EDITORIAL St Teath does it again! The Drama Group's production of `Mother Goose' played to Full Houses on three of its four performances and was a triumph. Those involved, from the scene-shifters to the stars of the show, really gave it all they'd got, resulting in an extremely funny and wonderfully entertaining piece of theatre. The picture of REV BENTON-EVANS peering seductively through his blond tresses and of REV JEM THOROLD strutting around heroically in his green tights will live in our memories for some time. The scenery, costumes, lighting and sound were all very professional. The whole cast performed superbly and were a credit to ELAINE FELL, the director, who must have had her work cut out trying to keep them in order. Hearty congratulations to all concerned, you did the village proud! (A detailed report follows on page 12 ) Here at TIMEPIECE we are constantly reminding readers how lucky we are to live in such a lively, vibrant village and events such as the pantomime emphasise the community spirit which binds us all together. However it's easy to take this good fortune for granted. Communities need active support to keep them alive and flourishing. St Teath village needs you! Don't worry, we're not asking readers to don a wig and perform in the next Drama Group production - though new members would of course be very welcome. No, it's much easier than that, all we're asking is for you to support our local trades people. With a High Class Butcher whose meat is second to none, the best pub in Cornwall, a confectioner's with a wonderful selection of gifts, cards and toys, a Gallery full of the most beautiful arts and crafts and a Post Office where you can buy almost anything and keep up with all the latest news in the village, backing St Teath really is no hardship. In a similar Editorial exactly 14 years ago we were encouraging readers to support our butcher, confectioner, pub, Post Office, petrol station, garage and newsagent. These last three businesses have sadly gone, we mustn't let any more go the same way. Thousands of small, village post offices face closure by the government in the near future because they're `not financially viable.' The yardstick by which their feasibility is measured is the number of transactions which take place there each week. The Post Office - and the pub, Kevin's and Mrs Davey's - are not soul-less places where we go to buy goods, they're friendly places, run by people we know and who know us. Without them St Teath would lose its heart. So please show you care about the future of our community by giving them your custom. Remember the Post Office is not only where you can buy stamps but is also a savings bank and a cash machine; it provides travel, car and home insurance and foreign money exchange and you can pay telephone, electricity and water bills there. If you are as anxious as we are that we should not lose St Teath Post Office, please also write to Dan Rogerson MP (Church Stile, Launceston, PL15 8AT or email expressing your concern. We are holding our traditional Easter colouring competition so please, children, use your imagination to decorate the picture on page 14 and we will give a small Easter egg to everyone who enters. There are three age groups: 0 - 5 years, 6 - 8 and 9 - 11 with a prize for the winner in each group. Happy Easter to all our readers! Rectory Ramblings I have an incredibly sweet tooth. Moreover, I'm not the sort of person who can eat one sweet and leave it at that. Left to my own devices, I will work my way through a quarter of a pound of wine gums, or jelly babies or coconut ice or any of my other favourites witout turning a hair. As a boy of about eight, my idea of paradise was the sort of sweet shop you sadly dont see very much any more - one with row upon row, shelf upon shelf of jars of sweets, all brightly coloured with exotic names. A short while ago, a friend of mine and I were reminiscing about this and he told me that this sort of shop does indeed still exist - only on the internet. My curiosity was piqued and I had a look. The website is called "A Quarter Of...." (that being what we always used to ask for - a quarter of pineapple chunks or whatever) and it does indeed carry almost every variety of sweet, chocolate bar, and chew imaginable, and they specialise in trying to track down all those sweets you remember. Well you can imagine what happened. Seduced by these virtual jars, I went rather mad and ordered considerably more than even I can eat. Not that I didn't have a very good try! And every so often, I drift back to the website and see if they have anything new in - and try not to order anything! The point of this little confession is of course to say that what we get tempted by rarely turns out to be as wonderful as we thought it