As daylight fades from the sky people gather all over Cornwall for the traditional Cornish midsummer bonfires, these photos are from the top of Chapel Carn Brea where the first fire was lit. The next fire was lit on a hill near Madron. Other fires were lit at Castle-an-Dinas and Rosewood Hill until a firey chain could be seen through the 80 mile length of the Cornish peninsula right up to the Tamar border. The event has been hosted by the Old Cornwall Society since 1920.

In ancient times the fires held on Midsummer Eve, just after the solstice, would have celebrated high summer, with the sun at its peak of its power and glory in the heavens, and promising ripeness to the maturing fruits and grain. They were supposed to bring on the crops, and animals, such as rabbits and pigs, and sometimes criminals as well, were sacrificed in the flames, these days just the traditional bouquet of herbs and flowers is burnt.

Once the fire is lit by the mayor the traditional bouquet of herbs and flowers is cast into the fire by the Lady of the flowers. The herbs are said to be both “good” and “bad” some know for there medicinal value, as well as those which reputed to given protection from witchcraft and other diabolical influences, others obnoxious weeds and plants which, either by name or association, were believed to posses malign influences.

The ceremony was performed in the Cornish & English language.

Tan y’n cunys
Gorraf desempys
Re splanno an tansys
Dres lyes plu!

I set the pyre
At once on fire;
Let flame aspire
Over many a parish!

You can see video clips of the event at Cornwall information

St Buryan school youngsters spent the night camping at Lower Treave Caravan & camping park. The next morning they were happy to pose for a photo with the FTI Bus which is on location in the Lands End area.

Norman the campsite owner , gave a talk on environmental issues including raising awareness of such things as the amount of water the campsite uses, followed by a tour of the site, explanation about the Bellamy butterfly bar and the different types of flora and wildlife around.

The FTI-Bus was in the Lands End area this week and stayed
at Lower Treave Caravan & Camping Park.

The site is next to the ‘first and last’ hill in Britain.
The view from Chappel Carn Brea makes the Lands End area
seem like an Island.
Photos 1
Photos 2

See the FTI photo review for Lower Treave here

Cambridge University Eco Racing team.

Their solar powered car arrived at Lower Treave Caravan and Camping Park after the first
four miles of their planned drive to John O’ Groats.

Student driver checks the direction of the Sun..

The car can reach speeds of up to 45mph.

Four 12v batteries are wired together to power a single 48v electric motor.
Problems occurred with the temperature of the motor and the team set about
creating a sensor system to relay data back to the support team vehicles.

More information about the Cambridge Eco Racing Team can be found at their website.

Traditional Cornish Oyster boats, part of the Port of Truro Oyster fishery, the last oyster fishery in Europe harvested under sail.

Open ended cages are dragged through the silt to harvest the Oysters. The cages are tipped out onto trays built along the inner rim of the hull where the silt is washed out the stern leaving the Oysters behind.

Its not hard to cast your mind back in time to when the background of the picture would be void of modern boats. The two in the foreground may date back as far as the 19th century.

When Richard Carew wrote the Survey of Cornwall in 1602, oysters were being caught using dredges “a thick strong net fastened to three spills of iron, and drawn to the boat’s stern, gathering whatsoever it meeteth lying in the bottom of the water, out of which, when it is taken up, they cull the oyster and cast away the residue, which they term gard, and serveth as a bed for the oysters to breed in.”

More photos of Mylor Harbour HERE

The Sustainable Trust have been co-ordinating the campaign to “Banish the Bags” from Helston, with other groups including Friends of the Earth who have been pressurising large shops not to offer bags at checkout.

Here they are at Helston Flora day holding a copy of the new Simply Green Folder

Members of the Cornwall Branch of the British Caravan Club enjoy the Bank Holiday sunshine during their rally at Lower Treave Caravan and Camping Park.

King Edward Mine is the oldest Mine site left in Cornwall. All the buildings are Listed Grade 11 - meaning they are of National Importance. Much of the machinery is rare and is amongst the last of its kind in the world.

Over the last 20 years volunteers have steadily worked towards recreating King Edward Mine, Troon, See photos of the open day here

An Adder. Britain’s only poisonous snake and very easy to recognise. This specimen looks like a male; males tend to appear earlier than females which are slightly larger and more brown in colour. The vivid black markings are more distinguished in the male of the species.

The photographs were taken by a Mr. Barrie Wray who was sitting with his partner when they, and the snake, were disturbed by a dog out walking with a group from Walkitcornwall, who offer guided walking trips around the Lizard and other areas of Cornwall. More Here

 Ideas for car stickers..