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CORNISH MUSIC AND CUSTOMS
IN CALSTOCK PARISH |
| At the beginning of the 20th Century local people in Calstock would go guising, or “darkying”, as it became known. They would dress up in funny costumes, blacken their face with burnt cork and walk around the village playing any instrument they could muster to provide some fun in the village. They were sometimes given hot chestnuts, a drink, or maybe a potato cooked in its jacket, but not usually money. The custom has been revived and continues today but so as not to be misunderstood, the custom has reverted to it’s original name of “guising”, and the blackened faces are replaced now with the Cross of St. Piran. |
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Another village event – the choosing of the Rose Queen – has now been replaced with the procession through Calstock village of the Big Giant. This began about twenty five years ago when the Community Council re-enacted the legend of Tavy and Tamara and this annual event takes place on May Day with the residents of the village parading through the streets to a tune written at the time by William Coleman, which has now become a tradition |
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“Harrowbarrow bulldogs, Gunnislake tags
That is what they used to say, and there has always been rivalry between the villages, usually apparent on the sports field. The archive has photographs of cricket and football teams from all the villages in the area, although most of these have disbanded. Chilsworthy, Latchley, Harrowbarrow and Metherell used to have teams, but the most competitive events now are the Village Flower shows. If you would like any photographs we may have some in the Archive |