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THE CELTIC CONNECTION • APRIL 1992
Get Acquainted With Our Cornish Cousins
By ROYSTON BRUNST
VANCOUVER — Of the six Celtic areas — Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, and the Isle of Man — the first three are well and enthusiastically organized in the Northwest. Now there's a new kid on the block.
Thanks to the sixth annual gathering of Cornish Cousins from the U.S. and Canada at the University of Victoria last August, a real impetus has been given to the local "Cousin Jack and Jennis". Over 200 people attended the conference from all over the U.S. and Canada, two from New Zealand, one from Australia and over 20 from Cornwall itself and Ireland.
Talks ranged from teaching the ancient Cornish language (now there are children whose mother tongue is Cornish) to "Cornwall Today", by the secretary of the London Cornish Society. One speaker pointed out that the oldest human artifacts on the planet still in use are the granite hedges around the small Celtic fields near Lands End.
Like the Irish though, bad times
— such as the failure of mining
— led to the exile of Cornish folk to North America, Australia, South America — anywhere where hard-rock mining could be found. My great-grandfather was born in Brazil, and my grandfather was fatally injured in a mine disaster in Arizona (where my father was born).
Apart from the talks and the enjoyable exchange of information and family histories, Cornish songs were sung and at the
banquet Cornish dances were organized, taught by Terry Jones, who was the private nurse for several years to the well-known novelist, Daphne de Maurier.
Perhaps the most striking event was the first Bardic ceremony on this continent. To quote from Dorothy Atkinson's notes, "Senior Bard Ann Trevethen Jenkin explained the Cornish Gorsedd and ceremonies, all in the Cornish tongue. The assembled bards, 13 in all, in their azure robes, represented the people gathered at the ceremony, the wishes of the Grand Bard and Gorsedd in Cornwall, for peace and strengthening of cultural bonds."
Following the friendly four days at the University of Victoria, a Vancouver Cornish Association was formed. At present, it meets every three months; anyone interested is welcome. The first get-together was at Terry Jones' home in New Westminster, B.C.
The next was at the Morrishs' Lions Bay eyrie just before Christmas, when we sang carols — in Cornish. The most recent was at Royston and Mary Brunst's home in Ocean Park, Surrey, at which three of the participants turned up in the striking black-and-gold rugby jerseys of the victorious Cornish rugby fifteen! In fact, we watched the videotape of the amazing comeback win of Cornwall, from 3-16 down with 16 minutes to play, to a 29-30 victory in extra time, to the exultant delight of over 30,000 Cornish who had travelled up to Twickenham.
Irish, Welsh and Scottish fans will be well aware of the excitement a great rugby encounter can create. Piquancy was added to the occasion as two of the guests were from Yorkshire — the losers. They accepted defeat graciously.
At the March meeting, a pleasant reply was read out from HRH Charles, the Prince of Wales, who owns the Duchy of Cornwall, about the preservation of a famous rockon Bodmin Moor.
The Cornish in British Columbia may be comparatively few in number but they include a wide variety of professions. One member is Margarita Noye, the well-known singer, who has starred as Gilda in Verdi's "Rigoletto" for Vancouver Opera, and has frequently sung in Vancouver and abroad. Another local Cornishman is the owner of Delta Cable TV; another was Head of English at St. George's School in Vancouver for 12 years; a personnel director of a large home-help firm, etc.
Of course, food is vital at such a gathering. There's always a fine potluck array. Centre stage are, inevitably tasty Cornish pasties and saffron buns. No real Cornish person can exist without them.
The next gathering is planned for Saturday noon June 13, at Caribou Park for a picnic. In September, a Cornish invasion of a Vancouver restaurant is plotted.
The Cornish call themselves Cousins. In fact, the writer married his real cousin from
Irish Rover Hospitality
most £ Croton The Unicof ff
Banff Calgary 762- 2121 244-7757
Vancouver 683-4436
Calgary Toronto 233-2666 482-0115
Cornwall. However, we are all cousins to all you Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Bretons and Max men and women, so how about wel-
coming us into your great family, one of the most ancient, if not the most ancient in Western Europe?
Cornish folk
celebrating The 1991 Cornish Rugby Championship wearing genuine Championship jerseys and a Cornish Black and Gold Scarf From left to right: Mary Brunst, Terry Jones, Royston Brunst, Genor Morsh
Want to Join 'The Celts'?
SEATTLE — A love for Celtic folklore and an interest in its history has motivated some Celtic Seattlites to start an informal group called "The Celts", which held its first meeting March 10.
The group's organizers said the meetings, to be held the second Tuesday of every month, will be spent studying different aspects of the Celtic way of life, its history, art and literature. Their ultimate goal is to establish a Celtic centre where instructors
can teach classes in liberal, performing and fine arts, musicians and actors can entertain and works can be exhibited — all open to the public.
Anyone interested in joining the group can call Katherine Moore at (206) 523-0306 or Dr. Merle Pierce at (206) 324-4051. The next meeting will be held April 14 at 7 PM. Coffee and tea will be served and you are welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks.
—Katherine Moore
B.C. PIPERS ASSOCIATION
TO HAVE A GRAND TWO DAY GATHERING
Friday April 17th Scottish Cultural Centre 8886 Hudson Street Vancouver B.C. Piping Recitals & Pebrock Competitions at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday April 18th Band Competitions & Evening Ceilidh
Seaquam School in Delta
for more information call (604) 522-9697 or (604) 263-9911
Pubs & Restaurants across the Country !