Road crossing closure upsets Tedburn St Mary

The dualling of the A30 trunk road between Exeter and Okehampton (or should I say Okehampton and Exeter as that would lead the eye from left to right when looking at a map, just the same way as we read a book from left to right, just seems correct that way) was carried out quite some time ago. Back then, with cost constraints a factor, a lot of junctions weren't of the flyover type and there were many instances of right turn junctions involving waiting in a gap in the centre reservation before crossing the carriageway from the opposite direction. The same set up occurred in a number of places when the dual carriageway from Plymouth to Exeter, now known as 'The Devon Expressway' was completed it should be said.

Over the intervening years there has been a policy of closing these centre reservation gaps or in some cases going the whole hog and providing a two level junction. Currently the gap that enables right turns into and out of the village of Tedburn St Mary is being closed and the locals, who only live a stone's throw from the main road, aren't impressed.

The point they have to remember is that with very very few of these right turn junctions left on this fast dual carriageway drivers on the main drag just won't be expecting these dangerous crossing manoeuvres. Bear in mind too that these dual carriageways have the same speed limit as motorways (70 mph) so ought to be as good in their junction design.

Looking at the Tedburn case in particular the junction for Cheriton Bishop which is only three or four miles further west is now a flyover. Yes retaining a direct access in and out of Tedburn St Mary would be nice but it is just too close to Cheriton Bishop to justify its own flyover I'm afraid and for safety's sake that central reservation gap has to be closed.

I'm assuming that the slip roads on and off the eastbound carriageway are being retained. Please correct me if this is wrong!

Housing help at Rock and East Portlemouth

Following my last entry it's worth recording that there's more help for locals in need of a roof over their head, this time at Rock on the east side of the Camel estuary in North Cornwall and at East Portlemouth deep in the south of Devon.

These two settlements are the last places in my two counties where you might expect local people to have any measure of success in finding a home but I'm glad to say that there is some good news for them.

First of all, Rock. With the help of local and parish councils a project is being undertaken by the St Minver Community Land Trust. They have bought land at Penmayne Farm, just inland from highly expensive Rock, for 12 self build bungalows. All the homes had to be affordable as a condition of planning permission; construction has started and the 12 families who will be living in them all have local connections. An interesting aside is that revenue accruing to North Cornwall District from the council tax for second homes is being used in order to pay for infrastructure at the site.

Now over to East Portlemouth, the small village that one sees across the harbour from Salcombe. Again very expensive and I think with 70% plus second homes. The Waterhouse family have lived there for decades and pensioner Isobel Waterhouse who inherited four cottages there could easily have sold them on for a good deal of money. But she has adopted a different course and has formed a trust to ensure that they can be rented out at reasonable rates to locals. A brother of mine phoned to say that this particular story had featured in 'The Independent'! As my brothers and I spent our early years in Salcombe then happenings in that area have a special significance.

As someone who doesn't want any village to become the preserve of the second home owning mega rich I have to say that I'm heartened by these reports.

Affordable housing for Bratton Fleming

The village of Bratton Fleming in North Devon lies just to the west of Exmoor National Park and is the first location to benefit from North Devon District Council's new local lettings policy. Fifteen affordable homes have been built on land owned by the Council: 11 rented properties together with 4 houses sold for shared ownership. The idea is to help those people with strong connections with the village but maybe not yet starting a family to stay in the area rather than casting the net too wide. All very admirable and it will be interesting to see if NDDC come up with some more schemes of a similar type.

One downside is the fact that the council have used former allotment land for this exercise although it's possible that the locals aren't into allotments; I don't know one way or the other on this I must admit.

We can expect the subject of housing to be a big, big issue in the months ahead in both national and local government. I've noticed that neither of the two main parties are prepared to mention second homes, something very relevant to Devon and Cornwall. The fact is that it is a tricky matter for them as they are conscious that they might upset 'Middle England', a similar problem occurs regarding any proliferation in the number of greenfield sites used for new houses.

The next 12 months promise to give Gordon Brown an extremely bumpy ride, resolving the housing crisis with higher cost of living and more repossessions added to the mix is just one of the headaches he will have.

