St Ives must be the scaffolding centre of the universe. From the Island to the Malakoff, the stuff clings to buildings like some rampaging vegetation. Building repairs are necessary, but the suspicion is that sometimes scaffolding is left disfiguring the area long after it's needed because it's more convenient for the scaffolder to leave it until it's needed elsewhere rather than have to store it. The current record must go to the builder who has had scaffolding up at a house in the town for the last ten months - for a loft conversion!
It took Michelangelo four years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel...
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Sunday 27 January 2008
So, where are all the cars? (2)
At 9:30 this morning at Porthgwidden car park there were just eighteen cars parked. There are sixty-two reserved spaces. Are they still available or have they been allocated and are not being used?
Saturday 26 January 2008
Up Ramsay's street
Professionally speaking, Gordon Ramsay has something of a roving eye. Although busy making a splash on the other side of the pond, the Michelin-starred chef - who only this week opened an excellent new restaurant in Chelsea, Foxtrot Oscar - is continually rooting out hotspots closer to home.
"Gordon's been thinking of taking over a derelict property in St Ives, Cornwall," I'm told ...more>
"Gordon's been thinking of taking over a derelict property in St Ives, Cornwall," I'm told ...more>
First Great Western's grand day out is no bargain
Yesterday's post (see below) of news of a £2.50 day return rail fare from St Ives to Truro on January and February weekends was, alas, too good to be true. Passengers this morning catching the 10.25 St Ives branch line service to St Erth which normally connects with the 10.44 to Truro and beyond found themselves - as one passenger put it - 'stuffed'. The train had been cancelled and the next one was not until 12.58.
Now even at £2.50 that is not really much of a bargain.
Now even at £2.50 that is not really much of a bargain.
Friday 25 January 2008
Half price train travel from St Ives to Truro
Truro for just £2.50. Enjoy half price Cheap Day Returns for any journey from St Ives to Truro every Saturday and Sunday in January and February details>
This week in 2004
THE WEEK: January 25 2004
A PETITION to keep WPC Trudi Pitts in St Ives was signed by a growing number of people. THE POLICE will hold their first surgery at the Carbis Bay Tesco on Friday, January 30, between 10a.m. and noon. ST IVES MP ANDREW GEORGE added his support to a Lib Dem parliamentary motion calling on the government to say how housebound, disabled and elderly people will be able to claim their benefits and pensions after 2005 when benefits are paid into bank and post office accounts. PENWITH DISTRICT COUNCIL voted to reduce council tax discount on second homes in the district, in future allowing only a 10% reduction. CORNWALL COUNTY COUNCIL has commissioned the independent market research company MORI to carry out a telephone survey of Cornish residents on proposals for the rate of council tax.
A weekly news summary will be posted soon.
A PETITION to keep WPC Trudi Pitts in St Ives was signed by a growing number of people. THE POLICE will hold their first surgery at the Carbis Bay Tesco on Friday, January 30, between 10a.m. and noon. ST IVES MP ANDREW GEORGE added his support to a Lib Dem parliamentary motion calling on the government to say how housebound, disabled and elderly people will be able to claim their benefits and pensions after 2005 when benefits are paid into bank and post office accounts. PENWITH DISTRICT COUNCIL voted to reduce council tax discount on second homes in the district, in future allowing only a 10% reduction. CORNWALL COUNTY COUNCIL has commissioned the independent market research company MORI to carry out a telephone survey of Cornish residents on proposals for the rate of council tax.
A weekly news summary will be posted soon.
Leach project to get cash boost
A bid to restore the studio of Bernard Leach, one of St Ives' greatest artists, is to receive a high profile boost.London auction house Bonhams is to hold a charity sale to raise money for the Leach Pottery Restoration Project.
Lady Carol Holland, who chairs the project, said that the charity auction will present pieces by more than 100 studio potters and ceramic artists who have donated work to support the fund.
A special edition of the catalogue will be produced with all proceeds going to the restoration project.
