The Nordic Gnomes came to Dobwalls, near Liskeard on Thursday, November 7, when Liskeard Flower Club had a workshop where members made a Nordic Gnome using a flower pot, oasis and conifer and finally adding a beard, red nose and a bauble at the end of its hat.

It was very well attended and great fun and thanks go to Fiona Hammond for showing us what to do. This was followed by tea/coffee and biscuits.

Our next meeting is being held on December 5 at 2.30pm in Liskeard Public Hall. Please note the change of venue and time. The demonstrator is Christine Harrigton from Rilla Mill whose title is “Countdown to Christmas”. This should be a very enjoyable demonstration. As this is a Christmas demonstration, it is open to the public to attend. Admission tickets can be bought at the door and costs £5 to include refreshments. New and old Members are most welcome .

Further details from Brenda Bolton, on 07714 684344. Club website: Liskeard-flower-club-weebly.com

Club Facebook: Liskeard & District Flower Arrangement Society.

Evensong will be held in St Melor’s Church on Sunday, Decmber 1, at 6.30pm.

St Melor’s Church needs you! This Linkinhorne’s parish church which is an ancient Grade 1 listed building and is set in a small rural hamlet with traditional farm buildings and houses surrounding it.

The church building belongs to the parish and as such is a treasure to be used by the people and for the people but needs maintaining.

Two important people are needed, one to set up a “Friends of St Melor’s” fund raising charity. And another to head up the Grants applications and obtain quotes for repair work as detailed in the recent quinquennial survey.

Both these voluntary positions will be supported by the Parochial Church Council and the current church community. Two people who are self-starters and have experience or understanding of fund raising and grant application are needed to help ensure St Melor’s is maintained in good order for future generations.

If you can help contact Kim Howat for a chat on 01579 384054 or email [email protected]

An Advent all age service will be held in St Paul’s Church, Upton Cross, on Sunday, December 1, at 10am.

The 17th Art and Crafts Exhibition and Sale will take place in the Parish Hall at Upton Cross from Friday, November 29, to Sunday, December 1, from 10am to 8pm.

Admission is by voluntary donation. This features new artists and crafters, a raffle, and refreshments will be available.

For more information call Ruth Carthew on 01579 362147 or 07754 194847 or email [email protected]

St Ive Parish Church, morning service to be held on Sunday, December 1, starting at 11.15am.

Also, Advent Carol's, starting at 7pm. All are welcome.

Carols Service by Candlelight, with Valley Voices, to be held on Thursday, December 12, starting at 7pm.

Morning service will be held on Sunday, December 15, at 11.15am.

Johnny Cowling will be leading a Christmas special to be held at St Ive Parish Church on Friday, December 20, starting 7.30pm. Tickets price includes a pasty supper.

Christmas Eve Eucharist, to start at 9pm.

Unity Methodist of St Ive, held at the Village Hall. Service on Sunday, December 8, at 10.30am will be led by Linda Eastlake. A time of tea and chat to follow the service.

On Sunday, December 22, this will be a carol service, to be led by Rev Stuart Reed, starting at 10.30am. All are welcome to join is in this time of carols.

Also, we are holding a Christmas Day Service at the Village Hall, starting at 10am. Come and share in this special service. To be led by Rev Stuart Reed.

St Ive Village Hall will be holding a carol evening on Friday, December 13, at the hall. Starting at 7pm. Mince pies for refreshments.

The Guild meeting held on November 18, was given by Luc VanDamme, who gave a very interesting talk on the work of MAF - Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Which was formed by two men in the 1940's this charity has gone from that time, to now having over 115 light aircraft, which support work, deliveries, transporting patients along with spreading the word of God to over 25 developing countries. The good number attending enjoyed the speaker. He also had items available, books etc for sale. In support of MAF.

Callington and St Ive Wesley Guild, will next be held on Monday, December 2, starting 7.30pm.

At Callington Methodist Church, in the Guild room.

This will be a Christmas Miscellany evening, with a variety of carol's, fun quiz etcetera. With light refreshments. All are welcome

There will be no meeting held on Monday, December 16, at Callington.

