Falmouth BID launches FREE car parking



Richard Wilcox Falmouth BID Manager



In what will be a first for Falmouth, the Falmouth BID is launching the FEBRUARY IS FREE! car parking scheme, enabling shoppers to enjoy all the town has to offer – its high quality independent shops and national retail businesses, food and drink outlets and visitor attractions – by ensuring that two of Falmouth’s largest car parks The Dell and The Quarry, will be FREE to all who visit on Wednesdays during the month of February 2012. 



The FEBRUARY IS FREE! car parking scheme, one of over 20 projects and schemes kick-started by the Falmouth BID since it was voted in by Falmouth businesses only two years ago, responds directly to feedback from businesses and local people who identify the cost of car parking as a key component in the shoppers’ decision making process. The Falmouth BID has responded to this by liaising with Cornwall Council to spearhead an innovative scheme that will make it even more attractive for people from across Cornwall to‘re-discover’ Falmouth.  

Thanks to the Falmouth BID –

• ALL shoppers who visit Falmouth on ANY of the Wednesdays of the 1^st, 8^th 15^th, 22^nd & 29^th  February and choose to park their car at either The Dell or The Quarry car park can do so for FREE for that 24hr period
• YOU WILL NOT NEED to press any buttons on the ticket machine to get a ticket NOR will you need to display any tickets within your vehicle
• Simply park your car in the highlighted car parks, any time night or day on the dates shown in February and enjoy all that Falmouth has to offer!   

Richard Wilcox, the Falmouth BID Manager said:

“We have to be as competitive and innovative as we possibly can be in order to make our town centre as attractive a proposition as possible for would be shoppers, whether they are coming from Camborne or Cardiff. The cost of car parking is one of the more emotive issues and one that the Falmouth BID highlighted in our High Street Five Point Plan – a campaign that has attracted national attention and indeed recognition in the recently unveiled Mary Portas review of the high street. We as BID have been liaising with Cornwall Council, lobbying on behalf of our BID levy paying businesses to encourage a private sector viewpoint on pricing and policy for 2012 and alongside these meetings, I have been looking at various practical solutions to help support town businesses. By making FREE, car parking in the Dell and Quarry car parks on Wednesdays throughout February, we are doing just that. In such challenging economic times the more the BID works with the businesses in the town to make Falmouth even more appealing for a day visit or longer the better. ”

Guy Thomas, Cornwall Council Town Centre Management Specialist said:

”It is a very positive and encouraging step forward to see a partnership like this between Cornwall Council and Falmouth Business Improvement District.  As a Town Centre Manager, I am acutely aware of the intrinsic link between car park provision and the impact it has upon a town centre. At a time when the collective high street needs as much support as it can get, this scheme is a real example of how Cornwall Council is keen to work with its partners to deliver solutions on the ground, and I hope this is a project which can be developed further in the future.”

Portas High St Review is out

Mary Portas's report on how to tackle to huge issue of declining UK high streets is out and has been welcomed across the industry. Falmouth BID has been raising the issue for quite a while, part of its High St Campaign that led to Richard Wilcox, Falmouth BID Manager being invited to Parliament to take part in a Town Centres discussion with MPs and Ms Portas herself.

"It is a comprehensive report, and it addresses the majority of concerns we have raised here in Falmouth." Mr Wilcox said.

“I am particularly delighted to see that three of the first five recommendations are for greater empowerment for BIDs and town management, and for extra funding to be fixed for these as well. It is gratifying to see she has recognised how we have such a strong role to play in getting ourselves out of the situation we find ourselves in.”

He continued: “She has addressed the need to review car parking charges and called for a thorough review of business rates, which are points we raised in our 5 Point High Street Plan.We need to ensure that town centres and high streets can compete more effectively with out-of-town complexes and become a destination for shoppers once more. I hope now that this is not just a document that sits on the shelf, but that we see the government take notice. The vast majority of traders across the UK will be hoping to see real action, which we hope will then feed down to Cornwall and Falmouth itself, so we can continue to drive forward the town centre, but with more backing."

To read the Mary Portas report CLICK HERE 

To read the British BIDs view CLICK HERE.

