April 2022
It’s been a while since we updated our ‘News’ - but members have remained active. Susan Soyinka is always busy, and on 30th January she attended a tree-planting ceremony in Paul, as part of the Association of Jewish Refugees 80th anniversary celebrations. The tree, planted in the cholera field in Paul, was to thank the villagers of the area for welcoming over 100 Jewish children evacuated from London in 1940. Susan followed this event up with an on-line talk, in April 2022, to members of AJR.
The tree-planting ceremony at Paul, January 2022
Photo © by kind permission of Kehillat Kernow
Susan also gave a talk at the Morrab Library in February about her book ‘East End to Land’s End’, although another talk for the U3A about her family history title - ‘A Silence that Speaks’- fell victim to Covid and will be rescheduled for later in the year.
Two on-line talks that Susan gave in 2021 – working with Bodmin Keep, as part of a project in collaboration with the Imperial War Museum - are still available to watch free of charge. You can see on Youtube what Susan had to say about her two books, ‘East End to Land’s End’ and ‘Albert Reuss in Mousehole’
PLHG member and author Susan Soyinka
Sometimes history has uncomfortable echoes, and of course the experience of refugees and exiles has now become more pertinent in 2022 than we could have imagined a few months ago. As Susan says: ‘The subject of all three books, depicting as they do people fleeing war and persecution, is particularly relevant at this time when we are witnessing, on a daily basis, the harrowing events taking place in Ukraine, following that country’s invasion by Russia. It would seem history is repeating itself.’
In February, the theatrical wing of PLHG, Camidge & Stringer, returned to the Acorn with ‘Pool Under the Prom’ – their show about events in late 19th and 20th century Penzance, as seen through the eyes of two women who meet at the old indoor bathing pool that later became the Café Marina.
Camidge & Stringer performing ‘Pool Under the Prom’ February 2022
Photo ©by kind permission of Renate Augstein
Camidge & Stringer are touring in May with another historically-based show. Although ‘Wish We Weren’t Here’ is actually set in the near future, it looks back to the experiences of some literary visitors to West Cornwall during the 19th and 20th centuries – and at how tourism could soon be serving them better. The show will visit St Day, Newlyn, St Just and St Ives –you can contact Camidge and Stringer for details via this site or their own website
We also have a new development by way of our ‘Penwith Papers’ feature. People often contact us in search of our out of print books, and although we are looking into the feasibility of selling e-book or ‘print on demand’ versions, this is a long-term aspiration with several hurdles to be cleared before we can proceed. In the mean time, we hope to offer free of charge key chapters from some of these books – starting this month with ‘The St. Just Easter Book 1588-1596 and the Laudable Customs’ by Jean Nankervis. This was originally published in our 2005 book ‘Treasures of the Morrab’.
Our latest Penwith Paper is a chapter from this out of print book
Jean’s latest books, ‘The History of Zennor’ vol 1 and ‘Wicca’, a history of Wicca Farm, are now for sale at the Hypatia Trust bookshop, Chapel St Penzance as well as several other West Cornwall outlets.
We will continue to publish our more traditional ‘Penwith Papers’ - short items that reflect members’ latest work and interests, and where possible, can be linked to topical events: watch out for a ‘Penwith Paper’ on some key St John’s Eve moments of the 19th century – and our next ‘News’ update - around 24th June this year!
PLHG publications can be purchased online here or perused in the Morrab Library.
Penwith Local History Group
Edited by
Sally Corbet
price £10
plus p&p
Photo Glyn Richards