Old Falmouth remembered

1:28pm Monday 2nd April 2007

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Two new exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Your Falmouth and The Old Curiosity Shop, were opened by the Mayor of Falmouth.

Roger Bonney was joined by members of the local community for a celebratory opening and cutting of a ribbon.

Mr Bonney said: "This is a great exhibition. I am delighted that the Maritime Museum has been able to include more on Falmouth and its key maritime role. I think it's something that people should come and see to learn more about the town and the River Fal."

Your Falmouth is a collection of photos, paintings and documents lent entirely by local people. It's an exhibition of the local area, presented by the people of the Fal.

Jenny Wittamore, assistant curator, said: "We have managed to get together some amazing images. We had no idea what would turn up but the response has been brilliant with some truly great local support.

"One of my favourite entries, amongst many, is the 1893 photo of Mike Unwin's family's trip on the steamer to St. Mawes, accompanied by an entry in his grandfather's diary describing the trip. It's also great to have photos of the late Bernie Trenoweth racing in the Flying Fifteen World Championships at Hayling Island, lent by his sister Sue Seviour."

The oldest entry is a Map of Falmouth from 1750, lent by Christine Cartlidge. Penryn used to be a lot bigger than Falmouth and the Map shows very little development in Falmouth apart from Arwenack House.

Highlights from the exhibition also include a dramatic photograph lent by Mrs Oates showing coastal schooners, ketches and other craft sheltering in Falmouth Harbour after the Great Blizzard of March 1891. During the blizzard many vessels were wrecked before they could reach the safety of the harbours, with considerable loss of life.

The story of the Falmouth Sail Training Ship is also featured with their three sailing boats Christabel, Shearwater and Hardiesse. It was Falmouth banker Joe Feather, shortly after the war, that brought Bristol Channel pilot cutter Christabel to Falmouth.

Needing crew, Feather encouraged Falmouth's youth to sail her and the concept of the Falmouth Sail Training Ship began. When Christabel became too expensive to maintain, a charitable trust was set up to finance a second boat, Shearwater. Hardiesse, the trust's current vessel, was purchased in 1971.

The weird and wonderful Old Curiosity Shop exhibition is not to be missed. Like the original Old Curiosity Shop in Falmouth, it's an Aladdin's cave of objects reflecting the amazing diversity of people passing through Falmouth at the time, from all over the world.

A renowned local character, Burton's reputation spread far and wide. He claimed he could sell 'anything from a monkey to a pulpit'.

There is also a collection of masks, lent by St Austell Brewery, which were worn during Topeng, an Indonesian dance drama, where one or more dancers wear masks and perform ancient stories, often concerning semi-mythical kings and princes.

Other interesting items include a beer warmer which would have been thrust firmly into the embers of a roaring fire to heat. There's even a Peruvian stirrup, designed to enclose the foot and offer protection against Peruvian cacti, used by the South American Conquistadors.