BT wants windfarm at Goonhilly

At present BT operates its famous Earth Satellite Station at Goonhilly on the Lizard Peninsula. Last year the company announced that much of the work there will be transferred to its site in Herefordshire, a shame as west Cornwall is the home of much of the communications revolution. You just have to think of the telegraph cables from all over the world that terminate at Porthcurno and of Marconi's radio transmission over the Atlantic Ocean involving Poldhu apart from the Goonhilly operation in much more recent times to realise that the area is right in the thick of it.

Now I appreciate that companies like BT have on occasion to rationalise their activities but on the plus side they have to leave at least one dish - it's the one known as 'Arthur' - because it is a listed structure. Adjacent to the satellite station is a wind farm, much newer, which I think is completely independent of BT. Could be wrong but I'm almost sure that I'm right on this. This particular wind farm, like others in the county is what I call a first generation of its type. In other words the turbines are much less tall than today's monsters.

Not surprisingly BT's activities gobble up a tremendous amount of energy and they are keen to use their sites for renewable power supplies and, bearing in mind that the exposed Lizard has a tendency to be pretty breezy, they are suggesting building their own wind farm there. Reports suggest that they are looking to erect from 3 to 6 turbines up to 80 metres tall. (I hate all this metric stuff, I ought to convert it to 'proper' measurements I know). Anyway they will be very much taller than what we are used to in Cornwall and I think that many will be outraged if the scheme goes ahead particularly as it is in an AONB.

I have yet to be convinced that wind farms should be built onshore in Britain. Their output in relation to their size and landscape impact is not sufficient. Couple that with the extreme variability of wind speed and they don't make much sense to me. Bear in mind too that the wind farm developers get a hefty subsidy from the public purse. Just possibly that's why BT is showing its green credentials. Brian you are getting too cynical in your old age!

Now Shaldon votes on EU Referendum

Last month I had recorded the fact that the parish of East Stoke in Dorset had held a local referendum on the question "Do you want a referendum on the EU Constitutional Treaty? Yes or No?" Out of those who voted the reply was a massive "yes". I pointed out that a number of parishes in Devon and Cornwall were looking to ask a similar question. However I hadn't realised then that permission to hold such an event was in the gift of the relevant authority and now it transpires that some of them aren't going to play.

However the other week villagers at Shaldon on the south shore of Devon's Teign estuary had their chance to make their view known (well done Teignbridge District Council for facilitating this). On a turnout of 18.1% the votes were 260 to 12 - a pretty convincing margin I'd say for the yesses.

'Newton and Noss' in the far west of The South Hams could be one of the next places to exercise their democratic right on this issue. I don't think Gordon Brown will have an easy ride in the House of Commons regarding the EU Treaty and if enough parishes have a chance to express their opinion who knows what may happen. I hope those Labour MPs who are harbouring doubts about where their leadership is taking them will make a firm decision when their turn to vote comes; it is certainly not a matter to abstain on, that would be a real cop out. So a definite "Yes" or "No" is needed ladies and gentlemen.

Speed limits need sorting out

In my last post I mentioned our allotment at Luckett. Now Luckett is difficult to categorise but it has a special character and is bigger than a hamlet but perhaps not quite a village. It largely developed as a mining settlement and didn't grow in the same way as a conventional English village would. (It is in Cornwall though where things tend to be different!).

There are steep downhill approaches to Luckett from both north and south and the road crosses a little stream that discharges into the lovely Tamar just to the east. Crossing the bridge from the south the road then makes a fairly abrupt left turn with minimal visibility; some of the houses adjoin or are very close to the road. Farm machinery and school buses pass through on occasion. So one might think Luckett would be a perfect candidate for a speed limit, I certainly do as does the Luckett Village Association.

What I find so inconsistent is the fact that the 2 or 3 miles of the B3257 which runs from Kelly Bray to Sevenstones and is just below the northern flank of Kit Hill is governed by a 40 mph limit throughout! I don't disagree with this - there is a slightly tricky cross roads, 4 other side roads in this length and a few cottages and farms and a cattery exiting on it as well. But once you turn of it to descend Luckett Hill there is no signed speed limit at all! Yet there is no doubt that Luckett is potentially just as hazardous as the 'main' road.

