Bude Library and Information Service will continue to remain at the heart of the local community with the Town Council officially taking over management of the service in a new partnership agreement with Cornwall Council.

The Town Council marked the occasion with a key handover ceremony on Friday 1st March outside the main doors of the building on The Wharf. Accepting the key was Mayor of Bude-Stratton Town Council Bob Willingham, handed over by James Webb, representing the Library Information Service at Cornwall Council.

Keeping you in touch with the latest Town Council news

Future Secured for Bude Library!

Bude-Stratton Town Council Newsletter

Inside this edition...

Issue 4: Spring 2019

Bude Earth Festival is coming to The Castle!

Calling local businesses:you can help Bude Bloom!

The Castle to hold Springtime Wedding Fair

Mayor Bob Willingham said, “I am delighted that the Town Council is taking over the library, by this action we have secured the long term future of the library for the people of this parish and others who use this valuable service.”

James Webb added, “It’s clear that the library is an important part of the strong community spirit in Bude. The Town Council and library team have great ideas for how to ensure its continued success and we’re delighted to work in partnership with them moving forward.”

Mark Berridge, Castle and Communities Manager, will be taking the library under his wing and will be responsible for managing the service in addition to his current duties at The Castle. He said of the new partnership:

“I think Bude can really benefit from having the library under Town Council management as our town now has a greater say over the service.”

“We are actively encouraging residents to join the library and to make use of the services available. Come on down, we’ll be delighted to sign you up for a library card! Plus, since The Castle is but a minute away, there’s the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a nice cuppa and a cake, or a light lunch, after signing up.”

“Lastly, I’d like to remind all existing library users that there will be no change to the current great service they are familiar with, and we’ll be looking at what other activities we can provide.”

For more information about the new partnership between Bude-Stratton Town Council and Cornwall Council with Bude Library, please visit our website: www.bude-stratton.gov.uk/bude-library-partnership/

James Webb from Cornwall Council’s Library Information Service, handing key to Mayor of Bude-Stratton Town Council Bob Willingham

The Castle, Bude, invites you to attend their Springtime Wedding Fair - to be held inside the Castle and across its grounds - on Sunday 19th May, from 11am to 4pm.

Established in 2017, The Castle’s wedding fair has grown to offer couples a surprising range of ideas and inspiration to help them build their perfect day.

But even if you’re not engaged - or even have any intention of ever being wed - we seriously recommend you come down on the day, as there are so many exciting things to see and do, it really will be an unmissable event for the whole family. And with it being free entry, what is there to lose?

Greeting you upon your arrival will be Buddy and his friends, the seriously spoilt alpacas from Cadenza Alpacas.

Cadenza Alpacas often attend weddings and other events to add that extra special touch, leaving guests with unforgettable memories. And, at our wedding fair, there will be feeding and photo opportunities available on the day - these of course will be supervised at all time by handlers who prioritise the welfare of their animals.

If you’re not too preoccupied by the adorable alpacas, you can wander up the driveway to peruse some of the businesses situated out the front, including Bubbles – a chic mobile bar available to hire for weddings and special events – which will be offering free samples of Frizzante.

There will also be some Tipis set up across the front - thanks to hireable Tipi company Wigwam Sam - each Tipi with their own theme and activity.

Once you finally make it to The Castle entrance, you’ll be warmly welcomed inside to explore our stunning Grade II Listed wedding venue by the canal.

Whether you’re getting married, or not, you’ve got to come down to The Castle Springtime Wedding Fair...

Buddy the alpaca and loving owner Sue

Spring 2019

Presented upstairs in the ceremony rooms, you will find an assortment of stalls to browse from bridal outlets, florists, caterers, makeup artists and stylists, DJs, wedding photographers and videographers, some confirmed names include: Claire’s Sweet Temptations, Crystal Moon Candles, Handmade by Cards ‘N’ Things, Petal & Posie Ltd, Salt Water Gaia, Senara Photography, Two For Joy Bridal, Champagne & Charlotte Bridal, Nixie James-Scott - Unique Ceremonies, CV Visual Films, URBN StreetZ, DJ Andy King, and more.

Downstairs, you can enjoy bridal workshops and talks from wedding specialists offering inspiration for the big day, including, ‘How to choose that special cake for your wedding day’ and ‘How to make flower crowns’ – a must-know for any self-respecting summer bride and/or festival goer!

There will also be massage taster sessions from Salt Water Gaia, and Mel from Blush Beauty Bar will be doing hair and makeup – with professional photographer Chris Small from Ocean and Earth Photography then offering photoshoots.

Entertainment-wise, there will be Zoe and Jade (and team) from URBN StreetZ officially opening the fair at 11am with a dance performance on the lawns. This fantastic local dance school offer wedding choreography, from the simple and elegant gliding around the dance floor, to the more complex routines as seen on trending social media videos.

As you can tell, the day is going to be jam-packed with fun activities, with plenty to see and do. It’s a fun – and free – day out for the whole family. Even if you’re not planning on ever getting married, come on down for a fun day out!

Free entry, everyone welcome.

