Images by Paula Brocklehurst show Rose, Alice, George and Joseph enjoying the evening.

Cash draw 2022

AMASSIVE

thank you to everyone who bought Probus News Christmas draw tickets or gave a donation to our funds – and a special thank you to the Filling Station, the Spar shop and Trudgian Farm Shop for collecting the counterfoils and money.

This year, after deducting the prize money, licence and ticket and envelope printing costs, we raised a fantastic £1,494, which goes towards the running costs of the magazine and will help ensure that we continue to deliver a magazine to every house in the village, free of charge, eleven months of the year. As a matter of interest, our printing costs are around £1,200 per month.

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, Terry Hodge, or given to any committee member.

This year’s draw was made at Probus Comrades Club on Friday 2nd December. Viv Pyatt picked the winning tickets that belong to:

£200 Carol Bailey – Lelissick Gdns

£100 Helen Keogh – Chapel St

£50 Jean Kendall – College Close

£50 Jane Veale – Carn View Rd

£25 John Hickman – Tregony Rd

£25 Kelly Targett - Parkengear

Congratulations to all the winners and, once again, many thanks to everyone who helped, in whatever capacity, and to all our advertisers who support us throughout the year.

Terry Hodge Treasurer and Draw Promoter

Remembrance Sunday PROBUS

residents gathered once more on Sunday 13th November to pay their respects to those killed or impacted by war or conflict. As we have done since 2018, the commemorations started at the WW1 memorial by the village hall, with a series of poignant readings. Mrs Bowen from Probus School spoke about Harry Patch, John Denyer read an excerpt from the book War is War by WW1 veteran Alfred Burrage. Ava and Ella, representing Probus School read from letters sent home by WW1 servicemen to their families. Tim Joyce read Kipling’s My Boy Jack and Caden read the Kohima Epitaph. In the background three young Probus men dressed in uniform stood guard. This is a modern yet respectful attempt to keep memories alive and to help a new generation understand what ‘Remembrance’ actually means. Credit to Ryan Davies for organising it.

Afterwards the traditional 11 am remembrance service was held at Probus War Memorial. The service was curated by Rev Salaman, the roll call read by David Juleff and the last post played very ably by Peter Keam.

Winter movie update

IT’S

been three years since we asked Matthew Humby, General Manager of the Plaza Cinema Truro to give us an update on the latest movie releases. Here are his picks for December and January.

The biggest release of the Christmas period this year is undoubtedly Avatar: The Way Of Water.

2009’s Avatar was ground-breaking both in terms of the technology used to make and exhibit it, and the level of success it enjoyed. The intervening years have exposed a split in opinion over the film, however, with a stark divide forming between those who continue to be obsessed with the fantasy world it created and those who have largely forgotten its existence.

Alongside film releases, of course, this time of year brings a lot of event cinema, and there is a very diverse array of options.

Will this sequel, painstakingly crafted with arduous, underwater motioncapture film shoots, that again push the envelope, succeed in recapturing the old magic?

There are a host of ballet and opera screenings, from The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker on Thursday 8th December, to their staging of Like Water for Chocolate on the 19th.

The Met Opera present The Hours on Saturday 10th December and Fedora on the 14th.

National Theatre Live present The Crucible on Thursday 26th January.

Neil Young: Harvest Time is a rockumentary made with archive footage of Young when he was just 20 and was working on writing and recording one of his most admired albums.

For younger children there are several shows of CBeebies Panto: Dick Whittington And His Cat.

And Andre Rieu returns with two showings of his Dublin concert on the 7th and 8th of January.

January sees a number of significant releases and the return of three

renowned directors with films that could well battle it out at the Oscars and which all, coincidentally, deal with the subject of films and filmmaking.

Empire Of Light sees Sam Mendes’ (1917) drawing on his fond memories of working in a cinema when he was a young man and it features a very strong cast that includes Olivia Colman and Colin Firth as well as Michael Ward and Toby Jones.