Falmouth Spring Festival 17-25 March

We have a terrific schedule taking shape for the second BID funded and organised Spring Festival next year. We had over 4,000 visitors to the various events for this year’s Festival and are now looking to build on that to further help the town’s businesses. There are a couple of new events that I would in particular wish to highlight:

Run Falmouth – a half-marathon Falmouth’s first, in partnership and raising funds for Cornwall Hospice Care. A scenic route taking in beaches and coastline with proceeds going to Hospice Care. We will be starting and finishing this on The Moor on Sun 18^th March. To register for this great event click on this link

Run Falmouth Fun Run – you can still be part of the day by running the shorter 1.5 mile route. To register for this great event click on this link

Zumba Zestifal – also taking place on The Moor this event in partnership with Helen from The Core we hope will be Cornwall’s largest open air Zumba event! £10 to take part which includes a yellow Spring Festival T-shirt, this should be great fun! Time 1pm Sat 24^th March.

Falmouth Art Gallery Let’s get Arty – a series of FREE creative workshops also taking place on The Moor on the 17^th and 24^th March.

I will be in touch in the New Year to get retailer support for the very successful Paint the Town Yellow Day we did this year, whereby schoolchildren will window dress shop fronts.

Click on the link given here to visit the Falmouth Spring Festival page on Falmouth.co.uk and see the full range of activities planned   

Localism on the agenda

As you may be aware, the Localism Bill was given Royal Assent last week and is now an Act of Parliament.  The impact on this is particularly relevant to devolution and community rights to challenge, plus community inputs re planning decisions. 

Please find it at the link below: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/localismplainenglishupdate

Falmouth part of Olympic Torch route

Details of the route the Olympic Torch Relay will take through Cornwall on Saturday, 19 May 2012 , the First Day of its historic journey through the UK, have been released by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

News that Land’s End had been chosen as the starting point for the 2012 Olympic celebrations was announced earlier this year. Since then LOCOG has been working on drawing up the list of more than 1,000 villages, towns and cities, through which the Olympic Flame will be carried by Torchbearers during the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay which is presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung.
The route announced by LOCOG will see the Olympic Torch carried through 20 towns and villages in Cornwall on 19 May. Starting in Land’s End, it will then travel though Sennen, Newlyn, Penzance, Marazion, Rosudgeon, Ashton, Breage, Helston, Falmouth, Truro, Newquay, St Stephen, St Austell, Stenalees, Bugle, Lanivet, Bodmin, Liskeard and Saltash before crossing into Devon on the Tamar Bridge at the end of the day. Along the route iconic landmarks, such as St Michael’s Mount and The Eden Project, have been chosen by LOCOG as a focus for photo opportunities for the world’s media.
On leaving Land’s End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK giving thousands of communities and individuals their moment to shine as the Olympic Torch comes to a place near them.
Details of the route announced means that the Olympic Flame will be taken to within an hour’s journey time of 95% of the population. The street by street detail of the route will be confirmed next year. People can view the interactive map at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelaymap to find their nearest community through which the Olympic Flame will be carried.

Falmouth Spring Festival's Guerrilla gardening scoops award!

Derelict site revamp at Bell’s Court recognised at Cornwall in Bloom Awards

An innovative community focussed project, kick-started as part of the first Falmouth Spring Festival, has scooped a coveted award at the annual Cornwall in Bloom awards gala. The Guerrilla Gardening Day at Bell’s Court in the centre of town, was organised in an effort to spruce up an historic but neglected corner of Falmouth. Over five tonnes of rubbish and foliage including six 30ft Buddleia trees and a number of heavy white goods were cleared off the site by volunteers one sunny Saturday back in March this year. Donated shrubs and flowers were then planted turning the 40ftx25ft site into an amenable space that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. An agreement was then reached between the Falmouth BID and Falmouth Town Council to ensure the ongoing maintenance of the area.

The Falmouth Spring Festival is another project funded and organised by the Falmouth Business Improvement District (BID), who worked with local traders, organisations such as Falmouth Town Council, NMMC, University College Falmouth and Event Cornwall to put together a host of exciting events, activities and community themed initiatives that sought to celebrate Falmouth’s parks, gardens and open spaces. The BID responded to town BID levy businesses’ suggestions and ideas for an early season event that would not only promote Falmouth beautiful places but help to raise the town’s profile further in an effort to attract extra visits and spend. The first Spring Festival in March 2011 did just that, with figures gathered post event suggesting over 4,000 attended the numerous guided walks, talks, Gardeners’ Question Time, Rockpooling on Castle Beach, Spring Fashion Show and Discovery Quay Spring Fair events, with several traders reporting an increase in footfall during the week.