would be. Sooner or later, we end up with a stomach ache! This is something not lost on Jesus during his forty days in the desert as he calmly steers his way round the elephant traps set by the devil. Material goods never satisfy us. Celebrity is as much a burden as a joy. Power makes you selfish, hard and cruel. So here we are in Lent. How are we going to treat it? Are we simply going to give up biscuits? If Lent is to mean anything to us, we need to treat ourselves differently. Spend some time in quietness. Read something new - Bishop Stephen Cottrell's book, "Do Nothing To Change Your Life", for example. Think about coming to confession. Take up a new hobby or skill. All these - and more - are appropriate ways of preparing ourselves for Easter, because they are ways in which we grow into the fullness of who we are. And it is this that is our fundamental call as human beings, as created and loved beings in and of God - to grow into the fullness of who we are. However many sweets we eat. Your vicar and friend, Jim Benton-Evans News From The Church Hall February has been a very busy month, what with the Village Panto, the bingo evening, the table-top sale, the village lunch and various private parties. Our hall has recently been inspected by NCDC with reference to its suitability as a polling station. Members of a private group from Launcells are visiting on 1 S` March, in order to glean information on the refurbishment of their own hall. Welcome back, and thank you, to Rose Cleave who is taking over Lana's cleaning duties for the time being. Thanks are also due to Ken who has been cleaning in the interim! For events see Polly's Village Diary Should you want to book the hall for any occasion, please contact Pauline Mutch on 01208 851036. COMMUNITY CENTRE Many thanks for the wonderful support on Pancake Day. We hope you will all come along and enjoy a Hot Cross Bun (or two!) with your tea/coffee on Tuesday March 18th from 10am to noon. Only f l.00 Thank you for donations and ongoing support. If anyone has photographs, mementos etc of the Opening of the Centre in May 1987 and all the hard work that was involved in creating it, we would love to borrow them - or copy them - for a little exhibition to celebrate 21 years of the Community Centre. We will take great care of anything lent to us. THANKS. 'Well done!' to everyone connected with the Village Pantomime. The characters, the costumes and scenery were all very good. An excellent production! GM *** BERT, from Rosewater Park, would like to inform all his friends from the village that he's sorry to be saying "Goodbye" before he departs for Northern Cyprus. He would like to express his gratitude to Rosewater Park residents for the lovely gift, and card containing so many nice thoughts. He willmiss you ail ST. TEATH GARDENING CLUB. Many apologies for the Non-event last month. We've received sincere apologies from the Speaker - and we've forgiven him! We hope to see you all on Tuesday, March 4th when Mr W. HERRING of Rosewarne will be giving a talk on Growing Vegetables Organically. This should be most instructive. GET WELL WISHES We send our good wishes for a speedy recovery to GLENICE SKINNER and DIANA WE- STRUP who are both in hospital at this time. We hope ELAINE's shoulder is on the mend after her recent operation and that she'll be back in action again in time for Wimbledon. ST TEATH YOGA CLUB Members of St Teath Yoga Club, would like to thank everyone who supported their recent Bazaar. The very useful sum of £116.04 was raised, enabling us to pay off our debts and carry on spreading peace and light every Wednesday evening in the School Hall. Special thanks to JANE, LYNDSEY, JOAN, JUDY, TANYA & CHLOE for all their help on the morning. If anyone would like to join us in gentle exercise and relaxation please ring ANNE on 850522 for details or just turn up at 7.30pm any Wednesday during the School Term. Mystery solved... The name of the lady who used to run St Teath Newsagent's Shop before Mr & Mrs Spry was a Miss Wilshire. Thanks to Sylvia for this information! W.I. News for February 2008. The Community Centre was packed on Wednesday 13th of February as NCWS we welcomed Mr Peter Tutthill, who spoke to us about Wadebridge, and its history. He spoke of the early settlement of Wade and later of Bridgend, being on the flood plane, but for defensive reasons the main settlement was at St Breock. The earliest bridge was constructed between 1460 and 1485, the silt of the river being so deep that wool bales were sunk to support the bridge as these set hard once they were immersed in water. In recent years a geological core was removed that contained wool within the mud. In 1312 Royal Consent was given to Wade to hold a cattle fair or market on land beside the river, which became