Lore & Piece

13/06/2026

Looking forward to today! Our first blended poetry workshop in Cornwall
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We’ve done heritage workshops, and our friend Laura Kestrel has done many poetry workshops, but today, for the first time, we will bring the two together in the historic setting of St Nonna’s Church, Altarnun 😍
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Come join us for an atmospheric event 🥰
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Event led by Federation of Old Cornwall Societies; supported by Cornwall National Landscape 🌼

11/06/2026

Ever wondered what a glow worm looks like up close? 😍
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Saw one last night, and took a little video, so you can see 🥰
With Archaeology, and doing Experimental Work outside, it’s important to be mindful of the other wildlife you share your work area with.
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Female glow worms are the only ones that glow!
They light up at night time in June & July, to make it easier to be spotted by potential mates 💕
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Actually not worms, but beetles, even the larvae and the eggs can glow 🐛
Happy glow worm spotting! 🤩

09/06/2026

A selection of photos from our lovely Spring series of ; partnering with the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies 🥰
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Missed out? Never fear!
We will be returning to some of the churches in July, to examine their wall paintings in-situ, and explore their hagiography, art history, conservation, and socio-political contexts 😍
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Events list:
-- the LIZARD: 2nd July: St Keverne & Constantine churches
-- WEST PENWITH: 9th July: St Just in Penwith church
-- KERRIER: 16th July: St Breaca church
Limited numbers, due to safety requirements, please secure your spot here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lorepiece
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Photos a mix by myself, John Thornton (Penzance Old Cornwall Society), and Chris Trevena.

08/06/2026

We've loved attending Sally & Derek's amazing nature workshops! 😍

This is a photo of a slide from Derek's talk at the recent Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Recorders' Conference, taken by one of the attendees. For those who've participated in our Introduction to Ecology workshops or heard Derek's talk on Nature Recovery, you will know that this is something that we routinely bring home.

After considering all other threats to biodiversity, such as habitat loss, climate change, pollution, industrialisation and increasing human population, this is basically what it all boils down to.

We can ALL help to address this, not only those of us working in environmental education, conservation/nature recovery, academic research, etc.

Simply pointing out a bumblebee going about its business, or an plant growing by the side of the road can make a huge difference, maybe sparking a new interest in somebody who then continues to do the same.

Keep sharing, keep enthusing, keep learning - and importantly, never stop caring.

06/06/2026

We love a bit of tidal pool swimming 🌊
Blessed to be doing what we love in Cornwall 😍

06/06/2026

We love Antony House and Garden - National Trust! 😍

The National Trust is opening the gates to a secret garden that houses a national collection of rare flowers.

Read the full article in the comments. ⬇️

06/06/2026

We had an absolutely BRILLIANT time this morning at our workshop; exploring identity in the Cornish Medieval period, through its seal matrices 😍
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It was our inaugural ADULTS talk-workshop, and it proved to be a winner with all the lovely participant feedback 🥰
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Photos show some real Medieval and Georgian seal matrices found in Cornwall, plus turning our hand to Experiential Archaeology; exploring our own identities by crafting our own seals to take home! 💌
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As part of our “Collecting the Pieces” holistic talks exploring elements of Cornish archaeology/history, we can’t wait to come back to in the autumn, for a series of monthly workshops exploring different time periods and artefacts of Cornwall; and what they can tell us about their contemporary society 📚
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For other upcoming “Collecting the Pieces” talks beforehand though, check out our “Trevisker Ware” or “Medieval Paintings” talks - both running twice in July, as part of the ‘Festival of Archaeology’ 🏺
An initiative by 🌼
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Check our Events page on Facebook to find out more! 💚

06/06/2026

We’ll be posting on this wonderful event soon too! 😍
Meanwhile, check out Penzance OCS’ lovely write-up and photos ✝️
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But from Medieval ideas of sainthood to Medieval ideas of identity; we’re SO excited because today we’re hosting our inaugural adults talk-workshop, on Medieval seal matrices 😍😍😍
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Hosted at The Morrab Library
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05/06/2026

Zinaida Serebriakova’s At the Dressing-Table (Self-Portrait) is a 1909 oil-on-canvas masterpiece painted when the artist was just 25 years old. Snowed in at her family’s estate near Neskuchnoye—then part of the Russian Empire and now in Ukraine—Serebriakova found herself without access to models or travel, so she turned the brush on herself. Using her reflection in a mirror, she captured a quiet domestic scene surrounded by the everyday items on her dressing table.

What makes the painting feel so strikingly contemporary is its warmth and spontaneity. Rather than presenting a formal, distant portrait, Serebriakova smiles directly at the viewer while brushing her hair, creating an intimate, candid moment that feels surprisingly modern for 1909—almost like a snapshot taken on a smartphone a century later. Today, the painting remains one of her most beloved works and is housed in the Tretyakov Gallery.