Now firmly on the annual Falmouth events calendar, the second Falmouth Spring Festival will take place between 17^th-25^th March 2012 and a number of new events are planned including a big pavement art event in conjunction with Falmouth Art Gallery and a Zumba Zestifal both taking place on The Moor, the latter aiming to be the largest open air Zumba event seen in Cornwall.  More community based schemes will be organised in collaboration with Falmouth schools and UCF students and a number of sites will be tackled by the Guerrilla Gardening crew.

The Lenkiewicz Archive exhibition

Driftwood Gallery, Falmouth will be hosting The Lenkiewicz Archive exhibition.  Robert Lenkiewicz is without question the most famous artist the West country has seen for many years and the Driftwood gallery are proud to exhibited one of the most extensive collections of original art as well as fine art Limited Editions since the copyright passed to The Lenkiewicz Foundation in 2010.  It also includes a fascinating range of collectable published works from his substantial archive of previously unseen notebooks and illustrated journals bequeathed to the Foundation.

Driftwood Gallery, Falmouth 4-11 Nov

Local Business Accelerators

NEWSQUEST South West, publishers of The Packet, has joined other regional and local newspapers across the country to deliver a huge boost to UK business by pledging an unprecedented £15m of free advertising to the most dynamic fledgling enterprises.

The bold initiative, backed by Dragons’ Den judge, Deborah Meaden, is called Local Business Accelerators (LBA) and is being spearheaded by the voice of local media, the Newspaper Society.

Nearly 500 local press publications, including Newsquest South West’s Packet Newspapers in Cornwall and the Somerset County Gazette in Taunton are joining forces to promote the strength and value of local newspapers for local businesses and communities.

Together, the local press industry will search for the nation’s most promising young businesses and help them accelerate their success with top professional advice from local business mentors plus a substantial allocation of free advertising space in their local publication.

What’s more, one lucky business picked from the hundreds of regional winners will get individual mentoring sessions from the LBA national ambassador Deborah Meaden, who will become a consultant and mentor to the business for one year.

Deborah Meaden said: "I’ve seen the unique contribution that local press makes to the success of local businesses time and again with my own ventures. In this age of enterprise it has never been more important to drive awareness about the value of local marketing for a fledgling business, which is why I’m so proud to support Local Business Accelerators and help build thriving and industrious communities."

This week Newsquest South West launches its Local Business Accelerators search.

It’s open to all businesses that are active in the local community, between one and three years old and full of potential. They may have a great idea or product, or even found a new market.
They’re the kind of businesses that will create new jobs and individually they will create pride in the community.

If you run such a business, or know anyone who does, and want the chance to receive invaluable business support and advertising space in the Packet or County Gazette, visit www.accelerateme.co.uk for more information on the scheme and how to enter. Entries close November 14, 2011.

Leaders within the local business community alongside Packet publisher Jonathan Perkins in Cornwall and Newsquest South West managing director Simon Dixon-Phillip will form the judging panel.

They will review and shortlist entries before awarding three lucky local businesses from the region with the prize of free advertising and business advice.

They’ll also be looking out for that one overall star business from the South West region to put forward to be in with a chance to gain Deborah Meaden as a mentor during 2012.

HIGH St Campaign takes to Westminster

BID Manager invited to attend All Party Town Centres group meeting at Houses of Parliament following letter from the BID to the Prime Minister and launch of Save the High Street Campaign

The Falmouth BID’s Save the High Street Campaign reached the corridors of power in earnest this week following an invite to Richard Wilcox, the Falmouth BID Manager from Sarah Newton, MP for Falmouth & Truro to attend an All Party Parliamentary Town Centres Group meeting at the Houses of Parliament on October 18^th, to discuss key issues in which Government appointed High Street Advisor Mary Portas will be present. Truro BID Manager Neil Scott will also be joining Richard Wilcox and Sarah Newton at the meeting.

The Save the High Street Campaign launched by the Falmouth BID, aims to raise awareness of the main areas that currently affect or inhibit economic growth in Falmouth and is a direct response to the appointment by the Government of Mary Portas, to undertake a review on what is needed to save the British High Street as well as raising awareness of initiatives running in Falmouth that have been instigated by the BID and other organisations.

