Thursday 2 July 2015

St Austell area newspaper column 01 July 2015 - Weeks of celebration!

I always enjoy life in Cornwall, but I look forward to this time of the year as it is full of local community events; Feast weeks, carnivals and regattas come one after another.  As I write this, Mevagissey Feast Week is in full swing and the St Austell Feast Week has just ended.

I am always amazed at just how good Cornwall is at putting on these weeks of community fun and entertainment. Many of them have been going on for many years and the traditions have been passed down from generation to generation. Each one is unique and has its own particular style and flavour. But at the heart of each of them is a group of dedicated people who work tirelessly to organise the events and a small army of volunteers who give their time to make sure everything runs well. Despite the numerous challenges faced by the committees who run these events, with ever onerous health and safety regulations and difficulties obtaining insurance, it is a credit to everyone involved that these events are able to take place.

St Austell Feast Week is relatively new, having been revived after an absence of many years.  The organisers are to be congratulated for the excellent events that they put on, both in the town centre and in other locations around the town.  Anne and I enjoyed the It’s a Knockout event that we attended last weekend.  I am sure that this festival will go from strength to strength. 

Mevagissey Feast Week was established in 1754 and so this year continues in that illustrious line.  From the fish festival to the flora dance, this Feast Week is not to be missed and I will be dropping in on Saturday to enjoy the fun – you might even get to see me doing the Flora Dance! 

As well as the larger festivals, many villages celebrate various events throughout the summer and there are many carnivals that we can enjoy and in the next few weeks we have the Charlestown and Fowey Regattas to look forward to. 

I look forward to seeing as many people as possible at these festivities and if there is an event over the summer in your area, please let me know, and if can I will come along to support it.

There are many things great about living in this part of our Cornwall. Our stunning coast and countryside and the wonderful food and drink we produce for a start. But for me the best thing will always be the amazing community spirit and pride in our local identity that makes this area so special. We are justly proud of our heritage and culture, let’s continue celebrate and promote it.

My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and seek to make a real difference to the lives of everyone who needs help and support in any way.

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