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THIS OBJECT IS PART OF THE PROJECT 'A HISTORY OF CORNWALL IN 100 OBJECTS'.

GERRANS HERITAGE CENTRE. Extreme weather is unusual in Cornwall so the Great Blizzard which swept across south and west Britain was long remembered. The 'Carl Hirschberg', shown on this commemorative china set, was one of many ships which became stranded or wrecked at this time. She came ashore at Porthscatho on 9 March 1891. A month later a channel was dynamited through the rocks at the harbour mouth and the 900 ton ship successfully refloated.

Inscribed 'A Present from Porthscatho', this cup, saucer and jug set was probably made in Germany. Germany dominated the market in souvenirs till anti-German feeling kicked in in 1914. The writer Anne Treneer of nearby Gorran was just too young to experience the Great Blizzard herself, but her older brothers told her of the snow heaped as high as hedges, the land smoothed white, the sea black, a weird strange light in the mornings, and their dog going half off his head.

Photo: Bernie Pettersen