The Falmouth BID is lobbying the Portas team, the Government and regional authorities, to recognise and initiate change on a number of key restrictions that are affecting growth and these are contained in a letter sent to her and the Prime Minister and centre around five key points:

1)   The need for free or low cost, innovative and flexible car parking schemes that are attractive for people to visit, dwell longer and spend money in town centres rather than acting as a barrier 

2)    Co-ordinated, imaginative and well-integrated local public transport which meets the needs of customers and POTENTIAL customers

3)    Well-funded and professional town management which can form proper retail strategies and plans for the development of the high street and the improvement of the shopping experience

4)    Business rates that need to have a greater effect locally with businesses having a real say on how the business rates are spent. Successful businesses should not be penalised with massive rate increases and the success of schemes like BIDs should be recognised and expanded by being funded from existing rates not as an additional levy

5)   Cut VAT in half to 10% on retail/restaurants/hotels/tourism businesses

To view the range of media coverage click here

To listen to Source FM interview click here

FAL350 day

FAL350 day was a wonderful occasion, a real coming together for the Falmouth communites around the world. Not only was there the re-enactment that went really well throughout the town but last night at the 350 dinner, live links connected all the Falmouths around the world, with goodwill messages being sent...

See images of the re-enactment via this link..

The FAL350 dinner in the evening was particularly as a live link beteween all the Falmouths around the world (14) resulted in goodwill messages being passed around thh globe. In attendance at the Falmouth Hotel was the mayor of falmouth, Kentucky and the High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda who in the highlight fo the evening spoke to the Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda via live link up, much to the appreciation of those in the room.

Earlier in the week, the premiere of the Falmouth play 'Remember' was played out at The Poly. If you'd like to see the full range of events on see here

Just in case you didn’t catch this programme on ITV last night...

http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=277232

Jonathan Maitland goes off in search of answers to the Is the high street in terminal decline? question. Of course many of the reasons he finds are universal – car parking, lack of investment in the public realm, internet, lack of strategic town management and are ones highlighted in the BID 5 point plan letter to the PM and Mary Portas and it was interesting that the more successful towns are not only ones addressing such issues but ones that have a strong independent/nationals ratio. Rotherham Council’s Grant scheme to entice new businesses is one to look at in more depth...

Mary Portas’s points at the end of the interview were pertinent – the notion of ‘community’ high streets (very similar to the discussion we had Jonathan, RG with Andy Godfrey from Boots/British BIDS), the need for much more integrated holistic town management frameworks, the need for towns to be much cleverer in identifying what is unique/special/their USP, the need for legislative review to force the issue with landlords who don’t play ball with physical improvements/empty units ...

Mary Portas will be attending the All Party Parliament Town Centre select committee meeting at Houses of Parliament that I have been invited to attend so I will look to put forward Falmouth’s points to her and the committee then....

Richard Wilcox

Falmouth BID Manager

Ben Ainslie to compete in the J P Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival 2012

Ben Ainslie, the triple Olympic gold and silver medallist and Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor,  has been selected by the British Olympic Association to represent GB in the Finn class, the class in which he won his two last gold Olympic medals in Athens and Beijing, at Weymouth and Portland for next year’s Olympics.

On the day he was selected Ben announced that his Olympic preparations would include competing in the J P Morgan Asset Management  Finn Gold Cup . In 2012  the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club will be hosting a two-week regatta in Falmouth, which will include the Finn British Open Championships (4 - 8 May) and the Finn Gold Cup (13 - 18 May). The Gold Cup will be a qualifying race for Olympic selection for a number of sailors and nations for the 2012 London Olympics. Close to 30 nations will be competing in the event in Falmouth.

Ben comments “The key events ahead of the Olympics will be the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Finn Gold Cup (2012 World Championships) next May in my home town of Falmouth. It’s the place I grew up in and learnt to sail so it’s going to be very special. Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta is at the start of June at the Olympic venue just eight weeks out from the Games itself.”

“The Finn Gold Cup has not been contested in this country for many years and will arguably be the most prominent and competitive regatta ever to be sailed in Falmouth Bay. We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome Ben and a host of sailors from all over the world to our wonderful sailing waters in Falmouth” adds Malcolm Bell, Head of VisitCornwall, at Cornwall Development Company.

Ben is an Honorary Life member of the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club and as a youngster learnt his sailing skills in the Fal estuary. His father Roddy was the catalyst for Ben’s love of sailing and his sailing career and is an active member of the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club.

Robin Taylor, event director for the RCYC Finn event, said, “I am absolutely delighted that Ben has been selected to represent Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics. Ben will be sailing in the J P Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival in May next year and will be using the " Gold Cup" event as one of his warm ups for the Olympics. It is very exciting to be able to welcome Ben back to his home waters and to be able to watch him race against many of his fellow Olympic competitors”.