It's interesting to note the recent suggestion of blanket speed limits of 20 mph in some built up areas. The trouble here is that motorists will be constantly checking their speedometers in fear of being caught on camera rather than concentrating on the road and its hazards.

To me the biggest drawback with speed limits is that they don't take account of individual circumstances as a rule although there are exceptions such as speed signs on motorways switched on when it's foggy for example and signs near some schools just used when children are on the move. What we really need is more education: I would like to see videos of top police drivers giving a running commentary as they pass a number of hazards which many road users don't appreciate. Maybe something like You Tube could be employed for this.

We take an allotment

A gardening fanatic friend and I have taken an allotment. To get what we needed we have had to go to the next parish, that parish has allotments in two locations one of which I believe is fully subscribed. However the other site, at Luckett, still has allotments unused despite being advertised so we are not depriving the locals of anything. The availability has been assisted by the fact that one of the tenants, Fred, who had several plots there is emigrating (good luck with the move Fred!).

The plot that we are taking on has been untouched for some time and so needs a lot of work to become usable. Fortunately the settled weather we are having has come at the right time for us to get started. My friend has a lifetime of gardening experience so I shall be relying on her for some tips! I'm certainly keen to learn.

Quiet autumn weather

Following on from the dreadfully wet summer we are having some compensation now with quiet autumn weather. In my neck of the woods the last week or two seem to be averaging one very wet day to the other six of the week being dry. That's a balance I'm happy with.

Here are one or two random thoughts about the present weather situation:

• We are on the verge of having some ground frosts in the Tamar Valley and I believe some parts of the country further east and north have been colder. This is good principally because we need colder weather to kill the midges that have brought bluetongue into this country. Frosts might also reduce some of the garden pests that are getting out of hand.
• It was good to see in Tavistock earlier this week people sitting outside to drink their tea or coffee. Tavistock, for all its many virtues, is not particularly well known for a dry sunny climate, lying as it does just below the western scarp of Dartmoor. But I can think of at least three cafes in the town with tables and chairs out in the fresh air. This culture has developed in a big way recently which is good news.
• The last few years have seen dire warnings from the Environment Agency about lowered water tables and streams drying up more especially in the populated south east. After this summer's rains there was a worry that if similar weather happened this autumn further extensive flooding could occur purely because the water table has become much higher. Fortunately this hasn't happened (yet).
• I have a large apple tree at the bottom of the garden which is absolutely laden with fruit. So far this season there has only been one incidence of strong wind and nearly all the apples have stayed on the tree.
• With many dry and reasonably sunny days it helps to maximise the daylight. I'm not keen on days when a wet dark evening starts halfway through the afternoon!

UHT milk? Thanks but no thanks

An idea being floated by DEFRA and leaked by 'The Times' has produced more than a little indignation this week. The suggestion is that this country should virtually give up on pasteurised milk and change to UHT milk instead. Why? It's to reduce global warming they say. The one and only positive about UHT is that no chilling is required until the consumer opens the carton. Thus goes the theory all that energy to keep the product cold in shop or supermarket can be saved and thus lessen climate change. After all Germany, France and Spain love the stuff so why not the UK?

Now I don't know whether it's something in our genetic make-up but the British certainly seem to prefer the fresh product even though you have to be vigilant about the date on the bottle. I certainly dislike the UHT and would hate to consume it. As to the energy use have the DEFRA people evaluated the argument? Probably not. The UHT milk has to be heated to a higher temperature in the first place although one blog I read just now stated that UHT is heated for seconds rather than the many minutes afforded to the pasteurised so those two factors might cancel each other out - I would like to see some statistics on this. A suggestion on another blog is that supermarkets will divert other products to the now unused chiller cabinet space; it's all starting to get complicated isn't it. And what about the vast array of soft drinks for sale, coca-cola and the like, do so many of them really need to be refrigerated?

I'm all for looking at ways of reducing both our carbon footprint and energy use but would this be the way to go. Answer from me is a resounding "No".

