Helston volunteers rock on with boundary tradition

They were taking part in the annual custom of ‘Beating the Boundaries’ last Wednesday, which sees a different part of the town’s boundary marked each year.

This time the group of volunteers met on the grass outside Helston Fire Station and proceeded to walk in an anti-clockwise direction, following the stones to Penventon Farm where pasties and cream teas were served to the weary walkers.

At each stone they passed, members of the group were upturned and their heads “banged” on the boundary stone – which was covered with a piece of turf.

Those thinking this is to soften the blow would be wrong, however, as in fact it is to “soak up the blood” if a person’s head is banged too hard – as least that is the gruesome claim.

Mayor Mike Thomas was the first to be upended by town councillor John Boase and town warden Craig Bowcutt, with others including children and even a baby. Mr Boase’s grandson Joshua became one of the youngest people to have their head “banged” at less than a year old.

Mr Boase, who took over the running of the event from Clayton Endean around six years ago, said he had hoped more children would get involved, with the event falling in half term, but there was still around 20 people taking part.

He said: “It was a good day and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.”

There are three routes altogether, with a different one followed each year. One heads in a clockwise direction from the fire station round to RNAS Culdrose, while the third takes participants from the recreation ground to Penrose.

Each one takes around two and a half hours to complete. The last time the full route was walked was for the millennium, which took not far off half a day.

Mr Bowcutt cleared the greenery from each stone in the run up to last Wednesday, while town councillor Martine Knight has volunteered to repaint the ‘HB’ markings on each one ahead of next year.