Tin miners, their patron saint and an old bottle of beer - spot the connection!

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

100-year-old bottle of beer found at St Piran's church


The beer found in the bottle will be analysed to see what brew was used

A bottle of beer believed to be more than 100-years-old has been found at an ancient church in Cornwall.

The bottle, still containing some of the beer, was found at St Piran's Oratory, near Perranporth, which is believed to be among the oldest places of Christian worship in Britain.

St Piran is the patron saint of tin miners and the phrase 'drunk as a Perraner' also comes from the legend.

The beer will be analysed to see what brew was used.

A spokesman from St Austell Brewery said it was believed the bottle dated back to 1910 and was found in an "immaculate condition". He added the bottle also had a swastika logo on the cap, a popular brewing symbol at the time.

Archaeologist James Gossip said the bottle was believed to have been left in the sand by a worker in 1910 when the oratory was encased in a concrete structure in an attempt to protect it from the encroaching sand and waves.

The 6th Century remains of St Piran's Oratory are being uncovered in a major archaeological project by the St Piran Trust.

According to legend, St Piran was flung into the sea in the 6th Century by the kings of Ireland who were jealous of his healing powers. Despite having a millstone around his neck, he did not drown - but "floated" across the sea and landed in Cornwall.

Each year, St Piran's story is retold in a drama on the dunes near the oratory on the Sunday nearest to 5 March.


Tonnes of sand are being removed from the oratory site near Perranporth

I know that at least one of our members on the Coffee Shop forum used to be a tin miner, and he is partial to the occasional beer - so here's to St Piran!

[Cynthia]

I've been puzzling over this for  while.... Go on, CfN, put us out of our misery!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well the particular tin-mining member of the Coffee Shop forum I was referring to is Tony - see his own introduction, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=12414.0 

[TonyK]

Sorry I'm late - I didn't see this first time out.

I've just realised - CfN is talking about me! I did work for a while in a tin mine, and am horrified to be reminded that this was 40 years ago!

I know Perranporth from that time - a traditional end to the working week at South Crofty for some of us was to pick up a number of crates from either Devenish Brewery or the St Austell-fuelled off licence in Redruth, and head for Perranporth. We would occupy a secluded bit of beach, and stay until the beer was gone, plus sobering time  - usually in time for a Sunday lunchtime session back in Redruth. We made little noise, caused no nuisance, and always cleared up before leaving, probably less from social conscience than concern for the deposit on the bottles. For the life of me, I can't remember what we ate during these jaunts.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

What's it like to go down a disused 400-year-old tin mine?

South Crofty tin mine, near Camborne, is massive and was closed almost 20 years ago. But now a Canadian company, Strongbow, plans to open it back up.

The BBC's Environment Correspondent Claire Marshall went down to have a look.

[Bmblbzzz]

Interesting! I didn't know tin miners had their own patron saint – is there one for each mineral or do others share St Barbara? Or maybe she's specific to coal miners? And that a swastika was used as a sign of brewers; I presume this means not as a brewer's logo but as a seal of quality. I do remember seeing swastikas in the tiled floor of Truro cathedral. Perhaps the Cornish, for some reason, were particularly keen on this symbol? Odd to see it in a specifically Christian setting though. A crucifix in a Hindu temple would, I think, be even odder!

[Oxonhutch]

A crucifix in a Hindu temple would, I think, be even odder!

A very good - and Hindu - friend of mine had his new car blessed by the priest.  Imagine my surprise the next day when he picked me up on our shared lift club to work, when I found his car covered in hand-drawn swastikas. A very common and ancient Hindu symbol.

[TonyK]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

What's it like to go down a disused 400-year-old tin mine?

South Crofty tin mine, near Camborne, is massive and was closed almost 20 years ago. But now a Canadian company, Strongbow, plans to open it back up.

The BBC's Environment Correspondent Claire Marshall went down to have a look.

I knew it well when it wasn't disused! I didn't know they were going to mine cider down there. I watched the video - first thing I noticed was that the rails have been lifted. And as for the mine "slowly" flooding if the pumps are turned off, it took less than a month when it was first closed.

While I was clearing out my workshop prior to selling the house, I found my old helmet:



As I have time on my hands these days...

[Bmblbzzz]

A crucifix in a Hindu temple would, I think, be even odder!

A very good - and Hindu - friend of mine had his new car blessed by the priest.  Imagine my surprise the next day when he picked me up on our shared lift club to work, when I found his car covered in hand-drawn swastikas. A very common and ancient Hindu symbol.

From what I remember, the blessing of cars involves coconuts, guavas and garlands of flowers. I don't recall ever seeing a swastika on a car, as opposed to on a building, when I lived in Bangalore, but I think it's a more common symbol in north India. Ganesh on the dashboard of course.

[TonyK]

The swastika (a Sanskrit word) remains a spiritual symbol in Buddhism, Hinuism, and Jainism throughout the Indian subcontinent. Hitler appropriated it. If only he had gone for the smiley face instead.

We didn't use it down South Crofty, preferring a white cross on black (St Piran's flag), occasionally flanked by a pair of pasties rampant.

[Oxonhutch]

While I was clearing out my workshop prior to selling the house, I found my old helmet:

As ageing miners, I find we become more attached to our old helmet as the years progress . Vaal Reefs Gold Mine 4#,6# & 7#, 1986-1988.

Still bearing the stand-up scars of all those years.  I told my father, who worked a mile away from his house in Lancashire, that I travelled further to work than he did - vertically!

Damn comfortable as the heat, and my sweat, folded it to my head. Followed me into my railway volunteering work until I was told I couldn't wear it on leased Network Rail land as it inferred that I held their Personal Track Safety Certificate.  The new British blue one is so uncomfortable.

Oh the tales and adventures that hat and me have had ...

[ellendune]

Plastic hats (if that is what it is) have a limited life IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly).  So it may not be serviceable any more

[Oxonhutch]

I am sure that its ticket has long expired, but just like old steam engines, it is quite capable of doing the job for which it was designed - and over-engineered.

It's an African hat - built to last! Proving it would, of course, cost more than a new cheap (and uncomfortable) hat.

At least on the mine, it was a necessary piece of safety equipment - as evidenced by the scars. On the modern railway, it is more of a uniform item. Chicken-Licken was always fearful of the sky falling on its head!

[TonyK]

Plastic hats (if that is what it is) have a limited life IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly).  So it may not be serviceable any more

In my case, it isn't just the hat that wouldn't be fit for purpose any more.

[chrisr_75]

Plastic hats (if that is what it is) have a limited life IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly).  So it may not be serviceable any more

Most PPE (including climbing & caving gear) is considered life expired after 10 years in ideal storage conditions, so out in the field you'd be looking at considerably less. A 30 year old hard hat is now certainly just a souvenir!