School tree stolen

HEARTLESS thieves have dampened the festive spirit for children at Falmouth's Beacon Infant School and nursery unit by cutting down and stealing their Christmas tree.

"The children are very upset," said headteacher Mrs Vicky Heard. "The tree has been very much part of the children's Christmas celebrations.

"It brought great joy to the children. They looked forward to seeing the lights on it each morning. They are asking, why?"

The fir tree was donated to the school by Duchy Nurseries during the pupils' 'adopt a tree' project last year.

The tree was cut down and taken some time between 6pm on Monday, when the school closed, and 7.30am the following morning.

Pub back in business despite blaze

EVEN though part of the bar was burned out on Friday, te Lemon Arms in Mylor was able to entertain revellers at Monday's grand Christmas lights switch-on in the village.

Benches, tables, chairs and various mementoes near the fireplace were burned in the pub, which was refurbished in 1986. It was shut over the weekend as workmen set about making the bar hospitable.

"Everything above head height near the fire has melted," said landlord of 20 years Clyde Brenton. He said some of the old photographs of the village had been burned but he could not be sure what was lost until he had done a thorough check. "It could have been worse and it could have been nearer Christmas," he said.

Mr Brenton went out at 3pm on Friday and when he came back an hour later he found firemen and two appliances outside and smoke pouring from the lower storey.

The alarm had been raised by a villager.

Castle to get facelift worth half a million

by Hugh Cadman

PENDENNIS Castle, Falmouth's most historic landmark, is to undergo a huge half a million pound programme of improvements, it was announced last week. A large bid to the new National Lottery fund will be made to help meet the costs.

English Heritage and Carrick Council want to open up more its unrivalled 450-year history as a coastal defence fortress from the time of Henry VIII all the way to fighting the Nazi menace and the Cold War. But it willn ot become a history theme-park, they say. The headland is owned by Carrick and the castle is in the guardianship of English Heritage.

Some projects have already been completed. The guardhouse, which was once used as a shop, has been restored to its First World War interior, with cells, austere fittings, small exercise yard and guardroom. It will open at Easter. Crab Quay has been restored and World War II zig-zag trenches near Middle Point have been cleared.

The many proposals include:

-The Half Moon battery at the Southern end of the site to be restored and opened up to visitors. It was built in the 1890s and the pits will house two large six-inch guns from the MOD range at Shoeburyness. Unobtrusive fencing will be necessary.

-The magazine beneath is intact with shell racks still in place and half of this will be restored to 1944 appearance. The commander's observation point above is already open and gives a fine panorama from behind hinged steel protective plates.

-Car parking is currently provided within the fortress and managers English Heritage say this is unsatisfactory. They aim to create a car park on Carrick land to the north outside the Elizabethan walls. The cost they estimate at £78,000. The work will include widening a short length of Castle Drive

-A £75,000 conversion of the water tower further out to the north-west will house an exhibition and provide a viewpoint. Money to come from the National Lottery.

-A £15,000 restoration of the officers' garden, and arboretum on the west slope where work has already begun in mending paths and the grotto.

-Extensive restoration to the Hornworks, which are between the castle and Ships and Castles leisure centre. These were later earthworks, many erected at the time of the five-month civil war siege in 1646. A SWEB sub-station will be moved to the northern end of the headland and a group of MOD hut will be demolished. The cost of improvements to the Hornworks area is estimated at £150,000.

-Further use of information panels to explain all the various aspects of the site. And extensive landscaping work and provision of walks.

-Updating of the exhibitions in the castle and of the Tudor gun deck in the keep. Creation of a Tudor kitchen in the keep basement.