Friends – Page 2 – Cornwall Historic Churches Trust

2023 Christmas Drinks Party

Our Christmas Drinks Party on 18th December back at Scorrier after a Covid enforced three year gap was a sell-out success. Libby Reed and her team of volunteers once again produced a mouthwatering selection of canapés ably served by a team of five, dare I say, assorted children and the champagne flowed freely.

We are especially grateful for the support of our sponsors Bonhams and Jonathan Cunliffe who for a second year have ensured the party is also a financial success for the Trust raising over £7,000.

l-r: Verity Vickers, Jonathan Vickers representing Bonhams, Jonathan Cunliffe and Claire Cunliffe

The Christmas Hamper was won by Liz Harris pictured with Cecilia Bisson, Chairman.

Summer Party 2021 Raffle Winner

Our thanks to all those who organised or attended parties on behalf of the CHCT through the summer raising £600. Congratulations to Mrs T Kittow who won the draw for lunch for two at The Quarter Deck, Nare Hotel kindly sponsored by Mr and Mrs Toby Ashworth

Annual Christmas Party 2019

Savills team (l-r) George Hill, Chris Clifford, Rosey Murphy and Michael Pennington.

When our Chairman, Caroline Tetley, initiated the CHCT Christmas Drinks Party I am sure she never conceived how popular it would become.

The generosity of Elizabeth Fortescue at Boconnoc and Caroline and Richard Williams at Scorrier in offering stunning venues on alternate years has meant that the Party reaches most of the Cornwall and its lengthy geography. This year we were able to attract guests spanning nine separate decades. The youngest, Master Barnaby Hodgson, declared after handing around canapes that it was ‘not too bad after all’ and he would be keen to return in 2020. Praise indeed.

We are so grateful to Savills who have been the most generous Sponsors of this event and the team on the night is massively helpful to the CHCT committee. This year over £6,000 was raised.

Susie Gore galvanised her team once again to produce the most mouth-watering canapés and plenty of them! The kitchen is always great fun on the night and Susie has us brilliantly organised.

Jill Jobson

Vanessa Leslie with Father Christmas

Friends of CHCT Annual Lunch

The annual lunch this year was held on the longest day – 21 June – in glorious sunshine at Caerhays Castle, the home of Charles and Lizzy Williams. The castle was designed by John Nash and built in the early years of the 19^th century for John Bettesworth Trevanion, but the enterprise bankrupted the family whose home Caerhays had been since the early 15^th century. John Trevanion fled to the continent and the castle remained empty for some years, its papier-mâché roof letting in the rain and ruining the contents.

The estate was purchased in the 1850s by the Williams family who rebuilt much of the castle and restored the parish church; successive generations have created the glorious gardens which surround the castle.

Over 80 friends enjoyed a wonderful lunch prepared by committee members, and afterwards were taken on a guided tour of the gardens. St Michael Caerhays church had organised a flower festival a few days previously and a visit to this lovely and ancient building to see the beautiful floral arrangements provided a fitting end to a wonderful day.

We offer our grateful thanks to Mr and Mrs Williams and their extremely helpful staff for all they did to make the event run so smoothly, and to the Nare Hotel for its continuing sponsorship. Your committee is already planning next year’s lunch!

Christine Edwards

Our hosts, Mr and Mrs Charles Williams, drawing the raffle with our Trustee Caroline Tetley

Annual General Meeting 2019

We met for our annual meeting at St Michael Penkivel to hear the most enlightening talk by John Allan, who is the Exeter Cathedral archaeologist. John had us riveted for over an hour as he explained how during the Decorated period c.1250-1350 work down in this part of Cornwall was as elaborate in design as some of the work being done at Exeter and Wells, the leading Gothic-style in Europe at the time. Although not on the same scale the use of ‘S’ shaped tracery and elaborate curvilinear designs can be found in quite a few of our parish churches here in Cornwall like St Michael Penkivel and also a group in South East Cornwall centred on St Germans, St Ive and Sheviock.

Notes from the talk by John Allan

Nick Jeanes also made a short presentation about St Michael Penkivel church and pointed out the face of William Morris planted on the little figure of the devil in the bottom left corner of the East window – a jest by the artist who did not credit William Morris with the respect he was getting at the time.

It was a great pleasure to have our Honouree Life President Lord Falmouth with us. In his centenary year Lord Falmouth remains as interested and supportive of the work of the Trust as ever having himself been one of the founder members.

A cream tea rounded off the afternoon in the old school house and was enjoyed by all.