Bonhams Head of Contemporary Ceramics Marijke Jones, who has worked to bring together the works for auction, said it would be a unique event. "This will be an opportunity to buy some outstanding work in support of a vital project to protect and maintain a key part of Britain's ceramic history, the studio of Bernard Leach, which has undisputedly shaped the field and may now continue to do so." ...more>
Lady Carol Holland, who chairs the project, said that the charity auction will present pieces by more than 100 studio potters and ceramic artists who have donated work to support the fund.
A special edition of the catalogue will be produced with all proceeds going to the restoration project.
Bonhams Head of Contemporary Ceramics Marijke Jones, who has worked to bring together the works for auction, said it would be a unique event. "This will be an opportunity to buy some outstanding work in support of a vital project to protect and maintain a key part of Britain's ceramic history, the studio of Bernard Leach, which has undisputedly shaped the field and may now continue to do so." ...more>
Thursday 24 January 2008
Wednesday 23 January 2008
Out of the frame: Hugh Stoneman at Tate St Ives
In the St Ives heyday of 1958, Stanley Jones, the master printer at Curwen Studio, had set up a printing studio for local artists, but this had proved shortlived. With Hugh Stoneman's arrival, artists working in west Cornwall had superlative professional facilities at hand...more>
Hugh Stoneman: Master Printer is at Tate St Ives from January 26 to May 11
Hugh Stoneman: Master Printer is at Tate St Ives from January 26 to May 11
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Need a house to burgle? Look for Yellow Pages.
A telephone call today from someone who wanted to know if a copy of Yellow Pages had been delivered here. A stroll around the town reveals directories left outside numerous properties. They will still be there next month. It's a great help of course to potential burglars to know that the owners are away. Need a house to break into? Look for Yellow Pages.
You've won £1m - go to jail and thank you
Many people in St Ives and beyond must be grateful to former chip shop worker and £1m scratchcard winner Leah Sumray for landing herself in jail almost before she cracked open the champagne.
It makes all of us who have never won a penny feel so much better.
It makes all of us who have never won a penny feel so much better.
Double yellow lines back after 20 years
Double yellow lines will return to the centre of St Ives to help alleviate chronic traffic congestion if county council bosses agree to abandon the existing signage policy.Town councillors voted to reinstate the warning lines after the 20-year-old experiment to prevent illegal parking whilst maintaining the traditional appearance of the town failed.
Browse The St Ivean - 2003-2005!
Thanks to the excellent Internet Archive's Wayback Machine you can now dip into a little of the recent history of St Ives by browsing some past posts of The St Ivean for 2003 - 2005. More will be added in the next few months. Enjoy!
Sunday 20 January 2008
Affordable housing plans trigger school campaign
Plans to build affordable housing in Carbis Bay have triggered a campaign to use the site for a new and improved school accommodating up to 400 pupils.St Ives town councillors passed an application by Devon and Cornwall Housing Association (DCHA) last week to build 23 flats on Polmennor Drive, which will now be submitted to Penwith District Council for full approval...more>
Friday 18 January 2008
So, where are all the cars?
Any car owner in St Ives who has applied for a parking space in one of the town's car parks will know that it usually involves a wait of several years. Only recently the rules were revised and tightened by Penwith District Council. So it is surprising to discover that out of season these car parks are frequently half empty. This is so at times when you would expect them to be fully in use - early on Saturday or Sunday morning for instance when people are usually at home.
So, where are the cars that belong in those much sought after spaces?
One explanation is that people who already have a space at home for their car have also have been allocated one by Penwith in the public car parks which they use for their paying visitors or for friends and family.
If this is so, it is surely unfair and needs to be stopped. Scarce car parking spaces should not be allocated to residents who are already lucky enough to possess one.
Penwith should investigate.
So, where are the cars that belong in those much sought after spaces?
One explanation is that people who already have a space at home for their car have also have been allocated one by Penwith in the public car parks which they use for their paying visitors or for friends and family.
If this is so, it is surely unfair and needs to be stopped. Scarce car parking spaces should not be allocated to residents who are already lucky enough to possess one.
Penwith should investigate.
