cornish story - spring 2011

Cornish StoryA Living LandscapeKeeping Cornwall on the map

Rescorla ReunitedLinking the Cornish near and far

Falmouth’s Best Kept SecretThe hidden story of Gyllyngdune Gardens

What to do this SpringYour local events guide

Spring 2011

The Real Cornish Online Magazine

People · Places · Language · Food · Events

Wild Penwith · Back in the Day · Walking in Cornwall · Memoirs of Downalong

Editors’s note

Welcome to the Spring issue of Cornish Story online magazine, this season with a particular focus on the beautiful Cornish landscape.

So far spring has provided us with some beau-tiful weather to get out there and enjoy the best that Cornwall has to offer, and this issue of Cornish Story aims to help you enjoy the rest of the season.

If you are still deciding what to do this spring, flick through to the ‘what’s on?’ pages to get a glimpse of Cornwall’s best events and festivals this season. We have guides to some of the most beautiful walks along the Cornish coast-line as well as a sneak-peek at the enchanted gardens of Gyllyngdune. Kim Cooper shares with us the history and secrets of Cornish gar-dens and we catch up with the latest from the MAGA Cornish language partnership.

Cornish Story chef, Sanjay Kumar is back with a step by step guide of one of his favourite Spring recipes and we catch up with Lee Robart to see how her and her fiancé Danny’s move from London to St.Ives is going with the opening of Little Leaf Guest House.

We would also like to take this opportunity to introduce the new Cornish Story editorial team. Co-editor Kate Ruberry has been joined by co-editor Megan Westley and outreach of-ficer, Anna Tonkin. Together we strive to bring you, season by season, Cornwall’s past, pres-ent and future in one captivating magazine.

However you plan to enjoy the months ahead, we wish you the very best, and hope you enjoy this issue of Cornish Story.

Kate, Megan and Anna

ContributorsGarry Tregidga - Managing DirectorMegan Westley - Editorial Advisor Anna Tonkin - Outreach OfficerKate Ruberry - Issue Editor, Marketing and Sponsorship Officer Greg Musser - Design and Layout

WritersLiz Cox, Julian Munday, Kim Cooper, Emily Whelan, Lee Robart, Elizabeth Stewart, George Care, Jane Acton, Jess Shoemack, Sanjay Kumar, Isabella Garner, Tom Shoemack, Amy Dennis, Garry Tregidga.

With Thanks ToMAGAAll of our advertisers and interviewees

Notes:The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of Cornish Story.

Front cover Grape Hyacinths Photograph by Kate Ruberry

Contents

Wild Penwith, by Liz Cox

Falmouth’s Best Kept Secret, by Julian Munday

Discovering Cornwall’s Gardens, by Kim Cooper

Back in the Day, by Emily Whelan

From London to Cornwall, by Lee Robart

Maga Newsletter, by Maga Cornish Language Partnership

A Brief Memoir of Downalong some sixty years ago, by George Care

Nature Workshops, by Jane Acton

Cornish Landscape, Jess Shoemack

Discovering Food with Sanjay Kumar, interview by Kate Ruberry

What to do this Spring

Stringer’s Gym, by Isabella Garner

Fruit and Flowers in the Tamar valley, by Megan Westley

Walking in Cornwall, by Tom Shoemack

Limekiln Gallery Launch, by Amy Dennis

Rescorla Reunited, by Anna Tonkin

Supporting Cornish Story by Garry Tregidga

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The enchanted garden has successfully pervaded our subconscious to become an institution in the dream world. A place of exotic, otherworldly plants, enticing paths and mysterious monuments from a bygone age, a place hidden, forgotten and waiting to be discovered — a place in Falmouth.

Gyllyngdune Gardens doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but the flamboyant name is befitting of such an enchanting spot. Nestled between Melvill Road and Cliff Road, there’s a lot more to Gyllyngdune than first meets the eye. Currently undergoing the luxury of a £2.3million restoration project, funded in part by the Heritage Lottery, Gyllyngdune Gardens is about to reveal its secrets.

Covering approximately four acres of land, the gardens were once part of a huge, 16 acre estate first owned by General William Jessor Coope in ap-proximately 1837. He resided in Gyllyngdune House, which was built using stone quarried in the grounds. Befitting of a seaside villa of this period, it was sur-rounded by a sprawling Regency-style landscape of lawns, shrubberies and winding paths, with a walled garden and stables. When the General was tragi-cally killed in a stagecoach accident, the estate was passed to his son, Rev. W J Coope.

A wealthy, energetic and resourceful man, Coope created many of the unique features that still stand today. These include a Stonehenge-type monolithic

Falmouth’s best kept secretThe enchanted gardens of GyllyngduneBY JULIAN MUNDAY

Cornish Story Magazine 76 Cornish Story Magazine

Gwenton Spring 2011Gwenton Spring 2011

I work for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the only organi-sation concerned solely with protecting the wildlife and habitats of Cornwall. Cornwall Wildlife Trust runs many projects, but I want to tell you about one in particular, called Wild Penwith. Wild Pen-with is part of something called ‘Living Landscapes’, an approach to conservation that aims to go a step further than just concentrating on nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), by working to ensure these and other valuable areas of wildlife habitat are well managed but also well connected through the countryside. Linking exist-ing habitats is key to allowing wildlife to move around the countryside, giving it a better chance to adapt to changes, such as development pressures or climate change. Without such links, habitats be-come fragmented and populations isolated, making wildlife more vulnerable. People as well as wildlife stand to benefit from ‘Living Landscapes’ which perform other functions, such as water and carbon storage, making our countryside more robust and resilient, and better able to withstand storms or flooding.

Wild Penwith is funded by the Tubney Charitable Trust, Defra Countdown 2010 and South West Water; it is a five year project, now in its second year, working across the West Penwith landscape. And what a landscape to work in! From the stun-ning purple and yellow heathlands, through the sheltered wetlands and wooded stream corridors to the exposed costal habitats, West Penwith really is a unique place, much loved by locals and visi-tors alike. It is also incredibly important historically, containing one of the richest concentrations of historical remains in Europe, with many of the field boundaries still in use today originating as far back as the Bronze Age!

The Wild Penwith project works with farmers, landowners and conservation partners including Natural England, the National Trust and RSPB, to encourage positive management and restoration of habitats in West Penwith. A big element of our work is surveying wildlife habitats and providing landowners with management advice and guid-ance. We also help landowners enrol into agri-environment schemes, government incentives that pay farmers to farm in an environmentally sensitive way. These schemes run for either five or ten years and help secure the long term future of valuable habitats. Cornwall Wildlife Trust can also offer a small grant scheme to help landowners with management operations to care for their wildlife habitats.

The Wild Penwith project area includes Drift Reservoir, and another of our aims is to encour-age healthy watercourses and good water quality. We are doing this through a water sampling pro-gram funded by the Environment Agency, and by working with the Farming Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) to provide farmers with free soil and nutri-ent tests, and advice on issues such as soil and water management.