Cornwall’s greatest fortress, Pendennis Castle celebrates Falmouth 350!

To honour the occasion, on ‘Charter Day’ there will be free entry for all TR10 and TR11 residents on proof of residence* to Pendennis Castle, Wednesday 5^th October. King Charles II awarded Falmouth its town charter in 1661 in recognition of the loyalty shown to his father, King Charles, by in 1646, refusing to surrender Pendennis Castle to the Parliamentarian army.

Pendennis Castle was the last Royalist stronghold in England. Between March and August 1646 around 800 soldiers and 200 women and children refused to hand over Pendennis Castle to Parliamentarian forces despite having scarce resources. They held out for five months until, finally, disease and desperation set in. When they finally surrendered, the Royalists marched out of the Castle with all the honours of war, flags flying and drums beating, a rare event in such a brutal conflict as the English Civil War. Come and see where it all happened.

Nikki White, Visitor Operations Manager at Pendennis Castle, said:  “ This is a wonderful opportunity to come and discover the castle that was so important in Falmouth’s fascinating history. Taking time to explore the buildings, grounds and tunnels, you can imagine how the occupants of 1646 must have felt!”

For the month of October (from the 3rd) Pendennis will also host a small display of copies of original documents from Cornwall Record Office relating to the civil war and the siege, designed to give a deeper insight into the events. Spend some time discovering not only the castle of the days of the Civil War but also its later developments, pausing for a stop in our tea room.

Listen to ‘The Source’ 96.1FM, broadcasting short programmes about the castle, Thursday 10.30am repeated Wednesday 3pm during September.

What:                          Pendennis Castle Charter Day

When:                         Wednesday 5^th October 2011, 10am - 4 pm

Where:                        Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4LP

Prices:                         Adult: £6.30/ Concession: £5.70/ Child: £3.80/ Family: £16.40

English Heritage Members: Free

Free entry to TR10 and TR11 residents on proof of residence* (driving licence, council tax or utility bill required, not mobile phone bill).

 

Fund101

Fund101 is a new initiative for UK-based entrepreneurs looking to turn an idea into a new business and for existing small companies wishing to purchase equipment to help take their enterprise to the next level.

Administered by Enterprise Nation, the programme is designed to assist those who are looking for relatively small amounts of capital support. The initial funding pool is £50,000 and this will be topped up each month with an additional £5,000 provided by Intuit and PayPal. Individual grants ranging from £50 to £500 can be requested. The grants can be used to fund miscellaneous capital costs associated with starting up a new venture and for existing small businesses to purchase equipment, promotional flyers, hardware etc, in order to boost their operations. UK-based start-ups looking to commence trading and those who are already in business and need funding to further their enterprise may be eligible for assistance through Fund101.

To apply, entrants must complete an online application, explaining how much money they require and for what purpose. They must then raise an equivalent number of votes to the grant they are seeking – if they need £100, they must engage 100 people to vote for them online. When the target is met, the funds will be deposited into the successful candidates' PayPal accounts. Grant recipients must agree to be profiled on the Fund101 webpage to explain how the grant has benefited their business. The application process is now open and bids may be submitted at any time. http://enterprisenation.com

Source FM Celebrates Falmouth's 350th Anniversary

Every Thursday and Wednesday, in the run up to the 350th anniversary of the Royal Charter, Source FM is presenting a series of half hour documentaries. Chloe Philips presents 'Civil War to Charter', which explains the history behind this momentous event.

Although the granting of the charter took place in 1661, the roots of this charter lie in events that happened 15 years earlier, when Cornwall was wracked with civil war and Pendennis Castle was under siege from the parliamentary army. In this series, Chloe, with help from other historians, explores the history of the civil war in Cornwall, focusing in on the siege of Pendennis Castle, examining how these events led to the grant of the charter, which will be commemorated all the 14 Falmouths across the world on October 5th this year.

The programmes air every Thursday throughout September at 10.30am and they are repeated on a Wednesday at 3.00pm.

So that's the hit list of new shows at Source FM. All these hidden gems, and of course the regular AllStars of the Source FM schedule, supporting you through your day.

All you have to do is listen...!

Launch your attack on litter!

Join in with Clean Cornwall Week – 17^th to 25^th September 2011

Do you get annoyed by the endless stream of litter hidden in your hedgerows?

