3 April 2007
A warm Spring day attracted an enthusiastic group of 17 adults and 32 children to explore the magical seashore exposed as the tide fell at Helford Passage. Colourful sea anemones, scuttling crabs, wonderfully sculptured shells, delicate worms and skulking shore fish were all discovered to the delight of the young explorers under the guidance of marine biologist, Ruth Williams.
1st December 2007
Dr Thomas Bligh, who lives beside the Helford River, has enjoyed an illustrious career in precision engineering and craftmanship, explosives research, energy conversion, robotic systems, underwater diving equipment, catamaran design and more recently until his retirement, Fellow and tutor at Caius College, Cambridge.
4th April 2008
Taking advantage of the extremely low tide and with dry, mild and slightly breci conditions, 40 persons, about half of them young children, assembled at Helford Passage to take part in the Seashore Safari run by Joana Doyle with two helpers from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
14 January 2012
‘A sewn boat? What’s that?’ ‘Well, it was a way of constructing boats in the Bronze Age, about 2500 BC, before nails had been invented. With the tools available at the time, bronze axes and adzes, logs would be split and fashioned into planks, to be stitched edge-to-edge with fibres from yew branches. Moss was used for caulking.’
Our speaker, Andy Wyke, was well qualified to tell us. As Boat Collection Manager at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, he has been one of the prime movers in a project which will use ancient tools to build a 60ft replica Bronze Age boat at the museum this summer (Apr – Sep), in an open workshop on view to the public.
6 May 2007
Two weeks later Goongillings Farm was again the venue for an HVMCA event but this time it was for an afternoon look at the flowers and other vegetation. A relaxed stroll for the 21 participants with Keith Spurgin and other botanists highlighted the amazing variety of plants appearing on an organic farm under countryside stewardship management. Habitats included woodland with trickling stream, herb-rich meadows with a lake and the upper shore slopes of the saltwater creek. Once again the hospitality offered by Charles and Barbara was greatly appreciated.
Sunday, 23rd August 2009
“Dare you to put your finger in this bucket!”. Then came a yelp, and a rapid withdrawal of the hand. The Velvet Swimming Crab had instantly reared up, arms wide, claws open, its bright red eyes glistening. Only later, when it had subsided, did we see the flattened back legs, with hair-like fringes, that enable it to swim.
17th October 2009
Around 35 members were treated to a fascinating evening on Saturday, 17th October 2009 at Gweek Village Hall, when Sue Sayer of the Cornwall Seal Group spoke with great enthusiasm on The Private Life of Cornish Seals, illustrating her talk with a large number of photographs, drawings and video clips.
