PRAA SANDS & DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB: There was a good attendance at the September meeting when members gave a warm welcome to Mike Stephens as he gave his interesting talk entitled Know Your Onions. The talk covered the growing of both ornamental and edible varieties which made it of interest to both vegetable growers and flower enthusiasts.

The benefits of growing seeds or sets in the vegetable patch were outlined. Onions, shallots, leeks grown by Egyptians and Romans, Autumn or Japanese onions were all covered together with all forms of garlic including ransomes, chives, and tree onions. These were all evaluated and relative advice given such as conditions for growing and selection of smaller sets for growing onions.

Problems were acknowledged and remedies suggested if prevention was not successful in bolting, neck rot and onion white rot. Further advice was offered on planting distances and storage after harvesting.

The section on ornamental onions was informative and inspirational.

The next trip is to Lanhydrock on October 21 to view the autumn colour in the gardens.

The next meeting takes place on Monday, October 6 in the Praa Sands Community Centre at 2pm when John Mann will be talking about perennials. New members and visitors are always welcome.

KENNEGGY METHODIST CHAPEL: A Harvest Lunch of pasties and puddings will be held at 12.30pm on Saturday. Please book your ticket at £7 from Virginia 01736 710547. The Sunday Harvest Thanksgiving service is at 11am on Sunday with preacher Mr B Teague from Helston. All welcome.

CHURCH OF ST GERMOE: The Rev Len Jepp presided at the parish eucharist service assisted at the altar by Joan Chapman and Sue Rayment with the chalices and Bette Owen and Chris McCormack serving. Lessons were read by Katie Phillips and Andrew Bell; Muriel Somerfield led intercessions; the sacristan was Chris McCormack; organist was Gwynneth Willett and sidesmen were Tom Dearden and Muriel Somerfield.

On Saturday the wedding of Amy Lane and Luke Crossley took place and on Monday a memorial service for Ruth Taylor. Ruth was 97 and had been a member of the congregation since she and her husband had retired to Praa Sands. She will be sadly missed. The service was followed by tea and cakes served in church when people had a chance to share their memories of Ruth.

BALWEST HERITAGE SOCIETY: In August we welcomed Ann Clegg from the Friends of Godolphin. The Friends raise money to support improved facilities for visitors, such as benches, signage, plants and audio visual equipment. Ann told ‘The Story of Godolphin Through the Ages’.

In 1999 Mary Schofield sold the Godolphin estate, with the exception of the house and gardens, to the National Trust. The Trust wanted to make the grounds accessible to the public and wanted to ensure that there were no hazards resulting from historical mining activity.

The house is a Grade 1 listed building and its frontage of colonnades, dating from the early 17th century, are unique. The sale to the National Trust raised money to fund repairs to the frontage of the house, but in 2007 the money ran out and the house and gardens were sold to the National Trust. From 2007 until 2010 the Trust carried out a detailed assessment of the condition of the property and drew up plans for repairs and restoration which began in 2010.

Godolphin House was built in 1475 by John Godolphin using the profits from local copper mining. His grandson, Sir William I Godolphin (1515-1570), was at Henry VIII’s court and a friend of Thomas Cromwell. He was an engineer and helped to capture Boulogne by organising the tunnelling under the local defences. The linen fold panelling in the dining room dates from this period. On William’s death the estate passed to his nephew, Sir Francis Godolphin (1540-1608) who was the Governor of the Scillies and an innovative mine owner, and then on to William III Godolphin in 1608 after he had spent time in Padua and fought in the Irish nine year war. William III married Thomas in Sidney of Walsingham, a wealthy lady whom he had met at court. William’s time in Italy was thought to have been a major influence in the construction of the colonnades. William was the local Member of Parliament, like his son Francis (1605 – 1667), who inherited the estate in 1613. Francis married Dorothy Berkeley and their children became establishment figures – his heir Sir William was MP for Helston and a baronet, Sidney was King William III’s First Lord of the Treasury, MP for Helston and Earl of Godolphin, and Henry was Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral and Provost of Eton College. Daughters Elizabeth and Jael married into well established families.

Sir William (1640–1710) was unmarried and on his death the Godolphin estate passed to his brother Sidney the First Earl of Godolphin. Sidney died two years later in 1712 and the estate passed to his son Francis the second Earl of Godolphin (1678-1766), whose mother Mary Blagge is buried at Breage church. Francis held many offices and married Henrietta Churchill, the daughter of the Duke of Marlborough.

Francis’ son William (1699-1731) became Marquess of Blandford and married Maria de Jong of Utrecht. When he died without a male heir the estate passed to his sister Lady Mary Godolphin who married Thomas Osborne the 4th Duke of Leeds in 1740. Mary was considered to be the illegitimate daughter of Henrietta and William Congreve, the playwright. The house then remained in the possession of the Leeds family until 1920. In about 1800 the south aspect was largely demolished and the granite re-used or sold. In the 19th century the house was let to farmers. In 1890 the Rosewarnes lived there. In 1920 Peter Quintrel Treloar bought the house from the Duke of Leeds. From 1923 to 1935 it was occupied by the Penna family and in 1935 it was sold to Stack Stevens’ father. In 1937 the estate was put up for sale by auction and was purchased by Walter Elmer Schofield a Pennsylvanian painter living in St Ives with his English wife Murielle. Their artist son Sidney was at the time farming in Suffolk and he brought his farm animals down on the train to Godolphin. Sidney met Mary Lanyon through the St Ives Society of Artists and they were married in 1940.

Since 2010 the National Trust has undertaken a major refurbishment of the house to enable it to be let out as holiday accommodation. A new heating system, kitchen and modern bathrooms have made Godolphin House a very comfortable place to stay. The house is open to the public for limited periods throughout the year.

The September meeting will be held on Friday at Balwest Sunday school starting at 7.30pm. A video by Tony Clarke will be presented entitled “Mining Heritage as it was ...One Man's View”. A nostalgic trip from St Just to Calstock.

GERMOE & DISTRICT WOMEN’S INSTITUTE: Members meet on the second Tuesday of the month (except August) in Praa Sands Community Centre at 7.30pm. Visitors always welcome. Further details from Sheena 01736 761904 The annual Harvest Supper and Auction was held at the September meeting. The event was well attended and began with a short business meeting. Reports were given back of the trip to our twin WI at Carclaze near St Austell and of the workshop held in August to introduce members to parchment work. A stall at the Marazion Indoor Market at the beginning of August selling items donated by members had raised £30. Arrangements were made for our visit to Pendennis Castle on October 2.

The supper consisted of pasties and salads, followed by a selection of puddings. There was a very relaxed atmosphere with friends meeting up after the August break and much chatter and laughter. We were pleased to welcome Dorothy Richards as guest auctioneer again this year and she did not disappoint, running the auction with her usual aplomb and skill and enabling a magnificent £73 to be raised from donated goods. The competition for an item beginning with Q was won by Barbara Hayward with a birthday card made with quilling. Second was Barbara Muxlow with a hand-made quilt and third, Sue Rayment with a book of cat quotations. Next month’s meeting is on Tuesday, October 14 at 7.30pm at Praa Sands Community Centre. The speaker will be Archie Scott, a chiropractor. Visitors are most welcome.