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Vera
Treleaven celebrates her 100th birthday in January.
She
has spent her century living in Polgooth near St Austell. When she
was born the village was still active with mining. Bal Maidens were
a regular sight and mining stamps were a daily sound for the young
Vera.
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| This
picture of Vera was taken when she was 26 |
"We
would hear the stamps all the time throughout the village,"
remembers Vera. "When they switched them off on a Saturday
night we couldn't get used to the quiet."
The
mining days may have passed but the Polgooth Inn remains a popular
part of the village.
The
inn was originally a 16th Century old counting house which supplied
one of the biggest tim mining communities in Cornwall.
The
pub still retains many of the old characteristics from the past.
"My
Great-Grandparents ran the Polgooth Inn," remembers Vera. "My
earliest memory of the pub was a big room which was upstairs. I
remember dances were held there."
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| Vera
stands with her husband Frank in Polgooth |
Like
most of Polgooth's children today, Vera attended St Mewan School.
Coaches now run through the village picking up youngsters. It was
a different story in Vera's school days.
"We
would walk to school through Tregongeeves Lane," says Vera.
"We had strict teachers but I think I was always good. Life
was hard in Polgooth but it was fun and I would not want to live
anywhere else."
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| Family
life has always been important for Vera. She is second from
right in the middle row at a family gathering in Newquay |
There
was a character who many villagers remember today who was called
Mugs. If people came to the village wanting to know anything they
would be sent to Mugs.
He
would often be found sitting on a bench adjacent to the village
pub. Mugs was Vera's father.
Vera
carries on her father's tradition by talking about people and places
in yesteryear Polgooth.
"I
remember the chapel anniversary days were great fun," says
Vera. "We had a cup of Salisbury beer, this was made from crystals
in a bottle, there would be a bathful in the garden.
There
are not many people who have spent 100 years in the same village.
Vera loves her Polgooth and the village in return is very proud
of its oldest resident.
also:
Meet the village's long serving organist
Read about chapel life in Polgooth
Find out about the Mays of Polgooth
Take a walk around Hawke's shop
An amazing Polgooth mining discovery
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