GORSEDH KERNOW
LYTHER BARDHEK MOY- BARDIC NEWSLETTER EXTRA
Mis Metheven 2016 - June 2016
A oll ahanowgh hwi ker – Dear all
This year’s bardic ceremony will be held in St Keverne Playing Field, adjacent to St Keverne Community School, School Hill, TR12 6NQ and all the detailed information to enable you to participate is in the enclosed extra newsletter “Arrangements for the 2016 Gorsedh in St Keverne”. Full details of the Esedhvos programme in the week leading up to the Gorsedh ceremony will follow with the next newsletter which will be sent out at the beginning of August, but you can keep in touch with updates through the Gorsedh Kernow website, www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk and click on the Esedhvos box, or by visiting our Facebook page.
Moy a gedhlow adro Lannahevran / Further information about St Keverne
St Keverne is situated in the deanery and Hundred of Kerrier and is on the extreme southern coast of Cornwall on the Lizard Peninsula. Surrounding parishes are Manaccan, St Anthony-in-Meneage, Grade, Ruan Major, Ruan Minor, St Martin-in-Meneage and it is close to the Helford river.
The parish is a coastal one, mainly agricultural and small amounts of quarrying activity. There are three inhabited fishing coves in the parish: Porthallow, Porthoustock and Coverack with several hamlets including Traboe, Rosenithon, Laddenvean, Tregowris and Ponsongath.
The church spire has been a landmark for shipping for much of its existence. The parish includes the notorious Manacle Rocks (deriving its name from Cornish "Maen Eglos" - or Church Rocks) which has claimed many a ship because the rocks are submerged at high tide. The most famous ship lost was the SS Mohegan which was wrecked on the Manacles in 1898 with the loss of 106 lives, and also the Barque John.For more information about St Keverne church visit the website
http://www.st-keverne.com/History/Book/curnow.php
The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 and in 1497 the Cornish rebellion, led by Michael Joseph An-Gof from St Keverne and Thomas Flamank from Bodmin , started their march on London from St Keverne. The event is marked by an inscription on the Church wall and a statue of them in the village.
Here is a link to a map of the area
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/St+Keverne,+Helston,+Cornwall/@50.0491785,-5.0935642,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x486b2fc18512b101:0xa10f443eb98f0a0!8m2!3d50.0500538!4d-5.0879323
The facilities of St Keverne Chapel Hall in Commercial Road will be available for families and friends of bards on the Saturday after the ceremony, for light refreshments. There are toilets here but no parking. There will of course be plenty of food stalls and refreshments for families and visitors to enjoy.
There will be toilets, including for disabled, on the playing field and some in the pavillion. There are also public toilets just off The Square in the village.
Visitors are welcome to bring folding chairs to place outside the bardic circle to watch the ceremony in comfort. We would especially like to encourage families and friends of bards AND the general public to attend the ceremony and some of the Esedhvos events held during the week before.
Keskusulyans Gorsedh Kernow/Gorsedh Kernow Conference
Friday 2nd September 10am - 4pm Conference “Border at Risk” @ St Keverne Parish Hall, Well Lane, St Keverne, TR12 6LZ. Tickets £5 to include refreshments and a pasty lunch. Pre-booking advised through the bards booking form.
This promises to be a very interesting day and tickets are selling already, so if you haven’t got your tickets you are advised to do so as soon as possible. A flyer with the full Conference programme will be sent with your next newsletter or it can be downloaded from the Gorsedh Kernow website Esedhvos page.
Fylm Gwarnyans / Film of the Proclamation
Keith Shaw, Kaswydh, has arranged for a film of the St Keverne Proclamation, held on Saturday 16th April, to be posted on YouTube and on the Gorsedh Kernow website under News/Videos.
Arghasans rag an taves Kernewek / Funding for the Cornish language
Many of you will have read with dismay the sudden decision by HM Government to withdraw with immediate effect the meagre amount of funding allocated to help Cornish, a vital part of our unique culture. There have been claims and counter claims as to why this has happened but the Leader of Cornwall Council John Pollard, Kampyer A’gan Ertach, has written to James Wharton MP, Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse, challenging the decision. John Pollard wrote “ At the time I was reassured that this was a technical matter and that another funding route would be identified. I am, therefore, particularly surprised that your letter refers to the Devolution Deal as a reason why funding has been cut.”“Far from being a ‘local’ matter the scope of the Charter for Regional and Minority languages extends its protections to the specified languages at all levels right across the UK. Kernewek is, in historical and cultural terms, a living and fundamental element of British culture, making it a matter of cross-UK importance, not merely a ‘local’ issue”. John Pollard has called for a special meeting to agree a funding package which is acceptable to both Cornwall and the Government.