Babylon is the new film from Damian Chazelle (La La Land) and tells a tall tale of excess and decadence in golden age Hollywood. It stars Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt and looks raucous, funny and outrageous.

Finally, The Fabelmans is Steven Spielberg’s (no introduction needed!) fictionalised account of his own childhood and tells the story of how he first fell in love with cinema. At heart it is an exploration of how he realised he was an artist and how he worked to make his dream of telling stories through the medium of film a reality.

Cornish film-maker Mark Jenkin scored an impressive hit with his 2019 film Bait Far from being just a local interest piece that flared briefly before sinking without trace, it won plaudits and praise from far and wide and even snared a BAFTA.

His new film Enys Men has already earned significant acclaim from critics and comes to the Plaza in January.

Mark himself may even be on hand for a Q&A screening, details of which are yet to be confirmed.

100 years young!

By Sarah Hoggett with photos by Jon Hibberd

ON15th October, a small but perfectly formed fleet of pristine 1920s and ’30s cars could be seen making its way sedately through Probus. The more eagle-eyed among you may have spotted that they were all the same make – the redoubtable Austin Seven.

An ‘economy’ car, the Austin Seven was intended to open up the world of motoring to the masses, much like the American Model T Ford. Production began exactly 100 years ago in 1922, and continued until 1939, by which time 290,000 cars and vans had been made. October’s rally was organised by the Cornwall Austen Seven Club (CA7C) – and, as the CA7C now has more than

100 members, it seems that the appeal of the Austin Seven is as strong as ever.

Roseland U3A

Luncheon club on 4th Thursday - venue to be arranged

French conversation on the last Tuesday of the month

For more information, please message Carole on 07794 135193 or email caroleannbowling@yahoo.co.uk

December activities:

Classic Film a 1944 Bob Hope classic, The Princess and The Pirate at PVH on Thursday 8th December at 10am.

New teabag trials!

Patchwork and Craft in PVH on Friday 9th December at 10am

Book club at Roseland Parc on Wednesday 21st December at 2pm

January activities:

Local History is on 2nd Tuesday of the month at Tregony Church Hall at 10.15am

Book club at Roseland Parc on 3rd Wednesday at 2pm

THREE

questions: Do you have an interest in the environment? Do you have a compost bin? Do teabags marketed as ‘compostable’ really compost in a typical household environment?

How about taking part in the University College London (UCL) Plastic Waste Innovation Hub’s citizen science research on compostable plastics?

This year UCL would like to find out if compostable or biodegradable branded teabags really do compost in home composters across the UK.

New participants can fill in a short 5-minute survey and sign up for a home composting experiment. You can also test other items instead if you’d prefer.

For all the details go to: www.bigcompostexperiment.org.uk

If you decide to join the experiment, please report back to Probus News and we’ll happily report your results.

Pentewan village

ITwas a pleasure for Probus Historic Cornwall Society members to welcome Robert Evans back to Probus again, to hear more tales of Pentewan and the characters who lived and worked there.

Robert's talk this time was based on the recollections written by his father, Cyril, from whom Robert inherited, along with much written material, his passion for Cornish history. His talk was based on the 1920s but he commenced by outlining the links which Probus has with Pentewan.

The first Pentewan Harbour was built by Christopher Hawkin of Trewithen in 1744 and, in 1829, the redeveloped harbour was linked to St Austell via a horsedrawn tramway. This was improved in 1873, when the narrowgauge railway was built. It had three steam engines, one of which was called 'Trewithen'. The railway ran until 1918. Christopher Hawkin also built All Saints Church in Pentewan, completed in 1821, using Pentewan stone. Piskey Cove, Pentewan, was formerly a pub called The Hawkins Arms. The harbour remained in the ownership of the Hawkins family and its descendants but fell into decline in the 1940's and was eventually sold by the heirs, the Johnson family, for £2,000.

