Age-old tradition kept alive by Sithney man

3:10pm Friday 18th July 2008

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Keeping an age-old tradition alive in Cornwall is very dear to the heart of Sithney man Brian Deacon, who runs a flourishing Cornish wrestling club based in Helston.

While helping keep his young members fit and healthy, club chairman Brian is also committed to ensuring a sport that has existed in the county for hundreds of years lives on for many more decades.

Up to 20 youngsters, including several girls, attend the weekly sessions run by the Sithney Cornish Wrestling Club at the Epworth Hall in Helston.

Club members also stage demonstrations and attend tournaments around the county - notching up some notable successes in recent months.

They are currently preparing for several forthcoming competitions, including the traditional tournament held as part of the Helston Harvest Fair weekend.

It was a visit to the harvest fair tournament almost 30 years ago that inspired Brian to set up the Sithney club with Bill Dale.

Since that time, the club has enjoyed mixed fortunes, but Brian, and his wife, Maureen, have kept it going and things are definitely on the up at the moment.

Brian said: "It helps keep the youngsters fit and can also give them confidence if they have been bullied at school for example or need some way of letting their anger out.

"Most importantly, it is keeping the tradition of wrestling alive in Cornwall, and we owe it to our ancestors to try to do that."

Wrestling existed long before other sports such as rugby and football became popular and centuries ago every community in Cornwall would have had its own team of wrestlers.

Community affairs were often settled through wrestling - for example more than 200 years ago when the villages of Sithney and Goldsithney were deciding which should host a charter fair, a wrestling competition was held to settle the matter.

Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick, of steam engine fame, was also a renowned wrestler.

Back in the present day, the Sithney club has two qualified trainers - Brian Pascoe and Matthew Deacon - who work alongside Sean Palmer, the "warm-up man".

Sessions, which start at 6.30pm on Mondays for the under-10s and 7.15pm for older members, cost just £1 each. Anyone interested in joining, or just seeing what is on offer, is invited to come along to the Epworth Hall any Monday evening.