Tony Mansell continues this series with an article about this charming Cornish village where his wife was born and where his family lived for many years. Mention the little village of Mithian (1) and most folk will think of the Rose in Vale Country House Hotel or its gem of a pub, the Miners Arms….Continue Reading “Mysterious Mithian”
Madeleine Midgley writes about her forthcoming publication exploring the visit to Penzance in 1925 by J.A. Rogers, the prominent African-American writer, that is being launched in October this year by Cornish Story as part of Black History month at the Institute of Cornish Studies. Joel Augustus Rogers, more widely known as J.A. Rogers (1880-1966) was a…Continue Reading “J.A. Rogers in Penzance”
Two new biographies of the Brontës’ mother Maria and aunt Elizabeth Branwell create divergent impressions of their childhood home and family in Penzance. Neither woman had previously been the subject of an individual biography despite their formative role in the lives of the Brontë sisters. With journalistic flair Sharon Wright sets out Maria Branwell’s literary,…Continue Reading “Penzance and the Brontës”
In 2019 Melissa Watt, a Public History student at Penryn Campus, was on a placement scheme with Cornish Story researching the contemporary and historical significance of the Cornish pasty. Her work was presented in the form of a film entitled ‘Pasties, People and Politics: Deconstructing the Cornish Identity’ . The film now on Youtube was…Continue Reading “Pasties, People and Politics: Deconstructing the Cornish Identity”
From Beltane bonfires to Samhain dancing, there has been a resurgence in traditional Celtic rituals across both Cornwall and the western world. Perform a quick Instagram search for the Celtic holiday of #Imbolc and you will come across almost 100,000 photos including candle-adorned altars, floral offerings and old-fashioned herbal tinctures. It is not just seasonal…Continue Reading “The Rise of Celtic Rituals in the 21st Century: Lessons for Cornish Heritage”
The top photograph is the first view of Blackwater gained when travelling westwards (Photo: Clive Benney) Tony Mansell’s second article in this series places a magnifying glass over the village of Blackwater where he attended primary school, broke his leg in the playground and regularly “raided” the local shop for sweets on his long…Continue Reading “Blackwater”