Forty years after graduating from the Royal School of Mines, a group of 16 former students recently got together for a three day reunion to revisit old haunts around Porthtowan and St Agnes.
The Museum was asked to organise a mining themed walk from Chapel Porth back to the Driftwood Spars via the coastal footpath, pointing out features of interest along the way, including a smattering of folklore and social history, as well as mining facts and figures. The Museum hired the St Agnes Community minibus with volunteer driver, our very versatile Curator Clare Murton, to ferry the group from the Driftwood Spars, where they stayed, to the starting point of the walk which was led by our Chairman, Roger Radcliffe.
As the group explored the buildings at Wheal Coates the rain intensified to such an extent that everyone was forced to shelter at the Wheal Coates Tea Room on Beacon Drive, admiring the Wheal Coates bell, which had once hung at the Museum, as they did so. After drying out over coffee and flapjacks, the group set off to St Agnes Head, New Downs Head, the remains of Polberro Mine, the ancient honeycombed workings of Wheal Luna at Trevaunance Point and the remains of the harbour.
The group also spent time in the village, visiting the Museum which one member thought “had a very balanced collection”.
Roger Radcliffe commented: “It was lovely to have been involved with such a jolly and appreciative group, many of whom have become experts in their field.”
Very generously the group collectively contributed £275 towards Museum funds as a token of their appreciation, as well as meeting the cost of the minibus hire.
