Family History Society Chairman dies in diving accident Janet A'Lee, the chairman of the Polperro Family History Society has died in a diving accident at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Isles. Janet, who was 51 and a teacher at Blundell's school in Tiverton, Devon, was on a school activity trip and was a highly experienced and qualified diver. Janet, who kept her maiden name, was very proud of her long association with Polperro and her death is a serious blow to the Polperro Family History Society which has grown massively in the last few years under her chairmanship. Jeremy Johns, Secretary, PFHS - 25 October 2008

STOP PRESS NEWS: Telephone Box Saved - BT has change of heart (21 January 2009). Is BT in breach of its statutory duty? Lansallos Parish Council has been faced with an ultimatum by telecoms giant BT - either pay up to allow some little used local telephone boxes to stay in service or they will be removed. 3 local boxes are threatened with removal - at Crumplehorn, Trenewan and at Talland Bay. BT says that not enough calls are being made from these boxes for them to be economic to continue. The most worrying one is the one at Talland Bay, close to the beach, where the ability to contact the emergency services could be a lifesaver for accidents on or in the sea and on the beach, rocks or cliffs. Talland Bay beach is a very popular one with families but the steep cliffs and rocky outcrops inevitably mean the occasional emergency and the bay is also very popular with divers.    A little research by this website shows that BT is under a statutory duty to provide a call-box service in the public interest where there is no alternative and at Talland Bay there is no mobile phone signal on 3 of the 5 cellular networks - whilst a signal can be found on T-Mobile and Virgin, there is absolutely no signal on Orange, 02 or Virgin in the vicinity of the beach.     Parish Councillor Erica Gregory has been campaigning for the retention of all 3 phone boxes and in respect of the Talland call box has written to TV stars Richard & Judy (who have a holiday home close by) in the hope that they can publicise the need to retain this telephone box to avert disaster in case of accidents or emergencies. BBC1 television's Spotlight programme has also covered this issue. Our research suggests that Ofcom, the Telecoms Regulator, has a role in determining whether BT can discontinue call boxes, but it is not yet know whether the Regulator has been contacted by campaigners. Our research, incidentally, has shown that the EU is reviewing whether it is fair for BT to be under its "Universal Service Obligation" (which was imposed on BT when it was privatised in the 1980s) and if it rules that this is unfair to BT it could mean that countless other phone boxes may soon get the chop. www.polperro.org - news - 15 October 2008

Good News! Polperro Post Office not on closures list The Post Office today published its rationalisation plan for Cornwall, which includes the closure of 59 post offices. Polperro post office is not one of those listed for closure. The nearest post office to be closed is at West Looe (in the Spar Shop). Lerryn and Polruan are to be served by "outreach" services. Local post offices which have also survived include two in Looe (Fore Street and the Barbican), Pelynt, Lanreath and Nomansland (Bindown Stores).    Celebrations in Polperro may be relatively short-lived if the Post Office does not win a renewal of the important contract for accounts for pensioners who do not have their pensions paid directly into bank accounts. The Post Office is up against a commercial competitor which has already successfully taken away significant chunks of the post office's traditional business and there are real fears that if the Post Office does not manage to retain this important contract many small post offices will simply cease to be viable, leading to an almost inevitable further wave of closures. There is now to be a period of public consultation about the rationalisation plan and final decisions are expected later this year. Bob Tarr - www.polperro.org - news - 15 July 2008 Full details of the Cornwall post offices rationalisation programme

Shock to local Anglican Community - Polperro's C of E church closes Polperro's Mission Church of St John has had to close because of plaster falling from the walls and other defects which were found on survey mean the building cannot now get public liability insurance and needs repair works which would cost well in excess of £10,000 just to make it safe - and very much more to be put the church building into good order. The Vicar, the Rev. Linda Smith, has told polperro.org that with congregations down to less than a handful these days there is no realistic possibility of raising the large sums needed and what is now needed is a debate in the village as to whether a new use can be found for the church which could justify grants and other forms of finance from funding bodies to do repairs and convert it to the new use or uses. The church was built in 1838 to serve the fishing community of Polperro. In more recent times church attendances have declined. The vicar told us that although attendance of services by holiday visitors is quite small, the church has been open all day in the summer seasons and is a quiet place of meditation for visitors which has been popular. There has been an interesting history exhibition in the church arranged by local historian Carole Vivian. Church members will now have to attend Talland church, some 3 miles away by road. An open letter from the Rev. Linda Smith to the people of Polperro - click here Read the BBC's news item on this - click here  More about St John's church - click here www.polperro.org - news - 4 & 6 June 2008

