With the Olympics having captivated the nation for the past few weeks, Cornish museums are keeping up the momentum with displays of memorabilia from the region's illustrious sporting heritage.
From Falmouth to Cotehele and Geevor to Callington, there are exhibitions and displays celebrating a huge variety of achievements.
As well as the better-known events like Cornwall rugby team winning the silver medal in the 1908 London Olympics and Mousehole football club taking on Manchester United in 1987, there are displays on many traditional sports. Hurling, Cornish wrestling – or wrasslin' – archery, football, skittles, cricket and billiards are all featured, along with sailing, rowing and other water events.
Rugby arrived in Cornwall around 1870 and quickly became a passion. Not to be outdone, bellyboarding, surfing and gig-rowing also rapidly established themselves as leisure and competitive pursuits.
Museums development officer Jo Mattingly said: "Cornwall has a very rich sporting heritage and, with the Olympics in London, it seemed the ideal opportunity for us to honour it with special exhibitions.
"Everyone involved has worked very hard to produce fascinating displays that are a wonderful way of appreciating what an important role sport has played – and continues to play – in our culture."
From the many artefacts being displayed, Cornwall Museums Group has compiled a Top Ten list:
1. Velvet rugby cap (Penryn Museum). Penryn was one of the first places where rugby was played in Cornwall, apparently introduced there in 1871 by a local watchmaker who had played for Blackheath in London.
2. Ben Ainslie's laser (National Maritime Museum). This was the boat in which Ben won his first Olympic gold medal at Sydney in 2000. Measuring 13ft 10in in length, the laser was placed on long-term loan to the NMMC shortly after Ben won his medal.
3. Bob Fitzsimmons cartoon (Helston Museum). The Helston-born boxer (1863-1917) won world championships in three weights and still won fights when over 40 years of age. Helston has a fine collection of Fitzsimmons' memorabilia including a cartoon which commemorates the moment he knocked out Jim Corbett in the 11th round to win the world heavyweight title on 17 March 1897.
4. American softball bat (St Agnes Museum). Symbolising the lengthy preparations for the D-Day landings in Cornwall and the camaraderie of the Second World War, the bat was given to Tony Tonkin when a boy by an US soldier camped out at Presingoll. Softball is a descendant of American baseball, played with a larger ball, smaller pitch and underhand bowling. Baseball itself was a popular game with migrating Cornish miners in North America.
5. Hurling balls (St Ives Museum). St Ives is one of only two places in Cornwall where hurling is still played on an annual basis and these balls are part of a living tradition. Unlike St Columb Major balls, St Ives balls had to withstand sea water because the game is played on the beach in February. Older balls with mottos in Cornish or English survive in the collections of Penlee House and the Royal Cornwall Museum. In 1638-9 St Ives' first recorded hurling ball – a silver ball with an applewood core – cost almost as much as a small cow. Cornish hurling resembles rugby more than Irish hurling, which is closer to hockey.
6. Wrestling trophy (Royal Cornwall Museum). St Wenn's Chapman brothers were the champions of the wrestling circuit in the early 20th century, wrestling being a sport popular in mining and china clay areas at the time. This trophy was won by Sidney Chapman in 1913 and shows two wrestlers in action on its lid. Another two-handled presentation cup of 1911 and a prized wrestling belt won in the Newquay Championships of 1912-13 are also on display.
7. Football boots and mug (Gerrans Heritage Centre). In the late 1950s and early 1960s the Roseland parish of Gerrans was football mad. These boots and colourful cup date from this time or a little earlier. With leather uppers, studs and muddy soles, they look as if they have come straight off the field. At Gerrans some ex-footballers claim to have in-growing toenails from playing football four or five times a week. Mr F Perryman was one of the team and won 19 medals and a cup while playing in the Cornwall Junior Football league in 1959-61.
8. Tennis costumes (Lostwithiel Museum and Lawrence House Museum in Launceston). Odessa Tomlin's lawn tennis skirt from Lostwithiel and a lace dress and blazer worn by early 20th century tennis players in Launceston. Odessa's striped wool tennis skirt has voluminous pockets on either side which held three tennis balls each. This meant games could be reasonably continuous. Lawn tennis was one of the few sports considered suitable for women in the late 19th century and in some places replaced archery in popularity. Both sports showed a woman's figure, though the length of the tennis costumes ensured that there would be little danger of showing an ankle during play.
9. Cricket ball (Penlee House). Showing the Cornish arms with 15 gold bezants on one side, the ball commemorates the County Championship match held on 3 August 1855 when Hayle beat Launceston. Hayle were champion cricketers in 1855 and it is likely that the club had the ball gilded and painted, with the inscription "The County Ball" to hang up at the end-of-season dinner. Cricket is first documented in Cornwall in 1773 at Falmouth and thereafter some of the best teams were based on Cornish landed estates, with professional coaches employed. By 1856 all towns with populations over 2,000 (except Saltash) had a cricket team and from 1856 to 1870 many of the best players in the country toured Cornwall.
10. Swimming medals (Fowey Museum). A truly sparkling collection of medals won by Joan Jackson, nee Varco, of Fowey, the collection represents Cornish women's sporting achievements. Joan was the daughter of local football legend Percy Seymour Varco, who played for Aston Villa, Queen's Park Rangers and Norwich City.
Venues taking part are Falmouth Art Gallery, Penryn Museum, Redruth Town Museum, Royal Cornwall Museum, Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, Heligan, Saltash Heritage Museum, Bude Castle Heritage Centre, Cornish Studies Library, Lostwithiel Museum, Callington Heritage Centre, St Ives Archive, Gerrans Heritage Centre, St Austell Museum, Perranzabuloe Museum, Helston Museum, St Agnes Museum, St Neot Church, Cotehele House, Fowey Museum, Tolmen Centre, Lanhydrock, Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Geevor Tin Mine, and Wheal Martyn. For further information, visit: www.kernocopia.co.uk/whats-on/supporting-exhibitions
