Today is Hug a Bear Day! 🧸 This day is all about hugging a teddy bear – but don’t forget to spread the love and hug your loved ones and pets too! In the George Ellis collection, we have several portrait photographs featuring children and teddy bears.

The theme this month for Explore Your Archives is religion and spirituality. This collection of documents relate in different ways to what was known as the ‘Shouters’ chapel, situated at the top of Campfield Hill in Truro.

Will you be celebrating Bonfire night tonight? 🎇 These Cubs and Girl Guides were making their Guy Fawkes preparations, when photographer George Ellis took this photo on 5 November 1955. #bonfirenight #guyfawkes #fireworks #bonfiretraditions

Come and join Speak Cornish THIS THURSDAY 6 November, 2-3.30pm, to learn some Cornish! Aimed at beginners or people with just a little Kernewek but open to all, it’s free and there’s no need to book. Splann! #learncornish #speakcornish @speakcornish

#WeeklyReads: November - Alfred Wallis: Child Pauper to Artistic Luminary by Matilda Webb. 🖌️ Wallis began painting at 70, capturing ships & memories of old Cornwall. His work helped shape British Modern Art. 📚 This 500+ page biography explores his Cornish roots, life at sea & artistic legacy.

🎃✨ Discover the magic of Cornish folklore this Halloween! ✨🎃 Are you looking for a local, family-friendly, Halloween event? Join us on Thursday 30 October, 10am-12pm, for a spooky storytelling workshop with author and storyteller Alasdair Hoswell - perfect for curious adventurers of all ages!

Come and join Speak Cornish on Thursday 6 November, 2-3.30pm, to learn some Cornish! Aimed at beginners or people with just a little Kernewek but open to all, it’s free and there’s no need to book. Splann! #learncornish #speakcornish @speakcornish

Spooky fun this half-term! 🎃 Tues 28 & Wed 29 Oct: Craft Halloween scenes with Cornish stone circles & rainbow wax paper. Thurs 30 Oct: Join Alasdair Hoswell for legends, magic & myths! Free, 10am–12pm, all ages, no booking. #CornwallArchives #HalloweenCrafts

Who doesn’t love a map? 🗺️ This 1576 Elizabethan map by Christopher Saxton features sea monsters—once drawn to spark imagination or hint at ocean mysteries. They vanished by the late 1600s as science advanced. #eyamonsters #cornishmaps #seamonsters @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

Our latest exhibition is OPEN! 🎉 Celebrating 40 years of Cornwall Heritage Trust, it explores human stories behind Cornwall’s ancient sites using rare documents from both archives. Free entry during usual hours. #peopleandplaces #cornwallsocialhistory

Our #WeeklyReads dives into spooky Cornish tales! 📚 Cornish Horrors (@britishlibrary.bsky.social) brings Gothic stories by Poe, Stoker & more, plus local legends of mines, shipwrecks & folklore. Perfect for dark autumn nights! #KresenKernow #CornwallArchives

👹 This October, we're featuring monsters for the Explore Your Archive theme, and the collections at Kresen Kernow are full of fascinating folklore and fearsome tales!

Did you work out the name of the mystery house in our post yesterday? 👀🔎 Well done to everyone who said Princes House, on Princes Street, Truro!

For those of you who love a bit of detective work, we have a challenge for you! Can you name this house? It’s described as one of Cornwall’s finest Georgian properties, but this view of the rear garden no longer exists!

📜 On this day in 1820, John Harris FRHS - miner, poet and proud Cornishman - was born at Bolenowe Carn, near Camborne.

🎃✨ Discover the magic of Cornish folklore this Halloween! ✨🎃 Are you looking for a local, family-friendly, Halloween event? Join us on Thursday 30 October, 10am-12pm for a spooky storytelling workshop with author and storyteller Alasdair Hoswell — perfect for curious adventurers of all ages!

Monster is the theme for this month’s Explore Your Archives, whether it’s folklore, maps or pantomime, we’ll be exploring our collections for wonderous documents for this spooky-inspired theme!

Today is World Postcard Day and the theme this year is ‘Wish you were here…’ Did you know that according to the Postal Museum in London, 900 million postcards were sent in one year during the early 1900s!

Come and join Speak Cornish THIS THURSDAY 2 October, 2-3.30pm, to learn some Cornish! Aimed at beginners or people with just a little Kernewek but open to all, it’s free and there’s no need to book. Splann! #learncornish #speakcornish @speakcornish.bsky.social

📬 Today is #WorldPostcardDay and this year’s theme is Wish you were here… Did you know 900 million postcards were sent in a single year in the early 1900s? We’re celebrating with gems from our archive at Kresen Kernow! ⬇️ #CornishPostcards #cornishpasty

As we head into the autumn, our Weekly Reads for this coming month will highlight short stories inspired by Cornwall, with interesting collections to dip into as the evenings get darker.

Our latest talk 'Cornwall's George Ellis Photographic Collection' @kresenkernow.bsky.social is now online. Please share with your #photohistory networks. youtu.be/tQXVqbhQi2c?...

Our A to Z of Cornish gardens and gardening continues and for E, there is no place quite as unique as The Eden Project, which was designed by the architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw (who sadly died this week).

Still time to register for our next online talk on Tuesday 23rd September (1800 BST). 'Cornwall's George Ellis Photographic Collection' @kresenkernow.bsky.social events.rps.org/en/historica...

Join Kresen Kernow, @cornishmining, @her_cios and other heritage organisations at EXPO Ertach Kernow - two inspiring days at the heart of Cornwall’s heritage!