Why not encourage some of the residents within your community to ‘do their bit’ and clean up your countryside!

It is so easy……. Simply choose your event date, and contact Stef Tiplady on info@cleancornwall.org or 07530 262428 who will be able to help provide equipment, training, posters, etc and answer any queries you may have about organising a group litter pick.

They are great fun, and a great excuse to get together and learn more about your local area.

Thank you for your continued support.

Stef

Stephanie Tiplady

On behalf of Clean Cornwall

PA/Project Officer

Waste & Environment Service

Cornwall Council, Windwhistle House

Cooksland Road, Bodmin

Tel:07530 262428

stephanie.tiplady@cornwall.gov.uk or info@cleancornwall.org

FALMOUTH FRAMEWORKS

FALMOUTH FRAMEWORKS

17 September – 19 November 2011

THIS autumn Falmouth Art Gallery invites you to view masterpieces, favourites and hidden gems from the town’s collection from a completely new perspective.  The major new Falmouth Frameworks exhibition celebrates the importance of the frame to the work of art it surrounds.  It is the culmination of the gallery’s groundbreaking three-year Falmouth Frameworks project.

There are few museum objects that are more neglected than historical and artist-designed frames.  Despite being an integral part of the work, frames are rarely conserved, catalogued or illustrated.  As a result of the Falmouth Frameworks project Falmouth Art Gallery is the first public gallery in the country to research, restore, catalogue, publish and exhibit both picture and frame as an aesthetic union.

“The exhibition will use an exciting selection of historical and contemporary works from the town’s collection to examine the artist’s relationship with the frame, from the early eighteenth century through to the present day” says Director, Louise Connell.  Featured are works by major British and international artists including Sven Berlin, Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Thomas Gainsborough, Kurt Jackson, Dame Laura Knight, Arthur Melville, Ben Nicholson, John Singer Sargent and John William Waterhouse. 

A new book entitled Falmouth Frameworks by Brian Stewart, Paul Mitchell and Lynn Roberts has been published by Sansom & Company.  It is on sale at the gallery shop priced £25.

Falmouth Art Gallery has also planned an exciting programme of FREE workshops and events to accompany the exhibition.  Activities include frottage, decoupage, collage and monoprinting to name a few.  For this exhibition we’re also ‘getting in the frame’ so you get two workshops in on as we’ll be working on creating masterpieces and then framing them too!  Family workshops take place every Saturday, just drop in from 2 – 3 pm. 

Falmouth Frameworks is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Heritage Lottery Fund.  It can be seen at Falmouth Art Gallery from the 17 September – 19 November 2011.  Falmouth Art Gallery is open Monday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm.  Admission is FREE.  For more information about the exhibition or the accompanying workshops please contact Donna Williams on 01326 313 863 or email info@falmouthartgallery.com

ANTARCTIC ADVENTURES AT THE MARITIME MUSEUM

ONE of the most remarkable locations on the planet will be brought to life at the Maritime Museum on Monday September 5.  

In 2007 Cornish based skipper and tall ship sailor Debbie Purser spent 52 days on board the tall ship Europa exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and re-tracing Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 800 mile voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia.

Join Debbie as she brings her incredible story to life in a Lunchtime Lecture at the Maritime Museum in Falmouth. This engaging lecture will see Debbie recount her first-hand experiences of sailing the Southern Ocean, a journey which she captured in a series of stunning photographs, taken with experienced wildlife filmmaker Roland Gockel.

Debbie says: “This was a bit of a busman's holiday for me as I run charter voyages in Cornwall.  Sailing a square rigger amongst the icebergs downwind in the Southern Ocean was definitely more hard core than the day job.  Photos of Falmouth Quay Punt Curlew cruising under the mountains of South Georgia were the temptation to go. Discovering I could sail there by tall ship was the snowy icing on the cake.”

The talk, entitled Square Rig Sailing in the Southern Ocean, is part of a programme combining a lecture and lunch, which explores different historical and nautical themes. The lecture and set lunch is from 12.30pm at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, on Monday September 5 and costs £14.50. To book your place please call 01326 214546.

Next tall ship to visit Falmouth

The Dutch brig Mercedes will be setting sail on day trips in the bay around Falmouth on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

The ship, one of the youngest in the international tall ship fleet, was launched in 2005 making her the youngest tall ship afloat.

Unlike most ships in her class, Mercedes was built specifically with the needs of the corporate entertainment market in mind and has a very comfortable interior.

