This autumn sees the launch of a new game celebrating Cornwall’s rich, enterprising – and often surprising – past.
Born out of successive Covid-19 lockdowns, The Cornwall Memory Game is a passion project created by Merryn Threadgould, a Cornish-born author and TV producer with a love of local history and culture.
Essentially a simple ‘find the pairs’ activity, The Cornwall Memory Game is a beautifully made treasure trove of intertwined stories which shines a light on the people, places, inventions, discoveries and achievements Cornwall has given to the world.
Merryn explained: “I'm a storyteller at heart and fascinated by social history, so I’m interested in finding new ways of telling stories that connect us with our past. The Cornwall Memory Game is my way of giving children fun, bite-sized history stories through play and conversation. In fact, I believe it's a game all ages will find fascinating.”
The game can be adapted for different players and attention spans, and Merryn hopes that it will find a home in many settings, including schools, student halls of residence, holiday accommodation, memory cafés and care homes.
Most of the images for the 60 sets of cards are unique to this game, having been specially commissioned from local artist Fiona Chivers or sourced from museums and other historical collections.
Each box also contains a pair of blank cards so that the owner can add their own personal piece of Cornish history – a photograph or a sketch for example.
Behind each pair of picture cards, there’s a fascinating story to discover in the accompanying booklet.
For example, did you know that the uniqueness of the human fingerprint was proven thanks to a ground-breaking experiment using the villagers of Polperro? Or that St Michael’s Mount was once surrounded, not by sea, but by woods?
Merryn elaborates: “Playing the game will lead you to the booklet, in which you’ll find a wealth of short stories. One of my favourites is of the indefatigable Mary Kelynack who, in 1851 at the age of 84 walked from Penzance to London to see The Great Exhibition, where she met Queen Victoria.”
You can physically visit scenes from all 60 tales, taking a tour of discovery around the Duchy.
Merryn hopes the game will act as a spark for all kinds of adventures, saying: “My ambition is that The Cornwall Memory Game will connect the current generation of children living in Cornwall with the millions of years of fascinating history they’ve inherited. This is a unique place, and I want them to see that anything is possible.”
Only a small number of the games have been produced initially by Booths in Penryn, with high production standards lending longevity and a ‘family heirloom’ feel; sustainability has been a focus throughout its design, and the game is completely plastic free and made using FSC paper.
The Cornwall Memory Game is available to buy online and from selected retailers across Cornwall, including Wayside in Zennor, The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, The Museum of Cornish Life in Helston, and Watts Trading in Lostwithiel.
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