The Cornwall Blog

The two day live music event Falmouth Sound which was due to be held on 29th and 30th August 2009 at Events Square, Falmouth has been cancelled. The following is an official statement from the organisers of Falmouth Sound 09: “It is with deep regret that we announce that Falmouth Sound will not be going ahead this year. It has been an agonising decision on our part as we have spent so much time and money trying to bring this high quality music event to the town. Unfortunately due to difficult economic conditions advanced ticket sales have not reached a point that would warrant staging such a large-scale event. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our team for their hard work and those people who purchased tickets and supported the event.” Ticket holders are advised to contact the ticket retailer they purchased from direct to arrange a full refund. Those people who purchased from the beach hut ticket office at Events Square will be contacted by the Falmouth Sound team sh...

Two new shops have been completed and handed over as part of St Austell’s £75 million town centre redevelopment scheme – White River Place. The final stages of construction are well underway and Sir Robert McAlpine, the scheme’s main contractor, currently has a work force on site of around 280 with building work taking place 12 hours a day, seven days a week. £31.5 million is being invested in the scheme by the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA) with the remainder of funding from White River Developments. Wilkinson and HBoS have taken possession of their units to enable them to start fitting out the interiors - other retailers will move in over the next few months to begin their fit-outs. The 550-space car park for the scheme is virtually complete with lighting, line markings and services all fitted, ready to hand over to operator APCOA for the final stages. Significant progress is being made on the residential blocks which will accommodate 69 apartments when finished – the e...

Neville Staple EVENT CANCELLED: See explanation in this post ... One of Cornwall’s most exciting new music events reveals its full line up for this August Bank Holiday. As the end of the summer draws ever nearer, the Falmouth Sound team has given us all something to look forward to by announcing yet more big name artists that will be gracing the stage in Events Square, Falmouth on August Bank Holiday weekend. Joining The Wombats, The Boxer Rebellion and Fink on Saturday 29th August will be Irish singer/songwriter Foy Vance, who has been likened to Stevie Wonder and admired by Pete Townshend. And as if that wasn’t enough bang for your musical buck, Melo Park – featuring Sian Evans of Kosheen has also been added to the mix. Foy Vance On Sunday 30th August The Wailers and Gabbidon have some familiar faces as support in the form of The Neville Staple Band (featuring two-tone legend and member of The Specials), Neville Staple) who will be accompanied by ska songstress Pauline Black. And la...

View from the footbridge at Wadebridge I took the photograph above on my phone a few nights ago, it was a very high tide and there were unique colours in the sky. It prompted me to put some photos of Cornwall on the blog. Spring blossom in Waderbidge Early morning in Padstow Harbour Surfers at Polzeath Beach Waterfowl on the Camel Estuary

Dame Helen Mirren admires a King Protea plucked from the Burncoose stand After months of planning, designing, and growing all of the hard work paid off this morning when Burncoose Nurseries received the news that they had been awarded a well deserved Gold Medal for their climate change garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden which is once again supported by Terra Firma, was designed to showcase the different types of plants that are suited to the changing environment. By teaming up with Tresco Abbey Gardens the Burncoose exhibit highlighted plants which thrive in warm, dry and windy conditions, as well as the more familiar shade loving species. The garden illustrated how plants which have historically only been grown in areas with micro climates, like the Isles of Scilly and some parts of Cornwall, can now be tried in other areas of the UK as a result of the changing weather patterns and temperatures. Owner of Burncoose Nurseries, Charles Williams, said “We are delighted to ...

Reservations are now being taken for a special fundraising lunch at Fifteen Cornwall, Watergate Bay, on Thursday 11th June, when Jamie Oliver will be donning his chef whites and getting back in the kitchen. Returning to Fifteen Cornwall for the graduation of the latest apprentices, and to welcome in the new cohort, Jamie will accompany Executive Chef Neil Haydock and the team of professional chefs to create a sublime three course lunch using the finest local seasonal ingredients. Fifteen Cornwall proudly aims to use a minimum of 80% local Cornish produce. In what promises to be a fun and relaxed occasion, Jamie will be chatting to guests to take them through the menu. Dave Meneer, Fifteen Cornwall’s CEO, will be on hand to give guests a chance to put some questions to Jamie over the course of the lunch. Later in the day Jamie will attend a private graduation ceremony for this year’s White Hats (Fifteen Cornwall’s apprentice chefs) after a year of training and experience in the kitche...

Fire fears disrupted a Truro concert held to mark 30 years of the city being twinned with Morlaix in France. Organised by the Truro Morlaix Twinning Associaton, the concert was due to start at 3pm on April 18 in the Mayor's Parlour at Truro City Hall. However, just as the conductor stood with baton poised for the music to begin, the hall’s fire alarm sounded. The audience, along with musicians from France and Cornwall, hastily evacuated the building. The concerned crowd then waited for half an hour in Boscawen Street whilst the fire brigade searched the building. Finally the all clear was given and the rest of the concert passed off without a hitch, except for local cellist David Hoskin being temporarily stuck in a lift with one of the more mature French female musicians. The orchestra – composed of members of renowned string group the St Mewan Sinfonia and Morlaix’s L’Orchestre de Patio – played a well received programme of works by Bach, Grieg, Vivaldi and Brahms. The concert, wh...