On the second Monday in January, around sixty members and guests gathered at the Carlyon Bay Hotel to celebrate a momentous milestone: the centenary of the St Austell Old Cornwall Society.
The room was festive with red and green table decorations—the colors assigned to the Society by the Federation—and many attendees proudly wore newly created centenary badges. The Society’s historic banner, created in 1930 by the renowned Cornish artist and former President, Baragwanath King, was also prominently displayed. Highlights of the occasion included:
- Distinguished Guests: Chairman Sandra Heyward welcomed members and the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Col Sir Edward Bolitho.
- Cornish Tradition: President Val Jacob opened the proceedings by saying Grace in the Cornish language.
- Royal Toasts: Following a superb meal, the Lord Lieutenant proposed toasts to HM the King, the Duke of Cornwall, and the next 100 years of the Society.
- Family History:Sir Edward provided an amusing and informative talk on his family’s deep roots in West Cornwall as tin smelters, bankers, and landowners.
A poignant touch was added by the President, who displayed a 100-year-old tablecloth on the top table, hand-worked by her mother in 1925. The celebration concluded with members retiring to the lounge for informal chat, marking a successful start to the Society’s second century.