Morrab Library

Slide Collection

2012-02-24T05:00:00.001-08:00

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Days Gone By: Pioneer

After a rather more extended hiatus than we'd anticipated, our slide collection posts are now back on track. We're kicking things off for 2012 with this beautiful, photograph from the 1920s. It shows passengers boarding the fishing vessel 'Pioneer', for one of the regular sea excursions around to Lamorna Cove. It looks charming and dignified, and is making us long for summer days on calm waters.

The Poineer was built by the Paynters of St.Ives in 1899, and was one of the first such vessels to be fitted with a steam engine. It was owned by the Hendy family, originally worked out of St.Ives, and after some war service, fished out of Newlyn until 1966. At some stage her steam engine was replaced with a Kelvin Internal Combustion Engine. She was restored, and then relaunched in 1999.

We believe this information is correct, but as always, would appreciate your input - any corrections, more info or comments are most welcome and encouraged. Thank you.

2012-02-03T04:58:00.000-08:00

We asked members with bulging bookshelves of their own if they'd like to bring surplus volumes to the library and sell them on their own little stalls. We were deluged! So, on the 18th there will be stalls in every room of the library - and a wide-ranging array of stock is promised - children's books to local history to contemporary fiction and all things in between. Come along to expand your collection, and support the library at the same time (10% of all proceeds go to the library).

Wrong Dates!

2012-01-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

This post is both an apology and a warning... Somehow, despite being passed by three pairs of (not so) beady eyes, we managed to get our 2012 dates a bit muddled on the calendar of events. So if you received a newsletter from us, we're very sorry, but the dates are incorrect. In early 2012, the correct dates for lectures and A.G.M are:

Winter Lecture Series / Bob Harrison 'Carry On Up The Volga' / Wednesday 8th February at 2:15pm

A.G.M / Monday 5th March 2012 at 2pm

Winter Lecture Series / Cecil Jenkin 'A Newlyn Childhood' / Wednesday 14th March at 2:15pm

There will be a 2012 newsletter winging its way to you later this month with further (hopefully correct this time) event dates for the rest of the year. Sorry.

Winter Lecture Series

2012-01-12T04:23:00.000-08:00

This month's 'lecture' was actually a film - made by John Potter and introduced by the man himself. A box office smash: no spare seats, everyone enjoyed the film about Nanquidno (where John and his wife actually live now) - in particular hearing from 'Egbert' about his family and life as it was in times gone by, and to see footage of the Choughs, now back in the valley.

Next month's lecture is on Wednesday 8th February, (2:15pm) and is brought to you by Bob Harrison, title: Carry On Up The Volga.

Please also note, the lectures aren't exclusively for members - all are welcome so do come along for a little mental stimulation / diversion (followed by some reviving tea and Saffron cake!).

New Year - New Course

2012-01-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

Robin Lenman (editor of The Oxford Companion to the Photograph) is hosting a new lecture series at the library. Commencing on February 2nd, and at the very reasonable cost of £24 for the six sessions, each session has a theme and will be followed by discussion -

#1 'All things under the sun': The rise of photography.

#2 The Global Medium

#3 Humanist Documentary Since The 1930s

#4 'You press the button...': The Snapshot

#5 Photography and the Environment

#6 Staging, Faking and Manipulation from Daguerreotype to Digital.

Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment - And you needn't be a member of the library to attend the Lecture series, all are welcome. For further information and to book a place, please telephone 01736 330 869, or ask in the library.

2011-12-08T04:44:00.000-08:00

Splendid day - thank you everyone* for your support.

We hope you all have a Jolly Christmas and happy new year!

(*And special thanks to George for the photographs)

2011-11-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

Come one, come all!

Lots of superb stalls selling all sorts of handmade fare. Liz's food stall is always a sell out within the first half-hour so well worth coming early for the delicious treats on offer there. Everyone's welcome so come along, enjoy a glass of mulled wine and mince pie while you do a spot of Christmas Shopping. We look forward to seeing you!

2011-11-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

Friday's Mexican 'Dia de los Muertos' Feast at the library was amazing - we raised just over £500 for the library! The fancy dress costumes were brilliant (Martin's 'Chinese' attire was slightly off brief but he more than made up for it with the Tequila -not a drop left by the end of the evening). David made a toxic punch which was drank in its entirety. Liz's menu was inspired and delicious, and quite unbelievably carried off considering there's no oven at the library and she had to cook the lot in advance before transporting it over from her house. Everyone seemed to have a grand time so thank you to all who came along and those who helped out decorating beforehand and clearing up afterwards. (Masses of washing up!)

There's more photos of guests in costume over on the library facebook page, but here's the decorated room...

2011-11-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last few tickets* remaining for this friday's Day of the Dead feast at the Morrab Library -phone/visit/email us to book your place asap.

*This event is exclusively for library members and their guests.

2011-11-01T03:34:00.000-07:00

We thought this little book apt for wishing everyone a happy halloween. By 'a mere phantom',it was published in 1880 by Houlston and Sons. "The increased use of the Magic Lantern as a means of beguiling the long evenings of winter, render a brief and simple guide for the unscientific purchaser not only desirable, but necessary."

