When Bengy an’ Cissie went out fer a male By Brian Stevens Porthmeor Beach, St Ives Ded I hever tell ’ee tha time that Cissie an er Bengy went out fer a slap up feed? I never, well yu must be tha only wans whu don knaw about en, so I best tell ’ee. …Continue Reading “When Bengy an’ Cissie went out fer a male”
It is a pleasure and a privilege to write about someone who has brought credit to both their name and to their community. Sister Jessie Edith Borlase certainly did that and this article is an attempt to record aspects of her life which may not be fully appreciated. I will start by saying that it…Continue Reading “A Helston Heroine”
This is one of a short series of articles focusing on some 19th century Cornish poets from labouring-class backgrounds. Largely now forgotten, they are nevertheless an important part of Cornish culture, overcoming their limited education to write poetry about the events and feelings affecting most Cornish people of their time. Only a brief selection of…Continue Reading “A Short Selection of Polgrahan’s Poetry by Ernie Parsons”
By J Brandon Wilgus The wrecker looms as a grim figure in maritime history. Often impoverished, these Cornish brigands, distant from the authorities in London, found a murderous way to gain wealth. According to contemporary stories, wreckers drew merchants onto the hidden rocks and shifting shoals of the Cornish Coast to ruin ships and…Continue Reading “Cornish Wrecking and the Caribbean”
My connection to the Flying Enterprise is deeply personal. During my early years in the fishing industry, the wreck of this famous vessel featured regularly in my working life. The story of the Flying Enterprise – which captivated Cornwall and the entire nation in 1952 – always felt close at hand, not just as a…Continue Reading “The Last Voyage of the Flying Enterprise: Fact, Fiction, and Mystery”
This poem was written in Zennor in 2000. I had travelled to Cornwall to see friends, particularly Ian Caple (Ei), who wasn’t well. Unfortunately, on my way down I heard that he had died. Ian was an inspirational member of the St. Just community: a musician (saxophone), artist, philosopher and printer he was instrumental in…Continue Reading “Millennium Shaft (for Ian)”