There is an online petition calling for funding to be re-instated, please sign and share it. Thank you.
The link is tinyurl.com/cornish-petition
Lyvrow Dydhyow ha Dydhlyvrow rag 2017/Calendars and Diaries for 2017
An order form is also enclosed for the beautiful calendars (the only one I know of that shows Cornish Feast Days) and desk diaries from Sarah Lay of Pentyr Publishing. Please order using the form or through the shop page of the Gorsedh Kernow website www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk
Lyther Newodhow Bardhek/Bardic Newsletter
Information to be included in the next newsletter, for August, September & October 2016, should be submitted please to Delia Brotherton, Myrghwyn Melynor, Communications Officer by email to by the 15th of July. It will include the full Esedhvos programme.
If you have an email address and wish to receive the newsletter electronically please tell the Membership Secretary, David Holman on
Although everyone receives the quarterly newsletter there may be “short notice” events that members who receive paper copy will not hear about.
There is plenty of info about Gorsedh Kernow and regular news updates on our website,
so please visit www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk or you can or
Delia Brotherton, Myrghwyn Melynor,
Communications Officer, Gorsedh Kernow.
GORSEDH KERNOW – THE CORNISH GORSEDH 1928 - 2016
Arrangements for the 2016 Gorsedh in St Keverne
Solempnita Gorsedh Kernow, dy Sadorn 3es mis Gwynngala, Park Gwari Lannahevran /
Gorsedh Kernow ceremony Saturday 3rd September, St Keverne Playing Field
This year’s ceremony will be held at ST KEVERNE PLAYING FIELD, adjacent to St Keverne Community School, School Hill, TR12 6NQ. Please note that this is a different venue to the one where the Proclamation ceremony was held in April.
You have already been sent a form to book a place for the ceremony and a ticket for the bardic tea, and places at the Gorsedh Conference for the September St Keverne ceremony with the previous newsletter. For those who would like to book using the online booking system the details are given below. If for any reason you have not received this form please contact the Membership Secretary, David Holman, Rifelwas, by email on
If you received your newsletter by post the form was enclosed with it.
If you received your newsletter by email then you can book by printing off the form from the Gorsedh Kernow website www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk then click on yellow box “Bards”, hover over arrow on yellow box “Bards” and click on “News for Bards” or go direct with the following link
http://www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk/newsforbards.html#booking
If booking by email please send your booking form to
If sending by post please enclose a self addressed envelope with your cheque/postal order made payable to AN GOF, Gorsedh Kernow St Keverne 2016 and send your completed form with your remittance to:- Mrs Jan Warfield, The Moors, Porthallow, St Keverne, Helston, TR12 6PN to arrive by FRIDAY 5TH AUGUST. We strongly advise you to book early.
Accommodation
If you wish to stay in the area and have not already booked accommodation you are strongly advised to do so as soon as possible.
St Keverne village does have a selection of catered and self catering accommodation but there are no large hotels in the immediate area. In the actual village there is The White Hart Hotel, Eden House B & B and the Old Temperance House B & B and self catering cottage. In Coverack there is The Bay Hotel and The Paris Hotel. There is also the Gallen-Treath in Porthallow. The nearest large town is Helston.
There are also lots of self catering holiday cottages in the area, several camping sites including Porthkerris (off the road to Porthallow) and a small caravan touring park with shower & toilet facilities in St Keverne on the Porthoustock road, and some in and around Coverack that have touring pitches and static caravans for hire, such as Penmarth and Trevothan.
Here are a few other suggestions for online accommodation searches..
http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/accommodation/St-Keverne/10.htm
http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/accommodation/stkeverne-bedandbreakfast.asp
https://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/st-keverne/
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/VacationRentals-g528885-Reviews-St_Keverne_Helston_Cornwall_England-Vacation_Rentals.html
Car Parking for Bards
Car parking for Bards, other than disabled Bards, will be in Roskilly’s Field next to the small Community car park (near the St Keverne band room) in Lemon Street on way to Porthoustock. Bards and visitors are welcome to park here all day and for the evening events.