BY LIZ COX, WILD PENWITH PROJECT MANAGER

Wild Penwitha living landscape

Wild Penwith is also running a series of events including walks, talks and practical days to highlight the importance of the wildlife and habitats in the area. To find out more about these, Wild Penwith or Cornwall Wildlife Trust, visit the website: www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildpenwith


arch, shell-decorated seats and a rather impressive, 30ft deep quarry garden — which once provided the ideal location to collect and display a quintessential Victorian fernery and natural curiosities from na-tive and foreign locations. Also located in the quarry garden is the beautiful shell grotto (or shell cave): another highly Victorian component of the gardens and a great example of shell ornamentation, as practiced by ladies of the time. Another distinctive feature is the miniature building known locally as the chapel, which overlooks the seafront on Cliff

Road. The chapel was probably used as a summer-house from where the family could walk through the custom tunnel straight onto a private beach; known today as, Tunnel Beach.

In 1863 Rev. W J Coope sold to Sampson Waters Esquire for a relatively large sum of £10,000. The contents of the estate were also auctioned, includ-ing a collection of 1,500 Green and Hothouse Plants. In 1900, philanthropist, tea merchant and MP for Falmouth and Penryn, Frederick John Horniman purchased the estate. But, as his museum in London expanded and required his presence, he later sold the Gyllyngdune estate to Carrick District Council to enable them to complete Cliff Road, cutting off the gardens from the seafront. Being a forward think-ing advocate of green and open spaces as an aid to wellbeing, it’s believed that before selling the estate Horniman insisted the council develop a public win-ter garden as a requirement of the sale. After selling off parts of the estate to property developers, the

council retained a winding section of the estate as a public amenity. And that is what remains today: two tantalising fragments of the complete landscape, one maintained and developed, the other hidden and neglected.

Since the Princess Pavilion complex was built, the more formal walled garden has enjoyed the luxury of regular upkeep and can be distinguished by fea-tures including a stunning veranda and listed cast-iron Edwardian bandstand, luscious flowerbeds and

a rose walk. However, the same cannot be said for the lower gardens, which have remained overgrown and relatively untouched for many years.

Neglected and forgotten maybe, but many of the original features still remain. And with the un-wanted foliage already cut back, specialist Heritage craftspeople, gardeners and conservators are set to breathe life into the lower gardens and open them up to the world once again. In fact the whole site from the Pavilion veranda and walled garden down to the lower gardens and the chapel is set for a brush of magic.

Visit the children’s play area inspired by Morgawr the sea dragon or take a seat and enjoy a cuppa around the Edwardian bandstand. Pathways through the upper gardens will be decorated with restored Victorian features such as recast decorative chim-neys, flower caskets and ceramic urns. Pass through re-established rose-archways and explore the far-

away plant specimens inside the reinstated working glasshouse. Absorb the refreshing sounds of a water feature fashioned to honour the old dipping pool or follow the winding path down to the awakened lower gardens.

Follow the path down deeper and enter into the walled ambience of the quarry garden. Hidden for so long it will be transformed by major replanting and access improvements. The entrance to the con-servator-restored shell grotto will be found at the back wall of the quarry … then there’s the monolith-ic arch or the Cliff Road tunnel to the sea or a whole garden of horticultural delights and exotic planting.

With a brand new café/bar and performance space currently being built and a whole range of exciting events planned to show off the gardens later in the year —including a tea festival and Pleasure Gardens theatre production hosted by Trifle Gathering Pro-ductions — there’ll be plenty of ways to come and enjoy a most enchanting place.

To follow the Gyllyngdune Garden restoration prog-ress online go to: www.gyllyngdunegardens.co.uk or download a summer events brochure to find out about our re-launch events starting in July 2011.

All images were provided by ‘The Falmouth History Archive at the Royal Polytechnic Society (RPS)’.

A wealthy, energetic and resourceful man, Coope created many of the unique features that still stand today. These include a Stonehenge-type monolithic arch, shell-decorat-ed seats and a rather impres-sive, 30ft deep quarry garden

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Discovering Cornwall’s Gardensat the Cornish Studies Library

As spring approaches and we see daffodils bloom-ing in the hedgerows, Cornish gardens come to life with colour and beauty. To discover more about parks and gardens, visit the Cornish Studies Library at the Cornwall Centre in Redruth.

The perfect starting point is The Parks and Gardens of Cornwall by Douglas Ellery Pett. Published in 2000 it is a comprehensive survey of the subject and covers some 440 sites . The survey is richly illustrated and the entry for each garden describes both the house and its occupants, as well as the design of the garden. There are also notes on the derivation and meaning of the Cornish name, de-tails on the size, elevation and aspect of the garden with the English Heritage Gradings of the garden and buildings.

Mr Ellery Pett often quotes from nineteenth centu-ry volumes to give a period description of gardens and these works are also available at the Library. One example is Historical and Topographical Survey

of the County of Cornwall by C.S. Gilbert published in 1820. Boconnoc near Lostwithiel is described.

‘The mansion is situated in a delightful lawn, of nearly one hundred acres, which is neatly varied by new plantations and straggling trees. The sur-rounding dells and ravines are watered by the River Lerran, over which the wooded hills rise in beauti-ful succession, and thicken into such stupendous shade, that every other object soon becomes lost in the impenetrable gloom. Amongst this variety of hill and dale the first Lord Camelford had a ride carried on, for at least six miles in circuit, which has given an easy access to every part of the grounds, and from which, the pleasing scenery of nature is viewed in all its different attitudes...’

Gilbert’s survey also includes a selection of intri-cate engravings showing many of Cornwall’s great houses and gardens at this time. The illustration of Boconnoc is a wonderful example.

Maps are a further source to check for details on houses and gardens and the detailed first edition of the Ordnance Survey of Cornwall, published circa 1880, is available to view at the Library. The plan for Boconnoc shows the layout of trees, pathways and features like glass houses and a bathing pond.

The Cornish Studies Library is open to everyone Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturdays 10am to 4pm, so if you would like to find out more about Cornwall’s gardens come and visit. More information about the Library and access to the online catalogue is available at www.cornwall.gov.uk/cornwallcentre.

Gardens are a theme running throughout libraries in Cornwall this spring. Secrets of the Garden ~ A Cornwall Libraries day for readers and writers is be-ing held on Tuesday 12th April at University College Falmouth, Tremough Campus, Penryn from 10am to 4pm. (Tickets £10). There will be the opportu-nity for conversation with authors and archivists on books with a strong sense of place and the environ-ment. Guest speakers include Sue Minter, recent horticultural director at Eden and author of The Well Connected Gardener and The Healing Garden.

