Graves at Gwithian - people buried far from home

Fascinating to visit the graveyard at Gwithian Church  - and to find graves of people buried  far from home. We're very grateful to Roger Hoefling who has made an indepth study of mercantile marine deaths in World War One and provided background to this.

The grave of Able Seaman H. Magnusson who drowned at sea is under trees at the back of the graveyard, alongside others who died at sea in World War One.

Magnusson died when SS Falaba was sunk on 28 March 1915.  The Falaba was a 5,000 ton British passenger cargo ship and was torpedoed by a German submarine.  The sinking resulted in 100 deaths.

Many of the bodies washed up on Cornish beaches, as is noted in this clipping....

Next to Magnusson's grave is a simple cross to a French sailor.  As yet, we have no background about him.

Heroes of Hayle: spreading the word

Such a rainy day in Cornwall today so no hardship to drive up to Truro with posters about the first talks (and walk) in Heroes of Hayle, work marking the centenary of World War One.  It's a talk about the National Explosives Factory in Hayle on 14 June at 7pm.

This one has pride of place in Cornwall Record Office noticeboard, where hopefully many keen local historians will see it and be inspired to come along. All are very welcome and entry is free.

We've had links with CRO over the years of our work on Heart of Conflict  - marking the centenary of World War One in Cornwall. So it's good to see that poster there.

More about Heroes of Hayle here.

Front line links between France and Plymouth

A great surprise... When we visited Estaires in northern France as part of our project Heart of Conflict (looking at World War One in Cornwall) we found that there were links between the town and Plymouth.
Many men from the West Country were stationed at Estaires in the early years of the war.  The town provided emergency support, in particular in lodging the men.
In compensation, after the war was over Plymouth City Council paid for the War Memorial in the town.
We'll be laying a wreath on this War Memorial with Camborne Youth Band when we visit Estaires on Saturday 25 August 2018.

Visit to Hayle Heritage Centre

Very nice to visit Hayle Heritage Centre today and meet Daisy Culmer who runs it. We're hoping to link up with the Centre during Heroes of Hayle, our World War One project in the town. This is part of Heart of Conflict. (Our first event will be a talk by local historian Peter Channon on the National Explosives Factory on Upton Dunes - more here.)
I'd driven past the Heritage Centre so many times and never really looked at it closely until today. There's huge potential inside, lovely light rooms and hopefully we will be able to hold a talk or reading there this autumn.

We're in search of an experienced photographer...

We're just advertising on Volunteer Cornwall for an experienced photographer to work with us on our fantastic new project with Camborne Youth Band. This year - the 100th anniversary of World War One - Camborne Youth Band is travelling out to France and the Menin Gate in the footsteps of Cornishmen who went out there a century ago. We're staging an exhibition at Heartlands, Pool, about this in October and November.

Before we go, we're in search of a photographer who'll help us create images for the exhibition and take pictures locally of significant people and places. We are looking for someone with a keen sense

of history - and an eye for a great image. Most of the work will be in June and July in the Camborne/Redruth area. We can provide reasonable travel expenses. If interested please email info@bridging-arts.com

Sequins, decoupage and PVA glue at the Masbro Centre

A great workshop today with the Elders' Group at the Masbro Centre, Hammermith, London. This followed on from our visit to the Wallace Collection last month when we created boxes from gold cardboard.
This time, led by Bridging Arts volunteer Katrina Williams, the group created decoupage wooden boxes.  The results were stunning.

Cornish stained glass - an untold story

An interesting lecture at Paul Church, near Mousehole, Cornwall, on Tuesday 29 May at 730pm.

Stained glass expert Michael Swift will be telling the story of the newly restored window there which tells a remarkable World War One story. Michael's talk - 'The Bolitho windows in Cornwall and Devon, an untold story' will look at another memorial window at Leusdon in Devon - and ....the 'untold story':

 "the recovery of the design cartoon of the Leusdon window (in Paul) in a boiler room of the British Legion in Mousehole, and the possibility of the involvement of Thomas Cooper Gotch, the Newlyn painter."