Food giant Heinz are in the soup

Heinz, one of the best known food names in the country, have found themselves in deep water this week. They have brought out a new range of soups under the label of "Farmers' Market". Now of course the ingredients aren't sourced from farmers markets but from what one might call industrialised farming. Heinz maintain that these new products have been inspired by the country's farmers markets. H'm, this is stretching things a bit methinks. Not surprisingly those who organise and sell at these markets together with a number of MPs have been quick to condemn Heinz for this slick bit of marketing. Of course a tremendous amount of our food comes from 'production line' farming and it's nothing new for manufacturers to give the impression it has been sourced from traditional types of farms, the sort in fact that would be more likely to sell at farmers markets.

So where does this furore leave us? I think Heinz have shot themselves in the foot by gaining this negative publicity. Whether they are doing something that is illegal I don't know. But to me using exactly the same two words is something I wouldn't agree with.

Nare Point lookout needs volunteers

Toward the end of last month I wrote a blog entry about the National Coastwatch Institution and, more specifically, about their first lookout station at Bass Point on The Lizard. This summer they opened another in Cornwall, a former MoD building at Nare Point on the south side of the Helford estuary where it meets Falmouth Bay. Now I don't pretend to know the past history of this building but imagine that it dates back to World War Two and it's location looking up to the south side of Falmouth and also up the Helford at least as far Polgwidden Cove below Trebah, where boats were assembled for the D-Day invasion, would have made it a vital observation point.

Back to the present. The NCI are appealing for more volunteers to help out at Nare Head. If interested you can turn up at St Keverne Parish Hall on the first Monday of any month at 7.30 pm. Alternatively, and more quickly, one can email the NCI: narepointnci@tiscali.co.uk Where would this country be without all these dedicated volunteers in so many spheres of life.

'Country Lives' keeps me informed

I watched the 'Country Lives' programme on our local ITV earlier this evening. Only on for half hour it looks at a variety of subjects and people and I particularly wanted to see this one as there was an item about the team who maintain the Tamar Bridge (the road bridge not Brunel's wonderful creation which of course is 'The Royal Albert Bridge').

As someone who starts getting queasy when I'm more than four rungs up a ladder it was quite something to see them casually walking along the main cables that lead up to the towers. What came over was the strong feelings they have for the bridge and how thorough the inspection and maintenance regimes are. It always fascinates me to think about what motivates people to take on certain types of employment; I mean when at school did they just get this overwhelming desire to work on high bridges. I guess that they get good money for the job, they certainly deserve it.

Another part of the programme visited a true art deco cinema (was it in Somerset?) run by a real film enthusiast. He even has a chap who plays the cinema's organ for the best part of half an hour before the film starts! Nostalgia rules OK.

BBC do a similar general interest programme called 'Inside-Out'. These are gems to me as I always like to extend my knowledge on all sorts of real life subjects that you don't normally think about. I don't always get to see them but when I do there is always something to fascinate. Much talk today about the BBC cutting back on its budget and making staff redundant. It worries me that a programme like Inside-Out will be a casualty. I certainly hope not.

MSC Napoli - setback for stern removal

Back on the 23 August I ran a story about the intention to remove the bulky remainder of the MSC Napoli in one piece from Lyme Bay. It was hoped to take it away on a very large barge this autumn but it now appears that this process won't go ahead. Therefore villagers in Branscombe are faced with many more months with the wreck on their doorstep. The slow process of cutting up the superstructure, removing the engine and taking away what's left of the hull could run into the start of next springs holiday season.

The one piece removal of the stern was always an ambitious target when you look at the sheer size of what's left of Napoli and the salvers would be going into new territory here. What I find so disappointing though is that it has taken quite so long to do the sums and realise 'Plan A' wasn't on. We have had mostly benign weather so far this autumn which seems to have gone to waste, a great shame. Although locals are voicing concerns about the delay and are worried about adverse publicity should any further oil leak out I have to say I am more upbeat about the situation. Yes even the slightest amount of oil on the beaches will get the media going, that's for sure. But I can't imagine any meaningful amount of oil left on board. And as more and more of the ship is cut up and removed from site it ought to get progressively easier to get any remaining oil out I would have thought. The last oil seepage when the hull was being split apart by explosives could in part be down to the unknowns inevitably linked with the fact that the exact outcome from the detonations couldn't be defined. But, barring a hurricane, the salvers ought to be in complete control now.

