Giant miner puppet takes first steps - Anyone seen it?

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Spires
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9 years ago

Shown on BBC One News on Monday 25th July(I seem to remember).
Following information from 'Red Button':
A giant puppet of a Cornish miner has taken its first steps on a 130-mile journey.

The 10-metre (32.8ft) Man Engine will travel across the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site to mark the 10th year of its Unesco heritage status.

The puppet is the same height as a double decker bus when in "crawling" mode but more than twice that height when standing.

It was launched in Tavistock, Devon and will reach west Cornwall on 6 August.

Cheers,
Paul:thumbsup:

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Tamarmole
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9 years ago

I saw it up at Minions last night - the puppet was very, very impressive and well worth braving both the traffic and rain for. From where I was standing a mist wreathed Wheal Jenkin and Caradon Hill provided a fantastic backdrop.

The associated performance I found fairly predictable; the Master of Ceremonies trying a bit too hard to be "proper Cornish".

There must have been at least a thousand people there, all of whom seemed to have enjoyed themselves, myself included.

Whether the exercise has any lasting worth or value beyond the immediate spectacle remains to be seen.

lozz
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9 years ago

Will it be calling in at Johnny Orchards near Carharrack....Only joking:)

Lozz.

J25GTi
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9 years ago

I think you would say the same no matter what they did though Stu? I agree that more needs doing to the areas as they spent a lot of money to spruce them up to get this status and now they seem to spend nothing....

To be fair, it was an excellent. The thought and skill involved to make it was amazing. Kids staring in amazement and I think it would have definitely got kids interested in mining and the history behind it...

And actually as Rick commented with the mist rolling over Caradon Hill andWheal Jenkin in the back ground it was quite special. I bet it also brought in more than 50k to minions economy. It is probably the biggest event in the last 20 years that has happened there...

lozz
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9 years ago

Apparently some money was from the National Lotto.

Lozz.

exspelio
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9 years ago

"lozz" wrote:
Apparently some money was from the National Lotto.

Lozz.

And, no doubt from the arts people??, any pictures?

Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.

royfellows
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9 years ago

Stu
West Owles was consolidated quite a few years ago, and just in time to save the collapse of the chimney, a matter of some concern to me as I love the place. And of course there is the recent work on Botallack arsenic labyrinth.

My avatar is a poor likeness.

Tamarmole
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9 years ago

Loads of footage on youtube. This is from Minions where J25GTi and I saw it:

sinker
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9 years ago

Here:

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/07/25/Giant-mechanical-miner-puppet-touring-England/4031469474809/

Cool! :thumbsup:

Yma O Hyd....

agricola
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9 years ago

#10

I have see it twice, i have a good friend who is involved in the show. I was at Minions in the misty rain and tonight at Wheal Martyn.

So far over 30,000 people have attended the events - which says a lot. Like a couple of others there was over 4000 at Minions which must be a record of some kind !

Like others I was a little skeptical about it all being that I do know a little about Cornish Mining - having picked up the odd thing over the years, but on the whole I think it is a good thing. It is lottery funded and has much support from a number of different sources. The people involved are doing their best to promote the heritage, whilst respecting the past. It is a bit of a spectacle but on the whole worth attending if you can. I shall be assisting in a very small way at a number of venues to the west of Truro !

If it can't be grown it has to be mined.

somersetminer
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9 years ago

#11

Having seen the film of it getting started, have to say its pretty impressive! Decent sort of nod to the generations of miners who were actually on the sharp end as well. No point mentioning the cost of the thing, its built now and certainly getting a good reception. Pleased that the School of Mines could help in a small way, with the performers boots, hard hats, lamps, translation to the Cornish...;D

royfellows
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9 years ago

#12

"sinker" wrote:
Here:

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/07/25/Giant-mechanical-miner-puppet-touring-England/4031469474809/

Cool! :thumbsup:

The education doesn't seem to be working, quote:

TAVISTOCK, England, July 25 (UPI) -- A 32-foot-tall mechanical puppet of a Cornish COAL miner is walking the streets of England for a 130-mile journey.

My avatar is a poor likeness.

wheal
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9 years ago

#13

Coming to West Cornwall next week. Everyone I have spoken to who has seen it has been very impressed. The only 'but' comment has been over its name. It might be called 'Man Engine' but a Man Engine as used for raising and lowering miners it is not and could cause confusion. A minor point.

poke around long enough and you'll find something..

Tamarmole
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9 years ago

#14

"wheal" wrote:
Coming to West Cornwall next week. Everyone I have spoken to who has seen it has been very impressed. The only 'but' comment has been over its name. It might be called 'Man Engine' but a Man Engine as used for raising and lowering miners it is not and could cause confusion. A minor point.

The MC chap touched on this point. He said that they had thought long and hard about the name "Man engine" and concluded that (a) the original man engines were a product of Cornish ingenuity (who said Fahrkunst?) and that the current project paid tribute to that ingenuity by adopting the name (b) The choice of name was also a tribute to the victims of the 1919 Levant man engine disaster.

Alasdair Neill
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9 years ago

#15

According to a local it was the biggest crowd in Minions since the last witch burning.

Tamarmole
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9 years ago

#16

"Alasdair Neill" wrote:
According to a local it was the biggest crowd in Minions since the last witch burning.

1978 😉

Spires
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9 years ago

#17

Hi Guys,
After reading the various posts, I wish I lived a bit closer to Devon/Cornwall, so I could see the Giant miner puppet for 'real'! My thanks to Tamarmole for YouTube link.
Perhaps, the miner puppet could visit Derbyshire? Cornwall & Derbyshire are of course closely linked mining wise, an example being Magpie Mine. I quote 'In 1839 the famous mining firm of John Taylor and Sons were called in to reopen the mine using the then most modern methods in which the firm had excelled in Cornwall. They brought in Cornish pumping and winding engines for which the two chimneys were built, and deepened the shaft'. Another sentence, reads; 'About 14 key miners were imported from Cornwall'.
Could anyone put a good word in, as I feel sure the Giant miner puppet would be a great success here!
Cheers,
Paul.

exspelio
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9 years ago

#18

A very impressive spectacle, and good for public enlightenment, but I am very irritated about this insistence upon audience participation, I'm sure the thing would get upright without a couple of thousand folks shouting----..

I am part of a group that promotes local live entertainment and I always feel a bit ripped off if the performers spend time that we are paying for to teach the audience how to fill in part of their gig! (e.g., our last show spent 15mins teaching 50 people how to play the kazoo, for a 5min performance, that's 20mins loss of true entertainment out of a 2 hour performance that cost £400....)

Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.

somersetminer
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9 years ago

#19

"royfellows" wrote:

The education doesn't seem to be working, quote:

TAVISTOCK, England, July 25 (UPI) -- A 32-foot-tall mechanical puppet of a Cornish COAL miner is walking the streets of England for a 130-mile journey.

To some people, a hole in the ground can only ever be a coal mine! Seems to be one of those things...
Of course, Somerset had metals and coal...