known as Fair Plot, and over time became the Platt. Nothing was built on this area until 1870, and in 1898 the first shop opened, Bates Cycles in a temporary building, now occupied by the Mobile phone shop! The railway came to Wadebridge in 1833/34, when Sir William Molesworth built the 3rd oldest line in the world, between Wadebridge and Wenford, to assist the farmers in transporting sand from the river bed up the valley to their fields. This served two purposes, soil improvement and the dredging of the river. Excursions were also a first for the town when tickets were sold to witness a hanging from Bodmin Gaol, when the open carriages would stop beside the gaol and the unfortunate felon was hung over the outside wall. We also learnt of the old names for roads and areas of the town, original routes of the roads, and reminisced about old characters, now long gone. It was a wonderful and informative evening we all enjoyed very much. Mr Tutthill was thanked very warmly by Mrs Rita Lloyd. DAVE'S GARDENING DIARY FOR MARCH The evenings are certainly beginning to `pull out'. Just now at the time of writing in late February and during a nice settled spell it is quite light at 6 O'clock. At this time of year comes the question of Summer colour. Do we go for displays of annual bedding plants, or maybe the time is right to convert to more permanent planting schemes using shrubs and hardy perennial plants? Colour could be added by containers placed in the border or leaving a few spaces and `spot' planting a few annuals. Bedding plants are going to cost more this year whether we grow our own or buy them from the nursery or Garden Centre. Not now being `in the trade' I have no idea what packs of bedding plants are likely to be - it may be worthwhile ringing our local nursery to see if there are any prices decided for the coming season. If only a few plants are needed I really don't think it is worth the time and fuel, unless it is treated as a hobby and therefore one is prepared to spend a bit of money. It is possible to give some protection to plants in the greenhouse by lining the walls and roof with bubble plastic and covering potted plants with sheets of newspaper when frost threatens. However to grow seedlings on, even if they have germinated in the airing cupboard or above the radiator in the front room (lucky chap), a constant temperature of 10 degrees C will need to be maintained. Begonia, antirrhinum, lobelia, alyssum and marigold are all suitable kinds to sow later this month. As the days lengthen and get brighter, growth will begin on dormant plants such as fuchsia, geranium and tub- and basket-plants retained from last year. It is still early to start taking cuttings but the fuchsias and basket plants need to be cut back, possibly by two thirds to encourage a compact plant. As the shoots grow, continue to pinch out the growing point after two or three pairs of leaves until eight weeks before you want the double varieties to flower, singles are not stopped until six weeks before the required date. Vegetable plants mentioned last month can also be sown later this month. NOTE from the EDITOR: Dave's first Gardening Diary was in TIMEPIECE's first issue in December 1988 and I don't think he's missed an issue since, so he's in his 20`h year! Dave has certainly earned a break so if there's anyone out there with the necessary expertise to take over, we'd love to hear from you. MERLIN UPDATE Fantastic News!! During 2007, local fund raisers in Cornwall collected £239,494. In that year, we sent off £4,465 raised in and around St. Teath i.e. almost 2% of the total Thank You One and All. Work is due to start in late March, and the first phase of the Centre should be open for business in October/November this year. We still need to raise a lot more money to complete Phase 2 of the build, which is going to fund a Hydrotherapy Pool and to recruit the necessary staff. Please continue to support us, as you have done so wonderfully up to now. Thank you. MERLIN'S MAGIC DAY. On Sunday, April 13th. we shall be holding an all day event of music, poetry, fun and games, including a treasure hunt, various stands and craft stalls. All this is being held at CAERHAYS CASTLE from 10a.m. - 4p.m.There will be a Grand Raffle, with prizes including 2 nights B.