Over 400 people attended a celebration of gig rowing heritage on Saturday evening. Nostalgic archive footage and vivid contemporary film of the sport proved equally impressive on the big screen at the Regal Theatre.
The event was organised as part of the ‘Pulling Together The Past’ project. Project Manager, Claire Tripp said, ‘People have contributed so many amazing archive items to the project, the hardest part of organising the evening was deciding what to leave out!’.
The evening featured short films about gig rowing. A film about the origins of the Cornish Pilot Gig explored the traditional uses of the gig and how the vessel evolved into the sleek and seaworthy craft we enjoy today. Another film looked at how the revival in gig rowing was inspired by the special relationship between Newquay and the Isles of Scilly. The final film of the evening charted the growth of clubs through the 1980’s, concluding with a visit to the first World Pilot Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly in 1990.
The audience enjoyed special performances from choirs the ‘Newquay Rowing Club Singers’ and ‘Oll an Gwella’ before joining in ‘Trelawny’ to bring the evening to a close.
Since the event, the project team have had requests to take the film show on the road. If you are keen to host a similar event in your area please get in touch with clairecpga@gmail.com