Madron Local History Group
Background
Madron History Group owes its origins to the Bewnans Kernow initiative Penwith Points of View project which had funding for two years from 2014 enabling weekly informal meetings to be held in the Forget-Me-Not room Landithy Hall until March 2016.
Penwith Points of View was led by Jane Howells who maintained successful weekly meetings in the Forget-Me-Not room throughout 2014-16 as part of the project. The meetings were well attended by residents and former residents of Madron, plus members of the wider community.
Such was the success of the initiative, those attending wished to continue holding meetings, and the Madron History Group was formed. A first monthly meeting was held on the 6 April 2016 in the Forget-Me-Not room, and the first AGM took place in January 2017.
Subsequent AGMs have taken place prior to the January meetings. The Current Chair of the Madron History Group Committee is Peter Scrase and the Committee members are Madge Christopher, Jane Howells, David Jenkin, Val Thomas, Phil Westren and Roger White.
Topics and Arrangements
Madron History Group topics are based around local subjects of historical, social and cultural interest in the old Madron Civil Parish, which included Chyandour and Tolcarne, and more generally in the Penwith area, with occasional speakers focussing on Cornish historical topics from beyond the Hayle river.
The meetings have attracted more members each successive year and during 2019 over 80 potential attendees were contacted by email prior to each monthly meeting. Meetings are currently held in the Billiard Room next to Landithy Hall, commencing at 7.15 pm on the fourth Thursday of the month, unless otherwise stated.
Attendances rarely fall below 40 members and are often much higher, and by the end of 2019 a total of 45 topics of local interest had been presented since the group’s foundation. Membership is by attendance and voluntary contributions at meetings cover the cost of hall hire, refreshments, equipment provision/repair/replacement, insurance and speaker expenses, if requested.
Fully equipped for a variety of presentations, by the end of 2019 Madron History Group had also held three annual November concerts. Produced and directed by Phil Westren, they were based around themes of local and national events. The first concert reflected on Trafalgar, and the second, in 2018, on WW1.
Besides the WW1 concert, a successful WW1 exhibition was also held in the same month with exhibits and information from many local families. Indeed, such was the popularity of the event that it was rerun after Christmas. The 2019 concert was based on the history of the Ding Dong mine and included a supper for over 80 guests, a play, poetry competition and music. Finally, to provide interest and to help members keep fit (!), several walks are led by members each year – weather permitting.
The timetable of Meetings can be found below which show the full range and variety of subjects of local interest.
Peter Scrase, for Madron History Group – 15 December 2019
Management Committee: Madge Christopher, Jane Howells, David Jenkin, Peter Scrase, Val Thomas, Phil Westren, Roger White Meetings: Held on the fourth Thursday in the month at 7.15 pm in the Billiard Room, Landithy Hall, Madron
Contact: Peter Scrase 01736 363712 07790404771
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Please see document below which is an insight into the history of two nurses who lived in Madron Goldie-and-Tommy-Madron-Nurses