Robert continued his talk, accompanied by excellent photographs and anecdotes about the various tradespeople and their businesses in what was a thriving village

where everything could be obtained. All aspects of life in this mostly selfsufficient village were covered in Robert's humorous and informative manner. There were four grocers' shops, a butcher, a cobbler, three pubs and three places of worship, as well as a builder, a carpenter and a bakery where you could take your dinner and cook it for 1d (one old penny).

Tea Treat was a highlight of the year, and the two Chapels in Pentewan held theirs on different days, the Wesleyans being on a Whit Monday and the Bible Christians holding theirs on the third Thursday in June. The children were given a Tea Treat Bun, each one weighing around 500g, and there were marching bands and games. Tea was made over a fire in a huge urn, with water collected from the many pumps in the village.

Rob concluded by outlining how different Pentewan village is today. There are no village shops, the harbour is decaying and over a third of the properties are holiday homes, but a dedicated band of residents strives to preserve what is left of the village’s heritage and tell the story of its history.

Image: The third of the Pentewan steam engines, a bulky 0-6-2 saddle tank named ‘Canopus’ that arrived at Pentewan in December 1901.

Trenona

Fungi

THANKS

firstly to Pam Dodd who sent us photos of some interesting fungi in her paddock. This inspired our photographer Jon Hibberd to go out and photograph some of the fungi he had recently seen while on the village’s walking group outings.

So it’s all well and good having some amazing images of the fungi in and around Probus, but can they be identified and more fundamentally, exactly what are fungi?

Step in Michael Jordan, an English mycologist, author of books (fiction and non-fiction) including The Encyclopedia of Fungi of Britain and Europe, and the founder of the Fungus Conservation Trust. Michael is also a TV presenter of wildlife programmes for the BBC and Channel 4. Michael was kind enough to help us by identifying the fungi in Jon’s images, and by explaining what a vital role fungi play in our planet’s ecosystem.

Michael: What fungi do:

‘Fungi play an important role in rotting down organic material (along with e.g. earthworms and bacteria). Without them the earth would be miles high in organic debris.

What we see as ‘mushrooms and toadstools’ are only the reproductive parts, the ‘apples on the tree’. The vegetative part (vaguely the equivalent of roots, stems and leaves in a green plant) is a loose cottonwool-like web of fungal tissue known as a mycelium that spreads, often many metres, under the soil or inside the tissues of a host organism.

Most fungus species in the UK ‘fruit’ in the autumn months. A much smaller number do so in the spring, and some will actually ‘fruit’ at any time of the year. ‘Fruit’ is an expression that mycologists don’t like – the proper term is sporulate. Why? Because the spores that a mushroom sheds are not in any way comparable to seeds in the fruit of a green plant.

Many fungus species play a positive role

Trametes versicolor (Turkey tail)

Macrolepiota procera (Parasol)

in the well-being of our woodlands. They form organic links with the roots of trees, described as mycorrhiza. It involves a two-way exchange – the tree provides the fungus with food in the form of sugars generated through photosynthesis, and the fungus provides the tree with water. This can be critical in times of drought because an extensive fungal mycelium can store ten times the amount of water that a 50-foot beech tree can hold.

The so-called ‘wood wide web’ has to be taken cautiously. There is no scientific indication that the mycelium of fungus A has intimate conversations with, or passes specific information to, the mycelium of fungus B. What can be said is that the independent members of the fungus community in the woodland operate as a collective whole for the benefit of that ecosystem.

Some fungi such as athlete’s foot, or ‘black spot’ (Diplocarpon rosae) on your rose bushes are parasites.

Most of the fungi that appear on the trunks of trees are not technically parasites because they are penetrating

and feeding off only the dead heartwood of the tree, not the living part. They pose a risk factor because what they do is progressively weaken the structure of the tree so that eventually it falls (whilst often still looking perfectly healthy with green leaves).

Armillaria sp.

