An almshouse is defined as “a unit of residential accommodation (usually a house or flat) which belongs to a charity, is provided exclusively to meet the charity’s purposes (for example, the relief of financial need or infirmity) and is occupied or is available for occupation under a licence by a qualified beneficiary”1. The Henry Williams…Continue Reading “The Pydar Street Almshouses”
I suppose it’s safe to say, that over the years I have written a fair bit about the premier port of St Austell Bay, the port of Charlestown. The name ‘Porth-Meur’ or ‘Great Cove’ had been used for several hundred years, evolving through time, to become Porthmear, later Polmear, and later again, West Polmear. This…Continue Reading “The Port of Charlestown”
Someone once said, “If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” Honestly, I don’t think we, as a society, know what hardship is. When I was a child we had little money, even though both my parents worked and had relatively good jobs. My father was an alcoholic and…Continue Reading “It’s a hard-knock life”
Tis another of they there dialect stories from the pen of Trevor Dalley! Mistletoe hung forlorn and naked of its berries from a blackened beam; an open door somewhere caused the log fire to emit an occasional puff of smoke. “Well, if thet wus Christmas we’ve ‘ad it.” Said Joey. The pub was empty except for Joey and…Continue Reading “Christmas Pork”
Although we are unable to establish a firm date in which the following event took place, we can be sure that it was at a time when most people lived religious lives and almost everything they did between birth and death involved the local church or chapel. If however, there was one thing which…Continue Reading “Paddy the Smuggler”
Click on this audio link to listen as you read Shut that Stable Door – ZOOM0158 Or enjoy Bert reciting his poem on this YouTube clip from the Carols of the Roseland celebration at Truro Cathedral in December 2024 Shut that stable door! O God! Why, when I carved estuaries And heaved-up headlands and…Continue Reading “Shut that stable door! – A poem by Bert Biscoe”