Geevor Tin Mine

On a pretty dreary day, on our way to St Just, we passed a sign about a tin mine. I'd been in mines before, but knew the kids hadn't, so after a quick vote, we turned round and headed into the Geevor Tin Mine Museum.

I hadn't expected much and was so pleasantly surprised and delighted with the displays and experience we had. The Geevor was a huge mine, running tunnels under the sea from and  through the cliffs. It ran from the very early 1900s and closed in 1986 after the price of tin fell through the bottom of the market.

I was incredibly impressed at the level of detail the museum staff who set up each area had gone to. We were able to go into the dry dock - where the minors changed out of their civies and into their mining gear, get showered etc. The lockers have dirty clothes flung inside them, the showers have soap and flannels hanging there as if the miners are about to turn up from a shift at any moment.

Throughout the displays there were points you could see or hear old minors giving their versions of events or stories. There really were no detail left unexplored. There was tea still in pots, the time cards in the machine and half eaten pasties on desks in the supervisors table.

There was plenty of hands on experiments to explain the methods used to separate the tin from the rocks and even dress ups in a little area.  I had to laugh at the kids as they did the smell test - smells from different parts of the mine had been recreated - they both said the dry dock ( where the men showered) was the stinkiest.. no comment..

We had three other people on our tour down into the mine closest to the cliffs. They were hand hewn tunnels and very wet.  the head guide was brilliant at explaining how to tell the difference between hand and machine based tunnelling and how to tell which way the tunnel had been made.  All such simple little things - but unless explained and demonstrated, you wouldn't pick it up.

I hope the kids took in alot - there really was an overload of information both in the museum and on the tour.  For a little side trip I thought would be a bit naff.. it was well worth the effort and entrance price..Oh  and better yet - I have a year long pass.. so may actually come back in the summer... grin.

Merry Maiden Stone Circle

This part of England has the most concentrated amount of tors, barrrows and stone circles.

Its not actually clear if its because they were not disturbed and destroyed over the years like they were in other parts of the UK, or if there was more pagan activity here.

We searched out a few circles - which are just sitting in the middle of fields.. well of course they are.. where else would they be? We were so lucky with the weather - it poured down as we drove up and down little goat tracks, and just as we found another circle, the clouds would part allowing us enough sunshine to rush over and take photos or walk round them.

The Merry Maidens are the most complete circle in the area. Experts have no idea why they are here or what significance they a have, as they don't have a specific alignment with solar or lunar patterns.  They were named such after a myth of a handful of girls who slipped out to dance in the moonlight - naked of course - and then they were discovered and turned to stone for their wickedness.

The circle felt safe and acred as I walked around the edges. It have a beautiful calm feeling as I was invited inside. Just as I stood in the centre, the sun came out from behind a cloud and I was bated in golden light.  A special moment as I had several questions I had been posing and pondering.

Minack Theatre

The Minack Theatre is an open-air theatre - literally - clinging to the clifface over the crashing sea in Cornwall. It was largely constructed by an extremely determined lady, who , well into her 80s was still climbing the steep staircase to the beach and mixing cement by hand.  The theatre is at Porthcurno,  which is only a few Km from  Land's End in Cornwall and surprisingly can hold over 700 people.

The photo above is halfway down - so its pretty steep seating.

Its all carved stone - and in some places where she ran out of money - cement.

A mad keen theatre goer, Miss Cade wanted to bring some culture and the old world charm of ancient Greece to her area. Most seats are carved with a production name and the year it was performed in the theatre.

It was an amazing feeling to stand in the centre stage. The energy, even on a windswept day, was incredible. I can only imagine what it must be like to perform ( or even see a performance) of a Shakespearian play like The Tempest here.. ( had a little moment thinking about that.....)

The arches are permanently there - and form a gorgeous backdrop over the cliffs..