Foraying and foraging are two quite different activities:

As a conservation organisation we foray – which is going out, identifying, and recording fungi for scientific purposes. The Fungus Conservation Trust is strongly opposed to foraging, as it is not only detrimental to the welfare of the fungi but also potentially dangerous for foragers. Recently two people died in the UK after foraging and eating lethally poisonous fungi. Learning to distinguish the good from the bad takes many years because there are too many close look-alikes.

To help identify fungi it’s worth getting a good reference field guide. Also consider buying an inexpensive second-hand microscope, as many fungi can only be identified properly under a microscope.’

Possibly Oudemansiella mucida (Porcelain fungus)

Michael concluded by saying ‘Importantly, keep an eye on your pets. Puppies especially will investigate and often eat fungi out of curiosity, sometimes with fatal results’.

So, there we have it - from an expert.

Climate change, modern farming practices and the loss of suitable ecosystems are all impacting the survival of some fungi species. So what can we do to help fungi? Probably the best thing is to just leave them alone, let fungi come and go and enjoy the beauty of nature doing its thing.

We can also create environments where fungi will flourish. Try dedicating a small area of your garden and allow it to go wild. Allow wood chippings, fallen logs or any dead wood to lay there and slowly rot away. Think of it as creating your own Airbnb for small insects and fungi - now there’s a thought!

The Fungi Conservation Trust is committed to bringing more people into amateur mycology. There is now an increasingly pressing need to know more about our UK stocks of fungi because we need to introduce better measures to conserve them.

www.fungustrust.org.uk they are also on Facebook: FungusConservationTrust

Mycena inclinata (Clustered bonnet)

Armillaria mellea (Honey fungus)

Probus Book Club

WEare still reading a book that we started reading last month. It is a very long book and some of the group cannot get on with it. But half of us are plodding on.

Instead I will tell you about a book that was loaned to me by a member of our group and which we both thoroughly enjoyed. It is called The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai.

left to look after her granddaughter Huong in Hanoi. She is a very brave and strong woman as you realise when she faces all the hardships in her life. It is a story of war, horror, love and the strong ties of a family.

Viv's new challenge

I’Mnot sure who first said ‘A strong woman looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink’, but that quote could easily be used to describe Viv Pyatt, because Viv, being Viv is at it again...

Following Viv and her daughter Verity’s 400-km ride along the Italian Po valley and through alpine foothills for the Little Hearts Matter charity, Viv has set her sights on something a little more exotic, and a lot more challenging too.

Viv's new challenge will be to cycle 450km from Vietnam to Cambodia in November 2023 and while doing so, she hopes to raise money for The Merlin MS Centre in Hewas Water.

The Merlin Centre provides a variety of services, not just for MS sufferers, and is a hub for the community with a wide range of conditions. Viv intends to kick off with some fundraising events in the new year, so watch this space.

It is about the Tran family in North Vietnam, living through the Land Reform which came into being as the Communist government rose in the north, when Dieu Lan had to flee for her life with her six children (her husband had already been killed).

Then came the Vietnamese War between the north and south. As her children went off to fight, Dieu Lan was

PROBUS

EVENTS DIARY 22-23

Secretaries: To publicise your meetings or events, let us know well in advance and we will include details here. Contact details for all groups/clubs/societies can be found on page 7.

Key: PVH = Probus Village Hall. PCC = Probus Comrades Club.

Acoustic Night Upstairs (at Probus Comrades Club). Last Monday of the month, starting at 7:30 pm

Badminton Club: Meets at 8 pm every Monday at PVH

Coffee ‘n’ Chat: Every Tuesday morning 10:30 am to 12 noon at Probus Church. Open to everyone, young and old, church-goer or not – so if you fancy a cuppa and a bit of a natter, come along. Also, held on the first Saturday of each month between 10 am and 12 noon.

