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!