BY KIM COOPER

View of Boconnoc from C.S. Gilbert’s Historical and Topographical Survey of the County of Cornwall, 1820, volume 2, page 910

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Gwenton Spring 2011

The day also includes the launch of the Cornwall Libraries Big Read for 2011 – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This 1911 bestseller has been chosen to commemorate the great public li-brary benefactor John Passmore Edwards who died 100 years ago.

For more information on the day and to borrow a copy of the Secret Garden, please contact your lo-cal library or Maureen Twose, [email protected] .

Back in the DayWe see surfing today - and it is huge!BY EMILY WHELAN

Back in the Day is a photographic project that wades through the glitz and glam of the consumer surfing market and takes the viewer on a journey, with the people that know it best; the pioneers of the British surf scene.

Capturing the essence of British surfing and the generation who tell it best. These photographs transport you to some of Cornwall’s most stun-ning coastal and local surf spots, and create a deep sense of time and place that indicate the many years these individuals have been living and surfing these locations. The photographs convey an ex-perience and capture not just the true essence of surfing but its history too.

Ordnance Survey, 1881, (Sheet number 43/1)

Top: Chris Jones, who began shaping surfboards boards in 1965Middle: The CribberBottom: Chris‘ surfboard rack


Clockwise, from top:Godrevy SSW, Crantock,Gwynned Haslock’s trophies with photos of Roger Mansfield, Gwynned and Martin at Towan Beach (Newquay)

Top: SSW Newquay harbourBottom: Gwynned Haslock, winner of the 1969 British Women’s Surfing Championship



and it was affecting the flats below, yet within two hours of arriving in St Ives we had not only met both neighbours but had been invited to reception drinks at a wedding, and offered a spare kettle.

If this isn’t the main reason we’re moving, it’s certainly up there, and I can now officially say that I know four people in the area. Having only been there for the weekend that’s not bad going. I would have to live in London for twenty years before I could name four neighbours, let alone call them my friends.

So... DIY aside, panics about the budget aside, concerns about bookings aside, I really cannot wait to open the doors to Little Leaf Guest House, and have to keep

reminding myself that no matter how tough the next two months are, we will be official Cornwall residents by early April 5 and we WILL be open on 5 April. No matter what!

On January 19 Danny and I stopped in the middle of the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames to look west towards Cornwall and to my complete surprise Danny dropped down on one knee and proposed. The city looked so beautiful that night, all lit up and romantic – it was the perfect time to say yes, and a fitting end to our life in London.

St Ives beckons and the following weekend we

headed down on the sleeper train from Paddington to pick up the keys to the recently named Little Leaf Guest House.

Arriving on Saturday morning we were overcome by the beautiful sunrise that greeted us although despite my best efforts I couldn’t convince Danny

that it was ‘definitely warmer down here’. With most places still shut, we amused ourselves run-ning around on the beach and watching the early risers take advantage of the quiet winter morning to walk their dogs.

With a shiny ring on the third finger of my left hand and the keys to our new place in my right we even-tually walked up Parc Avenue to our house. It never

ceases to amaze me how beau-tiful Cornwall is and how lucky we are to be able to call it our new home. However the beauti-ful view from the bay windows faded into insignificance as we contemplated how to turn on the heating, and the cute garden at the back, that had so captivated us on our first viewing, became irrelevant as we measured up the bedrooms for new carpet and beds.

Having concluded that it doesn’t really matter where you are when you’re doing DIY and

housework I was freezing cold and pretty grumpy when I opened the door to our neighbour who had dropped by to welcome us to the area.

Now, I lived in a block of ten flats for over six years in London and the only time I ever spoke to the neighbours was when one of them had had a leak

From London to CornwallWho wouldn’t want to move to Cornwall?BY LEE ROBART

A place of such outstanding beauty that you feel inspired as soon as you cross the border. That was how my boyfriend and I felt as we walked along the Coastal Path (St Agnes to St Ives) in June of last year. Little did we know that in a matter of months we would have sold both our one-bedroom flats in the East End of London, had an offer accepted on a guest house in St Ives, and would be busy planning how fabulous our full English breakfasts (with a Cornish twist) were going to be

Read more about the journey at www.littleleafguesthouse.co.uk

Now, I lived in a block of ten flats for over six years in Lon-don and the only time I ever spoke to the neighbours was when one of them had had a leak... ...within two hours of ar-riving in St Ives we had not only met both neighbours but had been invited to reception drinks at a wedding, and offered a spare kettle

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UNESCOCornish speakers were delighted to hear in Decem-ber that UNESCO had decided to review its classifi-cation of Cornish as an extinct language in its Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. When UNESCO announced in 2009 that Cornish was extinct it caused an uproar from the Cornish speaking community and many individuals and organisations put forward evidence to dispute the claim. In response to this UNESCO acknowledged that the term ‘extinct’ was not a true reflection of the status of the language and reviewed its entry in the Atlas, showing Cornish to be ‘critically endan-gered’ but ‘in the process of revitalisation’.

Cornish Classes for councillors and staff at Corn-wall Council A Cornish class for councillors and staff at Cornwall Council is now being run at Lys Kernow (County Hall) in Truro.

The class began in the new year and is being taught by Pol Hodge, one of MAGA’s two Education Of-ficers. The students include staff from a number of different departments within the Council, as well as councillors, and each lesson they are introduced to the basics of Cornish in a fun and informal way.

MAGA page on FacebookYou can now keep up to date with the latest news, events and information about the Cornish language through the MAGA Facebook page. Go to www.facebook.com, search for “MAGA – Keskowethyans an Taves Kernewek” and “like” the page in order to receive updates from it.

Follow ‘An Nowodhow’ on TwitterAs well as the MAGA Facebook page, you can now follow the BBC’s Cornish language news programme, ‘An Nowodhow’, on Twitter. You can tweet Rod Lyon, who records the weekly news programme, with questions and suggestions – but please tweet him in Cornish only!Tweet Rod @RodTLyon.

Radyo an Gernewegva training for budding radio journalists Throughout the spring, MAGA and Radyo an Gernewegva are working together to offer Cor-nish speakers the chance to learn how to conduct interviews, edit material and prepare programmes

for the online Cornish language radio programme, Radyo an Gernewegva.

The programme provides a much needed chance for Cornish speakers and learners to hear spoken

Cornish on a regular basis, but up until recently, most of the work for the programme has been undertaken by just one person. Matthew Clarke, who founded Radyo an Gernewegva in 2007, would like to widen the variety of voices heard on the programme, and encourage a more collective approach to help ensure the future of the pro-gramme.

To this end, a series of half day training sessions are being run from January to May to equip a team of volunteers with the skills necessary to produce

radio items for the programme. The first half-day session in January focussed on how to conduct interviews, the second on how to edit them, and the third how to put a programme together. Course participants will then have an opportunity to make a programme themselves before evaluating their experiences and deciding ways in which to work to-gether to produce material for Radyo an Gernewe-gva in the future.

Radyo an Gernewegva is a half hour weekly pro-gramme which is streamed at www.radyo.kernewe-gva.com. If you would like to find out more about the training, contact the MAGA office on 01872 323497 or e-mail [email protected].