For more information and updates, please visit: https://thecastlebude.org.uk/weddingfair/

For any questions or to get in touch, please call 01288 357 300 or email thecastle@bude-stratton.gov.uk

Mobile bar Bubbles will be offering free samples of ‘frizzante’

Claire’s Sweet Temptations will have a free workshop on ‘How to choose that special cake for your wedding day’

Bude in Bloom is an initiative set up by the Town Council, which aims to bring the town together and make Bude an even more stunning place to live, work or visit.

Each year Bude-Stratton Town Council offers businesses the option of purchasing hanging baskets to display outside their shops and premises. The Town Council makes no profit from this initiative. The cost of each hanging basket includes: • Preparation and planting of the basket• Checking of existing/supply of new bracket• All watering and maintenance during the season• Removal and disposal

We are anticipating placing all baskets out in June in time for the summer season.

If you would like to be part of Bude in Bloom 2019, please contact us at office@bude-stratton.gov.uk for a copy of our booking form. Payments should be made and received by us on or before Friday 17th May 2019.

Calling all local businesses - you can help make Bude bloom!

1 basket = £50 (including VAT)2 baskets = £80 (including VAT)

Each additional basket = £40 (including VAT)

Great news! The brand new Pitch & Putt will be officially open from 1st May.

The facility - which is now managed by Bude-Stratton Town Council - also offers refreshments and there are on-site toilets available to use. The nearest parking for users is at Crooklets Car Park.

The Pitch and Putt - which is situated on Summerleaze Downs - will be open every day from 10am - 6pm, from May to September. Weather dependent - please check our Facebook page before stopping by: www.facebook.com/budepitchputt

Pitch & Putt open again!

The stove was patented in 1856, and was hugely successful; installed in 22 cathedrals including world-famous St Paul’s, and also over 10,000 churches, schools and government buildings across the country. Some are still working to this very day.

Often described as Cornwall’s ‘forgotten genius’, Gurney was responsible for many other inventions that changed life in this country and across the world. One of them came to be known as the Bude Light, a completely new system of lighting, which was used to illuminate Trafalgar Square, Pall Mall and the Houses of Parliament, as well as The Castle.

We are delighted to say that the Gurney Stove was announced as winner in the competition, gaining the most votes from an online poll determined by the public. We would like to thank everyone who voted and shared - you helped us win this award, not only for Bude but for our now not-so-forgotten genius Sir Goldsworthy Gurney.

In addition to this fantastic win, The Castle also won the prestigious ‘Judge’s Special Award’, and was praised in two other categories at The Cornwall Heritage Awards - which have been devised by the Cornwall Museums Partnership.

Spring 2019

The Castle wins awards for Bude!You might have seen across local publications and social media that The Castle was recently in the running for ‘Cornish Object of the Year’ in the Cornwall Heritage Awards with its Gurney Stove.

The Gurney Stove - which was an early type of radiator - was invented in the 1800s by Victorian inventor and engineer Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, the same man who built The Castle just to prove to his peers that it was possible to build on sand.

Above: The Gurney Stove - an early type of radiator - can be found at The Castle

The Gurney Stove was invented by the same man who built The Castle (above), Sir Goldsworthy Gurney (pictured right).

The ‘Judge’s Special Award’ is given to the project or organisation that merits additional commendation. The judges praised The Castle on a number of elements including: the creative use of space, excellent initiative, great environmental policy, staff commitment and ambition, quality of displays, and everything that has been achieved.

Café Limelight was ‘Highly Commended’ in the ‘Environmentally Responsible Award’ category for its initiatives in supporting a greener Bude by stamping out single use plastics, increasing recycling, and also focusing on sourcing from local food suppliers.

Castle and Communities Manager Mark Berridge said of the news: “I am absolutely thrilled that the Heritage Centre volunteers and team working at the Castle have been recognised for all their hard work and I am proud that Goldsworthy Gurney’s stove has received national recognition for its impact. It has put Bude on the map”.

‘Bude Earth Day’ grows into ‘Bude Earth Festival’ after overwhelming response!The Castle, Bude has extended their ‘Bude Earth Day’ event to two days after an overwhelming positive response, now named ‘Bude’s Earth Festival’ to be held on the 1st and 2nd June 2019.

The event was announced in March, and had been so well received by both the local community and environmental groups that the event has now been spread over two days to make it possible to fit in all of the anticipated talks, workshops and activities.

The key aims of the festival are to educate the community on local, national and global environmental concerns, and on what lifestyle changes we can all make to help the planet. The event is free for all to attend.

The festival will offer an assortment of eco-friendly workshops and talks focused on helping people to live more sustainably - supported by leading names in the environmental sector, but also those more locally-known environmental groups, too.

Some of the confirmed environmental and animal welfare organisations who will be providing talks and activities

The festival will be held across The Castle grounds

Across both the Saturday and Sunday, The Willoughby and Blanchminster Galleries upstairs in The Castle will run a full itinerary of talks covering subjects such as sustainable living initiatives, ocean health, wildlife protection, gardening tips, clean river projects, climate change and the importance of community in our future world.

