BODMIN COLLEGE is to become a Youth Sport Trust Gold Partner School for its commitment to PE and sport.

Youth Sport Trust Partner Schools can demonstrate how they are delivering high quality school sport and improving the PE experience for every student and how they are also using sport to raise achievement levels across the school. As a partner, the college will receive additional training and development opportunities and can become involved in national education and sport initiatives.

Its principal, Bob Mitchell, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to become a Youth Sport Trust Partner School, which recognises our commitment to delivering the best possible experiences for young people through PE and school sport.

"There are a whole range of educational, health and wellbeing benefits from delivering high quality PE and school sport and we see on a regular basis that, when sport is delivered well, it can transform the lives of a whole range of pupils."

CHILDREN at Robartes Junior School in Bodmin have been having regular lessons with National Trust staff at Lanhydrock.

The environmental education sessions have been praised by teachers and are highly regarded by the local education authority.

Parent support adviser at Robartes, Lynn Simms said: "Our pupils gain great confidence by doing practical work like shelter-building, looking for animal tracks and making bird boxes, which are now home to blue tits in our upper field.

"The rangers are great role models for our pupils and finding out more about the natural world and our environment is the best education you can get."

LISKEARD School and Community College joined national school sport week with a series of hotly contested activities.

A whole school sports day saw students completing Olympic-themed events to get into the spirit, including special lessons with Vicky Gilbert and Lee Pascoe.

Olympic videos, human obstacle courses, sports nutrition advice, lessons on how exercise affects the body, racing, walking and tag rugby were all on offer.

The sports day kicked off with an opening ceremony complete with dancers and a samba band.

Barbara Snowling, a torch bearer for the official Olympic Torch Relay, gave a motivational speech about the Olympic motto, encouraging students to be the best and aim high.

The whole school took part in inter-tutor netball, football, dodgeball, handball and volleyball tournaments before the relays.

A spokesman said: "Due to the bad weather, the participants were skipping rather than running but spirits were not dampened as staff and students rallied behind their team."

The day ended with a comical staff relay, won by the PE department.

In a closing ceremony, head teacher Donna Bryant and the PE department gave speeches, followed by presentations for runners-up and winners.

"The day, arranged by Sam Dunkey and the fantastic PE department at Liskeard School, was a huge success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all," said the spokesman.

A WEEKEND exhibition celebrating the heritage of Egloshayle village, church and parish starts today at the parish church.

Local resident Angela Richards has collected more than 400 photos donated by local people, together with their memories of life in the parish in years gone by.

The church will be open today and tomorrow between 10am and 4pm, and entrance is free.

Refreshments will be served all day, and there will be quizzes and information sheets about the exhibition available for a small charge. There will also be trips up the bell tower for £2.

On Saturday at 7.30pm there will be an evening presentation From The Vision to the Noose about the 19th-century murder of local merchant Nevell Norway, whose grave is in the churchyard.

Chris and Jill Batters, the producer and author respectively of a film and book about the infamous event will give an illustrated talk featuring slides and photos of the place where the murder took place and related locations, then and now.

On Sunday at 3pm there will be a concert by the Washaway West Gallery Choir, which won first prize in the Cornish carol section at this year's Truro Music Festival.

The concert will celebrate the rich history of Cornish funeral music from the 18th and 19th century.

A PORT ISAAC lifeboat crew who risked their lives to save two fishermen in treacherous conditions have received three of the highest RNLI awards for their outstanding bravery.

Helmsman Damien Bolton has been awarded the RNLI's silver medal for gallantry and his colleagues Nicola-Jane Bradbury and Matthew Main have received bronze gallantry medals.

It is the first time in RNLI history that all the crew of a D class inflatable lifeboat have received gallantry medals. It is also the first time a silver medal has been awarded to a member of a Port Isaac lifeboat crew since 1870.

The volunteer crew launched the inshore lifeboat in force 4-5 winds on April 8 to rescue two people who had been swept into rough water very close to the cliffs near Tregardock.

Operating at the extreme limits of the lifeboat's capabilities, Mr Bolton, 31, used great seamanship skills to manoeuvre the lifeboat towards the two men, who were struggling to stay above the crashing surf.

