• Local Preston youngster, 19 year old George Bell, is a merchant seaman cadet in training, which involves a mixture of University courses at Warsash Academy near Southampton and time spent at sea. He is presently two weeks into an eight week period on a ship working out of Aberdeen, servicing oil rigs in the North Sea. On finding an exercise bike on the ship’s bridge he decided to raise some money for a charity close to his heart, Breast Cancer Care. Calculating that it is about 1000km from Aberdeen to his home at Preston, he is inviting sponsorship to cycle that distance in his spare time on the boat. The picture shows him hard at work, with the North Sea visible through the bridge window! So far he has covered over 200km, a distance equivalent to leaving Aberdeen and travelling through Dundee, Perth and Stirling. He is now, virtually, on his way to Glasgow! If you would like to help speed his progress ‘home’ and help a very good cause with a donation, go to https://www.justgiving.com/George-Bell/ or text GCFB 93, with an amount, to 70070.

• A little while ago I set off with a package to post at Joys at Overcombe Corner only to find the shop shut. I am now delighted to be able to tell you – you probably knew anyway, such is the popularity of Christine and John’s emporium – that they are open again following a complete revamp. The range of products on sale is much extended, and the Post Office is open at the same time as the shop up until 7pm, with the benefit that Richard is no longer encased in glass behind the PO counter!

• As part of ‘Artwey’ there will be two art exhibitions by local artists held in the Meeting Room and the Engine Room of the Waterworks Museum at Sutton Poyntz between Saturday 25 May and Sunday 9 June. The former of these is by the Sutton Poyntz Group comprising Elizabeth Morris, with a collection of colourful Monotypes, expressive lino cuts and even iPad art, Caroline Nairn with paintings and prints of the West Country, Tony Heathershaw with contemporary and traditional water colours, many with a sea based theme and Sara Knight with watercolour, oil and mixed media depicting the natural environment. The latter exhibition is by Roy Winstanley, who will be showing an eclectic mix of landscapes and still lifes in acrylic and watercolours.