Kan rag Kernow concertA competition took place on Friday 28 January at the Crossroads Travel Inn, Scorrier, to choose a song in Cornish to represent Cornwall at the Pan

Celtic Festival in Ireland this April.All entries to the Pan Celtic Song Contest must be sung in the celtic language of the country they rep-resent, and MAGA, the Cornish Language Partner-ship, offered help with writing lyrics in Cornish to people who were interested in entering a song to the competition.

Through November and December MAGA’s team of

translators worked with song writers from Calling-ton to Penzance to come up with lyrics in Cornish for their songs. The entries to the competition in-cluded a rock band from Redruth with a song about surfing and a group of girls from East Cornwall who sing close harmonies accompanied by fiddle and harp.

Four songs in four very different styles competed against one another, and the judges chose Skyll Glas, a group of young singers from the Liskeard area, to go on to the next stage and compete against other songs from Wales, Brittany, Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the International Pan Celtic Song Contest in Ireland.

As well as the competition entries the concert also featured live sets from Pentorr Duo, a young folk act from Torpoint, and Hanterhir, an alternative folk/rock band that performs a number of its songs in Cornish.

Featured organisation:NEWSLETTER FROM THE CORNISH LANGUAGE PARTNERSHIP


Gwenton Spring 2011

In the fifties, there were absolutely no flowers in hanging baskets or even in window boxes and the main smell downlong was of fish and tarred nets, On the other hand there were houses built upon greenstone masses where you might well find a profusion of sea pinks in clumps. Heading along Back Road West towards the Digey, there were many village shops, from general grocers like Georgie Wedge’s at the top of Bethesda Hill, where everything from sweets to biscuits were sold out of glass topped tin boxes and placed in small neat pa-per bags. There was another grocers, Roucefield’s which did a smart trade in St Eia street, where many folk in downlong had celebrated the Corona-tion, beneath festoons of flags in red , white and blue. The fare consisted of saffron buns and bottles of corona served on long trestle tables. There was also a wool shop, at the end of Island Road where women discussed knitting patterns for winter jer-seys or Fair Isle jumpers.

At the top of Fish Street the gentle and well spo-ken Mrs Laposta ran a busy and popular fruit and vegetable stores just opposite Couch’s works which at this time employed more than 50 workers mak-ing parts like buoyancy trimmers for amphibious vehicles for the British Army on the Rhine. Two destinations in Back Road West were particularly intriguing. The house where pilchards were mari-nated in fish spice, vinegar and bay leaves accessed from the top of a steep staircase. It cost just a few shillings and a suitably large dish for a dozen had to be left, a few days before. Even more interest-ing for youngsters on a Saturday morning visit was the Laity Museum. This was crammed with models of tea clippers and Chinese junks, scrimshaw, and

intricate furniture and dark sea chests inlaid with mother of pearl. Redolent in atmosphere of the clipper trade with the Far East, from jute to silk, spices and calico, there were contemplative jade Buddhas and several examples of fierce black Japa-nese armour. Information, histories of the sea and tales of the Orient were liberally supplied by the ancient mariner who was the proud curator at this period of time.

If you go down to the woods today instead of bears in Cornwall you may well come across children and young people learning to live in nature.

Nature workshops is a not for profit Cornish com-pany limited by guarantee set up to offer people of all ages a chance to re-connect with the natural world in woodlands and on the foreshore. People play games but also learn how to stay safe, make fires and cook over an open fire, use tools such as bill hooks, bow saws and knives to make anything from a gazoo to woodland furniture.

Having worked with over 150 children the response has been 100% satisfaction. Children and young people love it! And so do grown ups!

The people at nature workshops have recently published evidence which shows it is not just good fun but can actually improve health and learning in the people who take part. Research funded by DCSF in 2010 and supported by clinical psycholo-gists was conducted with children with behavioural and other learning issues. The research shows that according to teachers, parents and the children themselves self esteem and emotional well being is improved by attendance at nature workshops ses-sions. This in turn can have an impact on learning and self regulation in the long run.

Recent local research among teachers, college and university lecturers, GPs, mental and community health and environmental professionals has also confirmed the need for this type of work in Corn-wall. Lack of school space, large class sizes, health and safety regulations, sedentary lifestyles, paren-tal fear and loss of community woodlands are all cited for reasons why children and young people

A Brief Memoir of DownlongDownlong - The old fishing quarter in picturesque St. Ives, some sixty years ago...BY GEORGE CARE

Nature workshopsIf you go down to the woods today...BY JANE ACTON

Gwenton Spring 2011

Cornish Story Magazine 23

See www.natureworkshops.co.uk for more information, or contact 07974 742872

in particular are less likely to go and find natural spaces in Cornwall today.

Yet it is acknowledged locally and with research from across the world now how important natural space is for children’s physical and psychological well being. There has even been a new term coined and children are said to have ‘biophilia’ and an innate connection to nature which is systemati-cally eroded by traditional classrooms and busy lifestyles. Children have less and less time to simply play safely outside and we are in danger of having no one who cares about the environment in the future.

While some large public woodland owners actively encourage children and families to use their facili-ties, nature workshops seeks sites and venues as close as possible to the people wanting the service.

Thus private woodland owners might be offered a new use for traditionally low value land.

Currently running regular sessions for under fives with a local Children’s Centre, there are plans to establish a weekend session for people over five to run come rain or shine. The sessions can also be booked for birthday parties and other one off fam-ily occasions. So whether you are a child or a big kid get in touch with nature again through nature workshops. Home is where the heart is. I think Cornwall will

always feel like home to me. The subject of nature has been interpreted by many artists; it is some-thing that changes from day to day without our control. Natural surroundings are a big part of my work and I enjoy working with an aspect of the landscape. I have grown up in Cornwall and much of my work has been influenced by the beautiful scenery I have been surrounded by every day. I use the landscape as my inspiration, I include textiles as a material for art and I also do photography. A sense of place is essential throughout my work. My photographs hold meaning to me but all my images

are of views, places and things other people can also relate to seeing. People keep pictures of places they have visited and long to return to. Thoughts are connected to the imagery.

My photographs of the Cornish landscape remind me of why I love Cornwall. A camera catches life as we see it. A photograph can be shown and explained to others. I am going to show a selec-tion of landscape photographs that I have taken in Cornwall and explain why they continue to inspire my work.