Holiday Village Houses now being marketed Olive Tree Global Properties are now offering the houses in the new Talland Holiday Village at prices from £285,000 to £350,000 off-plan. A decision is still awaited on the appeal against the refusal of planning permission for 4 more houses in addition to the 42 approved by Caradon Council in 2006. 17 October 2007 Appeal to build more houses on Heritage Coast In April 2006, and despite the views of around 100 objectors, Caradon Council approved the redevelopment of Talland Caravan & Camping Park into an up-market Holiday Village of 42 permanent houses, despite its location on the Heritage Coast and in the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. No sooner was the ink dry on the planning permission than the developers applied for permission to build another 4 houses in the most visually sensitive positions (houses which they had deleted from the original application in order to get it through). Caradon Council at last saw sense and turned down the supplementary applications, but now the developers have appealed against this refusal (of permission for the extra 4 houses) and a Public Inquiry is to be held in February 2007. It is believed that the whole scheme may be unviable without the extra planning permission as the extra houses could be worth between £0.5m and £1m each. Make your views known - visit the Talland website for details - click here (see News page). www.polperro.org - news - February 2007

Hamblys Bus Boss Phil Hambly retires - Western Greyhound to extend its routes from 28 October but future of other Hamblys bus services rests with Cornwall County Council. See our public transport page for more information www.polperro.org - news - 26 October 2006

Caradon In Bloom 2006 - Best Village Award Polperro has won the “Best Village” section in this year's Caradon In Bloom competition. The awards are made by SECTA ( the South East Cornwall Tourism Association ) and the arduous task of visiting the local villages ( and no doubt a lot of the local hostelries ! ) fell to members of Looe In Bloom. Murray Collings, the chairman of the Parish Council was presented with a cup and a certificate which he accepted on behalf of the village. This is a wonderful achievement and recognition of the hard work that residents, shops and businesses put into making the village look bright and attractive.     There is no formal organisation in the village nor any funding, the majority is done and financed by the residents and owners themselves, except for the flower beds in the upper Coombes, which are maintained by Caradon District Council. Congratulations and well done everyone who has put in their time and money, despite the antics of a few who seem to think that ripping up flower displays and window boxes is an acceptable entertainment after a night in the pub! Tony White, 10 October 2006

Holiday Village - application to build more houses in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty turned down    The developers of Talland Holiday Village recently applied to build another 4 permanent houses in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - despite not a brick of the other 42 having yet been laid. The sites proposed were visually intrusive ones where they were forced to drop proposed houses from the original application. At last Caradon Council has come to its senses and it has now turned down these new applications which were merely seeking to reinstate houses which the applicants had been forced to drop from the original scheme. More on this saga 19 September 2006

Edmund Curtis 1921 - 2006 On July 4th, the village united to say their last farewell to Edmund, the last of the old Polperro fishermen, who were born and bred in the village. Edmund passed away peacefully after a short illness down in Newlyn, where he had spent his last few months with his son Kevin and his family. As a mark of respect Kevin and his son, Mark steamed back to Polperro with their boats for the funeral. After he left school, Edmund started his working life with Albert Northcott, but his desire to go to sea proved to be stronger than working ashore, so he bought a rowing boat and worked out of the harbour. When war was declared, Edmund was called up along with his contemporaries in the village and he served in the Royal Navy for the duration of the war. After the war he joined his father and uncle fishing on the Vilona May, Clifford Searles father's old boat. Much to Edmund's delight, the Vilona May, now one of a few remaining Polperro Gaffers, visited Polperro on two occasions in recent years. After his father retired and sold the Vilona May, he fished on the One Accord, and then later joined his son on the Veronique, finishing his life at sea with his own pleasure boat. Like his friends, Clifford Searle and Dick Jolliff, Edmund lived a rich but simple life, content with his family and friends, and his love for Polperro. In common with many Cornish fisherman Edmund was not only a great source of information about the old days, but could tell a good yarn and his kindness, sense of humour and quiet dignity endeared him to everyone. He had numerous friends amongst the regular visitors to Polperro, when he could often be seen looking out over the harbour he loved, regaling them with stories of times gone by. I spent many a happy hour talking to him, a question to him would always have an interesting answer, invariably ending with “ anything you want to know, just ask me Tony“. Several years ago Edmund and Clifford were having a yarn on Roman Bridge, by the House on Props, when they were approached by a visitor :- “ Can you tell me if there is an ATM in the village ?” They looked at him and then each other, “What’s one of they then”. “A hole in the wall” was the reply. A look of surprise from them. “ What would you be wanting to have a hole in a wall for then” The visitor, looking a bit exasperated, said that he needed some money. “Ah, we goes down to see Tony in the post office for ours” was the reply. Edmund now lies at rest above the village with his friends, Clifford Searle and Dick Jolliff. It has been my pleasure to have known you all.   Tony White, The Post Office, Polperro