Great art and a detective story - a winning formula.  Entrance £5 includes a drink and snack supper.

Walk and talk on National Explosives Factory

First up in our events around Hayle's World War One heritage - a talk and walk by local historian Peter Channon exploring the National Explosives Factory, Hayle.  Both are free and open to all. Please do come along.

The factory was one of the most important in the country during World War One. Before the conflict, it had produced explosives for the mining industry, but switched to military production after 1914.  To view a photogallery of the site (which covers many acres of sand dunes), click here.

Peter will give a talk with background to the factory at 7pm on Thursday 14 June 2018 at Phillack Church Hall - then lead a walk around the dunes on 27 June 2018.

Talk: Thursday 14 June 7pm
Phillack Church Hall TR27 4EB

Walk: Wednesday 27 June 7pm
Upton Towans (meet by Factory Chimney)

This is part of Heroes of Hayle, marking the centenary of World War One in the town. For more details, click here.  Heroes of Hayle is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

New Trustee at Bridging Arts

We're delighted to welcome Liz Hutchinson, Director of Communications at the British Academy, as a Trustee of Bridging Arts.

Liz has led marketing and communications for a number of organisations in the public and charitable sectors.will bring her expertise in communications - particularly new media - to the board.

"This is a fantastic charity which has made a real difference to the communities within which it has worked," she says. "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to play my part in building the Charity's reach and impact further. There is huge potential here and I'm looking forward to working with Susan and my fellow trustees to realise it."

For information about other members of the Bridging Arts board, click here.

Workshop at the Masbro Centre next week

We're looking forward to a workshop at the Masbro Centre, Hammersmith next week - following up on our visit to the Wallace Collection last month. We visited the collection with the Masbro Centre's Elders' group and made some fabulous gold cardboard boxes.
This Tuesday 22 May we'll be returning to Hammersmith to make some more boxes - this time wooden.  Bridging Arts volunteer Katrina Williams and I primed them this week .....

A great meeting with Hayle Air Cadets

Had a really good meeting with Hayle Air Cadets last Friday (11 May 2018) as part of our World War One project Heart of Conflict - what a great group of young people. We talked about World War One in general - and then looked at the story of Frank Johns, a carpenter from St Ives who had emigrated to Canada a few years before the war broke out and signed up when there. He was killed on the Western Front in 1915.

I was really impressed by Jo Roach who brought his photos that he had taken a couple of years ago when visiting the WW1 battlefields with his school Humphry Davey in Penzance. He stood up and showed the group - and explained something to me that I didn't know: that when two gravestones are very close together in a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery it means that two bodies had fallen together and they were not quite sure which was which when they erected the headstones.

We are working with the Air Cadets to produce poetry and other work to read at Remembrance Day services this year. It's part of our project, Heroes of Hayle. 

Discussions at the Imperial War Museum

Good to touch base with other people working on World War One related projects at the Imperial War Museum today. This was part of the Museum's partnership of organisations marking the centenary years.

Here Barbara Hoefling, Director of the German Choir in London, talks about the Choir's WW1 Peacemaker series of concerts touring cathedrals and churches in the UK and Belgium - music celebrating those on both sides who tried to prevent or shorten the conflict.

Watercolours of the trenches

All of the photography from World War One (as far as I know) is in black and white - and it is hard to imagine the horror of the trenches in colour.  That's why the colourised photo of Redruth Wesleyan Young Men's Bible class was so striking - click here to view.
These fantastically skilled watercolours by John Singer Sargent bring colour from 1918. A wrecked tank.....

 and tarpaulin over a dug out....

Both these paintings date from1918. The dug out was at Ronsart, in Pas-de-Calais, France - about 11 kilometres from Arras.

History coming alive at Camborne RFC

Fantastic today to see Camborne RFC president Terry Williams present a rugby ball signed by Cornwall and Devon teams to Camborne Youth Band.
The Band will take it back to the Western Front 100 years after three historic matches were played there between Cornwall and Devon teams after Camborne Rugby Club sent out a ball.
Corey Williams (pictured) right is in the Band now and is the great great grandson of Fred Negus, one of the men who played in 1915.
The Youth Band will be travelling to France and Belgium in August and will take the rugby ball back to Estaires, where Cornishmen from Dolcoath Mine were stationed.
Cornwall were playing Devon today at Camborne. The match was close - but Devon pulled off a 20-19 point victory.