& B. on the Isles of Scilly, a Raleigh Mountain Bike, and a 3 storey Doll's House. Tickets only £1.00 each from LORRAINE and DAVID. SPONSORED WALK along "THE SAINTS WAY". On Saturday& Sunday, 19/20 April, there will be a sponsored walk for the Merlin Project. On Saturday, Padstow to Lanivet, and transport back to Padstow will be arranged. On Sunday, transport will be arranged from Fowey to the start at Lanivet. The walk is about 15 miles each day, and pasties will be supplied at the half way point on both days.A minimum donation of £50 in sponsorship is requested. For further details, and sponsor forms, please contact Mrs. SALLY JANE COODE by e-mail 0:T, or ring 01726 882 488. There will be a COFFEE MORNING in the Church Hall, St. Teath on Saturday March 8th.from 10a.m. - 12 noon. Various stalls, and a good raffle. Proceeds for the Merlin Project. LORRAINE would be very grateful for any unwanted Christmas gifts etc., to use as Tombola and other prizes. For more information, please ring 01208 850650. PANTOMIME For the last couple of years ELAINE FELL has played the role of principal boy in St. Teath Drama Group's pantomime but this year she decided to try her hand at directing. "Mother Goose" was chosen, the church hall was booked for four February performances, the cast was chosen. So far, so good. Then one cast ember after another was forced to drop out and rehearsals were hit by illness when many people were hit by a virulent "bug". Few people could have blamed Elaine if she was regretting her decision or, at the very least, suffered from sleepless nights. If so, she needn't have worried.She only had to listen to the congratulations and praise of the audiences to know the pantomime was a resounding success. The story is based around penniless Mother Goose (obviously) who becomes rich, thanks to Candy the magic goose and her golden eggs.But Mother Goose is bewitched by wicked fairy, Vanity, into giving Candy away in return for youth and beauty. Fortunately her children, silly Billy and Jill plus Jill's fiance, Jack, manage to put everything right with the help of good fairy Virtue, thwart ing miserly Squire Sydney Snyde who wants Candy for himself. Having stepped in to take over the title role when another actor had to pull out, the REV JIM BENTON-EVANS even sacrificed his beard to make his debut as St. Teath pantomime dame. His first appearance in traditional dame's costume caused surprise and laughter but his "transformation" as beautiful young Gertrude Goose lefteveryone speechless. Long blonde wig, pencil skirt, high-heeled boots - who would have recognised the North Cornwall cluster vicar! Last year's "dame" in nurse's uniform, JOHN MUNRO, became the villain this year as the mean money-grabbing squire, sneering and threatening in true pantomime tradition. His fellow "baddie", wicked fairy Vanity, was played to perfection by ROSE SQUIRES in costume and wig of purple and black, defiantly baiting the audience and hallenging them to boo louder and longer. In contrast ANN HALE, as good fairy Virtue, was gentle and meek. Somehow Ann managed to combine her first role on stage with her duties as wardrobe mistress, providing outfits from the delicate gauzy fairies' dresses to the macabre black costumes of the witches and skeletons.Two more newcomers, REV JEM THOROLD and LAURA STRACHAN, were the star-crossed lovers, Jack and Jill - a hero much given to heroic stances and ad-libbing and a heroine with a touch of the feisty as well as the romantic, with the unenviable task of appearing to cry her eyes out while everyone else was in fits of laughter at her partner's dramatic poses. As well as the witty one-liners there was plenty of slapstick comedy too from the Will-Hay type of antics in the school, room to trifle slapped in the faces of poor long-suffering Billy and the wicked squire. The long-established comedy duo of DAVID JASPER and JAYNE STARK caused havoc and mayhem as bungling oddjobmen, Scratchit and Bodgit, while JOHN DUNSTAN as silly Billy enlisted the help of the audience to protect his pet snail, with shouts of "Slimey!" every time anyone went anywhere near it. His jokes may have drawn groans but his comic timing and pathos, ensured he was a firm favourite with the audience. Everyone felt sorry for him when the wonderful "bird" who promised to be the love of his life turned out to be an outsize goose. With only a few weeks to familiarise himself with role, JOHN POTTER brought the goose to life - a goose with attitude. Children are a huge asset to any pantomime and the nine in this show, ranging in age from teenager ABI to six-yearold BROCK played a major part in the success of the performance, wherther they were fairies, witches, skeletons or troublesome schoolchildren. With excellent direction by Elaine, superb costumes, and sound and lights by GEOFF SQUIRES (you are needed back on stage, Geoff!) this was a first rate pantomime by St. Teath Drama Group. The last line of the show promises "We'll see you all next year". Could you do it all again, Elaine? Schoolboy and schoolgirl: Ollie Leach and Abi Hunn. Chorus: Jean Burden, Lorraine Jasper, Dianne Potter, Chloe Hunn, Rosie Morey, Tabatha Benton-Evans, Phoebe Benton-Evans, Sam Leach, John Leach, Brock Leach. Director: Elaine Fell. Backstage: Adrian