Cornish landscapeA local photographer shares her workBY JESS SHOEMACK

22 Cornish Story Magazine

This photograph holds several memories. It was taken in Gweek woods, a place where I have walked and played hide and seek many a times. I love the scattered natural light in this shot. The woods are usually dark and deep, but on this day, the lighting brings each tree to life


This is another photograph that was taken in Gweek woods. I have created textile work from this piece. I was looking through the middle of a tree and have captured a V-Shape. I was amongst the whole landscape but I wanted to photograph only a part of it. The viewer can see a slight texture on the tree trunk as well as a section of the woods. There is a real sense of intrigue

Right: A pathway on the Lizard, this photograph show cases what beautiful surroundings Cornwall has to offer if out on a country walk

Above: This is a cliff edge on the Lizard Point. The image was taken on a summer’s day; I was drawn to the sharp green grass against the bright blue sea

Below: This photograph was taken at Poldu beach. The sun is setting over the sea as the gentle waves hit the shore line

Above: This photograph has a delicate contrast which is what I like about it. The top half shows the misty Cornish sky, whilst the bot-tom is a mixture of grey tone tree branches. I enjoy the process of creating an image in black and white

Below: A field of pink, is there any need to explain why I like this photograph? Sea pinks are often found on the cliffs in Cornwall but a whole field is a rarity, and I think this photograph is a subtle beauty


Gwenton Spring 2011

The great Cornish landscape in all its glory. This is picture perfect Cornwall; green grass, clear coast, blue sea. This is my inspiration, and wherever I go, it will stay with me

C.S Hi Sanjay, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you find yourself in Cornwall today.

S.K Well, I have been a Chef for 15 years and have travelled the world, enjoying food as I go. I am a British Chef of Indian origin, now cooking soul food in Cornwall. Cornwall offers to me a unique palette of fresh produce, artisan producers and discern-ing gourmands who appreciate the provenance of food, the perfect place to be cooking.

C.S What attracted you to Cornwall?

S.K. Cornwall is full of beautifully fresh produce, delicious fresh fish, home grow vegetables, fan-tastic farms and to top it off, it is an outstandingly beautiful area, all of which inspired me to make Cornwall my port of call.

C.S What made you want to be a chef?S.K. I feel hungry for ideas all the time. Being a

Chef feeds my imagination!

C.S What style of food do you enjoy cooking, what and who are your inspirations?

S.K. I cook seasonal, locally sourced produce. My style of cooking is Modern British. I believe in ‘mood food’, and strongly feel, ‘taste’ is a state of mind. I am the Chair of Slow Food in Cornwall, and promote ethical conscientious eating choices.

C.S What advice would you give to any young per-son wanted to get into the culinary field?

S.K Catering is a challenging and yet rewarding career. Food is a great skill to earn appreciation for and it will satisfy your own soul if you have the pas-sion for it. Live the dream!

C.S What would you do if you had a day off in Corn-wall?

S.K I often put my wellies on, and start discovering the umpteen beaten tracks in Cornwall. Be it coast-al paths, herbaceous gardens, the Cornish way or a simple stroll down the cobbled high streets, there is always something to discover in Cornwall.

Khichadi is a traditional dish which is usually made in North of India. Being brought up in the foothills of Hima-layas, many wet and rainy monsoon days were symbol-ised by a steaming hot dish made out of rice, lentils and

seasonal vegetables. Legend has it; this iconically simple dish was brought back to the British Isles by Scottish sol-diers, as a legacy of the Raj. History only can tell, as to how the dish then trickled down to Cornwall, (passed on through

Discovering FoodWith chef Sanjay KumarBY KATE RUBERRY

In the Winter 2010 issue of Cornish Story Magazine, we teamed up with Cornwall-based chef, Sanjay Kumar to bring you some delightful dishes, but some fantastic Christmas cooking preparation tips too. Now, with Spring in the air, we thought it was about time we found out a little bit more about Sanjay

SPRING KEDEGREE BY SANJAY KUMAR

My photographs of the Cornish landscape remind me of why I love Cornwall. A camera catches life as we see it. A photograph can be shown and explained to others.

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Gwenton Spring 2011

galley kitchens of Scottish Scallopers)! In my version of Kedgeree, many lesser known fish play an important role to make the body of the dish. Being innovative is half the fun; you can add interesting vegetables like asparagus and Cornish earlies to make the dish even more varied. Do try this at home! (Serves two hungry tummies)

Ingredients

250g Newlyn bay gurnard or fresh rainbow trout, smoked mackerel and haddock fillets1 tsp ghee or clarified Cornish butter1red onion, chopped roughly100g basmati rice/risotto rice50 g red lentils1-2 tsp medium curry powder (to taste)100 ml milk75g fresh or frozen peas2 boiled Rogers duck eggs, chopped4 spring onions, choppedSmall handful of fresh coriander leaves,Seasoning Lemon wedges, kachumber salad and a few stray sprats to garnish.

How to make Kedgeree:

1. Place fish in a large pan and just cover with milk. Sim-mer very gently for three minutes. Remove fish from the pan and set aside to cool. Reserve the cooking liquor.

2. In a sauce pan, fry the onion gently in the ghee/clari-fied butter until soft. Stir in the peas, rice/risotto, lentils and curry powder (You can use saffron if you want to!)

3. Add 150ml of the fish cooking liquor to the rice and onion. Bring to the boil, cover and continue cooking until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. You may need to add a little more of the reserved liquid to ensure there is enough for the rice to cook in.

4. Meanwhile flake the fish and remove any bones. Add the fish to the rice and stir through gently. You may need to add a little more water to prevent scorching. 5. Season carefully before serving topped with the boiled eggs, a generous helping of lemon wedge, tomato kachumber salad and a few fried sprats.

APRIL

Help clean the beaches at Polzeath as part of Clean Cornwall Week. This event is free, though any donations to the Polzeath VMCA will be gratefully received.

For more information, visit www.cornwallwildlife-trust.org.uk or call Abby Crosby on 07917 765581.

Open for one day as part of the National Gardens Scheme, Creek Lodge is a small but beautiful garden with views over St Just Creek. Admission is £3.50 for adults and free for children, with home-made teas available.For more information, and to find out about the

many other Cornish gardens taking part in the scheme, visit www.ngs.org.uk

‘On Thin Ice: Pioneers of Polar Exploration’ pres-ents a celebration of some of the greatest polar icons of modern times. Historic items from the ad-ventures of Scott and Shackleton will sit alongside equipment belonging to Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Pen Hadow. The exhibition will run until October 9.For more information, visit www.nmmc.co.uk

MAY

Another of the Cornish properties open in aid of charity as part of the NGS. Boconnoc’s gardens cover around 20 acres and are surrounded by breathtaking parkland and woodland. Enjoy a tea in the stable yard or explore the church and Bocon-noc House. Adult admission charges are £5, while children under 12 visit for free.

What: Polzeath Mega Beach CleanWhen: April 2, 10am-12pmWhere: Meet at Marine Centre, Polzeath

What: Creek Lodge Garden Open DayWhen: April 17, 2pm-5.30pmWhere: St Just in Roseland, TR2 5JD

What: On Thin Ice ExhibitionWhen: From April 8 Where: National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth

What: Boconnoc Open DayWhen: May 1, 2pm-5pmWhere: Boconnoc, Lostwithiel, PL22 0RG

Creek Lodge Garden Open Day

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For more information, visit www.ngs.org.uk or visit the

Boconnoc website: www.boconnocenter-prises.co.uk

Browse a range of stalls and enter into the spirit of the season in Godolphin’s beautiful and historic surroundings. The fair will also include entertain-ment and activities to keep children amused while you shop. Entry for adults is £2, with children under 16 free. For more information, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01736 763194.

