Grumpy Volunteer Corner

by Keith Evans

Nothing very exciting seems to happen in the lighthouse exhibition. Probably nothing very exciting happend on rock lighthouses except to hold the front door shut in the occasional storm and possibly a knock on the door from a bored mermaid. Well can't blame the mermen. All that long hair, rough scales and flapping tail. Enough to drive them to drink, which begs the question: What do mermen drink? Dry Martini or Scotch on the rocks? But I digress.

The tranquility was disturbed recently by a toddler who sat down on his nappy and screamed the place down. He got himself into a right old paddy. Pity they're phasing out foghorns, he would have a great future with Trinity House. His mother eventually picked him up but he continued to bawl down her ear. She must now be suffering from a degree of severe deafness. I'm sure there's room for further research in this field Father, of course, was nowhere to be seen; sensible chap.

A teenager watching the television screams complained that the commentary didn't synchronise with the picture. I pointed out that he was watching the wrong screen. Another couple were trying to sort out the Fresnel lens display, one of the most interesting exhibits on the gallery. They piled all the lenses on the top of each other. I tried to explain but they looked even more bewildered. Probably my explanation. They went back to the revolving cubes trying to align the pictures. They were last seen arguing as to why they wouldn't all line up.

Before we have irate mermaids hammering on the tidal windows may I apologise for any fishy comments I made. I'm sure they have a whale of a time.

Three wise men

Hard at work on a sunny Friday evening ...

Staff Opportunities

by the NMMC resident poet

Would YOU like to be the Director?
the Master of all you survey,
controlling our business with firmness,
all the things that occur every day.

An Executive Office to sit in,
a computer & telephones too,
plus someone to answer & work them,
for that task is well beneath you.

A snap of the fingers for coffee,
(and probably biscuits beside).
A cup AND a saucer (best china)
before you can venture outside.

A stroll though the Galleries taken,
just to let the team know you are here,
then it’s off down the Square to a Meeting,
where, when or what is not clear.

On a warm sunny day in the summer,
you can take out a boat for a sail;
relax in the breeze round the Harbour
(after all, “Aileen” did need a bail!)

Do you fancy the pomp & the splendour?
always being called “Sir” (to your face!!)
and anyone taking advantage
would have to be put in their place!

A Uniform would look much better,
Brass buttons with a scrambled-egg hat;
just imagine the tourists’ reactions
when they took home a picture of that!!

The position has not been vacated,
but don’t be put off by such things;
I’m sure the Trustees will be grateful
to know there’s a “spare” in the wings!!

*****

The Director replies:

The poet whose verses we cherish
To Tidal Zone off he must go.
Let's hope in the dark he don't perish
From his punishment posting below.

I'd be happy to give up the splendour,
The coffee & biscuits beside.
I'd like to be out in the harbour
I'd much rather not be inside.

The uniform really don't suit me,
The meetings are never much fun.
I'd much rather be out on the sea
In a fresh morning breeze with some sun.

On the pontoon my little boat's waiting,
She simply needs mast and some sails;
So off with her anchor a-weighing
I'm off to find favourable gales.

P.S. Your P45 is in the post!

Grumpy Volunteer Corner

by Keith Evans

These Americans will be the death of me. The other an ancient pair asked me ' Where's the John?' John, I thought, we've got a Jon-athan, THE Jonathan up on the first floor. 'Is there a Powder Room too?' he asked. Powder Room, I thought, he wants to blow the place up. 'Arrr, you want the toilet' I said. That was a near-miss. Jonathan would have run me out of town. He can probably run faster than me too.

Whilst we're on the subject of Americans, another ancient vintage came out of the lift into Lookout. He viewed a couple of racing machines tied up to the pontoon. 'You can't call them yachts, they look like something out of Star Wars.' One was flying a white pennant with a red disc. 'Is that a Japanese boat?' He growled. 'No,' I said 'that's an international numerical signal, probably being used as a racing pennant.' 'Huh!' he growled, looking at me in disbelief as he ambled off. I thought I was the grumpy one around here.