Jasper, Rod Keat, Tracy Leach, Dean Leach. Curtains: Malcolm Warman. Publicity: Adrian Jasper. Scenery: Fiona Alexandrou and Laura Strachan. FROM THE METHODIST MINISTER I read in a newspaper somewhere that beheading is still practised as a punishment in some cultures in the world. Other forms of execution are practised in other places, including the use of the electric chair in some of the states of the United States of America. The thought of this probably makes us shudder. Spare a thought, too, for those who have the responsibility of making judgements that commit people to death or long-term imprisonment, as well as those who become condemned to such experiences. When we stop for a moment to ponder about the feelings of people who are involved in such situations either as Government Officials or persecuted criminals we can then identify with some aspects of the Good Friday and Easter story. But its more than a story - at Easter we Celebrate facts of history to which we can only respond as individuals. These facts are at the heart of our Christian heritage and culture, which have moulded our lives in this country and many other countries in the World. Many journalists are identifying for us that the problems of morality and human behaviour, which cause us concern at the present time, arise from the fact that we pass on mixed messages about how we should live to our younger generation. The covert message here encourages us to look again at the power of the Christian story. The story of Jesus, who was born as the Saviour of the World who knew that his death would be by Crucifixion should make us shudder. Shudder we should when we think of him contemplating that form of death and the experiencing it - read the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday stories of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John in a Bible. However the story did not stop at the Cross, because through God's power there was a rising from death to Life - the Resurrection - to find the destiny of everlasting life in the heavenly realms. Easter is a story of God's concern for all of us, and an invitation to respond to him by living life not for ourselves but in his way of love through his power. Jesus death by Crucifixion should make us more than shudder but to ponder what it means for us, and respond positively. A hymn by Charles Wesley which can be found in Mission Praise (No.26 in some editions) starts like this: - All ye that pass by To Jesus draw nigh: To you is it nothing that Jesus should die? Your ransom and peace, Your surety He is: Come, see if there ever was sorrow like His. These facts of history, this story, is at the heart of our Christian teaching. What do you think of when you walk or drive past a Church? TIMEPIECE BOOK CLUB As we mentioned in our last issue, 2008 has been designated the Year of Reading - and March 6th is World Book Day. We thought this would be a good time for our readers to share their favourite books with other bookworms. Whenever you read a book which think others would enjoy, why don't you drop us a line (in the TIMEPIECE box in the Post Office or directly by email to the editors at anne@zoptic.force9.co.uk) and tell us what you found particularly appealing about it? We could have a Junior section too, where the youngsters describe their good reads. Come on, if Richard and Judy can create bestsellers by recommending books on their programme, why shouldn't TIMEPIECE do the same? We'll start the ball rolling with two very different books which your editor found difficult to put down these dark, winter evenings. The first is WHITE GOLD by Giles Milton, the authentic story of a Cornish lad who was captured by Barbary pirates and sold as a white slave to the Moroccan Sultan, Moulay Ismail. It's a fascinating, action-packed, tale, made all the more extraordinary by the fact that it's all true. Apparently many Cornish coastal villages - including Padstow and Boscastle - were attacked by these North African pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries and the people dragged off to slavery. At one point Lundy Island was captured and became a base for the pirates, from which they made raids all along the North Cornish coast. No one was safe - it must have been a terrifying time. This book brings the whole period to life in a very exciting way. If you prefer quieter, more thoughtful stories, then try SO MANY WAYS TO BEGIN by Jon Mcgregor. It's one of the most beautifully written novels you'll ever read, and one in which you become totally involved with the main character and his quest to discover his past. A very moving and convincing story of ordinary people, told simply but with great feeling. A joy to read. So now it's over to you - which books have impressed you recently?