A stone's throw from Michigan to mark Falmouth's 350th year
11:17am Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in Falmouth/Penryn
Town mayor Geoffrey Evans throws the symbolic stone from Falmouth, Michigan into Swanpool.
A stone brought all the way across the Atlantic from Michigan in the USA was thrown into the chilly waters of Swanpool last week.
The event was the recreation of a similar activity that took place in an American town as part of Falmouth’s 350th anniversary celebrations in 2011.
The Rotary Club, with the help of Falmouth Town Council and other local groups, had organised a whole series of events to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Royal Charter in Falmouth on October 5, 1661.
The celebrations included an event called "Falmouths Around the World" when guests at a charter dinner made contact with representatives from 13 other towns called Falmouth across the globe.
One of those towns was in Michigan where residents got even more involved by holding its own events which included the ceremonial throwing a stone sent across from Falmouth Docks into a duck pond in the centre of the village.
As a follow-up to that, American journalist Randa Johnston visited Falmouth mayor Geoffrey Evans at Christmas and brought with her a pebble from Michigan along with a copy of the Falmouth Michigan Proclamation.
Mr Evans said: “She went out of her way to come to Falmouth while on holiday to bring this stone from Falmouth Michigan to put back in the water here.
"We suggested Swanpool because it is similar to where they threw it. We will then send them some photographs to show them we have done it.”
The Falmouths Around the World link-up created friendships across the globe which are still being nurtured - “The anniversary has knitted the 13 Falmouths together and we have all become quite involved,” said Mr Evans.
The town council is hoping to build on the Falmouth 350 celebrations and is looking to hold a charter lunch each October.
Read how Falmouth celebrated its 350th year below:
Kickstart for Falmouth 350 events
Falmouth 350 celebrations continue
