A past grand bard of Gorsedh Kernow has reflected upon her days in the WI as she prepares to receive a centenary award from that institution next week.

Past grand bard and long standing member of Leedstown and Praze WIs, Ann Trevenen Jenkin, said: “I can remember going to my first meeting in the 1960s, we walked down the road to the old chapel, our meeting place, cut off from the village by about half a mile, but the warmth of the welcome was impressive.”

These words will chime with many who will be present when Mrs Trevenen Jenkin receives the National Federation of Womens’ Institutes centenary baton at a special ceremony celebrating 100 years of the WI movement, to be held in Camborne Centenary Chapel on Thursday 19th February.

“I was asked to speak at this important event because I was the first female Grand Bard of the Cornish Gorsedd,” said Mrs Jenkin, whose Bardic name is Bryallen, meaning Primrose, “a special honour as up until this year our sister Celtic Gorsedhau of Wales and Brittany did not have women leaders.”

Mrs Jenkin, who will be wearing her distinctive blue bardic robe, will welcome the Baton as it arrives in the Rodda's replica model T Ford van, and it will be led into the chapel with a St. Piran's flag carried by her daughter, Cornwall Councillor Loveday Jenkin, also a bard of Gorsedh Kernow.

She added: “I will be particularly pleased to speak on this occasion both as a WI member and a past leader of one of the most important Cornish societies, Gorsedh Kernow, celebrating the diversity of our special Cornish language, history and culture.”