THE?Bude Stratton and District Old Cornwall Society began celebrating Christmas with their Annual ‘Advent Carols Of The Stratton Hundred’ evening in the Parkhouse Centre, Bude.

The evening is devoted to encourage everyone to sing these old carols which were regularly sung at Christmastide by groups of people going around the farms and villages in this area of North Cornwall, so keeping the tradition alive. Mike Richardson researched these carols which were then published on the occasion of the Society’s 50th Anniversary in 2011.

This year they were entertained by Dew Vardh. The Two Poets, Pol Hodge and Bert Biscoe, with their lively anecdotes and poems, in Cornish and English. Bert’s poem remembering Grand Bard John Bolitho, ‘Jowan an Cleth’, was particularly poignant.

A group led the singing under the Direction of John Hobbs, with David Robinson as accompanist and as usual two carols were sung in Cornish.

The evening was a preliminary for the carols to be sung in Truro Cathedral.

On December 19, two coaches with the choir and supporters set off for Truro where they were met by the Town Crier who accompanied them into the Cathedral. After a rehearsal they were provided with a lavish tea which was ‘proper Cornish’ included splits and saffron cake among the sausage rolls and sandwiches.

There was time for a look at the Truro Christmas lights before the Service.

Guests included the Mayor of Truro and the President of the OCS Federation, Priscilla Oates. The service was conducted by The Very Rev Roger Bush, Dean of Truro Cathedral. The Chairman Alan McIntosh introduced the OCS. The community was represented by the Rev David Barnes and the Rev Alison Hardy who each read a lesson.

Bert Biscoe read two of the poems written by the former Vicar of Morwenstow, the Rev Stephen Hawker. The congregational carols began with a rousing ‘Hark the Glad Sound’ by Merritt and included ‘While Shepherds’ to Lyngham. The carols sung by the choir under the direction of John Hobbs, accompanied by David Robinson, were a selection giving a glimpse of Christmas past in North Cornwall. The service ended with the Stratton Carol, known as Flaming Seraphs and then, keeping to the tradition of the Tape family, O Fair O Fair Jerusalem, ‘We wish you all both great and small, send you a joyful year’.