President Secretary & Treasurer

Val Moore Nick Bartle 53 Philpotts Road 88 Weka Street Mairehau Miramar Christchurch 8052 Wellington 6022 Ph: (03) 386 1313 Ph: (04) 388 1958 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Web Site: https://sites.google.com/site/nzcornish/home N e w s l e t t e r

L y t h e r - n o w o d h o w

delicious gravy leaks out. This trick may solve in the media my problem. There has been a rash of TV and radio programmes and articles on Cornish subjects Dropping a clanger recently: a radio article on , the new Whilst on the subject of pasties, Jamie Oliver’s season of Poldark, a mention by Jamie Oliver and latest TV series promoting the revival of long-lost an episode of George Clarke’s ‘Old House, New local British foods tracked down the Home’. Bedfordshire clanger. With a name like that, it sounds like a spoof and I hesitate to take it The tasty and controversial seriously but the clanger appears to be very On Labour Day the morning programme on similar to a pasty. It has a pastry case National Radio featured Paul Daulton of containing a savoury filling at one end and a Traditional Cornish sweet one at the other. It differs from the Foods in the Waikato.

traditional Cornish pasty by using suet pastry

6 Paul and his wife operate and has no crimping. Like the pasty, the clanger a company called was designed as a self-contained meal for

‘Traditional Cornish manual workers. In Bedfordshire, however, it 201 Foods’. They sell their was agricultural labourers rather than miners. wares at farmers’ market around the region. Jamie’s programme carried out a silly comparison of Paul, a trained chef, had done considerable clangers and pasties by research into the history and making of pasties putting them through less-

K e v a r d h u and admitted that, since taking over the than-scientific field tests of Cambridge-based business, pasties had become their ability to withstand on obsession. He provided some scientific being thrown around. background to what makes the pasty so special. / m i s Champion pasty maker All ingredients should be diced uniformly to Graham Cornish was leader of the pasty team. Du ensure even cooking and the correct mouth feel. Predictably, given the purpose of the show, the Chewing food brings out the flavour and it is clanger came out on top.

important to have to chew your pasty. Using m i s

minced meat just isn’t good enough. Sealing the Art Deco transformation in Newquay –

raw ingredients into the pastry case means that A stunning Newquay home was the star of a

9 the juices released by the vegetables help to television show screened on TV3 on 27 October

2 steam and tenderise the meat during cooking. with the story of it being fully renovated in just 4

– 10 weeks. Paul was conscious of the controversy The property on Pentire Avenue went through surrounding the crimping of pasties. His advice b e r rapid transformation thanks to a team of on the all-important issue was that there is no architects, builders and the new owners as part ‘correct’ way so long as it is not across the top. The crimp should always be to the side but  Original

everyone has their own style and technique.  Remodelled D e c e m

/ There is an interesting video on Paul’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CornishPastiesNewZ

m b e r ealand/videos/ which shows a very clever way of tucking up the ends of the crimp to ensure that the case is water-tight. It always annoys me when of George Clarke’s series of ‘Old House New

