Cornish humanitarian and pacifist Emily Hobhouse was celebrated recently with the unveiling of a bust marking her 165th birthday.

Guests were invited to a day of commemoration of the heroine whose involvement in the Second Anglo-Boer war is depicted in the immersive experience The Story of Emily at her childhood home in St Ive near Callington.

The celebrations began on April 12 with a talk about Emily's life at St Ive Church followed by the unveiling of a bust commemorating this much-overlooked Cornish heroine in the Rectory kitchen gardens.

Award-winning South African journalist and Emily Hobhouse biographer Elsabé Brits spoke of her courage in the church where Emily’s father had been rector and where Emily herself was baptised.

Emily has gone down in history as a heroine in South Africa just as much as she was reviled in her own home country in her lifetime, for going to the aid of Boer women and children forced into concentration camps by the British clearing their villages during the Second Anglo-Boer War.

Disgusted by what she read in news reports, Emily travelled alone to Cape Town in South Africa in 1900, determined to help them and in the teeth of opposition from the British Government of the day.

Elsabé explained: “[Then Secretary of State for War] Kitchener refused her the company of another female on her travels north to the concentration camps. Her journey to Bloemfontein lasted five gruelling days, and she was the only female on the train, packed with British soldiers.

“For the next four months, she travelled between several camps, distributing clothes and food and, most importantly, compiling evidence for her report. And serving as an eyewitness to the sufferings of women and children in war. A significant challenge was to speak to male authority during wartime.”

She continued: “When her concentration camp report was published, Emily found herself at the centre of a political war, which, by its nature, was a war with few rules. The imperialists discredited her integrity as an eyewitness and whistleblower to soften the blow of the report. She was described as a liar, a hysterical woman and a traitor.

“It was thought that what she did was improper for a lady and that she was unqualified for the task because women knew nothing of ‘war and its evils’.

After the talk, guests were invited to join in with a slice of birthday cake and a celebratory toast to Emily Hobhouse, and to let their imagination take flight by creating and flying kites with celebratory messages, while local St Ive resident Doreen Cardew was tasked with unveiling the bronze bust by LA artist Lynn Christopher.

The bust was commissioned in 2019 to celebrate the spirit of this true heroine of Cornwall, more dearly remembered in South Africa then the place of her birth. It was created for her former home to help right that wrong, the wider aim of this new visitor attraction in Emily’s former home.

More information can be found at: www.thestoryofemily.com

The choir of St Mary Magdalene under the direction of Dr Sean Sweeney sang a service of choral evensong for the first Sunday after Ascension Day. The service was led by the vicar, Rev. Dr. Michael Dobson, who also preached and acted as cantor in the Responses by Smith.

The choir also sang Psalm 68 and Sarah Cooke read the lessons from Isiaih and Ephesians. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were sung to a setting by Stanford in Bb, arguably his best arrangement of the canticles.

The anthem was King of Glory, King of Peace by J S Bach and Dr Sweeney ended the service with an organ Postlude by William Mathias.

On Sunday, June 8, there will be a concert at St Swithin’s Church, Launcells.

The Bencoolen Wreckers will be performing from 3pm in the church - there will be cream teas as well.

Enjoy an afternoon listening to a mix of Cornish songs and sea shanties from around the world. By donation. There is a car park, wheelchair access, toilet facilities.

To get there follow the A3072 Red Post to Stratton, turn down lane by Homeleigh Garden Centre, then left to church.

The Patronal Flower Festival is returning for 2025, with the theme “I have a dream”.

It will be held on Thursday, July 10, to Sunday, July 13, from 10am to 5pm. On Sunday, July 14, there will be Songs of Praise at 6pm. Coffee/teas, light lunches, afternoon tea - there is also car park, wheelchair access, toilet facilities.

After an initially quiet start on the Sunday morning, we happily concluded the event having received more than 200 visitors.

Lots of lovely comments received both verbally and in our Visitors’ Book. All of which helps us be enthused to create, improve and experiment with our art work.

We are a large group of Artists, predominately amateur, all at different stages of creativity (both beginners and more accomplished) and using different mediums, whether oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel, mixed media, as well as using different techniques, eg collage, lino-printing, etcetera. Apart from the creative purpose of the group we do enjoy the social aspect and having time out to chat, switch-off from the routines of life and for some the concentration and creativeness becomes a meditative process, healing and calming. We all need that!

This year our raffle of original artwork provided by the members included a spectacular oil painting produced by local professional Artist, Colin Pethick. This definitely helped the sale of raffle tickets. Once we have settled the outstanding expenses we will be distributing profits to three local charities, Devon Air Ambulance, St Luke’s Hospice and a local Gardening for Disabled charity. Our very grateful thanks to all our helpers at the event but most of all to our many visitors.

On Sunday, June 22, at 3pm at St Andrew's Church, Stratton, EX23 9DP there will be "Music for a Sunday Afternoon".

A welcome return of Hartland Chamber Orchestra playing a varied programme to suit all tastes. Tickets £12 in advance, £15 on the door, to include cream teas. Under 18s free. Tickets from Stratton Stores, Ark Angel Bookshop in Bude or Phone Jennie Coles on 01288 359601.

The monthly Community Breakfast for May was served in The Methodist Stable on Saturday, May 17. Cereals, Full English and toast were enjoyed by a large turnout from Chilsworthy and the wider community.

Mondays weekly - morning prayer at 10am.

Sunday, June 8 - Holy Communion with Bishop Hugh at 11am.

Sunday, June 8 - informal worship at 10am.

The recent annual general meeting of the Linkinhorne group was held Kim Sudell continues as president, Carrie Marshall (deputy president), Viv Jackson (secretary), Marion Turner (treasurer),Pauline Daniel (minute secretary) plus committee members Sue Morton and Beverley Underwood.

All reports were duly adopted and Muriel Browne gave the vote of thanks to the committee on behalf of the membership.

Marion Turner won the competition prize for the year, Margaret Lock was second. Viv Jackson won the Flowers prize with Marion Turner in second place.

Following the meeting, Beverley Underwood gave a talk on Aromatherapy advising that Basil is good for the brain and Geranium for emotional turbulence. She also gave a brief overview of her life in the NHS and how she moved into complementary therapies. Members were then tested their knowledge and whether they could identify four oils which were passed around. Congratulations to Sue Batkin who got the most questions right. Everyone learnt a great deal and were most impressed. The vote of thanks was given by Carrie Marshall.

At the next meeting on Wednesday, June 11, Dr Jane Gilbert will talk about CPR which was one of the WI Resolutions for the year. For more information contact the president via [email protected]

Report by Maxine Browne.

Please meet as usual at 10am at the entrance of Stara Woods on June 7. Anyone is welcome to join the group, contact [email protected] 01579 348464 or 07977 206777.

The next History Group walk will be on Sunday, June 8, for a circular walk led by Mark Camp. Meet at Wardbrook at 1.30pm for the walk around Henwood, Sharp Tor and Bearah Tor.

The next meeting will take place in the Parish hall, Upton Cross on Monday, June 9, at 7.30pm.

A large area of Calstock car park has been refurbished thanks to volunteers and a donation from Calstock Bike Show.

Working in collaboration with the parish council, Malcolm Wright coordinated the project, leading a team of community members including Adie Therin, Charlie Spurr, Rawden Langley and Jamie Lang to undertake the work.

The donation from the Calstock Bike Show will go towards the resurfacing costs which were estimated at the April full council meeting to be £3,945.