Another ghost from the St Nazaire raid in 1942 appeared recently. I just finished my talk in the Lookout when an old lady came over and said she was in the WRNS, serving as a cipher clerk decoding messages. They knew something was going on but it was only later did they find out what it was.

Forte IV

A new plaque has appeared on the Square which was unveiled on Saturday 19 June by Lady Mary Holborow, Lord Lieutenant of the county. This has been provided by the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust to recall the work of the WWII Special Forces who operated from landing stages at this end of town.

The granite comes from Ludgvan quarry.

HMS Forte IV was commissioned on 8 July 1941. The base initially supported the assembly of Coastal Forces Motor Torpedo Boats, Motor Gunboats and Motor Launches for Operation Chariot, the raid on St Nazaire on 28/29 March 1942. Therafter, it was home to several flotillas of Motor Gunboats and, particularly, Moto Launches which were heavily involved in clandestine operations: the ferrying of SOE agents to and from enemy-occupied France. It was decommissioned on 6 November 1944.

The location of the plaque is significant as it is in the vicinity of the former submarine pier, used by the Gunboats. Opinions differ as to the line of the original submarine pier as the landscape was so changed by the works during the war and in the 1990s.

by Debbie Rogers

We’ve managed to maintain the running of holiday activities over the weekends despite Derryth being on maternity leave, although it has been a stretch. There was a different make & take activity every day of the holidays and once again, porthole pictures proved to be very popular. Amelia Fawcett, one of our young visitors, felt compelled to show her appreciation of the Museum by way of a drawing she left for us.

Museum Minnows is proving a popular workshop for pre-school and nursery settings. This session is run by me & assisted by Early Years Practitioners from Truro College & members of the Education volunteers. We’ve had a total of 118 early years children & their parents, the majority of which have never visited the Museum before but hopefully, having been sent home with a copy of our What’s On leaflet and a shameless plug from Debs, they will return!

The Living History outreach bookings have suddenly started to pick up after a large mail out of new flyers. Funding from the Equitable Charitable Trust has covered the cost of the fuel & actors for three years. This funding has enabled us to reduce the charge of the ‘Hevva, Hevva’ and ‘Voyage of the Mystery’ workshops to schools who are too far away to access the Museum’s resources. We have seven outreach visits in June including schools in: Launceston, Bodmin, Penzance, Delabole and Liskeard, a total of 650 miles and 636 children.

National Kids Day Out

by Debbie Rogers

On Wednesday last week, I worked in partnership with the Lighthouse Children’s Centre, Falmouth for the annual Rotary funded ‘National Kids Day Out’. The Lighthouse Centre invited parents and children from the reception class of Falmouth School.

A fun day was had by all!

Bonjour Tous!

by Denise and Robert Davey & Blue, on board Barolo

After a week spent sorting out the boat at a leisurely pace, we began our summer cruise at the beginning of June. We headed off southwards from our home port of Arzal on the River Vilaine, Brittany. The weather glorious, few fellow countrymen around yet, we generally enjoy France at this time of year. Our planned destination is the Spanish border. We love the Basque region, on either side of the frontier, so hope to spend a couple of weeks there, before heading back to Brittany at the end of August.

We headed down the coast, stopping off at one or two ports that we hadn’t visited before, and reached the Ile d’Yeu for the laundrette. We were berthed next to a chaotic, smiley Breton who took a shine to our spaniel, Blue. Just as we were leaving the berth, he asked where we were heading for next. “Sables d’Olonne”, we shouted, and got a bellowed “Non! C’est fermé” and a lot of gesturing in reply. Les Sables d’Olonne is the home of the Vendée Globe race and a major yachting centre, so it was rather like saying that Truro was closed. We couldn’t quite believe it, but decided to give it a miss. As we passed by, sure enough, instead of the usual fleet of yachts off the port, Les Sables d’Olonne was deserted. Strange.

