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February 25 2012 10.00-3.00
Trinity Centre, Chywoone Hill, Newlyn TR18 5AR
This is the first Newlyn Archive Open Day of 2012 and we start the year with a celebration of leisure and fun. The exhibition explores the social side of Newlyn life particularly those activities and events that have involved the whole community. Not surprisingly, HARBOUR SPORTS have played an important part in this history although they have changed over time, so that after the war, navigating the greasy pole, no longer won the prize of a whole pig in the family larder as it had once done! You can see some early programmes from before and after world war two and also photographs of the events and participants. RUGBY was equal to the harbour sports in the hearts of most Newlyners. In the old days a Newlyn Rugby team played on their home ground at St Golders Field. It was only the hardy fishermen and farmers of the home team who could fully navigate this dangerously sloping pitch – to the detriment of their opponents!
There is a photograph in the exhibition of the fisherman’s choir that helped raise money for the new harbour in the 1880s. Similar generosity of spirit led to the formation of the NEWLYN MALE VOICE CHOIR in the 1920s. They came together just before Christmas to raise money for the family of a colleague who died in a terrible accident at Penlee Quarry The Newlyn Male Voice Choir will be singing for us at 10.30 and after that Brian Marshall will be available to show his album of memorabilia and photographs.
Women and children always played their part in the fun and games of CARNIVAL. The whole family is seen in the wonderful photographs of the Perkin Warbeck Pageant that happened in 1906 and was repeated in 1910; the Newlyn artists also took part in this and many recorded it in their paintings. We hope to have some of their work on display at the Open Day. The first carnival after the war in 1948 was a particularly joyous event and the carnivals continued into the 1960s.
Come and see the fun and games!
The churches have played their part through the years by hosting CONCERTS, PLAYS, PANTOMIMES AND EVENTS for the community. Can you name anyone in the events of the GFS (Girls Friendly Society) at St Peters Church, the British Legion at Trinity Chapel and other groups at Centenary Chapel? Perhaps the most well known of the amateur groups that provide us with entertainment today is ST PETERS PLAYERS who began in 1962 and continue to play to full houses.
We have a full collection of photographs and programmes in the new albums we have for display. Can you name any of the actors in the early plays? Children are always central to Newlyn at Play, and we have tried to identify some of their games in the paintings of NEWLYN ARTISTS such as Harold Harvey, Laura Knight, Thomas Cooper Gotch, Henry Scott Tuke, Frank Bourdillon and others.
We will also be re-showing the incredible film made by a class of schoolchildren of the incredible journey of the Mystery to Australia … and as added icing on the cake, NEWLYN BROWNIES are doing some research for us on children’s games and a class from NEWLYN SCHOOL will recreate in their own photographs some of the playground dances found in early pictures of the earlier Tolcarne School. Finally, there is a competition to test your powers of observation.
Do put this date in your diary and come along on the day Entry is Free