Following on from my piece exactly a month ago, on 18th September, about the residents of Branscombe relating the Napoli story and how it has affected them, the Branscombe Project will hold an exhibition about MSC Napoli at the village hall starting this Saturday. I believe it is due to end on the 26th of this month.

I had hoped that the County Council might have started the public enquiry before the year ended but I presume that they will now wait until all the wreck has gone.

Julia Goldsworthy will not be standing

One or two political blogs have got themselves excited about the possibility of Falmouth and Camborne MP Julia Goldsworthy standing for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats. No doubt a youthful female MP with a good media presence would have added extra interest to the proceedings but she has already ruled herself out of this contest.

Outgoing leader Sir Ming Campbell has cited the constant media attention toward him particularly focusing on his age as the reason for his resignation. Whatever one thinks about Ming I have to say I sympathise with him. Unfortunately in this day and age there is far too much emphasis on not appearing to be too old, wrong one may think but this is the new reality.

The media can be very poor at times just harping about one or two things to the exclusion of many others. We deserve better.

Devon explorers going to the N Pole - again

Both Pen Hadow who lives at Hexworthy on Dartmoor and Ann Daniels residing at a somewhat lower altitude at Whimple in East Devon have separately been to the geographic north pole. So it could be asked why they intend to join forces and walk the 1200 miles from Point Barrow in Alaska as directly as possible to the pole next year. They've been there, done that and probably have the tee shirt.

Well together with photographer Martin Hartley, who is also no stranger to polar expeditions, they are heading up the team for the Vanco Arctic Survey. This is all about trying to ascertain the thickness of the polar ice and from this scientists will get a much clearer idea of when completely ice free summers in the Arctic might start to occur.

Up until now the experts have had to rely on observations from military submarines and from satellites but for various reasons these techniques are not wholly accurate. The better way is to do a direct surface survey. A lightweight but immensely strong sledge will be packed with high tech equipment, it also has flotation equipment for those times when they have to swim through open water. A ground penetrating radar set up will be towed behind the sledge and every few centimetres it will measure the thickness of the ice and, here's a clever bit, it will distinguish between the underlying ice and the covering snow.

I remember being at a talk Pen Hadow gave at Tavistock once and found him to be a very inspiring person. Good luck to him and to Ann and Martin.

There is a detailed website concerning the Vanco Arctic Survey here.

Dormouse seen on visit to reserve

Last Sunday afternoon we had the opportunity to visit one of Cornwall Wildlife Trust's reserves in the east of the county because there was to be a check on the bat boxes and dormice boxes in the wooded part of the site.

Shortly after entering the wood the party split up, Tony complete with ladder, torch and mirror checking out the bat situation whilst we and a number of others joined Steve to see if any of the dormice boxes were inhabited.

I think Steve said that there were some 50 boxes for the mice but the majority checked were empty. Some had moss in them as a result of tits making use of them in the summer for nesting but in one or two of them some now rather faded hazel leaves had been added to the moss indicative we were told of mouse activity. In a couple of boxes we found a mouse - a wood mouse, nice but not exactly what we were hoping to see. But in the end Steve found a box with a plump and surprisingly lively dormouse in it. This was a great sighting for us and we were pleased that Tony reported a variety of bats too including one bat box with no less than 6 of the little mammals in it!

It's good to report that Cornwall still has many hidden corners where nature can carry on with little interruption. Let's hope it stays that way!

Oldest UK fishing boat relaunched at Newlyn

Yesterday saw 'Ripple' a 111 year old Cornish fishing boat hauled back into the water by 'Cornish Pirates' rugby players at Newlyn following a 4 year restoration. She was built at St Ives in 1896 and is now the oldest fishing boat on the UK Fishing Vessel Register still sporting her original name and her fishing registry number (SS19).

This 44 foot vessel, once fully operational, will be the only working Cornish fishing lugger left in the world. The intention after fitting out and trials are complete is to offer enthusiasts the chance to sail and fish on a lugger that last worked when fishing was considered to be a sustainable industry.

'Ripple' is now in the ownership of 'West Cornwall Lugger Industry Trust Ltd' who state their aims to be "Regeneration activities for the community of Newlyn, based on traditional boat building, revival of the old harbour and the experience of sailing and fishing on heritage fishing boats".