Providing these talks are representatives from organisations including; #2MinuteBeachClean, Sea Shepherd, BRAG (Bude Rubbish Action Group), The Shark Trust, Rowan Working Timber Horses, Sea Life Trust, West Country Rivers Trust and Otter Surfboards, with more exciting names yet to be confirmed.

Martin Dorey, the founder of #2MinuteBeachClean and also author of ‘No.More.Plastic’ will be officially opening the festival on the Saturday.

There will also be practical workshops held across the weekend, including a fantastic session with Laila Parker Crum, who founded the ‘Bude Eco Bricks’ group – which aims to salvage unrecyclable plastic and turn it into bricks for housing.

Martin Dory, part-time presenter and founder of #2MinuteBeachClean, will be officially opening the festival

Creative workshops will be held on the Sunday, which will include a tie dye art workshop with artist Bridget Cordory, and a willow weaving session with artist and willow weaver Angelique Medland. Out on the lawns, sculptures made from recycled products will form an arts trail.

Spring 2019

If that wasn’t enough, there will be an assortment of other activities held across the weekend too, including a guided biodiversity trail walk with Bude Friends of the Earth, and Yoga classes in the bandstand with Rosie Lewis, and much, much, more.

On the second day of the festival (Sunday 2nd June) there will also be plenty of stalls to browse from a range of local businesses doing their best to be kind to the environment. Across both days, there will be some fantastic food on offer and live music, too, so with everything else going on as well, it will make the perfect event for all the family.

Free entry, everyone welcome.

As it will be the younger generations who will be taking over guardianship of our planet, local schools have been involved and will be attending, with students presenting their thoughts on climate change - conjuring up ideas to help conserve the future health of their planet earth.

There will also be storytelling for younger children - situated outside in a tipi on The Castle’s lawns - by famous children’s author Ellie Jackson, who has written a series of books to help educate children about environmental concerns, especially the impact of plastics on ocean ecosystems. She will be reading from all of her published books, including her latest published on orangutans and palm oil.

If you are interested in reserving a stall for Bude Earth Festival,please email thecastle@bude-stratton.gov.uk or call 01288 357 300 to find out more. Preference will be given to local businesses striving to offer environmentally-friendly products and services.

To find out more about Bude Earth Festival, please visit The Castle website: www.thecastlebude.org.uk/budes-earth-festival/

Committee re-structure at your Town Council, why not get involved and have your say about Bude?Through its Committees, the Town Council make decisions that affect you and life in Bude. Therefore it’s important that locals get involved to help shape their community!

And, with a Committee restructure coming into force as of May, this fresh start could be the perfect time for you to get involved. Under Full Council the Committees will now exist as follows:

- Communities

- Environmental

- Finance and Property

- Planning

- Staffing

Full Council and the Committees meet regularly - all meetings are held at the Parkhouse Centre (pictured above) - and most meetings are open to the public to attend and participate in (within the set time allocated for public questions or opinions).

The meeting schedule and agendas can be found on our website: www.bude-stratton.gov.uk/meetings

e: office@bude-stratton.gov.ukt: 01288 353 576w: www.bude-stratton.gov.uk

If you need to contact us at Bude-Stratton Town Council, you can do so by any of the ways below:

Our offices are open: Monday - Friday 9.30am - 12.30pm & 1.15pm - 3.30pm

Contact Bude-Stratton Town Council

Published by: Bude-Stratton Town Council The Parkhouse Centre, Ergue Gaberic Way, Bude, EX23 8LD

And if you need to contact the staff at The Castle, their contact details are:

e: thecastle@bude-stratton.gov.ukt: 01288 357 300w: www.thecastlebude.org.uk

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Would you like to receive the quarterly town newsletter by email? If yes, just send a blank email with the subject line ‘Opt-in to Town Newsletter’ to marketing@bude-stratton.gov.uk

You can opt-out at any time - just email ‘opt-out’ to the same address and you will be removed from the mailing list. We promise not to email you anything else other than the town newsletter, which comes out every 3 months.

Green fingered? Our beds and borders need your help!

Are you green fingered? Would you like to volunteer a couple of hours to help look after The Castle Gardens?

We are looking to create a Gardening Club of individuals who are either budding gardeners or anyone who would like to get outside and join with others to help look after the gardens. Our beds and borders need your help!

For more information call our Castle and Communities Manager Mark on 01288 357 301 or you can email him at mberridge@bude-stratton.gov.uk.

Upcoming dates for the diary...

19th May: The Castle Springtime Wedding Fair. The Castle, Bude. 11am – 4pm. Free entry. 1st June - 2nd June: Bude Earth Festival. The Castle, Bude. 11am – 4pm. Free entry. 7th July: Brass on the Grass. The Castle bandstand. 2 – 4pm. Free entry. 21st July: Heritage Day. 11am – 4pm. The Castle, Bude. Free entry. 28th July: Brass on the Grass. The Castle bandstand. 2 – 4pm. Free entry. 4th August: Brass on the Grass. The Castle bandstand. 2 – 4pm. Free entry. 18th August: Brass on the Grass. The Castle bandstand. 2 – 4pm. Free entry.

For more information on any of the above events, please visit The Castle website www.thecastlebude.org.uk or email thecastle@bude-stratton.gov.uk or call 01288 357 300.