Thursday 17 January 2008
This week in 2004
THE WEEK: 17 January 2004
EIGHT houses on Wheal Ayr Terrace were demolished after the terrace was found to be unsafe due to mine workings. The first two houses were evacuated three years ago because of subsidence. A PASSENGER ferry bound for Ireland from Cherbourg sought shelter in St Ives Bay after a lorry trailer was tossed into the side of the vessel during a storm. THE St Ives inshore lifeboat was called out twice during last weekend. PENWITH DISTRICT COUNCIL are to pilot a scheme using volunteer dog welfare officers to combat fouling. ST IVES MP Andrew George called on the government to replace the council tax with a local income tax.
EIGHT houses on Wheal Ayr Terrace were demolished after the terrace was found to be unsafe due to mine workings. The first two houses were evacuated three years ago because of subsidence. A PASSENGER ferry bound for Ireland from Cherbourg sought shelter in St Ives Bay after a lorry trailer was tossed into the side of the vessel during a storm. THE St Ives inshore lifeboat was called out twice during last weekend. PENWITH DISTRICT COUNCIL are to pilot a scheme using volunteer dog welfare officers to combat fouling. ST IVES MP Andrew George called on the government to replace the council tax with a local income tax.
Tuesday 15 January 2008
Campaign for discounted fares for people on income support launched
The St Ivean today launches a campaign for the introduction of discounted bus fares for Cornwall residents on income support.
Cornwall residents who are over 18 and under 60 and not already receiving help with travel costs, would be entitled to a 50% discount on fares.
The case for a discount card for income support recipients is even more compelling than that for the elderly who get free bus travel within the county. Later this year a national bus pass will extend this to the whole country.
People on income support are by definition impoverished while not all elderly people are on low incomes.
Discounted fares would help prevent social isolation by allowing people on low incomes visit friends and relatives. It would also extend the opportunities for budgeting by allowing access to a wider range of shops. A single parent may not be able to afford to travel even to the next town because of the expense. For example, a single adult return fare from St Ives to Penzance costs at least £4.
London Transport already operates a 50% discount fare scheme for Londoners on income support.
The St Ivean is urging all political parties in Cornwall to back the campaign.
Cornwall residents who are over 18 and under 60 and not already receiving help with travel costs, would be entitled to a 50% discount on fares.
The case for a discount card for income support recipients is even more compelling than that for the elderly who get free bus travel within the county. Later this year a national bus pass will extend this to the whole country.
People on income support are by definition impoverished while not all elderly people are on low incomes.
Discounted fares would help prevent social isolation by allowing people on low incomes visit friends and relatives. It would also extend the opportunities for budgeting by allowing access to a wider range of shops. A single parent may not be able to afford to travel even to the next town because of the expense. For example, a single adult return fare from St Ives to Penzance costs at least £4.
London Transport already operates a 50% discount fare scheme for Londoners on income support.
The St Ivean is urging all political parties in Cornwall to back the campaign.
Sunday 13 January 2008
Bleak prospect for first-time buyers
The St Ives Times & Echo this week prints a report from the Campaign for Affordable Homes Cornwall which predicts worsening conditions for first-time home buyers in St Ives and Cornwall.
The report's authors say there has been a significant loss of homes to both second home and holiday let owners. The Right to Buy scheme has added to the decline in social housing, the report claims.
It says that 19,000 people are on housing waiting lists in Cornwall.
Vicky Garner, for the CAHC, said:
"Councils are unable to house those in even those in priority need."
Th report found that there is a shortage of available affordable land and that many schemes to build affordable housing met with objections at the planning stage.
Other points from the report:
*developers work the system against the provision of affordable homes to maximise profits.
*over the last 10 years house prices in Cornwall have increased by 274 per cent.
*the average house price in the county is £231,000. A new buyer would need to be earning £66,000; the average wage in Cornwall is £19,290
*Cornwall saw a 56 per cent increase in the number of second homes between 2000 and 2006 giving a total of 14,427.
* some parish councils say the official figures underestimate the number of second homes.