This sounds a very worthy organisation and I'm pleased to hear about not only their success in preserving 'Ripple' but that she will still be actively used.

John Lambourn (email jhlambourn@aol.com) is the man to contact for more information.

The Recycled Fashion Show

We have had an Environmental Awareness Day in the village today the highlight of which was 'The Recycled Fashion Show'. Well known members of the community were gently cajoled into showing off their recycled clothes on a catwalk - well actually down the centre of the Public Hall.

Using clothing obtained from a variety of charity shops, jumble sales, etc a number of situations were highlighted from walking the dog on the river path to going out on the town in the evening, from dressing for a hiking holiday to participating in a wedding. But it was Steve from the Post Office in fancy dress that really brought the house down.

This "fashion show" was something very different in the village, was well supported and thoroughly enjoyed. Ably compered by Phil and David it brightened up a somewhat grey day. Leslie and her volunteers are to be hugely congratulated for putting over a recycling message in such an entertaining way. Well done to all!

Napoli rescuer receives medal from Queen

On the 22 July I had recorded the fact that three men from RNAS Culdrose were in line to receive bravery awards for their part in the successful rescue of the crew from the stricken cargo ship MSC Napoli. Today one of them, Petty officer Jay O'Donnell, duly accepted the Queen's Gallantry Medal at Buckingham Palace.

Such were the conditions that PO O'Donnell couldn't be lowered direct into the life raft, he was dropped into the sea close by, had to disconnect himself from the helicopter temporarily and then swim to the life raft to assist the 26 crew, all in truly appalling conditions.

The crews of the two helicopters involved in the rescue have just collected awards from the Shipwreck Mariners' Society which, I have just discovered, came into being in the nineteenth century as a result of the tragic loss of a fleet of fishing boats from Clovelly in North Devon. That's something new learnt today

St Agnes lady too old to lead guides

A story from one of my favourite villages in Cornwall, St Agnes. Pat Ely has been a guider for the St Agnes rainbow branch of Girl Guides for 22 years. She would very much like to continue but her 'failing' is that she has reached the age of 65. So under the rules of 'Girlguiding UK' she has to retire. She is only 65 for heaven's sake! I shall be that age in less than a year and don't think it's any age at all providing you are reasonably fit and still mentally agile.

People of this age still have plenty to contribute. My advice to the guiding organisation - amend that rulebook pronto!

Fullabrook Down wind farm approved

Following a public enquiry the government has given the green light to the construction of the 66 megawatt wind farm at Fullabrook Down. Putting the geography into context Fullabrook Down is part of the high ground about halfway between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe. The 22 turbines will each stand about 360 feet tall. Energy minister Malcolm Wicks stated that the project would generate enough clean electricity to meet the average annual needs of 30,000 domestic customers or about 30% of total electricity consumption in North Devon. He also said it would also save almost 65,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

Here are my thoughts. Firstly I'm not an enthusiast of onshore wind energy. Not primarily because of the look of the wind turbines - if I thought they were effective 24/7 and 365 days a year and they really were the best option for 'clean' energy then I might revise my opinion. However as usual government figures in support of the go-ahead have to be taken with a very generous pinch of salt. It's not explained whether the provision of enough power to supply 30,000 homes is based on the assumption that the wind will be at its optimum speed at all times which obviously it won't. Why doesn't the minister come clean on this issue? And how does he define North Devon? And why do they talk about so many tonnes of CO2 saved each year? To the ordinary person such figures are absolutely meaningless, they could be ten times bigger or smaller it wouldn't mean anything.

Because of the constantly varying speed of the wind such developments would never be able to supply the base load for the National Grid. I've heard it said that as the wind blows stronger then electricity use increases. I'm not convinced at all by this argument. For a start think of the obviously huge chunks of energy that are needed which are totally independent of wind speed, power in factories and hospitals for instance. On occasion we have very cold but still nights where extra heat is needed. And increasingly in the summer (although not this last one I admit) there is demand for cooling fans in shops, offices, etc when it is very hot with no breeze.

