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LIST  OF  SPEAKERS  FOR  THE  MEETINGS

Our Meetings are held at the Council Chamber, Callington Town Hall

Meet 3rd Monday of month at 7.30 pm

1. Business Meeting in the Lounge Area,  2. Speaker in the Council Chamber

18th January, 2010

The Inspiration for my Poetry

Skogynn Pryv, The Grand Bard

Mr. Mick Paynter of St. Ives:

15^th February, 2010

Cornish Songs: Traditional and Original

Roger and Viv Bennett (guitar & flute):

15^th March, 2010

The River Tamar from Source to Sea

Mr. Len Copley:

Outdoor Events

Pilgrimages / Summer Visits by Coach

17^th April 2010

Gorsedd Proclamation:

St Ives

19^th April, 2010

Visit to the garden at Downgate

Mr. William & Mrs. Mary Sommerville 

Cream Tea nearby 

with Keith and Barbara Shaw

23rd June 2010.

The Midsummer Bonfire 

At Kit Hill

The fire will be lit at 10.00 p.m.

 August 2009

Crying the Neck Ceremony

watch this space for details.

4th September 2010 

Gorseth Kernow

St Ives

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All photos by Gill Naylor.

Click on photo to enlarge 

1. The Rubber Band musicians  2. Rubber Band leading the procession. 3. Lantern Procession. 4. Fire Twirlers 5.The dying embers.

Since 1929 Callington Old Cornwall Society has organised the Annual Midsummer Eve Bonfire on Kit Hill – originally a druidic/pagan festival, it was adopted by the Christian Church to become St. John’s Feast – Gol Jowan – hence Golowan Tansys in Cornish.

Apart from the war years members of the society, along with those from several other groups belonging to the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, form a chain of beacons down to the far west. On a clear evening we can see the fire from 10.00 p.m. near St Columb Major.

Last year Callington O.C.S. President, Keith Shaw (Kaswydh) and his wife Barbara (Mentenor a’n Ertach) the Secretary, held a celebratory 90^th Anniversary Garden Party. As a result the Kit Hill Warden, Chrissie Le Marchant, agreed to help us widen the scope of the celebrations, since our twenty active members are unable to carry the wood and build the bonfire – only Keith, Les Pierce (Past President and Recorder) together with Chrissie and Jenny Heskett, Kit Hill Wardens, who are generally available to help!

The Portreeve, Cllr. Rick Lumley was most supportive, so preliminary meetings were held in the Council Chamber in the Spring, chaired by Cllr. Andrew Long, to which members of various local groups including Callington O.C.S., Callington Rotary, Callington Amateur Radio, Tamar Valley AONB, Kit Hill Officers and Councillors were present to discuss arrangements.

THE PROGRAMME

1.         A procession of lanterns, made by Callington Guides and Brownies, to the fire.

2.         Music by a local group – Rubber Band

3.         Lighting of the Bonfire after a signal from the Amateur Radio Club via a radio link to 

            other bonfires.

4.         Singing of the Cornish anthems and Cornish songs.

5.         A demonstration of ‘Fire Twirling’

During the evening Peter Coombe supplied hot food and drinks for the visitors. The St. John’s ambulance and a Callington Fire brigade unit were in attendance in the event of an emergency.

The President Keith Shaw welcomed 350 – 400 visitors and led the dignities through the ceremony in Cornish and English. The Guest of Honour was the newly installed Portreeve and Mayor Mrs. Karen Gold, the Prayer for the Benediction of the Midsummer Bonfire was given by the Reverend Marilyn Elliott of Stoke Climsland, in whose parish lies the summit of Kit Hill, whilst our charming Lady of the Flowers was Charly LeMarchant, whose bunch of flowers to be cast into the fire included “wicked weeds, fast withering, let this fire kill!” – together with beneficial which would prevail “thousand fold to let good seed spring”.

Also welcomed as special guests were the Presidents of Launceston (Rob Tremain), Liskeard  (Duncan Matthews), Looe (John Enever) and Saltash (Ernie Reynolds) Old Cornwall Societies with their wives or guests.

It was a wonderful evening – many people commented on the history, the Cornish Language and the stirring Cornish Anthem “Bro Goth Agan Taves”, followed by the familiar Federation Anthem “Trelawny” – familiar to Trelawny’s Army of rugby supporters, of course, but many had not known about “Bro Goth”, which links Kernow with “Mamm Orseth” the Welsh “Mother Gorsedd” and “Gorsedd Breizh” the Breton Gorsedd – familiar to Callington Twinners who visit Guipavas.

New Members will be most welcome – news of our meetings, with important Guest Speakers, is published on the third Monday each month from September to April in the W.M.N. “What’s On”.

Barbara Shaw – Mentenor a’n Ertach (Upholder of the Heritage),

Skrifenyades – Celliwic Cowethas Kernow Goth

Secretary to Callington Old Cornwall Society.

Tel: 01579370344                          e-mail: keithandbarbarashaw@btinternet.com

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Madron 2006 photo Sandra Pritchard

Crying the Neck Ceremony

Last week in August watch this space for details.

See here for more photos and details of ceremony