 

The price of charity Charity fund raising events are a cornerstone of our way of life and save the tax payer millions of pounds every year, but thanks to the Nanny State, their very existence is now under threat. The Polperro Fisherman’s Choir has sung on the Quay during the summer for the past 82 years without anyone falling into the harbour, being drowned or suffering any injury, nor have the police ever had to attend to sort out a public order offence. The choir is a registered charity and all the concerts that it performs raise funds for other charities. Thanks to the Licensing Act, 2003, the choir now has to have a Temporary Events Notice to be able to hold a public concert, issued by Caradon District Council for the sum of £21. The net effect is that all charity events are in effect being taxed on the funds that are raised. It should be remembered that all small charities are a collection of people giving their time freely for something that they believe in, so why should any local council benefit from their endeavours ? The more sinister side to this is that Caradon are now known to be checking adverts in the local papers and going on to web sites to check for events that are advertised and then phoning the organisers to check that they have a licence. It gets worse though: if you organise something like the Polperro Arts Festival or the recent Looe Festival of the Sea, you can’t have just one licence to cover the whole event, each individual component has to have a separate licence. So to have a group of local school children putting on a dance routine the organisers have to pay £21 for the privilege. Recently the RNLI in Falmouth had a group of Shantymen singing to raise funds, but because they performed at three separate places in the town, that required 3 licences.

It is known that at least one event within the Caradon area has been cancelled thanks to this thoughtless piece of legislation. These are all small events with less than 500 people. For the organisers of larger events, like local dairy shows etc, not only does the cost of the license increase very considerably, but the Devon & Cornwall Police are now demanding payment for police cover. Welcome to Blair’s new world of hidden taxes and nice little money earners, and yet another nail in the coffin of our traditional ways of life !! Tony White, News Correspondent Extraordinaire www.polperro.org - 27 July 2006 Update October 2007: Following on from the lead set by Callington Council a successful approach has been made by the Parish Council to Caradon Council for a blanket licence to cover events held in the village. Areas for events have been designated and the Parish Council has purchased a licence for £100, to cover any events held there upon. This means for instance that the choir does not now have to have separate licences for each concert they perform, as was the case before. Caradon District Council and the Parish Council are to be congratulated on this agreement, although it still means a payment has to be made to meet the Government's ill thought-out piece of legislation. It still remains a tax on charity events.

 

Polperro car park entrepreneur dies. We are sad to learn that Jim Beddoes has died in Torquay. Jim wasn't a man who was afraid of hard work nor was he easily daunted. It is said that when he arrived in the village he had nothing. He started his business and he and his wife spent that first winter sleeping on the floor of the Old Forge with little more to eat than bread and jam. Needless to say that didn't last long. A man of true entrepreneurial spirit he also proved to be a great benefactor to the village - not something he talked about. Many will remember him with fondness. A personal memory

Fire devastates Lansallos church Child thieves turned arsonists are understood to be the cause of a devastating fire at Lansallos church on Saturday 26 February 2005. Police closed the small village to all traffic whilst firemen from across Cornwall fought the blaze. The church has suffered repeated thefts of money from its collection boxes in recent months and a small group of children was observed loitering in the church grounds during the afternoon. The fire was spotted by a neighbouring house owner and the Fire Service were quickly in attendance. Initial hopes that the fire could be confined to one aisle of the three aisle ancient church were dashed as flames leapt skywards from the roof of the central aisle. The principal structural damage is to the ancient roof timbers and to the furnishings and contents of the church. Firemen managed to rescue a number of unique and priceless mediaeval church pews. The extensive damage to the church is one more blow to the local parishes which are struggling to maintain their important and historic buildings despite dwindling congregations. The church is without doubt the most important building in the village of Lansallos. Approximately half of the village of Polperro lies in the parish of Lansallos (the other half is in the parish of Talland). Photo above taken on the morning after the fire.
Photo of the fire at its height.	Another, earlier photo.	www.polperro.org - newspage - © 2005
QUICK UPDATE !	For a full report - click here
Many readers of this web site will have heard about the disastrous fire that severely damaged the beautiful, medieval Church of St Ildierna, Lansallos, on the afternoon of Saturday, 26th February this year, and may be wondering what the future holds for this important part of Polperro ’ s heritage. After the fire immediate action was taken by builders, Darrock and Brown Ltd of Bodmin, to protect the interior from further damage from the weather by covering the roofs with plastic sheeting, and a temporary partition with a window has been installed to screen off the most badly damaged areas of the church so that visitors can still gain access and view the interior. Services are meanwhile continuing in the Sunday School, a little converted stone-built barn off the churchyard. The cost of repairs and restoration are estimated to be at least £375,000, of which only some £292,000 will be covered by insurance. This leaves us with over £75,000 to find, a tall order for a congregation of just 30 in an almost completely rural parish with no shops or businesses other than farms - and a total population of just 165 people. However, there is a determination locally that the church will be fully rebuilt even if it takes time, and on 23rd April the Bishop Roy of St Germans launched a Fire Restoration Appeal. Work on repairing the church after the fire has begun, and we should be able to resume regular services in part of the church around next Easter. If you want to know more or help with a contribution then please click here John Feesey, September 2005 Footnote click