Supporters of onshore wind energy have never made their case to my satisfaction. I do support genuine environmental initiatives but in this country with such variability in weather conditions I have to say these onshore wind factories are not the way to go.

Red faces as King Harry Ferry grounded

The King Harry Ferry provides a short but very convenient means of access for those lucky folk who live on Cornwall's Roseland Peninsula but need to go to Truro, Penryn, etc. Normally the trip across the River Fal is accomplished without drama but yesterday morning a slight miscalculation left the ferry grounded as the tide was falling. Fortunately no passengers or vehicles were left on board.

Interestingly the ferry company has a note of the mobile numbers of their regular clientele so that they can be sent text messages if there is a problem with the ferry but such an event is very rare.

I have to say that I'm very fond of peninsulas and 'The Roseland' like the Rame Peninsula nearer my home has a diverse choice of scenery. In both instances you have an unspoilt coast, quiet creeks, woodlands and fields. Being peninsulas they aren't blighted with through traffic. These two are well protected from development as well - in the case of Rame because a huge chunk is 'The Mount Edgcumbe Country Park' whereas a sizable part of The Roseland is owned by The National Trust.

The King Harry Ferry was in the news three years ago for all the right reasons. Back then it was described by travel writer Ryan Levitt as being one of the top ten most picturesque ferry journeys in the World. I can certainly vouch for its beauty.

Cornwall MP Colin Breed to retire

I notice that my MP Lib Dem Colin Breed has announced that he is to step down at the next General Election. When I wrote to him some time ago I received a courteous letter in reply; I would describe him as competent rather than outstanding, certainly his profile is somewhat lower than many others in his party.

'South East Cornwall' is a relatively safe seat for the Liberal Democrats now and Colin has represented it since 1997. I wish him well in his retirement.

Brown bottles it

The vocabulary of the English Language is wonderfully wide and varied and it's fascinating by using just one word or phrase it's possible to sum up a particular event or situation perfectly. I'm sure the three words (and just 14 letters) "Brown bottles it" will resonate for some time. Now I don't have an allegiance to any political party but what is obvious to me is that Gordon Brown has scored one of the most spectacular own goals ever. Not only has he made himself look totally inept and inadequate but he has spurred the Tories to get their act together and look like a reasonable alternative to this government.

Just a week ago things weren't looking good for the Conservatives and to some Gordon Brown's vision of that party being totally routed so that he could run the country with virtually no brake on his decision making looked a distinct possibility. Fortunately for democracy the Tories had such a good conference that there is now some sort of equivalence between the two main parties. Interestingly I recall Margaret Thatcher's attempt to bury socialism didn't totally work out although Tony Blair had to rebrand his party as 'New Labour' to get elected. So if we are to have Parliament run via adversarial politics (and whether that is a good idea is another question) then it is better I think for the Opposition to be reasonably strong.

Let's be absolutely clear about one thing - Brown's problem is of his own making. 100%. The media ran with the election story for sure and one would expect them to. But Brown could have stopped all this weeks ago. He has played it very badly indeed.

An interesting comparison with Blair crosses my mind. Tony Blair for all his faults is to me the ultimate 'rubber man'. What do I mean by that? Well when he made a mistake, made a poor judgment on a situation, he was able to erase it from his mind and very quickly bounce back again. One example I remember was when he was slow hand clapped by the ladies of the Womens Institute. Now I recall this and other embarrassments well enough but fortunately for Blair these aberrations were soon forgotten by most people. However Brown is a very different kettle of fish. Like Blair a control freak and a man with a very large ego. But I don't think that Brown will be able to shrug off this humiliation in the way his predecessor would have, he will brood on it.

One person who I shall watch with interest on TV this evening is Rory Bremner whose satirical programme 'Bremner, Bird and Fortune' has returned to our screens on Channel 4. Recent events are manna from heaven for his show. And how will Brown do at PMQs on Wednesday I wonder. We shall soon see.

Peace and Harmony at Constantine Bay

I ran a story back on the 23rd of last month about a proposal to build a new lifeguard hut at Cornwall's Constantine Bay and how it had upset the locals. Now the RNLI, who provide the beach's lifeguards, have reluctantly withdrawn their application to North Cornwall's planners for the provision of a new facility. Working with the council's technical services department they will get the existing hut repaired and made safe in preparation for the 2008 season.

