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...!