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Museum Coffee Morning
The Museum will hold its Spring Coffee Morning in the Church Hall, Vicarage Road, St Agnes on Saturday 12 April from 10 till 12.
In addition to excellent coffee and stalls selling cakes, items from the Museum shop, Cornish books and a raffle, Museum Vice Chairman and local historian, Clive Benney, will mount a display of photographs of St Agnes in the 1960s and 70s.
All are very welcome.
St Agnes Museum was delighted to be awarded three Runners-up certificates at the Cornwall Heritage Awards 2025 at Liskeard Public Hall on 17 March 2025.
The first certificate was awarded for “Project on a Budget” for the new Mining Display for which there was excellent feedback from other museum volunteers for Assistant Curator, Tracy Dumper’s, presentation.
The second certificate for “Object of the Year” was for the Hicks Reel, now displayed in the new Surf Life Saving display at the Museum, and the third was for the “Spirit of the Awards” category for smaller museums, which was chosen by representatives of the World Heritage Site Team and two expert judges in the field and which, in this instance, was about “inclusion”.
Chairman, Roger Radcliffe, welcomed a large audience to the 41st Annual General Meeting of St Agnes Museum Trust at the Methodist Church Hall.
The Treasurer, David Teagle, reported an excellent year financially with total income being £27,109 and total expenditure £23,749. Visitor numbers and shop sales increased. There would be increased insurance costs of £2,500 because of buying the freehold of the Museum building and indemnity cover for the Trustees. He recommended an increase in subscription charges from 2026 due to increased publishing and postal charges. After an intervention from the floor, the single annual subscription will rise to £15 and the Family subscription to £20.
Curator, Clare Murton, thanked her many helpers, especially Tracy Dumper and Luke Jones, and acknowledged grants that the Museum had been awarded, including £1000 from Cornwall Council towards roof repairs, £800 from St Agnes Local Improvements Committee for storage heater guards and a further almost £1400 from St Agnes Old Cornwall Society for museum quality storage. The Hicks reel had been shortlisted for a Cornwall Heritage Award. The new exhibitions are “Life Saving & Shipwreck Stories”, which will include our new submarine quadrant. Our two longcase clocks are being serviced.
Membership Secretary, Mary Wilson, reported a total voting membership of 280 with 20 new Members joining.
Chairman, Roger Radcliffe, spoke of the Committee’s wish to purchase the freehold of the Museum from the Parish Council. Temporary repairs to the roof’s valleys had been made. He expressed particular thanks to Clive Benney and Clare Murton, and to all the volunteers who had helped in so many ways.
St Agnes Old Cornwall Society Chairman, Brian Murrish, with Treasurer Trudy Brown, presented Roger Radcliffe with a cheque for £1343.88p for museum grade storage.
Clive Benney gave a fascinating illustrated talk on “Early St Agnes Policing”. He had had a 30 year career in the Police Force, his father and grandfather had been Special Constables in St Agnes, and his great grandfather had policed St Agnes from 1895-1919. Before then there had been Parish Constables and the Parish Constable Act of 1842 brought policing to the countryside. Cornwall Constabulary was formed in 1857 when its Chief Constable recruited two men at St Agnes. The 1871 Census showed two policemen in St Agnes. Roger Radcliffe thanked Clive warmly for his insight into local policing.
St Agnes Museum Trust will hold its 41st Annual General Meeting at the Methodist Church Hall, British Road, St Agnes on Thursday 27 February at 7.30pm.
After completion of business and refreshments, Museum Vice Chairman and Cornish Bard, Clive Benney, will give an illustrated talk: “Early St Agnes Policing”. Visitors will be most welcome for a small charge of £1.
Items from the Museum Shop will be on sale and there will be a chance to pay subscriptions or join the Trust.
Despite the torrential rain and gale force winds of Storm Bert the Museum held a very busy and successful Coffee Morning in the Church Hall on Saturday 23 November.
The crowds were drawn not only by the stalls and delicious coffee but by an extensive exhibition of photographs and film from the first 30 years of St Agnes Surf Life Saving Club curated by Museum Vice Chairman and local author Clive Benney. Many early members of the Club came to reminisce and view photos of their youth.
Coffee and tea raised £83, the cake stall, packed with cakes and scones, £110, a Museum shop stall £148, Cornish books £50 and the raffle raised a record sum of £182. The Membership Secretary took £270 in subscriptions and a new Member joined. So the total raised was an excellent £843 and a very convivial morning was enjoyed by all.