News of Polperro "lad's" achievements in China
Luke in training	Luke Gregory, who came to Polperro when he was 11 in 1979, and attended Looe Community School and St Austell College - moved to Australia some years ago and, at 37, is now completing his degree in Mandarin in Guanzhou, China on a one year scholarship from Griffith University (Brisbane).    He has also been studying T'ai Chi (for about 15 years) and won a GOLD medal, beating 200 locals, in the "Chen style old frame first road" form at the 28th - 30th October at the 2004 International Verse and Taijiquan Conference, China, Anhui province, Maasshan. (Equivalent of the World Championships). There were a total of 700 entrants in all. There have been very few Westerners who have ever achieved this standard. He will be using the prize to fund his honours year in Linguistics and his MA and PHD in health psychology. He will be teaching T'ai Chi when he gets back to Australia as well. Many people in Polperro and Looe will remember Luke and will doubtless be interested to hear of his recent achievements.	Luke Gregory pictured with his trainer at the 2004 Championships
Information provided by Erica Gregory (proud parent!) November 2004 www.polperro.org - newspage © 2004

We regret to report the death of Peter Nelson, proprietor of Nelson's Restaurant. He came to Polperro and opened his restaurant in 1972, making it now the longest established restaurant in the village and well known to many visitors, located right in the heart of the village. Peter was 69 and had fought a long battle against illness. He leaves a wife (Betty) and son, Tony. Bob Tarr, webmaster, 20 August 04

A Helicopter rescue

Tony White, special correspondent, www.polperro.org

May 2004
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Village outrage at lenient sentence passed on British Legion treasurer

   Villagers were shocked in February 2003 to learn that the treasurer of the British Legion, Bryn Dale and his partner, David Robertson, had left the village "at short notice”. The reason was very soon apparent when money was found to be missing from the Legion funds. The shock of the theft, has now turned to outrage and a questioning of the values of British justice, when Dale escaped a custodial sentence, instead being “awarded” 200 hours community service at Truro Crown Court on 26 February 2004.
    Dale admitted to nine charges of false accounting and six of theft, totalling over £28,000 spread over 5 years. According to his defence, he stole the money because his guest house business suffered because of the foot and mouth outbreak. (Interestingly, in the year of the foot and mouth outbreak, the coastal regions of the South West benefited from the closure of the moors and large areas of the West Country. Other guest house owners didn't suffer from reduced booking and some say that they had in fact benefited from extra bookings).
    In his summing up the judge noted that Dale had used the money to maintain his standard of living and not on a lavish lifestyle; that it had been spread over a long period; that his business had suffered from the foot and mouth outbreak which was beyond his control; that he had intended to repay the money from an inheritance that felt short of his expectation and that he had pleaded guilty.
    Both Dale and his partner had been accepted in the village and with the way of a village, the community feels very betrayed by his actions and that of his sentence. The Legion Hall, which was originally built by the community is now in very grave danger of having to close.    We are all aware of the rational behind the Royal British Legion and the amount of help that they give to ex- service personnel, so to steal from a charity adds an extra dimension that does not appear to have been recognised, to this theft. No doubt there will be troops who have recently served in Iraq who will need the help of the Legion in years to come, so maybe he should serve his community punishment order out there - no doubt the service personnel would make him welcome.
   A final irony - the name of the guest house was “Fiddlers Green”. Some would say that it was aptly named.

