BOP the present-day decline of “standards” is I agree forbidding. However as fortunate as I was to be born in Penwith looking back to that time without the old rose tinted glasses I remember growing up in an air raid shelter, genocide going on in Europe and not remembering my father until I was eight because he had, like many others, been in Burma.
With all the present day faults I do envy the youth of today and trust they will make something better out of it than the mess they are inheriting.
Treeve - how about the cotton reel tank? And something I saw done by the boys of Mousehole, a toy sailing boat that they referred to as a Klisky. A foot of old lathe, small piece of slate, some thin willow sticks and an old empty 20 fag packet. The resulting craft was not known for its elegance or sleek line but was a goer and if it cleared St.Clement’s probably went on forever.
Yes indeed the cotton reel tank ... plenty of old white candle wax, and make sure the edges are notched; next problem, find a wooden cotton reel. I think you can still get wooden matches. We had two types of miniature boat, one a sail just like you say, the other was a strange little piece of tin sheet, with a camphor block, then my father made a small tin sheet boat, with a coil of tube inside, the heat from a meths lamp drew the water in and sent it out boiling as a jet stream; boy it moved.
Apropos of the May whistles, and associated customs, I thought I d draw your attention to the revived May whistle-making and picknicking at Trereife House tomorrow from 12pm, bring your own food, open music sessions, etc. In the evening from 8pm, a parade from the Tolcarne Inn to the centre of Penzance, may horns a-tootin .
Put Penzance May Horns into Google.
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