They managed to pull Paul Sleeman to safety. His father Peter Sleeman, 60, was recovered to the lifeboat but later died.

Michael Vlasto, RNLI operations director, said the rescue was carried out in extremely dangerous conditions.

"The crew were aware of the risk they were exposing themselves to, but felt that the potential of saving a life outweighed that risk. Although this rescue was also marked by tragedy, it is a testament to their bravery, skill and tenacity that one of the men survived and made a full recovery,'' he said.

Paul Sleeman, 27, who lives near St Teath, said he owed his life to the three crew members.

"The family would like to pass on their sincere congratulations to Damien, Nicki and Matt, three truly amazing people, on their very worthy awards. Without their skills, bravery and determination, I wouldn't be here today, my life was saved with seconds to spare.

"The huge effort they went to, to recover Pete, which enabled us to lay him to rest, is something that the whole family will always be grateful for," he said.

"The family are also grateful for the continuous help and support during this tragic and difficult time from all at Port Isaac RNLI, some wonderful, strong, long-term relationships have been made. Port Isaac RNLI now holds a very special place in all our hearts.''

Helmsman Damien Bolton, who runs a local building company, said he and his colleagues were all amazed to receive the awards.

"It's just overwhelming really, and it's such a proud moment for us all."

An ancient map of Cornwall, featuring detailed colour plates of the Cheesewring, Hurlers and Launceston Castle, is expected to fetch up to £1,500 at auction today.

Drawn by eminent cartographer Christopher Saxton in 1689, the map goes under the hammer at Lawrences in Crewkerne, South Somerset.

Richard Kay, of Lawrences Auctioneers, said old maps of Cornwall always created a flurry of interest from collectors both in this country and abroad.

"People in Cornwall are very, very proud of their history and heritage and therefore maps of Cornwall are always extremely desirable," he said.

"Some areas of the country are more desirable than others and Cornwall, Yorkshire and the Home Counties fall into that category and are therefore the most sought after.

"This map is something of a rarity in the sense that it is in very good condition and of a very high quality.

"Saxton's work is very desirable not only because of its superb decorative detail, but because it is historically accurate as well."

Mr Kay added that old maps in general are popular because buyers like to analyse how places have changed over the centuries. "It is always interesting to see how some places were tiny and have developed into large towns, while once thriving communities have shrunk to nothing," he said.

"And sometimes you see very curious spellings, for instance, because cartographers or their assistants have relied on unreliable information."

This is true of a similar map – but of Devon – which is also up for auction by Lawrences today. Made by the same cartographer in the same year, it features a large coloured plate of "Excester" as the county town. This lot has an estimate of £400-600.

A buzz of anticipation electrified the camp; the performers and crew of the NoFit State Circus company scurried from various tents, vans and cabins to assemble outside the back door of the big top.

Like excited children on their way to a birthday party, they danced in a crocodile line, up shallow wooden steps into damp woodland, mysterious whispers of "it's Howie's reveal, Howie's coming out" floating on the breeze.

Off a twisty mud path through the trees, high above the Eden Project's space-age biomes, the ramshackle roof of a tumbledown stone shed emerged from dense undergrowth; the ensemble squeezed tightly and silently inside.

And suddenly there he was, amid the cobwebs, the plant roots and peeling lime plaster, clad in fine vibrant blue velvet frock coat, a fat, antique, leatherbound volume under his arm, and his face illuminated by the flames filling a big silver bowl perched on a log.

Howie Morley – high-wire acrobat, unicyclist, hula hooper, harness expert and fire-eater – stepped out in character for the very first time as he will appear in the company's new production, Bianco, Time For Beauty – this year's summer residency at Eden which begins next weekend.

Gazing to the horizon, gauging the direction of the wind with upheld finger, leafing through the book's pages and muttering "What, what" under his breath, this persona from another time, another place was a million miles away from everyday Howie in hoodie and jeans, scooting effortlessly up a scaffolding tower in the big top a short while earlier.

A joyful ripple of claps and cheers accompanied his retreat; another piece of the jigsaw was in place.

Each member of the 16-strong cast – top-class circus performers brought together from as far afield as Canada and Australia – will enjoy a similar moment of discovery as rehearsals progress.