As there will be a Christmas concert, held at Saltash Wesley Church on that evening, given by An Augmented Choir, starting at 7pm.

On Monday, November 4, the speakers were from Cornish Cabbage Plants, Andrew, accompanied by his wife Helen, son Mark and his girlfriend Tamara gave us a warming talk on their life in the cabbage industry.

Having a business of selling brassicas country wide from a farm in Cornwall we were expecting to hear about the large workforce, the variety of machinery and a smoothly organised operation. We learned only one of those is true.

Andrew began by telling us there are no modern buildings, machinery or indeed a huge workforce at Cornish Cabbage Plants. There is a cow shed, traditional tractors (friends and family owned) and the four people in front of us!

Cornish Cabbage Plants is a family legacy, beginning with Andrew’s Grandfather in 1924, then his Dad, now him with his son. At Cornish Cabbage plants each plant is naturally grown, no sprays or chemicals which can be absorbed into the leaves and in turn eaten by humans.

Through the generations Andrew’s family have traded at local markets where meeting new people and catching up with the regulars was the highlight of the day. The social aspect of the trading was as much part of the business as the selling.

Andrew has witnessed negative impacts on the business, foot and mouth, the decline of local markets, Covid which have all changed the landscape afterwards. One impact which is consistent is the weather, this year the rain has washed away the nutrients which has made planting and growing a real challenge.

Gardening in the rain is not easy by any means particularly when it comes to sowing seeds. As Andrew informed us early on there isn’t any modern machinery at Cornish Cabbage plants and this includes when sowing seeds. Andrew sows 30 to 40 kilos of cabbage seeds by hand from a bucket, walking up and down rows one by one.

Whilst this sunk in Andrew started at the beginning of the process. At the beginning of the year the soil is tested for the ph level. Vintage tractors, the only machinery used, they belong friends and family - it’s a day of working, supporting each other and socialising, not unlike the local markets back in the day. Andrew said the plants are left to grow naturally, they never water them not even in the summers of drought.

Pulling is all completed by hand and to order, the accuracy of counting is paramount. The final step is the packing, again all completed by hand, labeled and placed in re-purposed boxes. The plants make their way to their destination overnight to any location within the UK.

Not only available by post, as you would Andrew and family also operate direct from the farm. Visitors can turn up at the gate, say which cabbage plants they would like and off Andrew/Helen/Mark or Tamara go, pull them up and hand them over. All done in the traditional way as Andrew’s Grandfather and father taught him.

The farm also grows wildflowers available to buy in the same way.

Sticking to what they know, what works and not ‘reinventing the wheel’ has proven to be the winning formula for Cornish Cabbage plants but after their talk winning is not what they are about…it is traditional values, family, people and hard work.

If you’d like to know more about Cornish Cabbage Plants or visit them for some plants: www.cornishcabbageplants.com

Next meeting is on Monday, December 2, and will be the Christmas time meeting at St Ive Village Hall (PL14 3LZ) at 7.30pm.

We welcome visitors. For more information visit [email protected]

On Sunday, December 1, there will be holy communion at 9.30am.

Free tea and cake and Christmas decorations at 3pm.

Sunday service on November 24 at 10am.

Cleerway Community Church is meeting on Sunday morning at The Memorial Hall, Well Lane, St Cleer, PL14 5EA at 9.45am for breakfast.

The morning service starts at 10.30am. All are welcome, whatever your background or belief.

There will be a Christmas Tabletop Sale on Saturday, November 30, from 10pm to 4pm. Fundraising for the hall and village shop.

Refreshments available, raffle/tombola and entertainment from ‘Jack Sparrow’.

Good parking and wheelchair access. £10 to book a table. Text Steph 07970 040236. Free entry.

Lanreath Christmas Barn Dance will be held during the evening of Saturday, November 30, from 5pm to 10pm

Line dancing at 6pm. Refreshments available. In Lanreath Village Hall’s Tipsy Cow Bar. £1 entry per person. Text Steph 07970 040236.

Both fundraising events are in aid of the Lanreath Village Hall and Lanreath Community Shop.