Friendship Club: MHA Communities Cornwall run a friendship club for folk 60+, at PVH on the first Thursday of each month 10 am to 12 noon. Tracy Beavill 07720 680989 cornwall@mha. org.uk

Mid-Cornwall Wood Turners: Club nights are 1st Tuesday of each month and training nights are on the 3rd Tuesday each month

Mobile library: PVH car park between 11:30 am and 12:20 pm (note changed times) The next visit is on 27th January.

Latest updates are posted on www. facebook.com/CornwallLibraries

Over 60s Luncheon Club: 11th and 25th January, 8th February (one only in February because of pantomime)

Probus Club of Probus: Thursday 19th December Christmas Luncheon at The Falmouth Hotel. Thursday 19th January Coffee Meeting at PVH. Thursday 16th February luncheon at The Falmouth Hotel with speaker Tony Watt

Probus Historic Cornwall Society: Monday 12th December social evening and prize quiz, with Speaker, Robin Phillips. Robin has given a talk to us in the past and asked if he could come back with his Fun Evening. 7:15 for 7:30 pm in PVH. Members free, visitors £1.50 to include mulled wine and mince pies. Monday 9th January ‘Cornish Dialect’ with Speaker, Paul Phillips. Paul is the Dialect Recorder for the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies so this should be another interesting evening!

Probus Knit and Natter Group: Every Wednesday 10 am at PCC

Probus Litter Pickers: First Saturday of each month at 10 am. Meet at PVH

Probus Pedallers: Leave from the surgery every Sunday at 9 am. The more leisurely group leaves at 10 am

Probus Walking Group: Every Wednesday 9 am or 9:30 am start. New members very welcome, but contact Tim Joyce or Terry Hodge first. Every Friday for shorter walks. 10 am. New members also always welcome. Contact Teresa Hayhoe or Kaye Ludlow

Saturday morning kids football: See poster on page 46. Every Saturday at Probus School 9 - 10 am (Reception class and Y1) and 9 - 10:30 am (Years 2-7). No need to book, just turn up ready to play with football boots AND trainers, suitable clothing, shin pads and a drink. @probusyouthfootballclub

Probus sports and fun week

DOyou remember the sports and fun week? Having fun as a community with all the family.

For those who are new to the village it was a week long village festival of sports and fun in the school summer holidays. There were activities for both children and adults and a tremendous amount of fun was had.

A group of Probus residents who remember it vividly as children are planning to bring this much loved Probus tradition back next summer and they are asking for your help.

Volunteers, with a wide range of skills and experience are needed to help organise and run the many different activities being planned for the week.

One member of the newly formed committee, Graham Bishop said to the

Probus News ‘We can assure you it will be a week to remember and we have a few surprises up our sleeves!’

if you are interested in helping to get the event restarted, or to find out more please get in touch via Info@psfwc.co.uk

Let’s give the children a week that they will always remember.

Fore Street THANKS

to Jill Moore who recently gave Probus News some old photographs to add to our archive. This undated photo, possibly turn of the 20th century is of Fore St opposite the bus shelter. The lower workshop with cart outside is now a private dwelling, while the other workshop with a person at the door appears unchanged 100 years (or more) later!

In the next edition we will be including the first from a series of Probus-related postcards from the superb collection of the late Shirley Wood (née Lobb).

Probus FC PROBUS

FC is progressing well this season. As of 21st November they are mid-table with a couple of games in hand. Recent results were 3-1 victory against St Erme, a narrow 3-4 defeat to Carharrack First team, where Probus came back from 1-3 at half time.

Following that was a fabulous 0-7 win away to Division 1 team St Buryan in the Cornwall Junior Cup. Considering Probus was playing in Division 3 last season, this was a big win. Sadly the Cornwall Junior Cup run ended when Probus lost in the 3rd round away to Dropship 6-0 on 19th November.

Often as one door closes another opens and Probus proved this by beating Goonhaven in the Lockhart Cup. The game ended in a draw but Probus won on penalties and they now look forward to playing Falmouth (date to be confirmed) in the next round.

Above top and middle: Probus FC player Rory Gatley in action. Bottom: Andy Sheer.

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