Flora Day celebrates the arrival of spring in its own traditional way, with dances and entertainment around the streets of Helston. Usually held on May 8, this year’s event has been moved to May 7 to avoid falling on a Sunday. The Morning Dance will

leave the Guildhall at 7am, with further dances taking place at 8.30am, 9.40am, 12pm and 5pm. For more information, visit www.helstonfloraday.org.uk

A growing Cornish celebration of the arts, the Daphne du Maurier Festival encompasses far more than the literature of its namesake. This year, events include guided walks of du Maurier sites, a performance of Noel Coward’s play Cow-ardy Custard, Irish folk music from Cara Dillon, and stand-up comedy from Greg Davies. Local interest inclusions are a ‘Lerryn Now and Then’ exhibition, the Fowey Film Show, a talk on the history of the Cornish country house, and a discussion of Pass-more Edwards.For more information and to book tickets, visit www.dumaurierfestival.co.uk

Now in its sixth year, the ten-day Fal River Festival

highlights everything that is unique and traditional about life on the River Fal. A community-led occa-sion, it features over 150 events, including walks, shows, music and food. The Fal Fish Festival will take place from May 29-30, showcasing local sea-food through stalls and demonstrations. The Fal River Walk event on May 29 presents participants with a long or short option, each exploring the sights and sounds of the surrounding areas.For more information, visit www.kingharryscorn-wall.co.uk

JUNE

This annual celebration of agriculture is a key event in the Cornish calendar. With a mix of judging, competitions, stalls and entertainment, the Royal Cornwall Show embraces variety to offer some-thing for everyone who visits. Favourites include the Main Arena events (this year, head along to see the unusual Camel Polo), flower show, steam fair and food and farming marquee. Full-day admission for adults is £15, children £7.50 and families £36. For more information, visit www.royalcorn-wallshow.org

The Golowan (midsummer) festival is held every year in June, and has its roots in the traditions of the area. Since being revived in 1991, it has grown in popularity to become a major attraction within west Cornwall. The highlight of the festival is Mazey Day – this year falling on June 25 – which sees a number of colourful parades through Penzance, with stalls lining the main street. Prior to this is Mazey Eve on June 24, which includes a procession of dancers and musicians, accompanied by a fair and live music. Alternatively, head along to Penzance’s waterfront on June 26 for Quay Day, a family favourite with stalls and music.For more information, visit www.golowan.org

The Rescorla Festival, started by the Heritage Lot-tery Fund, is based around the landscape of Corn-wall’s Clay Country. With a programme of music, literature, dance, talks and food, it offers an oppor-tunity for visitors to learn more about the history of the area and its people. For more information, visit www.rescorla.org.uk


What: Helston Flora DayWhen: May 7, first dance 7amWhere: Helston

What: Daphne du Maurier Festival When: May 12-21Where: Locations around Fowey

What: Fal River FestivalWhen: May 27-June 5Where: Falmouth; various venues

What: Royal Cornwall ShowWhen: June 9-11Where: Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, PL27 7JE

What: Golowan FestivalWhen: June 18-26Where: Penzance

What: Rescorla FestivalWhen: June 25-26Where: Rescorla, St Austell

What: Spring Food and Craft FairWhen: May 1-2, 10am-4pmWhere: Godolphin House, near Helston

Helston Flora Day

Helston Flora Day


Gwenton Spring 2011


Gwenton Spring 2011

Ian, a well known and experienced fitness instruc-tor and personal trainer has been running a suc-cessful personal training company based in Truro called Fitness-Matters. His aim is to motivate people to achieve their personal fitness goals; from marathon training to dropping a dress size and gaining a generally healthier attitude towards fitness and lifestyle. Ian, now teamed with some of the best fitness instructors in Cornwall, can help even more people achieve their goals.

Stringer’s is situated close to Truro city centre and offers free parking to all visiting the fitness facil-ity. As a first time visitor to Stringer’s I was greeted by a welcoming team in a comfortable reception area. I was shown around the different studios and the range of equipment by an instructor evidently proud of what they had to offer.

If you are new to the gym scene an induction with an instructor can be arranged and a briefing of the different machinery and weights can be explained. As a member of the gym a programme that suits you can be put into place, so that progress can be easily monitored by both you and your instructor. Personal training on a one to one basis is also avail-able from the highly qualified staff, to motive and make sure your goals are achieved.

Whilst training there was a buzz of atmosphere as other fitness clients came and went using the equipment to achieve their individual goals. As a gym beginner I felt comfortable and right at home, settling into the programme written just for me.

My instructor checked my progress as I learnt how each machine worked in relation to my body and personal fitness requirements. The physical de-mands require rehydration and these were met by free water dispensers at each level.

Ready to leave Stringer’s after taking full advan-tage of the changing facilities, I quizzed the staff on the range of different memberships available and found there where many to suit all pockets. Non members are welcome to visit and pay for a ses-sion at a time.

Stringer’s is open 6am to 10pm weekdays. 7am to 3pm Saturdays. 8am to 2pm Sundays. Times to suit everyone. I was made so welcome and enjoyed my session so much I’ll certainly be returning on a regular basis to achieve my agreed goals!

The Tamar Valley is best known for its long and celebrated industrial history; china clay, copper mining and arsenic refining. The landscape here bears visible markers of this time, with its peaked china clay ‘mountains’ and abandoned min-ing buildings. However, alongside this industrial tradition lies another – that of cherry and apple orchards and market gardening. Market gardens, mostly family-run, were well-suited to the Tamar Valley area. It’s steep, sheltered valleys were ideal for planting, and the nearby river reduced the risk of frost. Strawberries were a popular crop, ready for sale here long before other locations.

James Walter Lawry, born in 1840, was a major part of this industry. In early June 1862, he and a friend visited the Covent Garden Market in London and were surprised to see that no outdoor-grown strawberries were for sale. He later noted: ‘On enquiring the price of the hot house fruit offered, I was staggered at the difference from that we had been receiving at Devonport.’ Lawry entered into conversation with a salesman at the market, assur-ing him that in Cornwall his strawberry season was already well underway. The following year, Tamar Valley strawberries were on sale in Covent Garden for 2s 6d per lb – a marked increase on the 6d per

Stringers, ‘The Gym Where Fitness matters’The creation of a local man Ian StringerBY ISABELLA GARNER

Fruit and Flowers in the Tamar ValleyMegan Westley explores an industry that has shaped this idyllic part of Cornwall


Gwenton Spring 2011lb Lawry had been receiving for them in Devon-port. From this time, the success of fruit-growing in North Cornwall was a foregone conclusion. The industry spread into neighbouring parishes and became a local triumph.