The Dutch ship, rigged as a brig, has two masts, each carrying five square sails and sailors are offered the chance to set the sails themselves, if they choose to.

Members of the public do not need any experience of sailing or any special equipment or clothing to take part in the sails. Sailings are at 11am to 3pm or 5pm to 9pm and include a meal aboard.

For more information, or to book online, please visit http://www.tallshipsfalmouth.co.uk/.

New seating for Falmouth

In its quest to highlight Falmouth’s unique qualities, the Falmouth BID has appointed local design firm Mor to collaborate with Falmouth School and develop what will be the third Falmouth BID initiated and funded public seat for Falmouth.

The project responds directly to feedback from holiday visitors and local people who identify that the main thoroughfare areas of Falmouth would benefit from having more places to sit on. The Falmouth BID acted upon this by commissioning locally designed and crafted benches, that also celebrate Falmouth’s fascinating artistic history.

To read all about the project click here

World War Z

HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER TO BE FILMED IN FALMOUTH NEXT MONTH

Open casting for zombie thriller ‘World War Z’ being held at Truro School this weekend.

One of the biggest film studios in the world is set to use Falmouth, Cornwall, as a key location for a multi-million pound zombie thriller being filmed this summer. The Paramount Pictures production World War Z will be partially shot onboard a ship from August 2nd to August 12th. In advance of the filming Paramount has issued an urgent call for extras, with casting taking place this Saturday (July 16th) and Sunday (July 17th) from 10am until 5pm in the gymnasium at Truro School.

For the Falmouth-based scenes around five hundred extras are needed. The casting sessions are free to attend and are open to those aged 16 and over. A casting for children is set to be held at a later date. The roles will be paid for and those involved may be asked to have their hair cut short. The casting unit is particularly interested in those from the forces, fire brigade and RNLI and a number of film crew support staff may also be required. Anyone wishing to take part can also upload their details to www.maddogcasting.com.

Falmouth’s Town Manager Richard Gates has been in ongoing discussions with Paramount Pictures’ Location and Casting crews and is co-ordinating the necessary logistical and support requirements within the town. Some of the filming will take place during Henri Lloyd Falmouth Week (6th- 14th August) so extra preparatory measures for the event are being made with signage and road diversion information rolling out shortly.

Richard says, “This is a major coup for Falmouth and we’re pulling out all the stops to prepare for the influx of over 600 crew and cast. We’ve been working closely behind the scenes with Paramount Pictures and are working hard with regards to the necessary planning and permissions. With Henri Lloyd Falmouth Week taking place at the same time, there is going to be an almighty buzz around the town.”

Jeff Taylor, Casting Agent for Paramount Pictures, says “We are very excited to be coming to Falmouth as it’s a fantastic place with some unique assets that we can make the most of for the film. I’m incredibly grateful to Falmouth for helping us make it all happen and would encourage as many people as possible to come along to the casting session in Truro this weekend.”

Richard Wilcox, Falmouth Business Improvement District (BID) Manager adds: “This is such huge news for Falmouth and is set to boost the town’s profile and economy. It’s not every day that a big Hollywood movie rolls into town, with so many exciting temporary jobs, so we’re delighted to have been selected as a location and this situation illustrates the potential for similar future endeavours. I’m sure plenty of local people will be keen to get involved.”

Regular online exclusive updates will be given via:
Facebook - ‘Falmouth – spirit of the sea’ – official Falmouth Facebook pageTwitter - @FalmouthBID – official Falmouth BID Twitter page

Port of Falmouth Masterplan final documents on view

Further to the Port of Falmouth Consultation exercise, the Port of Falmouth Masterplan study has now been completed and the final Masterplan, Economic Impact Assessment and Statement of Community Involvement documents are available to be viewed.

All reports can be found by following this link

Copies of the reports can also be viewed at Falmouth Library from the 7th July...

An evening with Rick Stein

Join Rick for an evening of food and wine at the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (also known as The Poly), where Rick will be hosting a one- off demonstration evening, from which all proceeds will be donated to The Poly.

“When I was shown around the Polytechnic I was amazed at how beautiful it is -so full of history, such high ceilings and elegant windows, but a bit frayed around the edges. I'm very happy to help raise funds to restore it.” Rick Stein.

Tuesday 9th August 2011

The evening will begin at 6pm (Poly doors open at 5.30pm) where you will be greeted with a glass of wine, then sit back, relax and enjoy an evening devoted to recipes from his upcoming TV series and book, Rick Stein's Spain, with video clips and anecdotes from the series. Rick will also be signing books for guests after the event. All proceeds from the evening will be donated to The Poly.