It's an environment that showcases extraordinary physical skill and daring – flying trapeze, aerial acrobatics, pole, rope and bungee work, hand balancing, juggling. But it's theatrical personality, theme and intriguing storyline which set the Cardiff-based NoFit State apart from traditional circus.

"I love it when it's the first time they appear as characters in costume. I like to give a sense that they don't only exist in the confines of the show, that they have a bigger life," says passionate Italian director Firenza Guidi.

She takes a winding route full of surprises to achieve the theatrical acrobatic spectacular that the public will eventually witness. Not only does this slow-burn keep everyone guessing and on their toes, it also lets the story develop organically into an innovative and exhilarating show that everyone feels embraced by.

The narrative is based on The Elephant's Journey – the poignant last book by the late Nobel-Prize winning Portuguese author Jose Saramago. A mixture of fable, fantasy and fact, it uses the tale of an elephant transported across plains, sea and snowy mountains in the 16th century as a wedding gift from the Portuguese king to the Hapsburg archduke, Maximilian, as a vehicle to explore human foibles and failings through their attitude to the animal, in essence exploring the journey of life itself.

Firenza employs it as a gentle guiding spirit rather than rigid script, and the elephant has yet to take form – it might be a puppet, or even more enigmatic as a metaphorical entity.

"Saramago wrote the book when he knew he was dying," she says. "There is something in it that I would like to convey in this show and that is why I have also called it Time For Beauty.

"The look of the show is quite flamboyant and rich, but in Howie's character there is a humility in him. I can look at him and think he has been scarred by something. For me beauty is not to do with aesthetics, it comes from the inside.

"There is something in each of the performer's personalities that probably they don't even know and bringing that out is, in a way, the most exciting part of my job," she adds.

"Of course, I love all the machinery and the sets, but at the end of the day I think if the power cuts out, or the costumes fall off, and I have a cast of real people – rather than cardboard cutouts – who really communicate something, then we have a show.

"I like the dirtiness of the human condition – I don't like clean," she concludes.

While Firenza's vision drives the artistic process, elsewhere the practical, design and musical elements of getting the show on the road gradually slot into place in the capable hands of company founder Tom Rack and his production team.

There are currently 50 adults, including a camp cook, plus eight children – the youngest just a few weeks old – in residence in the circus camp at Eden.

"It can be a bit like herding cats, at times," he muses.

When the company staged the sell-out Labyrinth, it combined a promenade through the grounds with an indoor finale. This time the action will be focused wholly indoors, centred around four tower structures with wheels, which adapt to become different landscapes and have been built in the workshop on site. The diverse original music that will drive the show is being composed in a Portakabin by musical director Gareth Jones and his band, who readily offer visitors an a cappella song or blasts of trumpet and piano.

Pulling it all together is a last minute effort that always comes together somehow. The quote at the beginning of The Elephant's Journey says it all: "In the end, we always arrive at the place where we are expected."

Labour leader Ed Miliband has urged voters to treat elections for US-style police and crime commissioners as a referendum on the "wisdom" of Government cuts to the frontline.

Mr Miliband launched his party's campaign ahead of elections for 41 new police figureheads across England and Wales, including one for Devon and Cornwall.

Labour last month announced Plymouth councillor Nicky Williams had been selected by party members in the two counties to run as the party's candidate.

Former military commander Tony Hogg will stand for the Conservatives.

At the launch in London yesterday, Mr Miliband criticised deep cuts to force budgets.

Government cuts, including the loss of the rural policing grant, will leave Devon and Cornwall with just 2,802 officers – a level last seen in the 1980s – from a recent high of 3,500. Some 500 civilian support jobs will also be axed.

He said: "We believe that the British people deserve policing that reflects their values.

"These are the issues that our candidates will be campaigning on. Keeping police on the streets. Police preventing crime not just responding to it. And the core job of policing done not by private companies, but by the police.

"We warned the Government about the dangers of their cuts to frontline policing. These elections must be a referendum on the wisdom of decisions which will see at least 15,000 officers lost by 2015."

Mr Miliband also called for G4S to be blocked from getting new Government contracts in the wake of the Olympics security shambles.

The Labour leader said no more deals should be signed until a review had been carried out to ensure the firm was fit to provide services.

