A CALLINGTON group are striving to keep Cornish traditions alive and celebrate all things Cornwall.

The Callington Old Cornwall Society or in its Cornish name, Kernow Goth, is a group that celebrates and preserves Cornwall’s unique culture, traditions, language and dialect.

It is part of the umbrella organisation, the Federation of Old Cornwall Society which has been in existence since 1920. The movement was formed as it was thought that the identity of Cornwall was fading and has since spread the length and breadth of Cornwall with over 40 societies forming held together by a love of Cornwall, with the Callington group forming in 1946.

Callington Old Cornwall Society is gearing up for a showstopper of a year jam-packed with guest speakers and events embracing all that is Cornwall in the hope to attract new members.

Kathy Wallis, secretary of Callington Old Cornwall Society explained that the events for this year following into the next are going to be more varied to provide something for everyone. It is hoped that the new programme will encourage more people to join the group and keep the spirit of Cornwall alive.

Kathy said: ‘We’ve got a more exciting programme that’s bigger than ever.

‘We would love to have anybody come along. We’d like younger people too, that’s why we’ve moved some of the events to the evening.’

The group organises talks by guest speakers with some of the upcoming talks including: singer and storyteller Mo Keast, Win Scutt talking about the latest dig at Tintagel, Carmen Hunt on Cornish Dancing and Bodmin Wassilers on 400 years of unbroken tradition.

‘Cornwall is Cornwall and Cornwall is my home’, said Kathy.

‘It has its own identity and culture and what we mustn’t do is lose it.

‘Four years ago I was made a bard for my work on promoting Cornish folk arts and keeping traditions alive. It was totally unexpected.’

A bard is an individual honoured for working in their community to nurture and promote Cornish culture.

She continued, ‘Cornwall is something that you feel inside you. It’s got its own spirit that lives inside people.

‘We’ve got our own songs, our own traditions, our own language. Even on the back of our dustbin lorries, or when you go over the bridge, the Cornish language is there.

‘We as a group are trying to promote and celebrate the Cornish culture. So much of our culture and heritage is unique, you don’t get it anywhere else. We want to celebrate things that are local so we don’t forget them. It’s about sharing knowledge of Cornwall, what’s going on now as much as what’s gone on historically.

‘It’s important we don’t forget we have a language, culture and history to celebrate.

‘Callington Old Cornwall Society is also about learning; I’ve learnt a huge amount about quite obscure things.’

Aside from the talks organised, the group will also be having a fundraiser in April next year to commission a new banner and other types of events such as musical performances.

For more information visit the Callington Old Cornwall Society Facebook Page.