There had been a suggestion about continuing to deploy a temporary facility but the RNLI have pointed out that the cost of moving it on and off site each year makes that alternative a no-no.

Go here to see a nice picture of Constantine Bay on a quiet day.

Lundy open for business again

I'm pleased to say that Lundy is open for visitors again. For almost a fortnight it was in effect quarantined as a result of an outbreak of the Norwalk Virus that caused vomiting and diarrhoea in about 50 people. So The Landmark Trust who run the island on behalf of The National Trust have had to deep clean all the holiday cottages, shop and pub. Even their supply ship, the MS Oldenburg, had to submit to this treatment.

The bug might well have been brought over by a visitor from the mainland. Fingers crossed that they have now eradicated the problem.

They're still obsessed with Diana

I find it very interesting when watching the news on TV to see just how the different stories are prioritised. To what extent are the compilers just following their own agenda is a question I ask myself sometimes. Or perhaps they really think that the order of news items reflects the view of Mr and Mrs Average as to the importance of the stories to them.

The reason for raising this subject now is because of, in my opinion, the unnecessary prominence given to the inquest of Diana. In a piece I wrote on the first of September headed 'More thoughts on the Diana Memorial Service' I concluded with the sentence "My hope now is that we can move on and cease to be absorbed with Diana, but that might be wishful thinking on my part". Wishful thinking is right!

Take tonight's 6 o'clock news on BBC1. First item was as expected David Cameron's speech to the Tory faithful in Blackpool. Correct I would say. But then they moved on to the inquest of Diana. This on a day when a young Polish woman carer got killed in the crossfire between two gunmen in London. This was further down the list and seemed to get less coverage than the Diana story. Now I know that Diana was the mother of a future king of this country and accept that the inquest proceedings should be reported but couldn't they be moved down the order. I saw some of Channel 4's 7 o'clock news and they were just as bad. The inquest is set to go on for many months and it will be fascinating to see whether media interest in the subject shows any sign of abating.

Incidentally the Beeb had a story about North Korea agreeing to disable its main nuclear facility by the end of the year - to me more important than the Diana business. On C4 there was some in depth footage of the continuing atrocities in Burma, again more important.

At the end of the inquest will Mohamed Al Fayed be able to accept that the death of his son and that of Diana was caused by the reckless driving of his drunk employee Henri Paul? I rather doubt it.

World championship heading for Newquay

Great News for Cornwall is the fact that Newquay has fought off international competition to host 'Rescue 2010 - the World Surf Life Saving Championships'. Six thousand or so competitors from 55 countries will descend on the area in June/July 2010, a great opportunity to publicise Cornwall and show the world what we can do. Apparently a temporary swimming pool will be constructed at Fistral Beach so that all the events in these championships can be held in the same area.

The cost of the whole thing will be about £6 million which is lose change compared with the ever increasing expense of London's Olympic Games; I wish France had won the latter by the way, I can see a lot of lottery money being diverted to the Olympics which should be used on other things.

I am particularly pleased for Jonathan Ball who spearheaded the case for Cornwall. Jonathan, a well regarded architect based at Bude, was one of the instigators of The Eden Project. Sadly he fell out with fellow entrepreneur Tim Smit and his contribution has been somewhat airbrushed from the story of Eden. But he was all smiles when the news was announced about Newquay's success.

Here's wishing the organisers all the best for summer 2010!

Post Offices named for closure

We know that the government are looking to close some 2,500 post offices and to that end the first 180 have been named. These are in Kent, in the East Midlands and in the East Yorkshire area. I understand that it is intended to sort out all the closures for the whole country by the end of next year. At what time during this period our post offices in Devon and Cornwall will know their fate I just don't know. But what I do understand is how difficult it must be for those postmasters waiting to be told whether their business is for the chop or not. There is nothing worse than uncertainty when people are in business. I have the greatest respect for small businesses be they shopkeepers, farmers, postmasters, manufacturers or whoever. They are the bedrock of our country but not always appreciated as such.

Let's hope that the remaining postmasters and postmistresses aren't kept in suspense for much longer.