Conservative policing minister Nick Herbert hit back. He said: "This was a deeply cynical speech by Ed Miliband. He claimed neighbourhood policing is being cut; Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary confirm that actually, neighbourhood policing is being increased by forces.

"Second, he said that there is nothing wrong with the police using the private sector but that people want 'bobbies on the beat, not G4S'. That is precisely the Government's position.

"Third, he said that police and crime commissioners should have a role in deciding the use of the private sector. But that already is the position – yet he also confirmed that Labour still oppose police and crime commissioners."

A Westcountry hospital has been ordered to improve staffing levels after a health watchdog found a ward where only two nurses were looking after 25 patients.

Wheal Agar ward at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, was among a number of visited by a team from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) earlier this year.

The ward, which caters for older people, had just two nurses, who were supported by two care workers and a cleaner.

In another ward, Phoenix, where stroke patients are looked after, inspectors found three nurses were backed by three care assistants.

Bosses at the hospital trust said action had already been taken.

But Graham Webster, vice-chairman of the campaign group Health Initiative Cornwall, said it simply wasn't good enough.

"This is very disappointing," he said.

"It is not good for patients. We have to do something about this. We have got to get this sorted for the sake of patients."

The inspectors found the Cornish hospital was meeting a range of standards, including treating patients with dignity and ensuring they were well fed.

However, concerns were were raised about staffing on wards, particularly Wheal Agar, where earlier this year two members of staff were suspended over allegations surrounding a patient.

The inspection was mounted as a result of safeguarding issues at Wheal Agar, said the CQC.

While inspectors found patients to be largely complimentary about staff, they were noted to be sometimes 'thin on the ground'.

In their report, inspectors said: "We saw staff on Wheal Agar ward struggling to meet the demands of the patients. Many of the patients needed two staff to help them and others were wandering around with no focus." Andrew MacCallum, nurse executive at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT), said the CQC had raised a "moderate" level of concern about staffing levels on some of the wards.

He added that the report also showed that despite the pressures, nursing staff were clearly committed to and delivering high standards of patient care.

"We will be responding to the CQC, reaffirming the actions relating to staffing that were underway at the time of the visit and those that we have since implemented, including recruitment of additional nursing staff." he said.

"This should give patients confidence in the level of care they should expect to receive at all of RCHTs hospitals."

Carol Williams, Director of Nursing for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, added: "We feel reassured by the findings of the CQC inspection and the actions since taken by the RCHT to address the staffing concerns."

Mark Woolcock is relishing the daunting job of steering Truro City to calmer waters, after being appointed as the Cornish club's first chief executive officer.

Woolcock, who has stepped up from the post of secretary, is confident that the club, which has been battered by financial problems over the past seasons, has a bright future.

In the shake-up, club owner Kevin Heaney, who over the past seven years has bankrolled City's remarkable rise to playing Blue Square Bet South football, will continue as chairman, but Woolcock will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the club.

He said: "Truro City have done exceptionally well as a team, but my main task is to bring the club back together by embracing the talent from the youth teams, developing our reserve team and supporting our superb ladies' team, with the overall aim of making us a highly successful community club with a national identity.

"Kevin has managed to get some new investment and I think the club is in a very strong position. But we have to live in the real world and bring in income on match days and sponsorship.

"We have to take a pragmatic approach," he added. "It has to be run as a business and not a rich man's folly, but the players will be looked after properly. My role will be to make us more business-like as an organisation, developing the strongest of links with the community, in order that we all share the spoils of the club's success."

Heaney said: "Mark is the most dynamic CEO I have ever known, who will bring stability and help develop the club into a local and national brand that we can all be proud of."

Truro manager Lee Hodges welcomed the news of Woolcock's appointment, calling it a positive move. He said: "Kevin has done amazing things for the club and he's Truro through and through, but I think it is a fresh start."

Hodges is set to give several trialists a run-out at Bideford tomorrow in City's first pre-season game. Last Friday's scheduled game at St Austell was called off because of a waterlogged Poltair pitch.

On Tuesday (7.30pm), Hodges' side are at home to npower League Two side Plymouth Argyle.

