On 29 March, Clive Mumford reported in the Cornishman the local Council?s new plans. Council?s Plans ? Strand: One-way, west to east. ? Most of Hugh Street no-parking. ? Most of Strand no-parking. ? End of Church Street, no-parking. A sub-committee has been working on these plans. The main aim was to allow better access ? pied. They have to announce the plans to the full council and local public before any Road Traffic Order is passed.

According to reports by local firemen, the evening of the 11 March was not entirely uneventful. Possibly due to a wedding arranged for earier that day, a man was found on Shipman?s Head next to Bryher. Air Rescue and Lifeboat were called to aid the person off the rocks back to dry land. It is presumed they went to St Mary?s Hospital for a check-up.

The launching ceremony was a marvel. Hick?s boats sold tickets around Hugh Town in the morning, then everyone set off to the free drink, uh, launch. The day started with a pre-launch ceremony. It followed by the launch of the Galatea, St Martin?s new racing gig. The gig itself had been in the water a couple of times to test sea-worthiness, and the crew?s abilities whilst sober. Following the launch, a four-hour celebration in the Seven Stones provided the entertainment whilst the gig was abandoned in it?s new shed. Those living on other islands left on the Kingfisher, singing wildly. The gig was funded by lottery money. Previously, the Reading Room on Tresco has also been funded by the lottery, though that was much more contrivercial. The gig will be taking part in the Wednesday and Friday night races which start later in March. The St Martin?s ?A? Crew will be looking forward to showing her off in the World Championships and Punchbowl Trophy on Mayday Bank Holiday Weekend (Fri 4 to Mon 7, May). The launch was on Spotlight, filmed by Mark Roaves, on Monday 11th at 6:30 pm on BBC ONE. It was also on Radio Cornwall throughout the day of the launch.

The recent outbreak of FMD (foot and mouth disease) in mainland cattle has been closely linked to Cornwall, with two cases confirmed. 235 cases now exist in the UK, one in NI and one in France. In the late 60s, passengers on the Scillonian had to step on to a pad of disinfectant, which would kill the disease bacteria should it be on a person?s shoe. The disinfectant pads have been laid down at the local airport, to prevent the disease bacteria enetering the islands. The same precautions failed in Cornwall. It is hoped, however, that the spread of the disease will be impeaded because there is less chance of it spreading by air and car-travel, unlike in mainland England. The MAFF (Minsitry of Argiculture, Fisheries and Food) suspended the movement of livestock, but now movement of animals is being allowed under controlled conditions. Locals are keen to stress that Scilly is not effected, and that visitors to the islands can do everything they would want to in any countryside. The only restriiction is that it is advised to keep your dogs on leads.

The evening of the 28th of February saw substantial snow for the first time in the Islands since Valentines Day, 1993. It snowed from 10:30 pm until midnight, the shower was so heavy some thought it was rain. The unusually low ground temperatures meant that Islanders woke to a glaze of snow at dawn. The Islands rarely have a covering of snow because of their proximity to the ocean and warm air coming off the Gulf Stream means that the ground temperature is usually above the limit for snow to stick. Much of the rest of the country saw a huge amount of snowfall over this time as the low-pressure system swept across the country. The snow was only about 5cm deep and soon began to melt as the sun rose above the Islands but for a short while, especially the youngsters, were treated to a rare and special occurrence in Scilly. The Isles of Scilly Secondary School?s physical education lessons had changed from football to snowball fights. This continued into break, whereafter the snow had melted away.

A bird called a ?Chough? that is best known as the image on the Duchy of Cornwall flag was seen recently on St. Agnes. The bird is an ancient symbol of Cornwall and has been extinct from Cornish shores for some time now. The ?Chough? was described by local birdwatcher Doug Page as “a medium size bird of the crow family with red legs and a red downward curving beak.” The bird now thrives in eastern Asia and the Pyrenees and a number also inhabit Eire, the most probable home of this particular bird. It has been guessed that the ?Chough? was blown off course by the recent North Westerly winds and has ended up in Scilly. The sighting was recorded by post master Doug Page and Nigel Wheatly who is also a keen birdwatcher while they were out looking for birds between Troy Town maze and Santa Warna. Doug said, “It was sitting on the turf just above the rocky shore, that?s quite the normal terrain for this type of bird.” The last time that a ?Chough? was reported in the Isles of Scilly was exactly one hundred years ago in 1901, on the island of Tresco when one was apparently shot down. That at least explains why it?s waited all this time before it came back then!