President Secretary & Treasurer Elaine James Nick Bartle 74 Paynters Avenue 49 Lohia Street Strandon Khandallah New Plymouth 4312 Wellington 6035 Ph: (06) 769 9904 Ph: 027 578 8568 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail:[email protected] Web Site: https://sites.google.com/site/nzcornish/home N EWSLETTER L y t h e r - n o w o d h o w National meeting members at 31 March 2019. By contrast, thanks to generous donations, the finances The national meeting held in New Plymouth on were in good health. A copy of the Saturday, 11 May was a great success. A big vote independently-reviewed financial statements is of thanks to the Taranaki Branch for being such enclosed with this newsletter. warm hosts. Elections of members. Elaine James was the Proceedings started with lunch. only nomination for national president so was Delicious pasties were elected unopposed. Jeanette Beaumont and provided by Paul Dalton at Janet Grange were elected as national vice- Traditional Cornish Foods. presidents due to their positions in their Paul generously donated respective branches. Nick Bartle was also the pasties for everyone as well as only nomination for secretary/treasurer so was getting them delivered from his re-appointed to the role. 9 Cambridge bakery to New Plymouth. Given the financial position, it was decided not 201 to change the national subscription from Next time you travel $10.00 a year. Branch subs are set a little through the Waikato higher so that the branch can retain some be sure to make a funds to cover costs. detour to 19 Victoria Street (entrance off Bath Street) in M e t h e v e n Cambridge to sample a pasty or two or three…! Paul sells his m i s pasties at various / markets in the Waikato and will also courier frozen pasties around the Resolutions were passed unanimously to M e country. To place your order phone 027 reimburse travel expenses for out-of-town 5323618, go online to www.cornishpasties.co.nz officers and to cover admin costs of the m i s or find the Cornish Pasties NZ page on Facebook. secretary/treasurer. – There were over 20 members at the meeting There was some discussion around the operation of the Association’s bank accounts 4 including four national members and two members from Christchurch. Official business and it was decided to “future proof” signing 44 got under way at 1:30 with a authorities by making the Branch treasurers welcome from Elaine James, signatories as well as the national treasurer. A Taranaki Branch President. further $1,000 was to be placed on term Elaine presented her report as deposit with KiwiBank bringing the total on acting national president. She deposit to $7,000. expressed thanks to her local The representatives of the Christchurch Branch support team and loyal kindly agreed to host the next meeting in May members, sparing a thought May / June 2021. for those who have passed away over the last two years. When the business was concluded and the meeting closed, Geoff Curson outlined his work The secretary’s report recorded National president, so far on the history of the Association that membership had declined Elaine James, opens describing how he was summarising past sharply to only 87 paid-up the meeting newsletter and reading quotes from his draft. address is [email protected] Then the Phoenix Morris Dancers entertained with There are two ways to pay your sub: traditional dances tunes Post me cash or a cheque with your and songs inside, outside renewal form or and all around the houses of the Telford Retirement Deposit the money direct into our bank Village. The residents account at a Kiwibank Branch or by online seemed enchanted by banking. The account number is their energy and 38-9003-0932058-02 and be sure to put enthusiasm. One of the your name in the bank reference fields so I dances was called the Tinner’s Rabbit and know who has paid. depicted the hunting and capture of a rabbit. It Branch members: please see your local treasurer. was inspired by the three hares symbol common When you pay your branch sub they will in the West Country of the UK. forward part of it to me. Each hare appears to have 2 ears but there are Party time actually only 3 ears shared May is a month of celebrations and events between the animals. The across Cornwall. dance is performed by three dancers using sticks The first on the calendar is Padstow ‘Obby ‘Oss to represent the connection held on 1st May. Two ‘Osses parade around the between the hares. The Tinner’s town throughout the day accompanied by Rabbit sounds as if it could be Cornish. dancers, drums, accordions and teasers Unfortunately, as far as anyone can tell it wearing originated in south Devon. either red or blue The afternoon (and what a great afternoon it ribbons. was!) ended with the obligatory afternoon cuppa The red and raffle. denotes the Old ‘oss and All change! the blue for Those with an eye for detail may already have the Blue spotted that my address and phone number in Ribbon ‘oss. the masthead have changed. I am shifting home The teasers are meant to excite each ‘oss into to Khandallah in July. If you wish to write to me a frenzy of crazy gyrations. The legend goes please use the new address. I have not that any young woman caught under the ‘skirt’ organised a new telephone connection yet so if of one of the bizarre costumes will become you wish to speak to me please call or text me on pregnant within a year. This year, one lady my mobile. suffered a neck injury allegedly from the Blue Ribbon ‘oss and was air-lifted to hospital. The move is prompting a change in internet provider so there is a new e-mail address too. The Padstow revelry is a bawdy affair driven by beer and fertility rights. In contrast at Helston Google is replacing the free website service that a week or so later, the citizens dress in their the Association has been using. It may mean that ball gowns, tops hats, white ties and tails to there is a new website address in the near future. dance through the streets of the town. It is Developments may require some additional much more polite and refined but also believed training that could take time to organise. Stay to stem from a celebration of Spring and the tuned for developments. coming Summer. Subscription time Both events The new subscription year began on 1 April so the draw crowds subs for 2019/2020 are now due. As agreed at from all the national meeting, the rate of national around. subscription is $10.00 per annum. Helston Flora National members: please complete the enclosed Day is charac- renewal form (which confirms your contact terised by four dances led by a brass band details) and post it back or send me an e-mail starting with the morning dance at 7 a.m. The with the same information. The new e-mail children’s dance is held later in the morning, 2 the main dance at midday and an evening dance physical nature at the 30th World Pilot Gig at 5 p.m. The Hal-an-Tow is also performed Championships on the Isles of Scilly in May. It around the town between-times and is a type of was an eventful month. mystery play involving characters based on Robin Held over the long weekend at the start of the Hood, St George and St Michael. month including the May Day public holiday, International competitions 2019 was the event’s 30th anniversary. It is 2019 was also a year in which the Cornwall the highlight of the visitor season for the Scilly International Male Choral Festival was held. Male Isles. This voice choirs are part of Cornish tradition – picture year’s gangs of miners going underground. The festival competition is started in 2003 and has been held every two likely to have years since growing in stature and reputation. been the biggest ever with a massive 169 gigs competing. Its popularity means that it is out-growing the time 60 choirs took part with over 3,000 all-male and facilities available. Next year they’re voices but ages ranged from schoolboys to limiting the number of boats. retirees. 28 Cornish choirs were joined by choirs from South Africa, Australia, Canada, the Most competitors are from Cornwall and south- Netherlands, Russia, Lithuania and Croatia as west England but teams from the Netherlands well as 22 from England, Scotland and Wales. are regular competitors. This year there were also teams from USA and Bermuda. Echoing Champion choir was the Jamaican bobsled team at the winter the Croatian Klapa Olympics, this was the first time the Bermudan Kastav vocal crew had competed against or even met other ensemble. Celtic gig rowers. Male Ensemble took second place The Cornish pilot gig is a six-oared rowing boat, and won the shield built to strict specifications using Cornish for best overall narrow leaf elm, 32 feet (9.8 m) long with a Cornish Choir. Both were in the 40 voices and beam of 4 feet 10 inches (1.47 m). Designed under category. as a general work boat, gigs were used to transport harbour pilots out to incoming Of the larger choirs with 41 voices or more, vessels. Crews would race to get their pilot on Muntra Musikanter, a Finnish-Swedish choir, took board a vessel first in order to get the job and first prize.