Looking Back to Look Forward

I grew up in Camborne in the 60s and 70s and have wonderful memories of those times. Saturday shopping trips with my mother and sisters - often just browsing in Tyacks and Rices the department store, Woolworths and Knees Arcade - which was like Aladdin’s Cave.

I also remember roller-skating at the Skating Rink and going to the cinema every Saturday morning. During the summer months, my 4 siblings and I used spend most of our time at the park and recreation ground (especially on Camborne Show and the Donkey Derby days).

As long as we were home before dusk we used to walk to, and spend all day at, Penponds and Tehidy Woods and Portreath beach - packed lunch and Corona ‘fizzy pop’, from the Pengegon factory, in our backpacks.

Image: Amanda and her siblings as children at Christmas time.

Both the annual Camborne Church tea treats to St Ives and the fun fair down in Treswithian were the highlight of the year. All the townsfolk used to promenade down to the west end of the town - passing by those who’d already visited with live goldfish swimming in plastic bags in hand.

Although inevitably tinged with nostalgia, growing up in Camborne as a young person in those days was great - and I rarely felt the need to travel too far away from the town. We even had our own jukebox cafe the Silver Rail - the coolest place in the town -where you could buy knickerbocker glories and, much later as a young adult, the Berkeley Centre nightclub.

Nowadays, I wonder what contemporary townspeople will remember looking back over their lives in Camborne, given the paucity of amenities.

I’m delighted that I’m writing this blog just after the announcement of the success of the Camborne Town Deal award of £23.7m and am certain that this much needed injection of cash will enhance the lives of Camborne people.

I’m also delighted to be a founder member of It’s Possible Camborne CIC - especially at this moment in the town’s history which, if we seize the moment, could be a turning point for the town. We’d like to see the town’s people flourish and take proud ownership of their town - and our Mission is to creatively transform aspirations into reality for Camborne people.

Please join with us in any way you can - Camborne needs you! With people like you on board- whatever you can offer - anything is possible.

Amanda Hall, VIce Chair of It's Possible Camborne CIC.