The Stewards’ Preview took place at the Museum on Friday 22 March with 23 Stewards present. It started with coffee/tea, biscuits and homemade cake and an opportunity for mingling and chatting.
Our Chairman, Roger Radcliffe, welcomed everyone and thanked them for their continued support. He demonstrated the new roadside advertising sign, much lighter for Stewards to handle, which fits over the existing bollard. He told everyone of the upcoming Phil Frampton talk at the Methodist Church Hall and warned of the fire risk of leaving chairs pushed against the storage heaters. He mentioned the significance of the newly displayed mine model and the accompanying animated film of that very engine, together with the fact that the full-sized engine is preserved in store at the Science Museum, London, as “a good example of a latter-day small Cornish pumping engine.” He suggested that visitors might be interested to spot the abandoned engine house as they explore the village centre.
Shop Manager, Mike Furness, received a round of applause when he announced that PLU numbers have all been deleted so that all till transactions are now done by barcode reader, which simplifies the process. He informed everyone about the new shop stock, all from local producers, including Gail Cooper’s pottery, Mine Engine House shaped nesting boxes and St Piran flag coasters. He hoped very much that this year will complete a hat-trick of the shop sales reaching over £10k. He challenged all Stewards to enrol at least one new Member this season, and received two promises of new recruits.
Curator, Clare Murton, updated everyone on changes to the displays this season. A smaller pottery display, curated by Alan Dumper, had moved to the first floor, and the mining display was, at the time, a work in progress with the help of Roger Radcliffe, Mike Hockley, Nigel Kendall and Phil Hawke. It will include a new digital picture frame showing a wonderful video of how the pumping engine works, based on Thomas’ Shaft Engine, the model of which made by the late Ian Yarwood, will be on display but incomplete (Ian sadly died before he could complete it). Work to complete it will continue throughout the season. Clare told everyone of our successful bid at auction for a chough which is being restored and which will hopefully be on display later in the season.