Hodges and his assistant, Dave Newton, have been banned for the first two matches of the new season, against Billericay Town and Havant & Waterlooville, following incidents at the end of City's 1-0 home defeat to Havant in April. The pair were incensed after referee Paul Rees gave the Hampshire side a penalty and then refused to give City one when Barry Hayles was brought down.

Police have launched an investigation into allegations of historic sex offences committed on the Isles of Scilly, the Western Morning News can reveal. The inquiry is understood to be in its early stages and no arrests have been made. A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that the allegations centred on St Mary's, the main inhabited island on the archipelago 28 miles off Land's End. It has not been revealed when the offences were said to have taken place. Police say they are working with the Isles of Scilly Council on the investigation and declined to specify how many people it concerned. In a statement, the spokesman said: "Devon and Cornwall Police can confirm that an investigation has begun following allegations of historic sexual offences on St Mary's. Police are working closely with the local authority and the investigation is ongoing at this time."

MORRISONS has been accused of attempting to kill off Liskeard's shops as the superstore applies for retrospective planning permission for an outdoor garden centre.

It began selling plants under a canopy in March and has now applied to Cornwall Council for consent should it wish to do so again.

Gavin Davies, chairman of Liskeard Chamber of Commerce, said trade was being pulled out of the town, away from independent shops.

"These sort of applications will only go to impede the amazing work being done by multiple organisations to improve the town," he said.

"This isn't simply giving more options to existing product ranges, but allowing Morrisons to move into new product sectors.

"We already have a well stocked garden centre and multiple other shops in the town offering these kinds of products. There's no need to put people's jobs at risk in these difficult times."

A Morrisons spokeswoman said the garden centre was temporary and had now shut. "The garden centre was an extension of our usual offering," she said. "We had great feedback from customers, so the application will be progressed in case we want to use the space again."

Jenny Deacon, the chamber's membership secretary, said she was appalled to see Morrisons selling plants and it was another huge step towards killing the town.

"To now find out that they didn't have planning permission is appalling," she said.

"How can a huge concern like Morrisons think they can flout the rules like this?"

Jane Pascoe, who runs Seasons Bistro in the town centre, questioned why Morrisons had been allowed to trade without planning permission, and said a small local trader in Liskeard town centre would have had council enforcement officers "crawling all over them".

Cornwall Council's planning register records five applications on the Morrisons site since 2000.

Mrs Pascoe said: "Time after time Morrisons have put in planning applications to expand their out-of-town store and the local councillors allow it to be approved, systematically causing the closure of shops in our lovely town.

"This time, let's see if the local councillors will support the local traders and consider the implications of allowing this extra floor space."

Mrs Pascoe said she did not believe there was a need for such an expansion, as the Homebase opposite had a vast range of horticultural items.

She urged townsfolk to "please support the traders in and around Liskeard town centre. They contribute to your local economy, offer individual friendly service, work tirelessly behind the scenes and believe your town is worth fighting for."

THE FAMILY of a retired policeman who died after being left on a trolley for five hours without being seen by a doctor is considering legal action against the hospital.

Father of three Michael William Poad, aged 64, of Rose Hill, Sticker, died on a hospital trolley in a cubicle in A&E at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on December 15, 2009.

Mr Poad had been brought to the hospital by ambulance suffering from excruciating abdominal pain.

At the inquest held into the former police constable's death on Friday Dr Emma Carlyon, coroner for Cornwall, ruled that neglect had played no part in his death.

A submission of neglect had been made on behalf of the family by their solicitor Mike Bird.

An earlier hearing, held in May, was adjourned after the family requested an independent expert attend. It emerged at the hearing that admission procedures at the hospital had been changed following Mr Poad's death.

Truro Coroners' Court was told that Mr Poad was brought to A&E in an ambulance at approximately 3.15am.

Paramedics had assessed his pain, described in court as the "worst pain ever", and had administered morphine by injection.

They had also taken blood pressures, which were slightly different, and checked for a 'hostile mass' in the abdomen, but found none.

The paramedics told the triage nurse in A&E they suspected Mr Poad might have been suffering from one of a number of possible complaints, including gallstones or kidney stones or an abdominal aneurysm.

A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Poad had in fact suffered a different type of aneurysm, known as a ruptured ascending aortic dissection, located in the chest.

