LOOE residents are planning the 2011 West Looe May Fayre after the success of the 2010 event, which returned after a break of over 70 years.

The event, led by West Looe Cornwall councillor Edwina Hannaford and a small steering group, is set for Saturday, May 7, in and around West Looe Square from 10.30am-3pm.

The day kicks off with a procession led by local bands and Looe’s Piccy Tree, Sheila’s School of Dancing and pupils from Looe Primary School.

Mark Camp will be leading a heritage trail around West Looe in the afternoon, starting at St Nicholas Church, and Abby Crosby from Cornwall Wildlife Trust will be leading a rock pool ramble.

West Looe businesses will be promoting local food and drink and it is hoped to have a BBQ courtesy of O’Keeffes Butchers.

Looe Town Council is backing the event, providing financial and administrative assistance. West Looe Town Trust has provided 100m of bunting in a Cornish blue design to decorate the streets and Looe Harbour Commissioners have agreed to the use of the harbourside.

The focus for the day will be a Maypole in West Looe Square.

Anyone can join in the dancing, which revives an ancient tradition to mark the end of winter with the promise of spring and summer to come.

The streets will throng to local musicians including West Looe favourites the Minor Quay shanty group, Keltique Ladies’ Choir leading the community singing, Looe Entertainers and Roger Bennett.

Local groups and organisations will have stalls, with competitions and games in and around Fore Street, Princes Street, Church Street and West Looe Square.

The 2011 Daphne du Maurier Festival will run from 12th  to 21st May.  The town of Fowey is extremely excited about the prospect of this year’s Festival as it is being managed, for the first time, by a new committee, made up of members of Fowey Town Council and Fowey’s Chamber of Commerce.

The Festival is undergoing a transitional year as Cornwall Council hands over the running of the Festival to this new committee.   With the help of a grant from Cornwall Council, and the support of a seconded officer, the 2011 Festival will be as good, if not better than ever before!

The much-loved Festival Village will once again play host to a programme of National and International Writers and Performers. There will be extra events in and around the town in new venues.   The whole town of Fowey is pulling together to ensure the success of the Festival for 2011 and many more years to come.

The Festival will only be able to continue if locals and visitors to the area continue to support it.   There are many ways that business and individuals can help ensure the future of the Festival.   So, if you have attended the Festival in the past and would like to become more involved, you can contact us here Admin @ duMaurier .

Businesses can help by advertising in the Festival’s brochure or sponsoring an event.   Individuals can help by becoming a Patron of the Festival, helping as a volunteer, or simply by buying a ticket and coming along and enjoying the Festival in May.

Spread the word, tell your friends and keep the Festival dates in May free!   We hope to see you there!

Every Tuesday during the month of November 3 restaurants in Looe are providing a Cornish buffet on the Looe valley line. Award winning restaurants Squid Ink, Barclay House and Trawlers on the Quay are all taking part.

Looe has often been voted as one of the top places in the country to be on New Years Eve. When the streets are full of revellers dressed in all manner of costume, but don’t forget that from early December the lights are switched on and the town comes alive in the lead up to Christmas. Why not visit Looe in the winter? enjoy a stroll along a deserted beach, have a pint beside a log fire in a traditional pub and buy some Cornish produce to give as a present when you get home.

Here at the Old Malt House we have special offers running throughout the winter season, so why not take advantage of them and enjoy Looe in the run up to Christmas. You can be assured of a warm welcome.

We’re celebrating 150 years of trains to Looe this month.

Saturday 11 September will see a fete held at Looe station with games, free face painting for children, Liskeard Silver Band and much more.
On Sundays 19 and 26 September, steam trains will return to the Looe Valley Line for the first time since 1961.  Four trips will run each day.  Tickets are still available – visit www.vintagetrains.co.uk or call 0121 708 4960 for details and bookings.

Other activities through September include talks on the train, guided walks and a special display at Looe Old Guildhall Museum featuring a new model of Looe station in the 1950s.

We are now able to offer all our guests discount vouchers for eating out at selective restaurants in Looe, including: Trawlers on The Quay, The Ginger Lilly, The Hayloft, Horizons and others. Vouchers can be used up to the 31 December 2010. These vouchers also offer further discounts on attractions in and around Looe including: Tamar Valley Donkey Park and Purely Cornish Farm Shop and Deli.

Come and enjoy the Morval Vintage steam Rally taking place in neighbouring village Morval on the 28th, 29th and 30th August.  The event will include: Live music, vintage cars and motorcycles, tractors, attractions for the children, military and commercial vehicles and much, much more.

A wide range of activities are taking place throughout this weekend in aid of the Looe life boat appeal. Activities include: Life boat display, Air sea rescue, food stalls, live music, lifeboat simulator, raft race, dancing, grazing on the quay & much more.

Saturday 10th July

Food stalls and other activities on the quay throughout the day; choir concert in Looe life boat station – 7.30pm.

Sunday 11th July

Food stall and other activities on the quay throughout the day; lifeboat & helicopter display off the sea front – 2pm

Come and enjoy a family day out in Looe

Discover Life on St George’s Island

In the July edition of Cornwall Life magazine there is a two page article about St George’s Island which is the island that can be seen from Looe. Boat trips can be taken from  Looe at this time of year to visit the island and in the article the Islands resident  warden explains what you can see, from a family of seals to all kinds of wild birds, it is a truly unique island nature reserve. Trips to the island are very limited due to the tide and weather but at this time of year they are more frequent, with the weather being so ideal at the moment why not take the opportunity to be one of the lucky one’s to visit the island.