Laying the cable in Sennen
It’s not that long ago that people communicated via telegram to countries around the world via submarine cables that landed in at Porthcurno and Sennen that would revolutionise global communication. It’s staggering to think about how fast our means of communication have changed and the perfect time to reflect on this as the pandemic forces us to find new ways of connecting.
These changes were one of the themes that children at Sennen School explored as part of our collaborative project with PK Porthcurno. Delving into their local history, children learned about the laying of the cable into Sennen, constructing stories that imagined what this event must have been like through creative writing and weaving words along colourful wool cables.
Messenger Boy
Of course, telegrams still needed delivering, which is where the Messenger Boys and Girls came in. Dressed in smart uniforms and often straddling a bicycle, these Messengers delivered the telegrams to people’s homes. For this project children became Messengers themselves, writing telegrams and thank you letters to family members, friends and the community.
As part of the project children also explored the theme of kindness, writing and drawing on cheerful yellow parcel labels to share their stories. It’s been heart-warming to read about the gestures that children recognise as kindness, as well as read their thank you letters. It’s so important to take stock of what we’re thankful for and what kindness we have been shown, especially right now.
If you’d like to share with us your stories of kindness or community, we’d love to hear from you by post or email on kemeneth@storylines.org.uk.
Thank you to PK Porthcurno, staff and children at Sennen School and to Feast and the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund who helped fund the wider Kemeneth Project.