N o v e I accidentally leave a hole at the end and all the

Home’. The art deco-style house was built in the

1920s and had suffered from years In 1884 he stood for Parliament as a 'democrat' of neglect before the current owners against Julius Vogel in Christchurch North, bought. hoping to capture the working man's vote. He was unsuccessful then and again in 1887 when Marc Bayly was the builder he stood in Sydenham. responsible for most of the structural work. His grandparents actually owned the After he re-entered the ministry in 1888 the building in the 1950s and his mother had grown church sent him to Wellington but this ministry up in it! did not flourish and was abandoned after only two years. Crewes did not again work full time The new owners’ initial plans were to work on the but he continued his lay preaching. building over five years but, once they realised all of the work needed to be done at the same time, Settling in Newtown, Crewes' interest in social then the time span shortened significantly!” work found expression in new directions. He During the process they met George Clarke who, became secretary of several highly successful after hearing what they were doing, wanted to co-operative building societies, and was feature the property on his television show. appointed a justice of the peace in 1898. From 1900 to 1903 he served a term as chairman of The house has had its external appearance the Wellington Board of Conciliation established improved, had an internal remodel, had all of the under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration existing uPVC windows replaced with metal Act 1894. Contemporary reports refer to his framed windows and has been fitted with a new mild manner and amiable disposition. In 1902 projecting balcony and enlarged opening to make he made a last attempt to enter Parliament the most of the sea views. when he stood for the seat of Newtown, but The programme also withdrew before the election. featured another Newquay Crewes' other major contribution to Wellington house in a unique life reflected his passionate interest in location. It sits atop the conservation. Through his wide reading he had island on Towan Beach become very knowledgeable about zoology and and is linked to the he was the prime mover in establishing the mainland by a privately-owned suspension bridge. Wellington Zoological Gardens at Newtown in John Crewes and Wellington Zoo 1906. In 1910 he became the first president of John Crewes was born at Grampound, a small the Wellington Zoological Society and was editor market town in Cornwall, in 1847. He was the of its journal, the Zoo Standard, from 1916 to son of Isabella Francis and her husband, Richard 1925. Crewes, a carpenter. At first the zoo At an early age John was converted to Bible housed a single Christian preaching, which had a considerable lion named King following in Cornwall. A splinter group of the Dick, after then Wesleyan Methodists, the Bible Christians premier, Richard followed teachings based on biblical precept and Seddon. Seddon example. They were characterised by a revivalist, had opened Wellington Zoo in 1906 and evangelical style of preaching, total abstinence Bostock and Wombwell Circus marked the event from alcohol and an affinity with radical politics. by gifting King Dick to the zoo. The lion was Educated in London, he became first a lay soon joined by a kiwi, an emu and some preacher and later an ordained Bible Christian monkeys. By the mid-1920s there were more minister. than 600 animals including six sea lions from the Auckland Islands, an Indian tiger and an In 1877 John married Martha Veale in Plymouth Asian elephant. King Dick, the lion, died in 1921 and in 1879 they joined missionaries already but was stuffed and remains on display in established in Christchurch, NZ. Early in 1881 Wellington Museum. Crewes had the satisfaction of seeing the laying of the foundation stone of a Bible Christian Crewes' last years were clouded by a civil action church in Lower High Street, their first church in brought against him by the Colonial Co-operative this country. Designed to seat 250 worshippers Building Society in 1915 over some disputed and opened free of debt, it was a testimony to his funds. In ill health, he had been granted a year's preaching and energy. At the time he was also leave of absence as secretary of the society in taking services in surrounding country districts. October 1912, but the court found that he was Due to overwork, Crewes' health deteriorated, nevertheless liable for deficiencies in the and left the ministry. society's bookkeeping during that time.

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since trying their first martini 30 years ago. He died at Wellington in December 1925, survived by three sons and a They chose the name “Elemental” for their daughter. product. “When you’re making gin you really are making something unique and special. This story is based on articles in Te Ara, the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, and thanks to Generic gins are bland and often smell of Virginia Graham for pointing out the contribution chemicals. This is something in a completely made by John Crewes. different sphere,” says Jilly. “Gin production is an ancient process dependent on the alchemy Christmas is coming… of the elements of copper and water, both of When thoughts turn to planning for Christmas, which are strong symbols of Cornwall. Our logo most people think of sharing a glass or two of incorporates these traditional alchemy symbols, something alcoholic. John Crewes would not celebrating the heritage of both have approved due to his strong beliefs in total gin distillation and Cornwall’s abstinence, but times change. These days in industrial past.” Cornwall there is an active trend to artisan spirits. The couple and their children moved to Cornwall 18 months For centuries Plymouth has been home to a gin ago. Their daughter Alice has distillery but across the Tamar there is a growing taken over the social media number of small businesses distilling distinctive and son Jeremy pitches in all Cornish flavours into gin. Heading south and over the place. He took the west, you come first to Tintagel, home to The dramatic photograph of Wrecking Coast Distillery. The concept here was Treyarnon Bay that features on the gin’s label. to capture the special smoothness and texture of – not an ingredient that would The first batches of both gins went on sale come to mind first for gin. A separate spirit within a couple of months of each other and extract of the cream is added have both been very well received. Tarquin’s after delicate distillation of Gin won a BBC Good Food Bursary Award and the base spirit in a computer- 4.5 out of 5 from the influential Difford’s Guide, controlled still in Holland. while Elemental has been placed on the Artwork for the label was December tasting menu at the prestigious drawn by local artist, John London Gin Club and has just received “Made Blight. in Cornwall” status from Trading Standards. With many a household stocking up their liquor Southwestern Distillery at St Ervan near cabinets, it is just a case of keeping up with Wadebridge run by Tarquin Leadbetter and his demand. Shame they’re not available in NZ. sister, Athene, takes a much more traditional approach. It uses water from Boscastle Christchurch branch poetically described as “fallen as virgin rain on In August, Joy and Chris Dunkerly, respectively the first dry land after an epic 2000 mile journey President and Secretary of the Cornish across the Atlantic”. The essential juniper Association of NSW, visited Christchurch at the berries come from Kosovo and a host of other start of a tour of New Zealand. Joy (centre) is ingredients are sourced around the pictured with Christchurch members (L to R) world. The flavours of the ‘botanicals’ Margaret Swaney, Jeanette Beaumont, Jean are extracted in wheat spirit which is Piper, Mac Reynolds, president Val and Bruce then slowly hot-distilled in a copper Moore. over open flame carefully rejecting the head and tails (the first and last distillates) and keeping only the heart spirit. There are 220 bottles in a batch. Every label has hand-written tasting notes and a unique pale blue wax cap. The product is truly hand-crafted. Southwestern also produces a Cornish version of The meeting on 17 September 2016 was the pastis, the French aniseed-flavoured spirit, by 49th anniversary of the branch. The President including gorse flowers from local hillsides in its opened proceedings by welcoming the St.Albans ‘botanicals’. Community Choir, 90 members, friends, families Just down the road at Tregonetha near and the public to our annual combined Cornish St Columb, there is another family distillery. Jilly troyl (a word meaning. party or and Jon Meyer have had a passion for the spirit ceilidh).