We arrived at Les Minimes, the enormous modern marina just outside La Rochelle at about seven o’clock in the evening. The main attraction of this place, apart from the supermarket, is that there is always room for visitors, particularly at this time of year. So, we were more than a little surprised to find the reception pontoon full to bursting and the only place available in the most exposed position. As we tied up, the cleats on the pontoon, usually so robust and well maintained, were pulling out of their brackets and looked very insecure. The place was going to pot. Perhaps economic dire straits in France had meant that the marinas were not being funded as much as usual? It wasn’t until the next morning, walking along the pontoons that we realised how ignorant we were. Damage was evident everywhere. Wrecked pontoons were busily being towed away by harbour workers in ribs and dumped on a slip, to be broken up and cannibalised by people with trucks on the shore. Lorries laden with brand new pontoons waited while boats were moved ready for launching and re-siting.

When we visited the reception again, we found displayed photographs of the cause of the destruction. On 28th February this year, Tempête Xynthia had rattled through the Vendée region, devastating ports along the coastline. Flooding over the low-lying inland area had followed the huge tidal surge that had done so much damage to the ports. Pontoons had lifted off the pilings securing them to the seabed and crashed down, missing their holes, leaving yachts, motor-boats, fishing boats dangling at crazy angles when the tide receded. And we were worried about a few dodgy cleats! Les Sables d’Olonne was obviously damaged in the same way, as were several other ports along the coast. Renewal work hadn’t been started earlier due to insurance disputes, but was now under way, hopefully in time for the coming season.

We had experienced the same storm in Cornwall, but its full force must have dissipated by the time it reached us. It was humbling to see the extent of the destruction caused by the sea in the space of a few hours and renewed our respect for the elements. Onwards.

The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships

During the recent Press reports of the Dunkirk 70th. anniversary, good coverage was given to the fifty Little Ships that made the passage from Ramsgate this year.

Bearing in mind the age of some of our Museum exhibits, it is remarkable that so many of those small boats have not only survived, but are sufficiently seaworthy to make the voyage, albeit that many will not undertake a sea passage in over Force four winds/sea state.

Of the 178 small craft recorded in the published “bible” of the original event, some date back to 1895 (the sailing barges) although most were built in the 1920s or 30s. The list does not include the larger merchant ships (in the 60’s, I served as 2/O in m/v “Royal Daffodil”, a Cross Channel day trip vessel of 2000 tons that had brought back over 9,500 men) and the total number of vessels is estimated at 700.

My own interest is the great privilege I had in 1975 when I commanded a lifeboat as safety escort for the event, together with the RAF launch “Spitfire”. We represented the 19 RNLI lifeboats that were involved in 1940. (interestingly, only 23 Little Ships made it in 1975), and as a safety vessel, had to tow Raymond Baxter’s “L’Orage” into Calais after heavy seas caused engine failure.

It was one of the most moving weekends of my RNLI service, and on the Sunday morning the fleet left Dunkirk Harbour, steaming off the beaches in a circle, as the Battle of Britain flight of Lancaster, Spitfire & a Hurricane made a low pass & dropped a wreath. The most amazing sight was of some of the Veterans on the beach actually wading, fully clothed, out into the water Thirty-five years on, none are now young enough to do this.

Our homeward passage was made with a load of passengers as the weather had deteriorated and Owners had to be back for work, leaving their boats in Dunkirk.
 
Mike Pennell, Galleries

Small boat adventure

One of the oft-neglected traditions of the office is to take the a small boat on a tour of the world. Barnabus is a model of an Optimist dinghy and she/he, or her/his predecessor, have travelled widely throughout the world.

Her/his latest trip was to Central Europe where the heavens opened and the river Hornad was turned into a raging torrent causing devestation: flooding houses and tearing up railways lines. These were not the best conditions for a small boat, especially as the river flows eastwards and the next stop would have been the Black Sea. Reluctantly, she/he made her way back across Europe by overnight train, trying to resist the temptation to indulge in the limited food available.

The good news is that she is now safely back in Falmouth, unharmed and looking forward to the next adventure.