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The oldest person to be welcomed as a new Cornish Bard will be
initiated at the annual ceremony of the Gorseth at Penzance.Vivian
Pryor, of Newquay, will celebrate his 90th birthday later this year and
is being honoured for "lifelong service to Cornwall".
His
father and grandfather were farmers at Mullion and knew Marconi, who
sent the earliest Transatlantic signal from near Poldhu in 1901.
Mr
Pryor is one of 13 new Bards, including five gaining entry "by
examination in the Cornish language and continuing work for Cornwall."
He
retired some 30 years ago, following a career with the Post Office that
involved work on the development of the submarine telephone network.
"I
have made several visits to the Kernewek Lowender, the great Cornish
festival in south Australia, and am an overseas member of the Cornish
Association of Victoria, as well as south Australia and the recent
branch of North Yorke," he said.
"My last trip there was in 2003
and the mayor quipped that I had visited so many times 'I shall have to
charge you council tax!'"
There will be new Bards from many
corners of Cornwall, one from Australia and two from Wales, who will be
greeted by the Grand Bard Vanessa Beeman on Saturday, September 1.
Local
historian and author Margaret Perry has written several books,
including those on her home village of Newlyn, and Mousehole, and is
honoured for services to Cornish history.
Ruby Mona Trethewey
has given lifelong service to Cornish music, in particular the brass
band movement in St Dennis and the young musicians there.
Francis
Carl Roberts, of St Austell, was a founder and vice-chairman of the
Cornwall Heritage Trust and has taken a special interest in the Iron
Age hill fortress on Goss Moor, and the Luxulyan viaduct. His award is
for services "to the preservation of Cornwall's unique and precious
heritage".
Susan Davey, of St Day, has given great assistance to the work of the Gorsett website, as well as services to the Cornish media.
George
Vaughan Ellis, of Liskeard, who designed the Methodist Church in Hayle,
is being made a Bard for his work to increase the awareness of Cornish
architecture.
The sole overseas Bard is Colin David Roberts, of
Victoria, Australia, who has helped develop and encourage the art of
wrestling.
The 13 new Bards in full are: Roger Charles Bailey,
Winchester, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work
for Cornwall; Susan Davey, St Day, services to Cornish media; George
Vaughan Ellis, Liskeard, increasing awareness of Cornish architecture;
Juliet Jenkin, Redruth, services to the Cornish diaspora; Esther Johns,
The Lizard, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work
for Cornwall; Darren John Lewis, Penmain, Wales, by examination in the
Cornish language and continuing work for Cornwall; Margaret Perry,
Newlyn, services to Cornish history; Iwan Tudor Price, Ceredigion,
Wales, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work for
Cornwall; Vivian Pryor, Newquay lifelong service to Cornwall; Colin
David Roberts, Victoria, Australia, services to Cornwall in Australia,
particularly wrestling; Francis Carl Roberts, St Austell, services to
the preservation of Cornwall's unique and precious heritage; Ruby Mona
Trethewey, St Dennis, lifelong service to Cornish music.
article copyright WESTERN MORNING NEWS
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