At A&E he was seen by a triage nurse within ten minutes. The nurse took his blood pressure and carried out an ECG, which was recorded as normal. The triage nurse also administered a second dose of morphine when the pain returned.

The nurse treating him last saw Mr Poad at around 5am.

At approximately 7am he was moved from the bay opposite the nurses' station to another elsewhere in the department, where he was seen sitting up in bed and reading, but at around 7.45am, yet to be seen by a doctor, his pain returned and he called for pain relief.

Mr Poad was finally seen by a doctor at 8.10am after he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

The inquest was told that even if Mr Poad's condition had been diagnosed there was no guarantee he would have survived the trip to the operating theatre at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, where the procedures were carried out.

James Kuo, a consultant cardiovascular surgeon at Derriford, said early diagnosis was important. "If you suspect anybody has an aortic dissection, you are triaged differently and dealt with as an emergency – as a priority – but if the diagnosis has not been suspected or considered ... then there is a tendency to categorise as slightly less urgent," he said.

A CT scan would "very likely" have shown an aortic dissection.

Mr Kuo said it could take from two and a half to four hours for a patient diagnosed in Truro to reach the operating theatre in Plymouth.

If the operation was successful there was a 60 to 70 per cent survival rate, he said.

Asked if beta blockers – drugs which reduce blood pressure and slow the heart rate – would have extended the window of opportunity for Mr Poad's survival, Mr Kuo said he could not say, but added: "If you lower the blood pressure, you lower the risk of the aorta rupturing."

Recording a narrative verdict, Dr Carlyon said: "Even if the diagnosis had been made, it is not clear to me that the outcome would have been any different.

"Based on the evidence, I cannot find a failure that is connected to the deceased's death."

After the hearing Mr Poad's family spoke of their disappointment and said they felt they "owe it" to him to pursue a civil case for negligence against the hospital.

His eldest daughter Alison, 38, said: "We feel relieved that it's finally over. We've waited two and half years to get to this stage and it's been very difficult. The ruling was as we expected but we don't feel it accurately reflected the course of events and we feel extremely disappointed in the trust and its level of care.

"We hope the new procedures that have been introduced as a direct result of our father's death are adhered to and they continue to make significant improvements."

Mr Poad's widow Diana, 66, said life was empty without him.

"When the ambulance arrived to take him to hospital I was actually relieved," she said. "My husband trusted them [the hospital]; we all did until this happened."

A spokeswoman extended the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust's condolences to the family and said it had completed an internal review of Mr Poad's admission.

"It's led to a number of improvements including the introduction of a pain- scoring tool and changing the triage criteria for patients who require opioid analgesia on admission to urgent, rather than standard pain relief," she said.

A MASSIVE solar farm – six times the size of the biggest in the UK and the size of 150 football pitches – is being planned in North Cornwall.

Renewable electricity firm Good Energy, which operates the Delabole wind farm, is seeking to site up to 135,000 photovoltaic panels on 224 acres of farmland near Week St Mary, west of Bude.

It says the scheme could reduce the energy bills of local residents.

A meeting has been organised by concerned members of the public in the Week St Mary Village Hall this evening at 7.30pm.

The development would occupy land on five separate farms and is currently in the early stages of the planning process.

It would dwarf the UK's current largest solar farm – 28,000 panels on a 37-acre site at Marley Thatch Farm, near South Brent, which was approved earlier this month.

Some of those living near the proposed site are already steeling themselves for a lengthy planning battle.

Teacher Pauline Smeeth said: "I'm extremely concerned for the wider community. What they're proposing is massive. It's very worrying."

Ed Gill, head of external affairs for Good Energy, based in Chippenham, Wilts, said the scheme was in its very early stages and the company planned to engage with local residents.

"At the moment we're carrying out what is in essence an environmental impact assessment," he said. "We haven't decided on the size yet, and whatever we do will be in consultation with the local community.

"Our company has always consulted extensively with communities and offered people the opportunity to benefit from whatever's put forward.

"One idea we may want to explore would be a local electricity tariff, which would reduce energy costs for local people."

The land being assessed is adjacent to Little Exe Cottage, whose owner Neal Moxon has lodged an objection.