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The branch held its next meeting on 8 October The audience were greeted on 2016. The President welcomed 26 members arrival with a glass of fruit punch and guests including Virginia Graham of and where seated at tables around Hamilton, new member Dennis O'Brien and re- the hall. joining member Sue Elliott. The afternoon started with the choir The President gave a lesson - singing the "Padstow Morning Song" as a very the nursery rhyme "Baa baa black sheep" which creditable and energetic Hobby Hoss led by its was very difficult master in the translation. We teaser danced into the hall. Choir accompanist then had a try at singing "Trelawney" which was and leader Heather Gladstone explained the much easier. tradition behind the May 1st celebration which is thought to be a fertility right, welcoming spring. Les presented his usual monthly "News from Cornwall" The President announced that at this year’s Gorseth at St. The guest speaker Elizabeth Marshall then took Kevern in Cornwall two us on a "Trip to Vietnam". She described her Christchurch branch members recent 10-day visit to the country which included had gained awards. Heather spending 3 days on boats, a visit to Monkey Gladstone had been admitted Island and a night visit to Da Nang to see the as a Bard and appeared in the lanterns floating down the river. Elizabeth blue Bardic Robes to much recommended a holiday in Vietnam with a applause. The award was for guided tour. She had been there in winter when her musical work both in the temperature was 28 to 35°c and felt very Cornish schools and to the Cornish in New safe at all times. Zealand. Heather’s bardic name is Kernewes 19 members attended the 19 November Ilowek which translates to “Musical meeting when the President’s Cornish language Cornishwoman” – quite appropriate. lesson was on shopping with all its ramifications Dorothy Drew was then for this time of the year. presented with the Paul Smales Les presented some news from Cornwall from medal for her many years of the last few weeks and some amusing notices service in several capacities to that had appeared in church notices over the the Cornish in New Zealand; years. again to sustained applause. A DVD of Cornwall showing some of its wonderful [I hope Dorothy doesn’t mind views, accompanied by a genuine Cornish me spilling the beans about a narrator, was much enjoyed by all. lady’s age but in January she celebrates her 90th birthday Places mentioned in and we wish her “penn blooth lowen!” – happy this newsletter birthday.]

The choir again entertained with well known Cornish songs and took a break while the President told us about a Cornish choir’s adventures in "The Choirs outin’ to farmer Osbournes farm". The choir final songs were "Hail to the Homeland" and “Old Johnny Bugger" and then a rousing rendition of "Trelawney" complete with the rallyimg cry of "Oggy, Oggy, Oggy" and the answering “Oi, Oi, Oi" Before inviting everyone into the lounge for a magnificent afternoon tea of all Cornish fare the President thanked all who had contributed to a most successful afternoon.

That’s it for this newsletter. Nadelik lowen ha bledhen nowydh da! Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

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