Museum opens up space for Cornish surfing memories

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Helen Munro Berry

BBC Radio Cornwall

BBC The picture is a close-up of a hand holding a photograph of a child on a surfboard in the sea. The person holding the old photograph is standing on a beach and is wearing a green jumper.BBC

Tam Young’s photograph of her lying on a polystyrene surfboard was taken in about 1988

Members of the public are being asked to send in photographs of beach holidays, seaside memories and surfing shots featuring Cornwall over the years to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

The Surfing Memories exhibition is looking for people’s stories and objects from holidays past.

Stuart Slade, deputy director and head of public programmes at the museum, said: “The display space will be added to throughout the life of the exhibition so at the end it will be much richer with… a wider and deeper social history, linked to surfing holidays.

“This is the first time we have opened up to the public but we’ve been delighted by the quality and range of donations so far… and we’re keen for more,” he added.

Two black and white photos in a scrapbook with frame holders and descriptions. One photo features someone surfing and the other is a picture of three people standing in front of a surfboard. There are written descriptions below the images. The first picture is from 1945 and the second image is from the mid-60s.

The aim of the exhibition is partly to challenge conventional Cornish narratives, organisers said

The museum is hoping for a comprehensive snapshot of surfing holidays in Cornwall from the present day and dating right back to the 1920s.

“It focuses on ordinary, everyday experiences,” said Mr Slade. “We want to capture our shared experiences whether that’s surfing in any sophisticated way, lying on bodyboards or just paddling.

“We wanted to challenge the idea, the slightly stereotypical idea, that the maritime history of Cornwall is pirates and pasties and smuggling.

“It is all of those things but it is also the incredible stories of surfing and how people, both in Cornwall and tourists, have engaged with our coast.”

Tam Young has submitted a photo that is on display.

“It’s a photo taken in about 1988. I’m about nine or 10 years old and I’m lying on my polystyrene surfboard,” she said.

“I was at PollyJoke [beach]. I’m smiling a huge smile and I have very fond memories of that time.

“It was so lovely going through my old photos to try and find one I could submit.

I knew I had lots.

“It just brought back those memories of being a 10-year-old, no wetsuit, obviously, just lying on the surfboard, catching those waves and feeling so free.”

The Surfing Memories display and its partner exhibition – Surf! – run until January 2027.

Any submissions can be sent via the National Maritime Museum website or you can contact the museum if you would like them to scan images of slides for you.

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