Mousehole’s Green Heart.
Sunday 1st September, 2019 - 4:19pm
On Thursday, the choir participated in the unveiling of a street name in Mousehole. Grenfell Street has been in existence for over 250 years and has never had its name displayed. This all changed when a new street sign was installed by Cornwall Hugs Grenfell. The sign was unveiled as a celebration of the solidarity and special relationship between the communities. Since the disaster more than 350 survivors, the bereaved, close neighbours or fire fighters have come on holiday to Cornwall, and the village of Mousehole has looked after 75 of them.
The tower and the street were named after a very prominent Cornish businessman and politician, Pascoe Grenfell who was born in Marazion in 1761. He was chosen as one of the members of parliament for the constituency of Great Marlow in Buckinghamshire. He continued to represent that constituency until 1820, when he became representative for Penryn, a position he maintained to 1826. As a parliamentarian he was a strong supporter of William Wilberforce in the debates on the human slave trade and transportation. He died in London in January 1838.
The choir had been invited by the charity Cornwall Hugs Grenfell, at which both the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colonel Bolitho and the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mountstephen, attended. Hundreds turned out to watch the road sign being unveiled. The Lord lieutenant of Cornwall Edward Bolitho gave a short speech and welcomed the Grenfell survivors after which the new street sign was unveiled by the coxswain of the Penlee lifeboat Patch Harvey assisted by some of the young children from Grenfell tower. The Bishop of Truro the most reverend Phillip Mount Stephen then blessed the street. As part of this very moving unveiling ceremony, the choir sang Alwyn Humphreys arrangement of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll never Walk Alone”. The choir were thanked by the main organiser of the event, Esme Page. Of the many people present, they included guests of Hugs for Grenfell, survivors, bereaved and families affected by the Grenfell tower block fire on the 14th June 2017, where 72 people lost their lives, 223 people escaped. The former Olympic runner, nowTV presenter Ewen Thomas was also in attendance together with an LBC tv crew.
This road sign is the first in the UK to be given with a green heart. The choir take pride in this as their late President, Julyan Drew was the first recipient of a Grenfell Community Hero award, and was the Methodist Minister in Mousehole. It is quite a coincidence that new street sign adorns the cottage where the late and great Penlee lifeboat coxswain, Trevelyan Richards once lived.
(Photographs courtesy of Cornwall Hugs Grenfell, Phil Monckton and Tim James)
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