Gwennap Pit
It’s the heart of the Methodist world
Where John Wesley made his mark
And as the people came to listen
Something profound had made a start
Let your light shine, were his words
Miss no opportunity to do others good
We would do well to just remember
Were these sentiments understood?
Gwennap Pit is an extraordinary space
With grass covered tiers exposed to sky
His message found the people’s hearts
Gain, save and give, don’t question why
His brother Charles wrote the hymns
On horseback they spread the word
But it was the miners who had such faith
It was hope and comfort that they heard
In this Cornish world of mines
With such natural beauty all around
The hardships people had endured
Were eclipsed by Salvation’s sound
Ruth Tremayne Harry
Ruth was born in Quintrell Downs to Hugh and Edna Tremayne and believes her poetry stems from her love of music lyrics and the Methodist hymns from her childhood when her father was the organist at Kestle Mill and Quintrell Downs Methodist Chapels. Her writing in rhymed couplets was further developed during her many years in creative writing groups in New York City. One of her poems about a Cornish childhood was written for the Toronto Cornish Association and sent by her brother-in-law to cornwallyesteryear.com a newly created website in 2020. This re-connected Ruth and Terry Harry who had worked together at Barclays Bank Trust Company in Truro during the late 1960s. Reunited when Ruth visited for a holiday in 2020, they married in 2021 and now make their home in St Day. Her poetry is currently inspired by her homecoming to Cornwall and is enhanced by Terry’s photography and posted to the website. They have jointly published a book entitled A Cornish Homecoming.