Big day out

By: John Gabb
Added: 09 March 2018

Hello. I’m John G, a volunteer at the Hayle Heritage Centre.  I was privileged to be part of a group of fellow volunteers who were guests of the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro on 7 March.

 Our conducted tour of the newly-refurbished Museum, and its many and varied exhibits, was magnificent.  Our guides were both expert and enthusiastic, and we could not have been more warmly received.  We were also delighted to see Stevie, a former colleague from Hayle, who enthused about her new fund-raising role at the Museum.

 Annie brought a valued touch of French panache to her descriptions of the Museum’s extensive collections of Cornish fine art; history & archaeology; life & culture; natural history; and classical civilizations; not to mention its internationally renowned collection of minerals reflecting Cornwall’s proud mining and engineering past.

 A centre piece of the Museum is the Trewinnard Coach, reputedly owned by the Spanish Ambassador, but last used in 1777.  It is said that the upkeep of the coach almost bankrupted the Trewinnard family!

 Our visit was further enhanced by Sophie giving us a fascinating insight - delivered with true passion and expertise - into archaeological detective work on the Museum’s collection of human remains recovered from an ancient burial site at Harland Bay.  It’s amazing how modern science has enabled archaeologists to determine the age, sex and cause of death of our ancestors from a mere fragment of bone!

 Our heartfelt thanks go to our expert guides for making our visit so fascinating and memorable.