📚 This month’s #ExploreYourArchives theme is Education! Today we looked at 1935–36 timetables from Delaware Road School, Gunnislake. Children aged 5–14 studied until 4pm—but had a generous 1½ hour lunch! A glimpse into school life 90 years ago. 🕰️ #archives #CornwallHistory

📸 Love our George Ellis photo posts? Join an online talk hosted by the RPS Historical Group as Deborah Tritton, from Kresen Kernow, explores Ellis’s stunning archive of mid-Cornwall life. Tues 23 Sept, 6pm. Book here: bit.ly/4nrAnq3 @rpshistgroup.bsky.social

September’s Weekly Reads feature Termynyow a Dheu/Coming Times by Tim Saunders—winner of the Holyer an Gof award for adult books in Cornish. Bilingual poems explore love, justice & destiny, from fiery rhetoric to the tranquil 15-syllable besontenn.

Come and celebrate the International Mining and Pasty Festival at Kresen Kernow on Saturday 20 September! Join author Jennifer Davy for a storytelling event featuring her latest book ‘Chloe and the Bright Idea’ at 11am and 1pm!

Join Kresen Kernow, @cornishmining, @her_cios and other heritage organisations at EXPO Ertach Kernow - the Cornish heritage expo - two inspiring days discovering Cornwall’s heritage!

September’s Weekly Reads conjure The Adventurer’s Guide to the Creatures of Cornwall by Merran Coleman—Holyer an Gof winner. Through Caradoc’s notes, meet spriggans, piskies & mermaids in a world where Celtic myth walks beside beautiful illustration.

Looking forward to our next online talk ... 'Cornwall's George Ellis Photographic Collection' @kresenkernow.bsky.social on Tuesday 23rd September 2025 (1800 BST). Full details and register via link. events.rps.org/en/historica...

Between 1820 and 2002, Cornwall’s first mental health hospital, St Lawrence’s in Bodmin, witnessed dramatic shifts in how society treated mental illness. For women, the journey was especially fraught.

📸 Love our George Ellis photo posts? Join an online talk hosted by the RPS Historical Group as Deborah Tritton from Kresen Kernow explores Ellis’s stunning archive of mid-Cornwall life. Tuesday 23 September, 6pm. Book here: bit.ly/4nrAnq3 @rpshistgroup.bsky.social‬

A to Z of Gardens - D is for Durgan and Glendurgan 🌿 Nestled in a lush Cornish valley, Glendurgan Garden was created in the 1820s by Alfred and Sarah Fox. Thanks to its mild micro-climate, the garden flourishes with tropical plants, ferns and palms.

Join our free 8-week creative wellbeing project at Kresen Kernow, led by artist Ruth Purdy and @makeitbettercic. Each Thursday we’ll explore archive items and take part in relaxing, hands-on activities like bookbinding, cyanotype, polaroid transfer, embroidery and creative writing.

🧵 Join our free 8-week creative wellbeing course at Kresen Kernow with artist Ruth Purdy & @makeitbettercic. Explore archives & try bookbinding, cyanotype, embroidery & more. Thursdays 10am–12pm, 2 Oct–4 Dec. 🎟️ Book now: tickettailor.com/events/kresenkernow

Are you interested in family history, but not sure where to start? Maybe you've started but are not sure where to go next? Join us on Saturday 20 September, 10am-2pm, where you'll be able to talk to members of Cornwall Family History Society about how to get started!

Come and celebrate the International Mining and Pasty Festival at Kresen Kernow on Saturday 20 September! Join author Jennifer Davy for a storytelling event featuring her latest book ‘Chloe and the Bright Idea’ at 11am and 1pm!

It's the last day of our summer family ARTchive sessions tomorrow! Join Sophie from Pop-up Paint Pot and create your own collage animal! 10am-12pm, just drop-in no need to book. For all ages too! kresenkernow.org/event/collag...

Our latest pop-up exhibition is ‘Roots and Routes’ from IntoBodmin. It showcases the ambitious 18-month community heritage project that celebrates Bodmin’s rich past while nurturing its creative future.

Today we're dreaming of a holiday in Cornwall with this hand-painted map from 1576! The map from our beautiful atlas was based on a survey undertaken by the cartographer Christopher Saxton. 📷 Rare books B 1590/SAX/XX; digitised by @dhlabexeter.bsky.social #MapMonday #MondayMaps #Cornwall

Join us for special behind-the-scenes tours this September with Heritage Open Days! This year’s theme is all about architecture – so it will be another chance for you to see some gems from the collection along with celebrating Cornwall’s rich architectural history!

As part of our Family ARTchive activities this summer, join Sophie from Pop Up Paint Pot for some colourful and creative collage animals! 🦡🐿️ TOMORROW (Thursday 14 August) get creative make your own animal mask! 🦡🐰

18 July – 17 August is South Asian Heritage Month, which seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories and communities, and to understand the diverse heritage and cultures that continue to link the UK with South Asia.

It’s International Cat Day and we are celebrating the very first Cornish Rex cat! Photographer George Ellis took several photos of the first Cornish Rex cat. Called Kallibunker, he was one of a litter from Mrs Ennismore’s farm cat, from the Seven Stars pub in Bugle.

Come and join Speak Cornish this Thursday 7 August, 2-3.30pm, to learn some Cornish! Aimed at beginners or people with just a little Kernewek but open to all, it’s free and there’s no need to book. Splann! #learncornish #speakcornish @speakcornish

We will also be there - can't wait to see you all!

Join us on Thursday 31 July for a morning of piskey mischief, bewitched hares and mermaid magic! 🧜🏽‍♀️

On Tuesday 29 July, join the tale collectors, Hunt and Bottrell, as they unpack their suitcase of stories with a bit of help from the Mazed storytellers. 💼 Hear tales of generous giants, mischievous piskies, hissing spriggans and flying sheep in this puppet show for anyone aged 5 to 95.