Cornwall and Devon teams to sign historic rugby ball tomorrow

Really looking forward to the rugby tomorrow at Camborne: Cornwall will be playing Devon and Camborne Youth Band will be playing before the match and at half time.  (Kick off: 3pm -  band playing from 215pm).

Both teams are signing a rugby ball (donated by Camborne RFC) on Saturday to be sent out to Estaires in northern France to commemorate the end of World War One.

In 1915, Camborne RFC sent out a ball to local miners who had joined the 25th Field Ambulance when WW1 broke out - and the men subsequently organised three matches between Cornish and Devon men at the Front.  

Camborne Youth Band are going to take the rugby ball out to France in August.

The great great grandson of one of the men who was in the 1915 team in France is in the Youth Band. Corey Williams has his great great grandfather's bugle and Corey is going to play it in France.

Heart of Conflict gets another outing

It was great to see our World War One exhibition, Heart of Conflict, on display again at Paul Church, near Mousehole, Cornwall.  The display marked the re-dedication of the remarkable World War One window there. There were events and services over the May Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate and showcase all the work that's been done.

Talks, a walk and workshops at Hayle

Just finalised - all the dates and times or our events in Hayle, Cornwall.
Heroes of Hayle: World War One stories from home and the Western Front will look at various aspects of life in the town during 1914-18. Local historians will be leading talks and a walk - and acclaimed local author Jenny Alexander will be leading poetry workshops in September and October - to create work to be read at Remembrance Day services in November. All events are free.

Thursday 14 June - Phillack Church Hall - 7pm
- a talk on the National Explosives Factory on Hayle Towans by local historian Peter Channon.
Wednesday 27 June - Upton Towns - 7pm
- a visit to the site of the National Explosives Factory on Hayle Towans led by Peter Channon

Wednesday 4 July - Phillack Church - 7pm
- a talk by local historian Chris Berry on the war graves at the church - including those of two young women who died at an explosion at the National Explosives Factory

Thursday 19 July - Passmore Edwards Hall - 7pm for 730pm
- a talk by WW1 expert Robert Johns on the 251st Tunnelling Company formed in Hayle
A free glass of wine (or non-alcoholic drink) will be offered and a chance to meet others attending

Saturday 8 September - Phillack Church - 1030am-4pm
- poetry workshop by acclaimed local author Jenny Alexander inspired by local war graves. Phillack Church is on the edge of the dunes and there will be an hour-long lunchbreak when you can take a walk along them.


Saturday 22 September - Phillack Church Hall - 1030am-4pm- poetry workshop by Jenny Alexander inspired by the National Explosives Factory

Saturday 6 October - Phillack Church Hall - 1030am-4om
- poetry workshops by Jenny Alexander inspired by the 251st Tunnelling Company

Please do get in touch if you would like to know more. Anyone is very welcome to take part in all – or just one part – of this project.  You don’t have to be an experienced poet at all. Beginners are very welcome. You will be surprised at what you will write under Jenny Alexander’s expert guidance.

There’s no need to book for the talks but, for the workshops, numbers are limited so booking is essential. Contact info@bridging-arts.com to book your place on whichever workshop days you would like to attend.

Camborne Youth Band and a Video Trivia Night

Camborne Youth Band is still fundraising like mad for their trip to the Menin Gate and northern France in August. We've been working with them on this. The great great grandson of Fred Negus -one of the Cornishmen featured in Heart of Conflict - is in the Youth Band, and we're planning to travel back to Estaires (near the Front Line in World War One) where Fred was based. All very exciting - but funds are needed to make this happen.
I won't be able to answer many of the questions in this Video Trivia Night at the Sportsmans Arms, Four Lanes, near Redruth in Cornwall - but it sounds fun.