2011-10-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

Wednesday saw the first in our 2011/12 Winter Lecture Series here at the library. Chris Wiblin gave a fascinating and very well illustrated lecture on John Vibert, the Penzance printer, bringing a car-boot full of framed prints both from his own collection and borrowed, and also showed some of the Vibert prints we have here in the archives at the library. During the tea break, everyone enjoyed looking at Chris's collection of prints - and also the display Sheila (volunteer) had put together in the library reception room - as well as the Saffron cake that was on offer... Many thanks to Chris for his insightful lecture - also to Ros et al for tea-making and washing up duties.

Next month's lecture will be on Wednesday 9th November at 2:15pm and is being given by John Rawles - 'Mathematics, Morality & Metaphor'. The lectures are open to members and non-members so if you'd like to come along please do - admission by donation, (free tea + cake).

2011-10-06T10:26:00.001-07:00

MORRAB BOOK & POSTCARD FAIR

2011-09-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

We're all gearing up for this year's Book and Postcard fair, to be held at St. John's Hall, Penzance, this coming Saturday 24th September from 10 - 4. It promises to be a great day - loads of second-hand and antiquarian book stalls, postcard stalls, raffle, delicious cakes, tea & coffee - all to raise money for the Morrab Library. Everyone is welcome, so do please come along and support the library. Hope to see you there!

2011-09-02T03:29:00.000-07:00

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This month's offering from the slide collection. We have a fair bit of information about this one, but if you have any more we'd be really grateful - thank you.

'Loading Stone Boats' on the South Pier at Newlyn c1970

This is a Ruston diesel Loco (LM 40, No. 375315), used to deliver the millions of tons of 'Blue Elvan' stone quarried at Penlee (started in 1880s and originally called Gwavas Quarry). Vessels were moored alongside the railway, and the trams, each containing two and a half tonnes, tipped the stone chippings into the hold. The narrow gauge railway ran from the end of the Lighthouse Pier back to the quarry 'bins' which have since been demolished. In 1973, a new conveyor system replaced the familiar little trains, and the whole quarry operation ceased in the 1990s.

The brass plate on the tram (bottom right) refers to a Newlyn man: Mr. John W Jenkin, a much respected and long serving employee of the firm. The loco driver (just visible - you can see his hand + a boot!) could well be Mr. Bill Sleeman and the figure helping to tip the trams is possibly Mr. Louis Lawry.

In the distance you can see glimpses of Newlyn - to the left, the houses above Sandy Cove and the road to Mousehole. And to the right the houses above the Fishermens Arms Inn extending up to Lynn Terrace and St. Peter's Hill.

The Penlee story is well documented and a major part of Newlyn's history.

Penzance Literary Festival 2011

2011-08-04T02:50:00.000-07:00

Penzance Literary Festival took place in the town last week and the library hosted a number of talks and workshops as well as offering Library tours throughout the week.

Dawn (who conducts our regular Friday afternoon library tours) did a fantastic job and took lots of people around the library, explaining our history and origins, and showing some unique items from the special collections and archive. We would also like to thank Ros in particular who was an amazing host, offering visitors tea, coffee and biscuits and doing a mountain of washing up - the best front of house we could ask for.

The talks and workshops were all well attended and enjoyed- the reading room was packed out for three lectures/workshops a day and all the guest speakers were well received. So, well done to Peter Levin and his team who co-ordinated and ensured everything ran smoothly - the festival was even bigger and better than last year and we look forward to PZ lit-fest 2012!

Brand new books!

2011-08-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Book Selection Committee (Annabelle, Sheila, Jenny, George and Eric) met last week: Choosing from members' suggestions and their own reasearch they've ordered thirty-six new titles for the library. The new books have begun to arrive, and its been a treat to open the boxes (lovely-new-book-smell) and start cataloguing. List of all the new titles below:

NON-FICTION

The Naive & Sentimental Novelists (Orham Pamuk), The Arsenic Century (James C. Whorton), Held By The Sea (Jane Darke), Cables From Kabul (Cowper Coles), The Levelling Sea (Philip Marsden), The Russian Court at Sea (Frances Welch), Working The Room (Geoff Dyer), Venetian Navigations (Andrea di Robilant), Adonis to Zorro (Delahunty & Dignen), In Search of a Masterpiece (Christopher Lloyd), The House in France (Gully Wells), The Butterfly Isles (Patrick Barkham), The Smell of Summer Grass (Adam Nicholson), Kiki de Montparnasse (Jose-Luis Bocquet), The Sugar Barrons (Matthew Parker), The Bauhaus Group (Nicholas Fox-Weber)