Tony White, special correspondent, www.polperro.org

March 2004
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Dick Jolliff (1917 - 2003) - the village loses another of its old fishermen and a respected elder

Sadly the village has gathered again to say farewell to another old fisherman and stalwart of the village - Dick Jolliff. Dick passed away on November 5th after a long illness, which he bore with his customery courage and determination.
    The village has lost one of its most respected residents in the death of Dick Jolliff.Having spent all his life in the village except for war service. Born in a little harbourside cottage with his sister Joan 86 years ago his parents and all their ancestors were of fishing stock he went to sea at an early age, but was constantly seasick. When the War came along he along with most fishermen in the village were drafted into the Navy, because of their knowledge of small ships they were placed on Minesweepers.
    On returning safely from the War, Dick Married Kathleen and joined Jack Jolliff on board the One Accord, fishing mainly for Pilchards in the summer and longlining in the winter, he then joined his brother in law Jack Roose in the boat Two Sisters and fished for many years with him. On coming ashore he became the school caretaker and did this for many years. Dick and Kathleen adopted their daughter Margaret as a baby to make their family complete. Having come from a religious background he started Sunday school at the old Central Chapel in Talland St he then moved to the Weslyan Chapel in Fore St, he was converted there at the age of 2l years and followed his uncle Thomas Mark (the fishermens bishop) into local preaching in1938, he also went with Eva Cloke and the Polperro Fishermens Choir to conduct many services around Cornwall and Devon. His sermons were brought to life by his great ability to relate real incidents he had experienced during his lifetime. He was noted for his eulogies of the past lives of other people in the village. He took part in Songs of Praise when this was broadcast from Polperro and also the television programme Parishes of Polperro. Dick's love of his fellow man and his caring and compassionate nature, his visiting of the sick and help for others has left us with a gap in the village which will be very difficult to fill.
    Dick has been laid to rest near his long time friend, Clifford Searle, so maybe they can continue to have a yarn over a ‘cup o tey’

Photo above shows Dick Jolliff speaking at the ceremony of rededication of the restored Ryder lifeboat on 1 August 1998.

Tony White, special correspondent, www.polperro.org

November 2003
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Funeral of village elder - Clifford Searle, 1911 to 2003

Today (9 October 2003) saw the village united to pay their last respects to Clifford, who sadly passed away last week, quietly in his sleep after a short illness. The Chapel was packed and after a fitting service with a moving eulogy from Chris Curtis, the Harbour Master, one of Clifford's closest friends, four of the fishermen acted as pall bearers to take him to his last resting place above the village.

Clifford was a pillar in the village, and at 92, the oldest fisherman from a long passed era, a very kind and gentle man, in every senses of the word, with a ready sense of humour and never a bad word for any one. He was born and bred in the village, a fact of which he was immensely proud. The village, the harbour and fishing and fishermen were his whole way of life. He attended the local school and as was the custom in his youth, he left school at 14 to go fishing on the “Days Friend” with his father. He learned his trade well and was an excellent seamen, serving on several of the Polperro boats until he retired at 65.

Unlike today when the boats have all the modern navigational aids and electronic fish finders, in his day it was down to local knowledge of the tides, the weather, how the fish ran and their own “marks” which they all had to know where to shoot their nets or lines. Even after his retirement, he remembered these well, and Chris Curtis recalls Clifford telling him of one set at the back of Looe Island which he tried, and hauled out an excellent catch of cod. When the “new road” into Polperro was being built between the wars, his father laid up their boat and whilst he went on the road gang Clifford shipped out on the “Villona May” with John Curtis. His mother maintained that Clifford as a youngster brought home more money than his father. The “Villona May” visited Polperro three years ago , and despite being much altered since her fishing days, Clifford was delighted to see her still afloat and well cared for. After the road was completed, Clifford re-joined his father when he returned to fishing.

The second world war was the only time Clifford left the village, when he and thousands of other fishermen joined the Royal Naval Patrol Service, crewing the mine sweeping trawlers, a dangerous and often short lived experience. Clifford served on the east coast and then out of Milford Haven. The RNPS being fisherman, were good seamen, but not impressed with RN “bull”. It is said that Clifford was one of these, not the smartest of ratings in the navy, so when they had divisions he was always found something urgent to do to keep him out of trouble. Whilst he might not have been the smartest, it is also said that that as coxswain he could put a big steam trawler along side without helm orders, nor “cracking an egg shell”.

