Poppy Saturday at the Museum

Saturday 3rd November was the first big day of the Poppy Appeal in Truro. The weather forecast was very poor and so Maggie Danes, the event coordinator asked the Museum if it could offer last minute accommodation for Jason Thomas Performing Arts, a troupe of about thirty young people singing and dancing. Maggie said: ‘It’s wonderful that the museum can adapt so quickly in this way.’;

Hon Sec Bert Biscoe opened the event. Maggie spoke movingly about why she is dedicated to the British Legion and selling poppies because of her Father’s war experience. She had to rush off to take up position in a very damp and crowded Boscawen Street. Bert read his poem ‘Unknown Warrior in Boscawen Street’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti7Qq0xHj0s) –

Then Jason Thomas Performing Arts took over – the main hall became a cauldron of intense choreographed, elegant, lively creative bodies evoking individual interpretations of the meaning of remembrance, the horror of war and the joy of life.

The audience was mainly comprised of parents and supporters – two quite bemused geologists were to be see in the Rashleigh Room tapping their feet! – and within the hour all was mischievously, beautifully done- the young dancers leapt, spun, rolled, writhed and worked brilliantly together – incredible feats of memory, coordination and art gloriously filleted Saturday’s morning into its afternoon and then all the artefacts settled back into their repose – in the Museum the sun shone intensely!