Weekly round-up: Stories you may have missed

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News image — A wildlife trust has welcomed the birth of lemurs

Shaldon Wildlife Trust four black and light brown lemurs poking their heads out from a wooden enclosure. — A wildlife trust has welcomed the birth of lemurs

A wildlife trust has celebrated the birth of a rare animal, a grandad has set off on 5,000-mile (about 8,000km) coastal cycle, and a couple have spoken about what it is like to share their home with 17 other people.

Here are some stories from Devon and Cornwall that you may have missed during the past week.

Wall of Death rider still chasing thrill after 50 years

Ken Fox A motorbike rider circles the steep wooden wall of a “wall of death” arena, riding sideways while gripping the handlebars. Spectators lean over the top edge watching as the rider performs close to them under a red-and-yellow striped tent. — Ken Fox riding the Wall of Death

For Ken Fox, the Wall of Death is not just a crowd-puller, it is a way of life passed down through generations.

"I've been at it 50 years now," he said. "But before me, my parents were doing it and my grandparents. So we go back to 1931."

Based in Ely, in Cambridgeshire, Fox is still riding the vertical wooden wall at shows across the country, including the Royal Cornwall Show, which started at Wadebridge on Thursday, where his team has been a fixture for 27 years.

Trust celebrates birth of rare lemur quadruplets

Shaldon Wildlife Trust A black and light brown lemur with its tongue sticking out. It is sat on a grey table and has a wooden background behind it. — A wildlife trust is celebrating the birth of a rare species of Lemur

A wildlife trust is is celebrating the rare birth of red-ruffed lemur quadruplets.

Shaldon Wildlife Trust in Devon said the lemurs were "just so, so cute but so, so special at the same time."

The trust said red ruffed lemurs were only found in a small area of the northeast of Madagascar and were "critically endangered". It said the birth of quadruplets was incredibly rare, occurring in fewer than 6% of births worldwide.

Show draws thousands despite rain on opening day

A brightly coloured vintage carousel decorated with lights and painted horses is set up on grass at a fairground, with “Hayward Brothers” written across the top. Union Jack flags fly above the ride, and a large striped tent stands in the background, adding to the traditional fair atmosphere. — Traditional fairground rides were all part of the Royal Cornwall Show

Thousands of people defied the wet weather for day one of the Royal Cornwall Show.

The event is huge for Cornwall's food, farming and business community and also an important event for local charities to attract volunteers and donations.

The show, which ran from Thursday to Saturday at the Royal Cornwall Showground near Wadebridge, was expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors for a celebration of farming, food and rural life.

Grandad, 76, sets off on 5,000-mile coastal cycle

Norman Brown A man wearing a cycling jersey stands in the open doorway of a train at a station platform, with the train visible beside them. — Norman Brown, 76, is aiming to cycle around the coast of Great Britain in two months

A 76-year-old man has set off on a 5,000-mile (8,000km) bike ride around the coast of Great Britain to raise money for charity and inspire others to "stay fit and healthy".

Norman Brown, a grandad-of-four from Coventry, is bike-packing for the next two months, to raise money for charities Prostate Cancer UK and The Myton Hospices.

He aims to complete the coastal route, heading to Land's End before travelling up the west coast and finishing back at his starting point in Exmouth, in August.

Steam railway marks 40 years of operations

A cream/maroon heritage passenger train stands at a station platform with the name “THE CORNISHMAN” displayed along the side. Several passengers lean out of the carriage windows looking toward the platform, while others stand nearby. Trees and station structures are visible along the platform in the background. — Bodmin Railway marked four decades of steam train operations

Railway enthusiasts marked 40 years of operating steam trains with a special celebration in Cornwall.

Bodmin Railway marked four decades since the first authorised train movements of the preservation era took place at its General Station in 1986.

The railway still operates on more than 6.5 miles (10.4km) of heritage track.

Celebrations included live music, heritage vehicles and a "timeless spectacle" of working steam - and Cornish pasties and cream teas.

'We moved in with 17 strangers so we wouldn't be lonely' - why co-housing is on the rise

A group of 16 men, women and children stand in front of a large white house. All are smiling and one man looks happily down at a dog. In the centre of John and Nikki who are founder members. — John and Nikki among 14 of of the other residents who have made Berry Park in Devon their home

A household of 19 people living together in Devon has shared the reasons behind the co-housing arrangement, which includes people aged four to more than 70.

When Nikki Little and John Porter retired, they considered buying a bungalow for just the two of them.

Instead, they invested in a £1m house tucked away on Devon's rugged and remote Hartland Peninsula - and looked for a community of like-minded people to join them.

Co-housing is gaining popularity in the UK, says the UK Cohousing Network - in a post-pandemic world where loneliness, the housing crisis and costly care are forcing a drive for new solutions.

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