After the war he returned to his beloved Polperro which he hardly ever left again, and back to fishing. In 1951 he was crewing on the “Oceans Gift” when on September 21, on a trip back from Looe in thick weather, the skipper mistook the lights in Talland Bay for those of Polperro and they ended up on the rocks in Talland Bay. Luckily no one was lost and the boat was floated off again the next day.

Clifford never married, so after his retirement, today's fishermen became his extended family to whom he was referred to as “cap”, and his front room a “drop in centre” for a lid of “tey” and a yarn. He was at his ease telling stories of the old days, and the village he loved, a time which he believed to be better than today's hectic life style. In truth it was a hard lifestyle, but possibly because of this it also created a strong bond of friendship amongst the lads of the village, which was to last through the years. He retained his interest in the harbour and fishing up to the end, wanting to know who was out and what and where they were catching the fish. Until his eye sight started to fail, he could often be seen up the Warren when the weather was bad waiting to see his “boys” back safely into port. He was also a friend to a lot of the regular visitors to the village who would call in and see him for a yarn. A man of simple needs and taste he was rich in his memories and love of Polperro. A compassionate man of which it is said that he refused a new arm chair when his old one was past its best because he didn't want to upset the person who had given it to him some 15 years earlier! One of his favourite expressions when settled in his old chair for brew and a yarn , was “peace perfect peace”.

Good bye old friend, we hope that you have now found your own “peace perfect peace” and that you will be with your old friends for a yarn and cup of tey. The village is an infinitely poorer place with your passing.

9 October 2003
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Tuna caught off Polperro

Saturday October 4th, saw local fisherman, Neil Harmen, fishing for bass in his boat MCB just off the harbour, when to his surprise he found that he had caught an 8½ pound tuna in his nets. Originally it was thought to be a skipjack tuna, and was sent to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, for positive identification. It is now thought it could be a bonito and has been sent up to London for confirmation. Neil is hoping for a few nets full in the future! Currently Newlyn fisherman, Robin Turner is carrying out a survey into the numbers of tuna in Cornish waters to ascertain if there are enough stock for commercial fishing. With the loss to the local boats due to the current EU fishing policies, it would be good if a new fishery could be opened up.

4 October 2003
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Solid silver commemorative key stolen from museum

A solid silver key (see photo left) has been stolen from Polperro's Heritage Museum of Smuggling & Fishing. The key, which is approximately 5 inches long, was a commemorative one dating from the opening of the Rowett Institute in the village in July 1920. The theft is believed to have taken place in the afternoon of Monday 29 September whilst the museum was open to the public. It was in a locked display cabinet about the Rowett Institute. The photos show the distinctive key and its elaborate inscribed head (see photo on right). The key is understood to bear a Birmingham Assay Office hallmark and also the hallmark for the year 1920. Also stolen was the presentation case which is approximately 6 inches long by 2 inches, with purple satin lining the lower part of the case in which the key lay and white satin lining the inside of the lid and on which the stamp of the Plymouth jewellers Page, Keen & Page appears (see photo above).

Hopefully this will be a very difficult item for the thief or thieves to sell as it is so distinctive and it is hoped that once the thief realises it is, in effect, worthless, he or she will return it to the Museum - or it could be posted anonymously to Tony White, Polperro's Postmaster at the Post Office in Polperro so that it can be returned to its rightful place along with the other artefacts in the Museum which explain Polperro's history and heritage to both residents and visitors. If you have any information at all about the key's current location you can contact Tony White, who is one of the directors of the museum, on 01503 272225

30 September 2003
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Father "Bill" moves on & lady vicar succeeds

Vicar of Talland and Lansallos, Father William Braviner, who used to like to describe himself as "the biggest sinner in Cornwall" (on account, it must be said, only of his great height) has moved to the parish of Jarrow in industrial and metropolitan Tyne & Wear - a greater contrast to sleepy and scenic south-east Cornwall would be difficult to imagine! In his 5 years in Cornwall, ex-chartered accountant Father Bill became well known and liked well beyond the boundaries of church matters - becoming something of a TV star after appearing in several TV documentary series about Polperro and Faith in Cornwall. By the time of his departure Father Bill had become responsible for 5 parishes and now there is likely to be a reorganisation linking Talland parish with Pelynt and Lansallos with Lanteglos. This could mean that Polperro is once again (as it was historically) split down the middle, as the dividing line is the river which bisects the village. It is understood that Rev. Linda Smith who has been acting vicar has now been confirmed as the new vicar as from the end of September.