"Apart from ruining the natural habitat of the varied wildlife in this tranquil, unspoilt area, this proposed development would have a very considerable negative effect on the value of our property," he said.

German firm Kronos Solar is in talks with another North Cornwall farmer about installing a 25mW solar farm on 120 acres of land at Maxworthy, near North Petherwin.

Cornwall already has 12 solar farms and 24 more have permission.

The largest of these have a capacity of about 5MW, enough to supply about 1,000 homes.

A spokesman for Good Energy stressed the plans for Week St Mary were in the "very early stages".

"We want to engage with the local community ... as we do with all our other projects," he said. "We want to get as many members of the community on board as we can and take their views into account."

THIS is the first glimpse of what Newquay's new harbour facilities could look like after plans for an £800,000 regeneration project were given final approval.

The news comes as a huge relief to the town's fishing community, which has been struggling with neglected facilities since a fire ripped through storage sheds in 2009. Work could start as early as October 1.

The Cornish Guardian has been told that work is expected to be completed by next April, when an associated project to expand Newquay Rowing Club can immediately begin.

A further £1.5 million of funding has been clinched to continue a scheme to help improve Truro city centre and increase footfall for businesses.

Truro Business Improvement District (BID) will remain in place for another five years after a majority of businesses voted in favour of maintaining the status quo.

Of 252 traders who took part in the vote, 165 were in favour of keeping the BID, thus unlocking the £1.5 million to be spent over the next five years.

The aim of a BID is to support businesses to raise funds locally to be spent locally on improving their trading environment.

The second BID comes into effect on October 1 and will pay to make the city attractive and accessible, events and marketing.

Neil Scott, manager at Totally Truro, which runs the BID, said the vote marked an "important and exciting new chapter" for Truro.

He said: "The ongoing success of the BID programme will rely on all businesses working together, sharing their expertise and enthusiasm to maintain and together, sharing their expertise and enthusiasm to maintain and develop Truro's status as the top retail, leisure and employment centre in Cornwall."

BID funds are paid for with a 1% levy on businesses with a rateable value of £10,000 or more and additional contributions.

Funds are poured into a ring-fenced pot under the control of the private sector and managed by Totally Truro.

Tony Welford, chairman of Totally Truro, said: "This is a superb achievement and we are delighted that the BID has been successfully renewed. I'd like to thank all the businesses and other organisations who voted to continue the Truro BID for a second term, particularly in these challenging recessionary times."

Cornwall Council have helped the team navigate their way through tricky Government legislation. Chris Ridgers, the council's portfolio holder for economy and regeneration, welcomed the cash injection.

He said: "This is very good news for Truro and shows the difference that BIDs can make in improving town centres.

"The recent report from Mary Portas into the state of our high streets clearly showed the challenges facing local businesses.

"The council has already introduced a number of proposals to support town centres in Cornwall, including supporting professional town centre management and setting up BIDs in key towns and this announcement shows the benefits of this approach.

"The success of the Truro BID is the result of the hard work and commitment of a wide range of partners who have supported Truro BID manager Neil Scott."

Cornwall has four established BIDs – in Truro, Falmouth, Newquay and Camborne – with a fifth being developed for St Austell.

A bartending duo from Cornwall have won a national cocktail competition, beating bars from around the country.

Nick Caputo and Charlotte Wilkins, who work at Falmouth's 8 Bar and Kitchen, created the winning drink for the Cocktails on a Grand Scale competition.

The contest, sponsored by Courvoisier Cognac, was held throughout the UK over several months with the grand final at London's Olympia Exhibition Centre.

The finalists presented their drink on stage in front of hundreds of onlookers at this year's Imbibe Festival.

Charlotte and Nick's interpretation of the brief, Cocktails on a Grand Scale, led them to create Jubilee Tea - a concoction of Courvoisier Exclusiv, Martini Rosso, Triple Sec and a homemade marmalade and Earl Grey syrup served with a little chilled Earl Grey tea.

The competition was very close, but in the end it was Nick and Charlotte who were crowned creators of Courvoisier's Grandest Cocktail.

Nick said: "The experience of imbibe Live was amazing - there was so much to see and taste. The competition itself felt natural and was a privilege to present our cocktail to that many people; it seemed everyone enjoyed the whole experience as much as we did."