Final preparations are being made to next week’s annual commemoration of a 15th century Cornish rebellion involving a St Keverne blacksmith.

Each year a parade and ceremony remembers Michael Joseph (better known as Michael An Gof, where An Gof is Cornish for blacksmith) and Thomas Flamank, who were the leaders of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497 but ultimately executed.

The An Gof Annual Commemoration will take place this Friday, June 27 – the date the pair were killed – with the evening starting at 7pm at the An Gof statue in St Keverne. Here a speaker will explain about why the group is gathered and what Michael Joseph (An Gof) did for Cornwall.

There will be a procession to the village square where the plaques honouring An Gof are read in both English and Cornish. A guest speaker will then give a talk about Cornwall and where they see the county in the future.

The evening will continue in the Parish Hall from 8pm, with an evening of Cornish themed entertainment. This year the theme is Cornish artist John Opie.

Pupils from St Keverne and Coverack schools are currently working on portraits, in recognition of John Opie, that will be on show on the night when they will be judged. The winning entry will be awarded the An Gof Memorial Cup. The children will also perform a song. This will be followed by the An Gof Players performing a play about John Opie, with a pasty supper in the interval and then more entertainment.

This year Howard Curnow will return with his band Thraw'd Together.

Entry to the evening’s entertainment is £4, not including refreshments/pasties, with free entry for primary age children.

An Gof led the rebels in a march on London to protest at King Henry VII's levying a tax to pay for an invasion of Scotland.

The Cornish believed that this was a northern affair and had nothing to do with them, also believing the tax was the work of the King's corrupt counsellors and marched to London to bring this to the King's attention.

However, An Gof and Flamank were deemed to be traitors, and were hanged, drawn and quartered with their heads displayed on pike-staffs on London Bridge.