18 September 2003
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Death of Molly Alger

Mrs Molly Alger, who for nearly 50 years lived in Talland Bay, died in October aged 87 years. Molly Alger was a teacher who taught at Polperro school and used to walk to and from school in all weathers round the cliff path. After Polperro school closed she taught at Looe. She is remembered by more than one generation of local families who were taught by her. She lived at the Old Vicarage in Talland and was a dedicated member of the Talland Church congregation. Her husband Reg had owned Tencreek farm and died tragically in 1968 after a tractor accident triggered cancer, just a few years after their marriage.

9 November 2002
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Polperro's newsagents handover after 25 years

Brenda and Barry Thomas are handing over the newsagents and grocery business they have had in Fore Street, Polperro, for the past 25 years to new owners Jo and Will Fathers. Brenda (pictured right with husband Barry) will be remembered for - among other things - her role as Festival Lord Mayor in 1998.

"We've made a lot of friends while we've been here and we hope to keep in touch with them all in future," said Brenda whose family have lived in Polperro for several generations. The couple will continue to live in the flat above the shop and many of their five children live in the area.

1 August 2002
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French family returns for Ryder presentation

The French family whose trawler was wrecked in Talland Bay in 1922 returned to Polperro in June for the Looe Festival of the Sea at which Pierre-Adrien Fourny (pictured, right) was presented with the safety valve from the Marguerite's boiler - still visible at low tide - mounted on a piece of the oak keel of the Ryder lifeboat that rescued the crew. The safety valve had been picked up in 1922 by the young Martin Picken, later to become the rector at St Martins by Looe, and upholding the best of Cornish traditions, 'liberated' the safety valve. In addition, Pierre and his family were re-united with the Ryder lifeboat that rescued the crew of a trawler when it was driven ashore near Polperro. Pierre Fourny recently discovered the whereabouts of what remains of the wreck of the Marguerite when he came across an account of the story on this website (see below). The Ryder is now a floating exhibit at the Polperro Heritage Museum but took part in the Looe Festival of the Sea and Pierre Fourny joined the crew for the occasion. The presentation to the Fournys at a dedication ceremony of the Ryder in Looe was attended by several relatives of the crew involved in the original rescue.

5 July 2002
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2002

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Polperro 'cousins' get together

100 Polperro family cousins, some from Australia and the USA, gathered at the Ebenezer Gallery in Polperro on Saturday 20 April to launch the Polperro Family History Society. Chairman Janet A'Lee said afterwards: "Almost everyone who came had been researching their own family's history but this was the first time many of them had met one another. It looks like becoming an annual event.
Pictured are: Don Schiele from Pittsburg, USA (at the back); Kathryn Packard and Barbara Thomas from Rockford, Illinois (middle); Pam Arundel from Victoria, Australia.

22 April 2002
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2002

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Parisian family's pilgrimage to Talland Bay wreck

Parisian Pierre-Adrien Fourny braved gale force winds in Talland Bay at the weekend (right) to visit the remains of the Marguerite, the French trawler wrecked there in 1922 and owned by his grandfather's shipping company in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Only the Marguerite's boiler is visible at low tide, but it was an emotional moment for Pierre who visited Polperro with his wife Elsa and daughter Marie-Adrienne who came across the story of Marguerite's loss on this website last year (click here).

27 February 2002
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2002

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1812 Puckey teapot link with cup find

The discovery of the 1832 Puckey loving-cup last year (click here) has resulted in the matching teapot (right) coming to light in Polperro. Nearly 18 inches tall, the teapot is also inscribed James Puckey, Polperro but is dated 1812, 20 years earlier than the cup that came to light in Huddersfield last year. It is believed that both teapot and cup originally belonged to Polperro fisherman James Puckey, born in 1789 and married and married Jane Fisher in 1822. Both items are typical Measham 'bargeware' popular in the early 19th century.

27 February 2002
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2002

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French connection with Talland Bay wreck

A 21-year-old Parisian student, Marie-Adrienne Fourny (right), came across the story of the wreck of the Marguerite at Talland Bay in 1922 on this website and realised that the vessel had belonged to her great-grandfather, François Fourny of Boulogne. Although the French crew were rescued by the Looe lifeboat, the Marguerite was a total loss. The present Fourny family knew little of the circumstances until now. As a result, Marie-Adrienne and her father Pierre plan to visit Polperro and Talland Bay where the Marguerite was driven ashore. To read the story of the Marguerite's demise, click here.
21 November 2001
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2001

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Polperro loving-cup turns up in Yorkshire

