LAUNCESTON Town Councillor and author Jane Nancarrow has been named one of the 16 new bards of the Cornish Gorsedd for 2018.

Gorsedh Kernow, now in its 90th anniversary year, was established with the aim of celebrating and promoting Cornwall’s distinctive Celtic culture and Newquay provides the setting for this year’s Gorsedh Kernow Esedhvos Festival, which includes the iconic blue robed bardic ceremony, on September 1.

This follows on from last year’s Esedhvos Festival, which was hosted in Launceston.

A deep feeling of pride in being honoured with Cornish bardship will be plain to see this year as the 16 proud initiates, eight of whom are from outside Cornwall, wait to take their place among the 500 or so existing members of the College of Bards of Gorsedh Kernow.

The high point of the ceremony will be the inauguration of the 16 new bards in recognition of their outstanding work in serving Cornwall and her distinctive Celtic identity.

These include Jane Nancarrow, from St Stephens, Launceston, for services to Cornish literature. A well-known Lanson maid, Jane was a pupil and disciple of Charles Causley who works hard for the Charles Causley Festival and is one of the finest readers of Causley’s poetry. She is also well remembered for her performance as Mary Yellan in ‘Jamaica Inn’ and had a leading role in Edward Woodward’s last film ‘A Congregation of Ghosts’.

“Being awarded a bardship is a great honour,” said Grand Bard of Cornwall Merv Davey, Telynyor an Weryn, “especially as the ceremony is conducted in front of gathered members of the College of Bards, alongside representatives of our sister Celtic nations of Wales and Brittany, other Cornish organisations and friends and families that support Gorsedh Kernow and come together on this special occasion to celebrate our precious Cornish culture.”

The importance of work done for Cornwall by people overseas is particularly recognised this year with half of the new bardships being conferred on people from the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

The other new bards for 2018 are: Nick Bartle, Wellington, New Zealand, for services to Cornish identity in New Zealand including work for the NZ Cornish Association; Dave Brotherton, St Ives, for services to Cornish music; Jean Charman, Camborne, for services to Camborne’s heritage and the Cornish in Mexico; Dick Cole, Fraddon, Truro, for campaigning for Cornwall’s cultural and geographical integrity; Jane Darke, Porthcothan Bay, Padstow, for services to Cornish media including the promotion of films and other work by her late husband Nick Darke; Mark Elton, Twickenham, London, by examination in the Cornish language and continuing work for Cornwall. He also helps organise Kernow in the City to celebrate St Piran each year in London;

Malcolm Gould, Luxulyan, for services to Cornish industrial history including talks on China Clay and work for the China Clay museum; Darren Hawken, Tideford, for services to Cornish music; Margaret Johnson, Morphett Vale, South Australia, for services to Cornish identity in South Australia.

Jan Lokan, McLaren Vale, South Australia, for services to Cornish identity in South Australia; Peter Meanwell, Washaway, for services to Cornish music including researching old Cornish music for performance by his own choir the Washaway Gallery Choir; Jonny Nance, Cullompton, for services to Cornish maritime culture. Builds traditional boats for St Ives, which resulted in the formation of the Jumbo Association, named after the design of the boat, and the reappearance of unique Cornish luggers in St Ives harbour.

Richard Damian Nance, Stratford, Connecticut, USA, for services to Cornish identity in the USA; Glen Ridnour, Mineral Point, Wisconsin, USA, for services to Cornish identity in the USA; Carole Roberts, North Vancouver, Canada, for services to Cornish identity in Canada.

The bardic names of the 16 new bards will be made known for the first time at the ceremony on September 1, which will be conducted in the Cornish language, although it can be followed easily with the English translation. All are welcome to attend the ceremony and there is no charge for this event.

This year’s ceremony will also include the installation of a new Grand Bard, Elizabeth Carne, Melennek and a new Deputy Grand Bard, Pol Hodge, Mab Stenak Vur.

The Gorsedh Kernow Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture runs from Wednesday, August 29 to Sunday, September 2 and, as well as the main bardic ceremony, has a variety of events including a literary festival, a one-day conference — ‘Cornwall’s Heritage Assets — Time for Change?’ with guest speakers including Dr Nichola Harmer of Plymouth University, Dick Cole, Bert Biscoe and Kim Conchie, CEO of Cornwall Chamber, the Adults and Young People’s Awards evening, the ever popular Cornish troyl ceilidh, a gala concert, Cornish language taster morning, a Newquay history walk and sung evensong in Cornish. Most events are free of charge and all are welcome to attend.

For more information about all the Gorsedh Kernow Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture events visit the website www.esedhvos.org.uk