Please do not park in the school car park which is reserved for disabled bards.
Any Bard who has mobility problems needs to say on their booking form and a special parking sign for your car will be issued so that parking can be as near to the changing rooms as possible.
Disabled Bards
Car parking for disabled Bards will be in the ST KEVERNE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CAR PARK, School Hill, St. Keverne, TR12 6NQ.
There will be one special area in St Keverne School for disabled people to change in, both male and female, so that the stewards can assist with their needs. Access to this room is in the main school building and is just a few yards from the car park. There is a disabled access at the front of the school. The ceremony site is quite near to the robing room and there will not be a minibus, but if you require assistance to the bardic circle, please fill in the form appropriately and please advise the Senior Marshal in advance if you have any other special requirements for the day.
The Gorsedh ceremony site
The route from the main roads will be marked by black and yellow Gorsedh Kernow signs. The site for the ceremony is St Keverne Playing Field, close to St Keverne Community School, School Hill, St Keverne, TR12 6NQ. The terrain to the site from St Keverne Community School is mostly level with a short slope into the playing field.
Directions to St Keverne
From Helston take the A3083 signposted to The Lizard. Go past the Culdrose naval base and at the roundabout at the far end of the Culdrose base turn left on to the B3293 signposted to Coverack and St Keverne. Continue on this road, which is narrow in places and has some very sharp bends, staying on the B3293 and following the signs to St Keverne. As you come into St Keverne you will go past the An Gof statue (on your left). Continue on down the hill, the road narrows, and you come into the High Street and on into The Square. Continue straight on (do not turn left around The Square) and School Hill is on your right just past the Post Office. The Parish Hall is in Well Lane which is round to the left of The Square (keeping The White Hart on your left) into Commercial Road and next right. Please be aware that parking is very restricted and you are asked to park only in designated car parks but St Keverne is very compact and all locations and venues are near to The Square, so unless you have difficulty walking there is not a great distance between sites.
Public attendance is FREE and welcome and it is hoped that visitors will regard the ceremony as a mark of the unique difference between the Celtic nation of Cornwall, now recognised under the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and the entirely separate counties of England. The ceremony will be conducted by the Grand Bard of Cornwall, Dr Merv Davey, Telynor an Weryn, assisted by the Gorsedh Officers.
Robing
Robing rooms will be open from 10.30am onwards in the Community School, St Keverne. There will be NO morning civic procession. Bards are advised to arrive early for robing. As the school is very compact robing rooms will be clearly signposted and will be shown on a plan in the school hall when you arrive. Please note – Bards are asked NOT to eat in any of the changing rooms – thank you. Tea and coffee will be available in the school hall before the ceremony and of course there will be food and refresments stalls in the ceremony field.
New Bards
Following numerous requests, we have decided to take a group photograph of all new bards with the Grand Bard Merv Davey as a welcoming souvenir of this special day. In order to keep to a reasonable timetable the photograph will be taken by one of Gorsedh Kernow’s official photographers, Gareth Parry or Ivor Corkell, IN THE ROBING ROOM BEFORE THE BARDIC CEREMONY.
Seating
The chairs forming the Bardic circle are for Bards, Dignitaries and special guests only.
Visitors are asked not to enter into the Bardic circle although they are very welcome to view the ceremony from the outside of the circle. Visitors are welcome to bring their own chairs to sit behind the bardic circle if preferred.
Wet Weather
In the event of wet weather the afternoon Gorsedh ceremony will take place in a venue which will be confirmed in the August newsletter.
Photography
Sorry but only official Gorsedh Kernow photographers will be allowed in the bardic circle during the ceremony.
Stalls
There will be a number of stalls at the Playing Field site selling Cornish language books, Cornish memorabilia, crafts and other goods with a Cornish theme. Displays are also welcome if they relate to Cornish cultural life. We are hoping to provide marquees for stall holders. There will also be a Book Fair alongside the book launch in St Keverne Parish Hall on Thursday 1st September at which stalls are also available. Details and application forms are available from Pat Parkins, Gorsedh Kernow Esedhvos Events Manager, email or tel 07762 169 733.