An early 19th century loving-cup given to a Polperro fisherman in 1832 by his wife to mark their wedding anniversary has turned up unexpectedly in Yorkshire. The cup, inscribed James Puckey, Polperro 1832, came to light when 71-year-old Trevor Elam was surfing the net recently in his home town of Huddersfield and came across the Puckey family page on this website. Trevor sent a photograph of the cup which can be seen by clicking here. The cup's original owner, James Puckey, was born in 1789 and married Jane Fisher in 1822. The date on the cup suggests that it was a tenth anniversary gift from Jane to her husband.
1 November 2001
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2001

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Fund-raising concert for New York rescue teams

A New York couple visiting Polperro shortly after the terrorist attacks in September were astonished to find themselves guests of honour at a special concert on the Green featuring local musicians and artistes. The event had originally been proposed by Richard Courtis, a gifted local tenor, to raise money for the New York Rescue services. Tommy and Sandra Connolly, taking a break from their devastated native city, were overwhelmed by the generosity of the residents of Polperro who raised £640 from the concert alone. More details
20 October 2001
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Smuggler's sword returns to Polperro

The sword brandished by a Polperro smuggler more than two centuries ago has returned to his home village. It belonged to Robert Mark, who met a violent end at the age of 40 when he was killed by a cannon ball fired by a Revenue vessel in 1802. It has been loaned to the Polperro Heritage Museum by the Royal Armouries in Leeds and is inscribed R.Mark, Polperro 1789.

Robert Mark, one of the crew of the infamous Lottery smuggling vessel involved in the murder of a Customs officer in 1798, is buried at Talland church where a headstone commemorates the manner of his death.
19 September 2001
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2001

To find out more about Robert Mark, click here

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Family historians meet in Polperro

A large group of Polperro family historians, some from as far afield as the USA, met on Sat. 19 May at the Polperro Heritage Museum. The gathering, organised by Janet A'Lee and Jeremy Johns in response to a number of requests from Polperro 'cousins' seeking information on their Polperro ancestors, were able to share information and have special access to Polperro genealogical records. More details.
Also: Click here for Family History pages.
20 May 2001
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2001

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Polperro fishing boat in sea-rescue drama

Polperro fishing boat Saturn owned by Phil Courtis had a narrow escape when, in lumpy seas returning from Falmouth it took on water which caused the failure of its electric bilge pump and the stand-by manual bilge pump also failed, thus threatening the safety of the boat. After an emergency call, the Fowey lifeboat took out an emergency pump to the stricken vessel and escorted Saturn back to the safety of Polperro harbour. The Air-Sea Rescue helicopter kept watch as the operation took place.

Fortunately, on this occasion, all went well and Saturn returned to the safety of its home harbour without further incident.
5 March 2001
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2001

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Accidental death verdict

The jury of the Inquest into the death of 21 year old Polperro fisherman Daniel Kebble in January has returned a verdict of accidental death. The Marine Investigations inspector told the inquest that it was likely that Daniel, who did not generally wear a life jacket, either fell overboard or was dragged overboard by the fishing gear on his boat "Harbour Lights". Despite extensive searches his body has not been found. See also earlier news items and our Lifejackets page for details of the campaign launched in the memory of Daniel Kebble
28 November 2000
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2000

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Celebrity auction raises £7000

The celebrity auction hosted by TV star Richard Madeley and his wife Judy, who live near Polperro, raised a total of just on £7000 in aid of the fund set up in memory of Daniel Kebble, the Polperro fisherman lost at sea on January 8 2000. The Harbour Lights fund, named after Daniel's fishing boat, aims to raise safety awareness amongst fishermen and to help them provide safety equipment such as lifejackets and emergency beacons.

Top prize in the auction attracted a bid of £775 for a "make-over" on the couple's daytime TV show. Richard & Judy also contributed their own prize which was an all expenses paid trip to London, with hotel and dinner, and attendance at their show.

Around 1000 people attended the auction at the Killigarth Manor Holiday Centre, including a large proportion of Polperro's population.
Thursday 11 May 2000
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2000

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Presentation to Project Ryder

Daniel was also a very keen member of Project Ryder, and with his boat the Harbour Lights, used to tow the old lifeboat to various local maritime events. On Saturday 26 February, the Trust Fund presented a full set of crew lifejackets and a personal EPRIB (Emergency radio beacon) to the Ryder crew in memory of Daniel. It is hoped that this will further the current campaign to raise the awareness of the need for safety at sea and in particular, the wearing of lifejackets.

Details of the Lifejackets Campaign - click here.
3 March 2000
www.polperro.org - newspage © 2000

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