ALBASTON, lying below Drakewalls and the high road running between Callington and Gunnislake, is one of the villages forming the fabric of the luxuriant, attractive Tamar Valley. It boasts both a pub and a shop, a nearby primary school, a residential home, a number of small businesses and a pottery - as well as fine views and an air of friendly relaxation.

Delaware primary school, with around 187 pupils on roll, is situated on the main road. Its head for the past four years, Richard Bond, is leaving the profession at Easter after 28 years of teaching. Recently remarried, he is changing direction in life, but stresses he has enjoyed his time at Delaware, which he terms a very welcoming school. He also loves the locality, having lived there for many years. As he likes exploring old mining areas, and walking the coast path, it is ideal for him - being surrounded by mining heritage and set between the two coastlines.

Pupils

Delaware's catchment area covers Cox Park, Latchley, Kit Hill, and the top of Calstock and of Gunnislake (around Dimson). It was built for £10,000 in l938 as a secondary school, but when all pupils transferred to the new Callington comprehensive in the l970s it became a primary - although Mr Bond says it seems little was spent on it for such a transformation.

The then primary school was switched from what is now the outdoor adventure centre nearby.

Delaware pupils traditionally enter competitions staged at the annual Albaston fete at which the PTA also has a stall - the event held in a field beside the home of Jinny Jackett, one of the school governors. The youngsters also used to hold special services at Albaston's Methodist chapel, but the numbers now stop that happening (a site has been found in the village for a new chapel for the Tamar Valley). However, as part of their RE syllabus and other studies the schoolchildren regularly go out and about in the community, visiting people and learning about varying activities. They went to the post office at Christmas with letters for Santa, to see how the post worked, after the post master, another school governor, talked to them at school.

Delaware has opted out of the county school dinner service and linked in with Callington school's dinner service which has much of the food bought locally. As a result those taking such dinners have increased greatly. The school has also just had new toilets built, a positive reaction to an excellent l998 Ofsted report, and during the past year has opened a new computer suite which has helped vastly improve the pupils' knowledge of IT. This has also been used for adult education, and by Calstock Development Trust. Mr Bond added the school is the base for a successful after-school club, run privately by Chris Rowley-White, and it is hoped to extend this into the school holidays.

Rob Fierek runs his impressive Studio Pottery in the heart of Albaston. He and his wife Rosie moved to their home, also known as Albaston Works, in l981. It had previously served as a blacksmiths, a wheelwrights, a funeral directors and carpenters, a builders, and an engineering works.

Musicians

Both husband and wife are members of Calstock Singers, and are keen musicians - Rosie being a peripatetic music teacher, working in various local schools and from home. She teaches instruments such as electronic keyboard, folk guitar, recorder and other folk instruments etc, both she and Rob playing the accordion. They have been a part, as well, of The Tamar Troylers, concentrating on Cornish music such as 'The Devil in Cornwall' and 'Pencarrow'. A joint love of brass has seen them join the Stannary Brass Band, too. The band, which has a good mix of ages, meets in the West Devon council offices at Tavistock, with beginners always welcome.

Rob specialises in a wide range of attractive pottery which is stocked in numerous shops, and can be found in outlets in towns and villages such as Polperro, Looe, Perranporth and Mevagissey - and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. Rob moved to Albaston, because the house was in the right price range, and offered a great deal of space. Apart from his light, airy, main room where he works on the potter's wheel he also has a store room and a kiln room. Both Rob and Rosie said they were unaware of what the area was like when they moved, but have been amazed by the amount of activities to be found in the Tamar Valley, and say its richness of life is a bonus.

Albaston stores and Post Office have been run by Angie and Dave Jenkins for nearly three years. They knew the area well before buying the business, coming from St Ann's Chapel. They immediately settled in, helped by long time staff members Kathy Clarke, who has worked there ll years, and Rose Wearing, who has been at the store around 16 years. Angie highlighted the friendliness of the locals, and the relaxed air of Albaston. She used to work in the civil service, and said her decision to become shopkeeper instead is one of the best she has made. Angie runs the shop, while her husband is in charge of the Post Office counter. They also highlighted the number of local activities, and said the Albaston fete is held mid-June, on the third Saturday in the month.

One 'good idea' for the locality, which never came to fruition, was the proposal in many decades gone by, to build a suspension bridge on the edge of the village, where a small road bridge suffices. A report on the shelved plan hangs in Albaston's Queen's Head pub, the home of the May family for 40 years. Initially under the guidance of Fred and Hilda, the tied house has been run for the past decade by their son Peter, and his wife Jan. The Queen's Head has real sporting links, running two darts teams who play in the Bere Alston league, as well as a pub cricket team which plays against other pubs at Calstock cricket ground - Calstock cricket club being sponsored by the Queen's Head. The pub also has a golf team which has played fellow pubs such as the Bull's Head at Callington and the White Hart at Chilsworthy, this formed because many regulars are Launceston golf club members. Peter, a vice president of Launceston rugby club, added that this Saturday, for the first time, the pub will sponsor the match between Launceston and Tabard. Soccer is not left out, for the Queen's Head has bought football kit for the school team.

Quiz

The pub has fun quiz nights on the first Monday of each month with euchre played on the third Sunday in the month. Fun nights are frequent - Jan said on August bank holiday in l999 they held a Christmas party because so many had been ill that Christmas season, and sat down to turkey, Christmas pudding and all the trimmings, as well as having a Santa Claus appear. It is the meeting place, as well, for organisations such as Calstock cricket club and South East Cornwall Conservatives.

Over the years staff and customers have collected enough to buy 13 guide dogs. They also run a bonus ball competition from which £9 is donated to charity following each win - a total of £3,316 being given to charity this way, with £384 already raised for the next presentation.

Local organisations also include a flower-arranging group, an art group, and Albaston 2000 which aims to create a village green near the site of the new Methodist chapel. Businesses include the welcoming Fernleigh House residential home for the elderly, run by Alastair and Jan Cradick.

Local firms also take in ACB Light Engineering and DAG Precision Engineering in Delaware Road, as well as - in Albaston itself - Albaston Starters and Alternators run by Neil Clarke, his son David and his brother-in-law Robert Peck, with Neil's wife, Kathy in charge of finance.

Neil, who is ex-Navy, started the business about five years ago, and has seen it go from strength to strength.