SALES MANAGER'S NEWS

SHOP

We are having a fantastic season so far in the shop, with sales up by around £3,000 in the first three months of the year. May it please continue to rise for the rest of the financial year!

The hunt continues for a permanent site for our shop and visitor centre. Negotiations are currently under way on a prime Penzance site and I hope I will have further news by the next magazine. Watch this space …

EVENTS

Many thanks to all those who helped or visited us at the Royal Cornwall show this year. The weather was kinder than last year, though interspersed with the odd thundery shower. We finished up with a total income (sales and raffle) of £2,179; with total expenses of £648, that left us with a net income of £1,531.

The weather has been far less kind since the Royal Cornwall Show. The Penzance Maritime Festival (10th to 14th July) displayed the worst, with storm force winds and heavy rain; unfortunately this meant that we only just covered the cost of the stall. Falmouth Green Fair has been our most successful one-day event. Sales were good and interest in the Trust generally, and especially wildflower gardening, was high.

Finally, please don't forget the back page of this magazine - we have produced a 1999 postcard calendar. Bob Russell of Penwartha Press designed a wonderful cover, so thanks to him and to all the contributing photographers. The calendar contains stunning photographs as well as information about the Trust's activities; all for only £2.00 plus postage and packing. Please order some for friends and family! (See the back page for more details.)

WE WANT YOUR UNWANTED APPLES!

Fox Club is going to be celebrating Apple Day with a visit to Roskilly's Farm on the Lizard Peninsula on Sunday 25th October. As part of our celebrations we will be able to make apple juice on the presses there, for which we need as many different types of apple as we can get - about 30 pounds (or 14 kilos) per pressing! If you have any unwanted apples, or any you can offer to us at a small cost, please contact Tricia Hoskings at Trust HQ.

Part of Apple Day involves the discovery and identification of unusual and possibly unique varieties of apples that people have in their gardens. If you have an unidentified apple variety and would like to know more about it, we can take it, or a photograph of it, along to the event for you to find out more.

GERMAN TWINNING

A trip to Oldenburg and its surrounding area is planned for 2nd to 6th October this year. The trip will take in many of the area's historic town and city sites as well as the countryside, nature reserves and visitor centres, including the innovative Umwelt Pyramid (Environmental Pyramid!) at Bremervorde and an old converted military site - now a haven for wildlife and a centre for environmental education.

Central to the visit will of course be the official twinning ceremony between the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Naturschuzbund (NABU), which will take place at the headquarters of the organisation in Hanover, with dinner in the evening.

The cost of the trip can be finalised once we know how many people may be interested. If you would like to come along, please let Howard Curnow or Sally Hawkins know as soon as possible by telephoning Trust HQ or writing to us.

Sally Hawkins