Tickets are £30 for RCPS members and £35 for non-members.

To purchase your ticket please call the Poly on 01326 319461, buy online at www.thepoly.org or call into the Poly Building between 10.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Saturday at 24 Church Street, Falmouth

Falmouth BID Save the High St 5 Point Plan

SAVE THE HIGH STREET 5 POINT PLAN

1. Easy, free or low cost, flexible parking
We need:

• Local control/ ownership of our car parks so that easy, low cost, accessible parking can be provided
• A supportive and imaginative Planning and Transport function to help make access to car parks easy and integrated into a progressive town plan.

Currently, our car parking is in the wrong place with poor access, badly signposted with punitive and inflexible charges. The car parks are generally owned by the unitary authority (Cornwall Council) who primarily regard them as an income stream. They are managed with no imagination and little consideration of supply and demand. The charges/parking arrangements do not seem to take account of the wider economic impact that car parking plays in town regeneration.

Compare the easy, available, free parking with convenient access provided by supermarkets and out of town retailers VERSUS the challenge of visitors finding their way through prohibitive and unfriendly signage, congested and constrained roads through to very expensive car parks where the fright of Clamp Notices for going over time send shoppers scurrying back to their vehicles whether they have finished their shopping or not!

2. Co-ordinated, imaginative and well-integrated local public transport which meet customer needs
Public transport provision needs to be convenient, reliable and integrated to tempt customers away from their cars. I can’t remember ever being asked to participate in or comment on any local public transport service provision. We need to encourage the provision of alternative, customer oriented, green transport developed by the private sector and supported by imaginative councils. Private sector ferries have grown very successfully in Falmouth using the waterways but there is plenty of room for other imaginative schemes such as pedal power, electric shuttle buses and the like.

The problem is that much of the innovation will not stem from tired, moribund councils battling with cuts and reductions. Instead of subsidies for large empty buses running the same routes at inconvenient times through rural areas to tick "inclusion" boxes, why not pave the way for smaller private sector operators running more micro level and customer focused schemes?

3. Well-funded and professional town management which can form proper retail strategies and plans

Big retail centres, malls or retail parks are developed and managed by professional, private sector retail managers and developers who focus firmly upon gaining the right retail mix of tenants to meet the needs of the customers they are targeting. They also focus on the total retail experience from arrival, parking, lighting, ambience, cleanliness, toilets, entertainment and information etc.

How can the High Street compete? It starts off with a great theoretical advantage – location, location and location – but then potentially throws it all away with a complete laissez faire, ad hoc approach with no tenancy strategy and the management of the shopper experience delegated to an assortment of non-integrated public sector departments and agencies.
High Streets need managing like the total business of a shopping centre with real business plans focused upon building footfall, improving the public realm and enhancing shopper experience.

4. More business rates need to be kept local with businesses involved in how the business rates are spent.

Our business rates (or taxes) grow incessantly and disappear off to central government where the customers (the businesses paying those rates) have no involvement or say. If we work hard and grow our businesses, we are dramatically penalised by huge increases in rates. There needs to be a proper connection to business rates and the services we receive with proper local accountability.

5. Cut VAT in half to 10% on retail/restaurants/hotels/tourism businesses

Tourism and its economic multiplier effect is Falmouth’s biggest industry. If the Government is serious about driving economic growth through tourism – which is critical in the West Country, the UK’s leading visitor destination – then action to cut VAT on tourism is vital. The tourism industry acts as a major economic driver and this is crucial in Falmouth, providing income for shopkeepers and farmers alike.

Britain needs to be competitive. Consider that the French have cut VAT down to 5%, the Germans have recently cut it down from 19% to 7%, Spain was already at 8%. The beauty of cutting VAT here is that you will see a return on your investment through more jobs and more economic activity being created which will reduce work related benefits and deliver more tax income to the treasury from the expanding businesses – from farmers to shop fitters – as a result.

How to get involved!

1. Back the campaign!
2. Contact your local newspaper who will continue to tell the story
3. Write to your local MP, let them know your thoughts and ideas for revitalising the High St
4. Write to your local or Cornwall Councillor, again with your ideas and opinions as to what policy changes are needed
5. Get onto the Facebook page Falmouth – Spirit of the Sea and leave a comment on the Discussions page