FICTION

The Troubled Man (Henning Mankell), A Death In Summer (Benjamin Black), Jamrach's Menagerie (Carol Birch), Sex and Stravinsky (Barbara Trapido), Underground Time (Delphine de Vigan), The Last Gift (Abdulrazak Gurnah), A Visit From the Goon Squad (Jennifer Egan), Manna From Hades (Carola Dunn), Warhorse (Michael Morpurgo), How To Live (Sarah Bakewell), Mr Chartwell (Rebecca Hunt), The Stranger's Child (Alan Hollinghurst), The Doll (Daphne du Maurier), The Bradshaw Variations (Rachel Cusk), Today (David Miller), On His Majesty's Service (Allan Mallinson), Invisible River (Helena McEwan), The Girl in The Polka Dot Dress (Beryl Bainbridge), King of The Badgers (Philip Hensher), The Mirabelles (Annie Freud)

Photographic Archive - Slide Collection

2011-07-28T03:54:00.000-07:00

Recently, Margaret Orchard donated a large collection of photographic slides to the library‘s Photographic Archive. The collection belonged to Cyril Orchard, her husband, and he used the slides to illustrate the numerous lectures and talks he gave.

The collection is currently being sorted and catalogued by Glyn and Alan, who volunteer here in the Photographic Archive. And they thought it a good idea to let people see the collection, in the hope that we might get some more information about the pictures’ subjects and scenes. So, we’re going to post one image a month for you to see, and hope that you might comment if you have any more information. Also, should you wish to buy a copy of the photograph, prints can be purchased from the library - visit the website for details on prices. Thanks!

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Mr Bond Clark, pictured at his shop at the bottom of Adelaide street, Penzance. C1988. He owned an emporium selling engineering tools, hardware, general tools, car accessories etc. Where the shop’s back entrance was, on Bread Street, he had a garage, and he used to drive his Jaguar in there in the mornings before opening. Everything he had was immaculate; he kept his car in pristine condition and the shop window was always spotless and full of lovely shiny spanners and other tools. We don’t know when the shop opened or when it closed, so any information anyone can give about Mr Bond Clark’s would be greatly appreciated.

2011-07-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

Jessica Mann has generously donated a whopping 50 brand-spanking-new crime books to the library. We catalogued them all yesterday and they're ready to go out - be the first! Thank you Jessica.

2011-06-23T02:33:00.000-07:00

Morrab Library + Gardens Annual Summer Fete:

After waiting out the brief showers in the morning, the sun came out and so did lots of visitors - the gardens looked super: green + busy.

A delighted Mary Ellery (chairwoman) popped in this morning to say that the Friends of Morrab Gardens raised over £1700! The library also did fantastically well, raising a massive £2768 - a whopping £721 improvement on last year:

Seventeen savvy new members took advantage of our half price offer and the plant and bric-a-brac stalls added their £250 to the pot. The raffle was popular and Mayor Jan drew Cedric Appleby's (pictured in apron!) ticket for first prize with plenty of others following suit winning artwork, ceramics, tickets to the Eden Project and other prizes. The Tombola stall had only a lonely can of lager left on it by 2pm and raised £83.00 and the cake stall was pretty much sold out by then too. Tuesday saw the big clear up: bunting + banners away, tables stacked up, plenty of hoovering and its business as usual again at the library.

It was a fantastic day, so thank you to all who came along and supported the library and the gardens and a huge thank you to everyone who volunteered, washed up, brought coffee to stallholders, baked cakes, manned stalls and generally made the day run smoothly.

(photos - Glyn Richards) AH

2011-06-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Morrab Library = Bedecked in preparation for Saturday's Fete

Bunting went up today, Room 3 is impassable due to the mountains of books to be sold (Dr. Eric has worn out his pencil pricing them all) and there are more bric-a-brac items than books in the 'literature' room...

2011-06-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

Summer Fete time! The library is full of bric-a-brac, books and bunting in preparation for next Saturday (18th) - we hope lots of you can come along to what promises to be a brilliant day (and cross your fingers for dry weather!)

The Hidden Gardens of Penzance

2011-06-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

All the effort on the day proved to be well worth it. Stalwart gardeners from all over Cornwall braved grey skies and drizzle and saw a dozen or so Penzance gardens all at their very best.

Marvelous gardens both large and small were pored over and commented upon and dozens of cream tea fanciers meant there wasn't a scone left anywhere in the whole of Penzance! We made £1200 for Library funds, sold dozens of raffle tickets and had a lot of fun. Many many thanks to everyone who helped and anyone with a garden they would like to include next year - please get in touch...

Here's an image from the Morrab Gardens where Joe set up the bug mansion. All Morrab Gardens bugs are now properly housed thank you.

UPCOMING LECTURE - Saturday 4th June

2011-05-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

Open to members and non-members alike - everyone's welcome...

HIDDEN GARDENS DAY - Saturday 21st May

2011-05-27T04:19:00.000-07:00

The first ever Hidden Gardens of Penzance was a brilliant success, and we'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped out - opening their gardens, serving cream teas and dashing back and forth to the shops for supplies. We'd also like to say thank you very much to the hoards of people who came and supported the event, we hope you enjoyed yourselves.

The event raised massive £1,130 for the library, which was far more than we expected and very welcome, thank you!