By the 1900s, however, disease in the fruit planta-tions forced a change and some market gardeners moved into flower farming, cultivating daffodils on a grand scale. The ‘Tamar Double White’ became the area’s most famous flower. At the height of its popularity in the 1950s, the flower farming indus-try employed 8,000-10,000 people, growing daffo-dils, anemones, irises and primroses.

During the fruit and flower season, local railway stations grew busy as produce was transported out of Corn-wall to be sold. John Snell worked as a railway clerk from 1949, and remembers processing the loads: “The perfume was really over-powering. I’ve seen the vans loaded right up to the top.” When the trains reached Wa-terloo Station, lorries would come to collect the goods and transport them to the large markets of Covent Garden, Spitalfields and Borough by 4.30am. Alternative transport was by river – until the 1930s, ‘market boats’ called at every main quay along the Tamar to collect produce before deliv-ering it to Devonport where it was sold. Today, the market gardening industry in the Tamar Valley is a fraction of the size it once was. From its peak in the 1950s came a steady decline, and a force of 10,000 people has now reduced to around thirty growers.

Nigel and Wendy Hunn are one of these surviving businesses; their families have market gardened in St Dominick for generations. Nigel’s father once farmed between six and seven acres of strawber-ries, daffodils and spring cabbage, while nowadays Nigel and his sons have grown the farm to seventy acres.

Another person perpetuating the old market gar-dening tradition is Joe Collins, whose mother and father once worked five acres of land at Stockwell Farm in St Dominick. “It was hard work back in they days”, he remembers. On one occasion, Joe recalls, his mother and another worker dug a ton of potatoes in one day. Apples and cherries were also grown, with cherries selling well and at high prices. Today, Joe works part-time over 12 acres of gardens, growing eucalyptus, strawberries, runner beans, scabious, pinks, dahlias and anemones. His strawberries are sold locally and grown “the old fashioned way”. Bumblebees are kept to pollinate the fruit and flowers; certainly seeming to contrib-ute to the success of Joe’s strawberries, which he picks himself. “That’s my speciality”, he says. “My

father would be some proud if he could see me now.”

Today, the evidence of market gardening is hard to spot in the Tamar Valley. Elsewhere in Cornwall, flower farming thrives, with fields of daffo-dils brightening the horizon of many a springtime view. The Isles of Scilly has become a flower-farming haven due to its mild climate, with busi-nesses such as Scilly Flowers on the island of St Martin’s sending flowers all over the UK. In the Tamar Valley, a small minority soldier on to keep the tradition alive, while the most prominent reminder

of the area’s past is found in the flowers that still bloom in secluded hedgerows and forgotten cor-ners of fields every year. These bulbs mark where the land was once filled with flower pickers, their precious cargo feeding families for miles around.

Information taken from the book Sover-eigns, Madams and Double Whites, by Ted Giffords and Joanna Lewis, published by the Tamar Valley AONB Service

Images by James Bowe, Russel J Smith and Lisa Grey

Having spent the first 23 years of my life living in the village of Gweek on the edge of the Lizard Peninsula, I have walked most of the surrounding coastline. I think that the Lizard, which extends from the fishing village of Pothleven around to the mouth of the Helford river, encompassing the Brit-ish Isles’ most southerly point, provides some of Cornwall’s most rugged, yet exquisite (and windy) coast. The nearest piece of coastline to me is also my favourite and consists of the area covering

Church Cove and Gunwalloe cliffs.

You have two options for accessing the beach. Take the road from Helston (the whole journey is only five miles) towards Mullion and St. Keverne and then either turn out towards the coast travel-ling through the tiny village of Gunwalloe, full of thatched cottages and maybe stopping for a hot drink at Avalenneck Tea Rooms; or my preference: a pint and some lunch at the award winning Halz-ephron Inn. Park in the National Trust car park. Alternatively take the back road towards Mullion

Walking in CornwallChurch Cove, Gunwalloe, Nr. elston, CornwallBY TOM SHOEMACK


Gwenton Spring 2011

to Poldhu beach and follow the lane up past the beach to access the cove from the other side.

Church Cove itself which is flanked by steep cliffs on either side and the edge of Mullion golf club behind. Often there’s a stream running through the sand to the sea you can choose to cross with a run-ning jump, by hopping across partially submerged rocks or, slightly more sedately, using the bridge by the back of the cove. You can swim of course, although the sea is going to be at its coldest at this time of year. Personally I’d recommend sitting and watching the waves that tend to break a long way out from the shore due to a shelf off the coastline.

Those feeling more adventurous can climb up above the beach up a steep path next to the tiny St. Winwaloe Church, or the ‘church of the storms’ which still holds services on some Sunday morn-ings. Climbing the cliff gives you a fantastic view back over towards Poldhu to the East and Porthlev-en to the West, especially with the sun’s tail setting towards you in the evening.

One of my favourite aspects of walking around the Church Cove real is that it can be a quick run on the beach with the dog after work or a half-day trip starting in Mullion and taking in Poldhu, the stony Dollar Cove, receding cliffs leading into Loe Bar and eventually Porthleven for lunch or dinner depend-ing on your chosen start time. This should take you about 2 hours 30 minutes at a relaxed pace.Beautiful beach in an area of Cornwall I love. Per-fect for walking, or just for lying on the sand and listening to the sounds of the sea. Enjoy.


Gwenton Spring 2011

Images by Kate Ruberry

Climbing the cliff gives you a fantastic view back over towards Poldhu to the East and Porthleven to the West, espe-cially with the sun’s tail setting towards you in the evening

““ The Limekiln gallery in Calstock unveiled their Spring Show collection, and Amy Dennis went along to the packed preview show to discover more about the gallery and the artists.

Tucked away in the beautiful Tamar Valley, there is little wonder why art lovers ven-tured from far and wide to see the works on display and meet some of the faces behind the pictures, ceramics and jewellery. What is surprising is the current gallery own-ers, artist Ley Roberts and partner Bernie Hawes, never intended to use the space to show art, but for Ley to use it as a studio.

She explains: “We bought it nearly four years ago now, because I live in a small house with Bernie and three kids. I wanted it as a studio and a proper place for me to come and work.

“We decided it was such a lovely place, why not show art here? We live only just up the road, so it’s

very convenient to walk to work.”

Ley Roberts knows a few of the artists behind the work from Draw to the Valley, a support network

art group formed in 2003, which promotes the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

and also through the Tamar Print Work-shop, such as Helen Tworkowski.

On display are Helen’s amazing pen and ink nudes, including Nude IV (above). However, modest Helen is quick to tell me art isn’t her day job: “I use art as a way to switch off at the end of the day,” and comically remarks: “you can make anything look nice with a good frame!”

