St Blazey, Cornwall

The Cinema

Tha Palace Cinema in St Blazey was one of the longest operating cinemas in England. I worked there as the usherette during the middle to late 60s (I believe it is now closed). We had films three times a week and bingo twice a week - there was a Saturday morning children's cartoon show. I did everything from selling tickets to urshering and during the interval selling chocolates, drinks and ice cream. I have always been an avid cinema fan and as I saw everything that was presented at the Palace I was able to endulge my viewing and get paid for it!

I lived at the top of Rose Hill and would walk home after the show without any worries for my safety.

Our local pub was the Cornish Arms and it was run at that time By Ross Edwards and his wife. many a happy hour was spen there. My father painted and some of his paintings hung on the walls - I donated my collection of American banners and they were hung on the walls of the lounge bar.

Home

I was born 1941. My mum was Pearl Renowden, daughter of John Renowden my grandad, Auntie Elsie, Uncle Leslie, & my brother David. We lived at 132 Landreath Place, St Blazey. Uncle Tom & Auntie Hilda lived at the top of our road. I have very happy memories of St Blazey, going to the farm to collect a jug of milk for Grandad, going to the all girls' school, my friend Sheila Barret who I have lost touch with. I left Landreath in 1952. Mum married a Charles Gilbert so we lived at Stenalees.

Cornish Arms Hotel St Blazey

I have found from doing family history that my great grandfather George James Andrews died at the Cornish Arms Hotel on 25 Dec 1919. If anyone has any info about the hotel at that time I would love to see it ,or hear from any relatives of the Andrews family.

Gran and Granddad

Granddad helped to build Landreath Place, mum and her family moved into number 55, where both grandparents lived till they died. Also there was other family living in this street, my great grandfather John Renowden, my great Aunt Elsie Renowden, great Uncle Les great Aunty Gladys, great uncle Sid Bishop. all sadly passed away.Landreath today looks almost the same except the speed humps, miss the little sweet shop, loved the smell when we used to go in. And the chip shop was out of this world, remember gran sending me down to buy a bowl full of chips for our tea. Top of Landreath used to be a farm (Now all houses) was a short cut to Spit beach, right next to Par. So many happy memories of St Blazey, always feel like I have come home, my sister now lives in this street now.

Cornwall Memories

St Blazey is a modest town that sits inland from the port of Par in St Austell Bay. The wooded and beautiful Luxulyan valley is a magnet for lovers of industrial archeology, with its 1839 Treffry viaduct and aqueduct linking the mining and china clay industries with the coastal ports.

St Austell Bay Photographic Memories

This is a delightful view of the 15th-century church, which has a plain tower without pinnacles. The cottages have small gardens, walled enclosures, sheds and washing lines. The line of the Par to Newquay railway can be seen across the valley. It is interesting to note that the tide came up to this point when the church was built.

St Austell Bay Photographic Memories

We are looking south across the Luxulyan valley. The magnificent Treffry Viaduct was built in 1842 to carry a tramway and an aqueduct. The woodland in the rocky valley has matured, and the view today is nowhere near as open. This was the first viaduct to be built in Cornwall, but it was bypassed in 1874 by the Newquay railway, which runs along the valley floor beneath. Both railways served quarries, mines and the china clay industry.