Volunteers' 5 year celebration lunch

Back Row (from left): Jonathan, Roger Frost, Kathy Pritchard, Cliff Miller, Peter Hartley, Brian Bannister, Dorothy Dark, Sandie

Front Row (from left): Barbara Hims, Jill Jackson, David Astley, Judy Jackson, John Pritchard, Ellen Winser (Trustee), Gunilla Bacon, Gwen Marshall

Absent from the lunch but also celebrating 5 years volunteer service are Paul Bradley, Carol Ann Netting, Mary Owen, Diana Smeath, Anna Tyler & David Yelland.

Well done & thanks to all the volunteers who have given so much of their time to the Museum

Nancy Betty Ridge

Derryth popped in on Wednesday with her little bundle of joy who finally entered the world at 23:14 on Friday 23 April 2010 weighing 8lb 12oz. Well done & congratulations to Derryth and Toby!

Grumpy Volunteer Corner

by Keith Evans

I'm sure the rarefied atmosphere of the tower causes cerebral hypoxia bringing about altered perception amongst the odd balls amongst us. May I share with you some of the gems which have come my way recently, like the earnest young man who swore the water inside the pontoons was higher than the water outside. Optical illusion I suggested. 'Oh no' he said. 'I study these things. It's definitely higher.' Which clinic did you graduate from, I thought, private or NHS?

Then there was the rather gaunt lady with spectacles on the end of her nose who sidled up to me and whispered 'This tower is trembling.' I whispered back 'Do you think so?' 'Oh yes,' she said, 'it's definitely trembling'. Well if there's going to be an earthquake, follow me, I thought. One earthquake in a lifetime is enough.

A chap with a northern accent looked across the river and asked 'Is that glass dome the Eden Project?' No, I thought, it's sloping water where the Cornish practice water skiing. When I explained that it was a plastic covered potato field he looked at me in disbelief.

Yet again, yesterday, the ghost of St Nazaire appeared. After my talk in Lookout an old chap came to me and said his uncle was on one of the few MTBs that returned from the raid. He was then assigned to a destroyer which was torpedoed and sunk a day off Plymouth. He survived that too.

The Voyage of the Mystery Film

by Debs Rogers, Education Assistant


A film, which dramatises events leading up to the voyage of the Mystery, has been made by Collective Arts Ltd, formerly the Cornish Theatre Collective, in partnership with the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Children all over Cornwall have been hearing this dramatic story of the fishing lugger’s voyage from Cornwall to Australia through the Museum’s Living History workshop. The film sets the scene for the workshop performance by dramatically exploring the moment when the seven fishermen decided to sail the Mystery to Australia, over a beer in the Star Inn, Newlyn and their departure from Newlyn quay, November 1854.

The project was set-up by Jason Squibb (film producer and Museum actor) and was made possible thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and support from Cornwall Playing for Success, Azook, Penlee House, Pete Goss and National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Working alongside the Collective Arts professional team of actors and technicians, were students from Truro College's media department, performers from Penryn Community Theatre and Debs Rogers (Education Assistant), who used her 18 years experience of working in professional theatre and television to act as Art Director on the film.

The DVD will be available to schools booking the workshop and will be an incredibly useful educational resource. The wonderful costumes made by Suki Hughton have been kindly donated to the Museum. Debs would like to take this opportunity to thank Sarah Riddle, Pat Crockford, George Hogg, Andy Wyke, Stuart Slade, Graham Lewis and his team for all their advice, help and support.

Here are a few photographs to whet your appetite. There will be a viewing of the film in our lecture theatre, date tbc.




Members of Penryn Community Theatre brave the cold, wind and rain












The Mounts Bay lugger Happy Return


Filming ends after three long days over the Easter weekend

Election time

It’s a common English custom
as Election time draws near
to wear the Party colours
so ones Politics are clear

Down at the Museum
our regalia is Blue
(I’m sure we’re not ALL Tories)
Has that thought occurred to you?

So Volunteers, on May the Sixth,
should dress in different hues,
greens & reds and yellows
would counteract the blues.

The sixth of May is “dress down” Day,
(just something “off the peg”)
with Red of PM Gordon
and Yellow for Nick Clegg

The Greens & Mebyon Kernow
& any minor party
give younger ones a golden chance
to shop for something arty.

For anyone who’s strapped for cash,
Just do like our MPs,
Tot up your shopping, add a bit,
Then claim expenses, please.

The Museum Poet

Abandoned

I’m down on the Pontoon again,
alone and on my tod,
if only I had learned to fish,
I’d sit and cast my rod.

No visitors, no crabbing,
and just two boats are moored,
no one wants to talk to me,
I’m getting rather bored.

Up in the Museum,
the Galleries are humming
I look along the gangway
in the hope that someone’s coming.

Occasionally the Orca RIB
takes passengers afloat,
I just get a “Good morning”
as they clamber on the boat.

I get a bit of exercise
releasing both their lines,
then my moment of excitement
calms down & just declines.

The DMs on the gangway
“COME UP – it’s going to rain”
(I’m almost looking forward
to WATERFRONT again!!!)

The Museum Poet (of course)

Gallery shift

The sun is shining brightly
as I walk across the Square,
a springy step & cheerful smile
no need to rush or tear.

In Front of House the Roster’s out
there’s FIVE names on the list;
My goodness, I could head back home,
(I doubt I would be missed)

The phone rings while I’m signing on,
the DM takes the call -
“We’re down to FOUR” he lets me know,
“He can’t come in at all”.

Before the doors are opened
someone else has phoned in sick,
only THREE to cover now,
(it’s getting on my wick!)

The sun’s now gone, it’s raining,
and the Visitors are queuing,
Oh bless my soul, a School as well,
that could be our undoing!!

Two yachts are “down” on Waterfront,
The Tower lift has stuck,
The liferaft has a puncture
and the pump won’t blow (or suck).

Is there time for an Espresso?
(and I need to use the loo)
Life can get quite traumatic
when one has so much to do.

But suddenly it’s half past one
(though no relief is here)
I’ll dump my radio downstairs,
sign off and disappear.

I’d hoped to have an easy shift,
so much for wishful thought!
What started as a happy day
has left me feeling fraught!!

The Museum poet - as though you had not guessed