Also in attendance with her art on show was ceramicist Adela Powell. Her entry into the art world was a little different: “I previously read sciences at University, in-tending to be a doctor, although I always enjoyed art.

Limekiln Gallery LaunchA Calstock gallery launches their spring showBY AMY DENNIS

Gwenton Spring 2011 Gwenton Spring 2011


“I eventually took up studying art again at the age of 30, while bringing up my young family. It is sometimes quite a struggle, but it’s important to remember if you’re driven, you’ll find a way to do it. I came through in the end, and now make a living through my art.

“I’ve heard Cornwall is one of the most con-centrated areas of artists outside of London, and I think the quality of the art down here is very good.”

Another South West convert at the preview was Laure Bury, with her mixed media series also displayed at the gallery. Originally from France, Laure has lived in Mexico, Mallorca and London, before settling just over the border in West Devon.

She talks a little about her work: “As you may notice, in comparison to the other artists’ work displayed here, my pallet is very different. I am in-spired by the local area, but the colours are bright-er, because of the hotter places I have lived in.

“A lot of my art, including J’ai un Jardin Rempli de Fleurs (above), has a positive message. In many cultures, the butterfly symbolises the human spirit,

and how the human spirit can con-quer any difficulties it may encoun-ter.”

And it is clear, similar to Laure’s message, the continuing triumph of the art world in Cornwall is plenty to celebrate, especially in the testing economic climate.

The Spring Show also features work by Paul Cain Smith, Marcelle Milo-Gray, Addy Gardner, amongst many others, and is well worth a look for anyone who appreciates the beauty of the Duchy.

The Limekiln gallery is open daily 11am to 5pm, except Mondays, and the Spring Show runs until May 11.

For more information, visit the gallery’s website at www.limekilngallery.com

This year the Rescorla Centre will be celebrating its fourth annual festival on the last weekend of June (Saturday 25 and Sunday 26). The Centre will be introducing a series of reunions and events under the heading ‘Rescorla Reunited’ both for people who have a personal connection to the place itself and for those who have family links via the ‘Rescor-la’ surname. Beginning the project, as part

of this year’s festival, we will be holding an event at the Centre to bring together people who have associations and connections within and around the community of Rescorla. We would like to hear

from people who have lived in the village in the past or have some form of association in any way. If you can help please get in contact – we would be delighted to hear your memories and see any photographs that you might have of Rescorla or neighbouring hamlets in the past.

For 2012’s celebrations we will be extending ‘Re-scorla Reunited’ by holding talks, focus groups and memory days where we will be encouraging those with family links to Rescorla to come along and share family memories and traditions both locally

and overseas. We hope that this will enable opportunities to find out more about the history of the area and there-fore trace the settlement and migration patterns of the family using this as a case study for concentrating on other family networks in mid-Cornwall. We will also be welcoming overseas branches of the Rescorla family to come along or partici-pate in any way. In the Medieval period the Rescorlas, who had their ancestral home in the village, emerged as a promi-nent yeoman family in the so-called ‘Higher Quarter’ between St Austell and Roche. Over the centuries their descen-dants travelled to other parts of Britain and around the world.

Rescorla ReunitedThe Rescorla Centre celebrates another year!BY ANNA TONKIN

...the committee is already keenly organising celebrations and finalising plans including a craft and photography exhibition

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These events will take place alongside other music and artistic celebrations. Last year’s festival cov-ered a five-week period in June and was a massive success, enabling the project to be promoted to a wider audience. A series of lectures and talks took place on various aspects of Cornish culture, includ-ing brass band culture of the Clay Country by Olivia Rowse, the history of St Austell by Seb Averill and a global lecture on the history of the Clay Country by Garry Tregidga at the annual gathering of the Cali-fornia Cousins in the USA. An impressive amount of photography was displayed, including Clay Story, a travelling exhibition which visited St Austell, St Stephens and Whitemoor and brought together oral history recordings from the Cornish Audio Visual Archive (CAVA) and a selection of photogra-phy from Heloise Trott. Music and entertainment was provided by An Dyskenn, Cornish Connection, the Davey family, Ros Keltek, Mike Jenkin, Tan ha Dowr, Kescana, Pyba, Perraners, Will Coleman and friends and several other fantastic musicians throughout the course of the festival at various locations including an evening at The Kings Arms, Luxulyan, a Tudor evening at the Rescorla Centre and a music and dance project at Sandy Hill Prima-

ry School. This year’s festival is set to include even more entertainment and the committee is already keenly organising celebrations and finalising plans including a craft and photography exhibition. Plans to organize events for Rescorla Reunited’s family-link project in 2012 are also underway and will be announced shortly.

There is also a Facebook page dedicated to the project, which can be found by going to www.face-book.com and searching for ‘Rescorla Reunited’. We welcome your support and any questions, sug-gestions or response and will be providing updates to more detailed plans and arrangements. This is also a site for coordinating people with the ‘Rescor-la’ surname both locally and overseas.

Alternatively you can email us directly with any queries at [email protected] and for contact about the Rescorla Centre Festival or project, please go to www.facebook.com and search for ‘Rescorla Centre’.

E: [email protected]: www.rescorla.org.uk

The Cornish Story programme was launched just over a year ago at the tenth anniversary celebra-tions of the Cornish Audio Visual Archive (CAVA) in Redruth. Its key objectives are to tell the story of Cornwall’s past and present by harnessing the pow-er of the internet, organising community-based events and delivering new educational projects on all aspects of Cornish culture.

Over the past year we have made considerable progress – the launch of our online magazine as an integral feature of the archive’s digital media plat-form, new video recordings on families and farm-ing posted on the website and a series of pioneer-ing workshops and conferences on topics like the Celtic Revival and the Civil War in Cornwall. How-ever, we are hoping to go further. A key priority over the next few months is to market and develop the ‘Cornish Story’ brand to a wider audience. This includes:

Over the next few months we will be launching a major publication on memory and place that is envisaged as the first in a series of archive-based volumes. This will build into a unique collection

that covers topics like film, music, sport and migra-tion. In addition, the Porthleven Food and Music Festival on Saturday April 9 marked the start of a new outreach programme for 2011 with a view to making contact with individuals and communities throughout Cornwall and beyond.

Apart from promoting the magazine to potential readers, contributors and sponsors this publicity drive is intended as a way of generating new audio-visual material for the archive. Building on these various strands of activity we will seek to develop Cornish Story as a vibrant community-based pro-gramme embracing educational resources, work-shops and summer schools. If you would like to get involved or support the programme in any way please contact the Cornish Story team using the contacts below.

Supporting Cornish StoryWhat we are doing for you, and what you can do for usBY GARRY TREGIDGA

Developing closer links with Cornish societies over-seas in order to generate greater interest in Corn-wall and to tell the story of a global community Producing hard copies of the magazine that can be obtained on a subscription basisMaking the archive more accessible to researchers and the general public in a variety of formats

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Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter, College of Humanities, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ01326 371 888 E: [email protected]

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