* as house prices rise, second home buyers are turning to new builds and non-coastal locations.
Mrs Garner said: "The Campaign for Affordable Homes Cornwall is confident that a bottom up community led approach is what is needed if we are to go any way to solving the current crisis."
Also this week it was separately reported that a plan to build 23 affordable homes at Carbis Bay is being opposed by campaigners who claim the land is needed to improve St Uny School.
And this week Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said that key workers in Cornwall, including nurses, police and teachers, are to be given new support to help them onto the housing ladder.
Cornwall may get 68,000 new houses (7,800 in West Penwith) over the next twenty years, according to proposals published on January 9 in a report by the South West Regional Assembly.
The report's authors say there has been a significant loss of homes to both second home and holiday let owners. The Right to Buy scheme has added to the decline in social housing, the report claims.
It says that 19,000 people are on housing waiting lists in Cornwall.
Vicky Garner, for the CAHC, said:
"Councils are unable to house those in even those in priority need."
Th report found that there is a shortage of available affordable land and that many schemes to build affordable housing met with objections at the planning stage.
Other points from the report:
*developers work the system against the provision of affordable homes to maximise profits.
*over the last 10 years house prices in Cornwall have increased by 274 per cent.
*the average house price in the county is £231,000. A new buyer would need to be earning £66,000; the average wage in Cornwall is £19,290
*Cornwall saw a 56 per cent increase in the number of second homes between 2000 and 2006 giving a total of 14,427.
* some parish councils say the official figures underestimate the number of second homes.
* as house prices rise, second home buyers are turning to new builds and non-coastal locations.
Mrs Garner said: "The Campaign for Affordable Homes Cornwall is confident that a bottom up community led approach is what is needed if we are to go any way to solving the current crisis."
Also this week it was separately reported that a plan to build 23 affordable homes at Carbis Bay is being opposed by campaigners who claim the land is needed to improve St Uny School.
And this week Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said that key workers in Cornwall, including nurses, police and teachers, are to be given new support to help them onto the housing ladder.
Cornwall may get 68,000 new houses (7,800 in West Penwith) over the next twenty years, according to proposals published on January 9 in a report by the South West Regional Assembly.
Saturday 12 January 2008
Jack Pender retrospective
The popular Mousehole painter Jack Pender died 10 years ago this year, and Penlee House is commemorating this with a selected retrospective exhibition of this much-loved painter's work...more
Private grief, public places
The number of memorial benches in St Ives has surely now reached saturation. These are benches which the public can use but which carry a plaque with the name of a loved one and usually a dedication On the car park side of the Island alone there are over twenty with more along the path around the Island..
The St Ivean fully understands the purpose of these benches and that they mean a lot to those who paid to have them erected. And of course those already there should stay. But enough is enough. It is questionable anyhow whether public spaces are appropriate places for private memorials. Sometimes flowers are left on these benches which may make any potential user feel like an intruder.
On a lighter note, there is a memorial bench to rock musician Ian Dury in the London park he liked to walk in. Embedded in the bench are some of Dury's recordings and users of it can plug in headphones and listen to a selection of his music. Nice, but not an idea here recommended for the Island.
The St Ivean fully understands the purpose of these benches and that they mean a lot to those who paid to have them erected. And of course those already there should stay. But enough is enough. It is questionable anyhow whether public spaces are appropriate places for private memorials. Sometimes flowers are left on these benches which may make any potential user feel like an intruder.
On a lighter note, there is a memorial bench to rock musician Ian Dury in the London park he liked to walk in. Embedded in the bench are some of Dury's recordings and users of it can plug in headphones and listen to a selection of his music. Nice, but not an idea here recommended for the Island.
Friday 11 January 2008
Park-and-Ride plan to reduce summer jams
Plans to ease summer gridlock in St Ives could include a massive 700-space park-and-ride scheme at St Erth Station, served by a new roundabout on the main A30 road.The project, which foresees longer, five-carriage trains carrying passengers along the branch line, is just one of a number of measures being considered by Cornwall County Council to alleviate the town's chronic traffic congestion...more
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