Death of one of St Keverne’s last characters

Billy Moyle, who was still living in the house in which he was born, died in the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro last Wednesday after being taken ill that morning.

His son, Terry, who lives in Kent, said his father had been involved with almost every aspect of life in St Keverne.

"He was one of the last St Keverne characters born and brought up in the village," he said. "He loved the place. The village, and the chapel in particular, were his life and he wanted to share that with others right up until the end."

Terry, a former Helston grammar school student who has written several books about aspects of St Keverne's history, said his father's death had been a shock.

"It was very sudden, but what a way to go at 96. I spoke to him last Tuesday and he was as lively as ever. He went to get his paper on Wednesday morning and was taken ill. That is how he would have wanted to go. He would have been a terrible patient anyway."

Born in 1910, the youngest of six children of Simon and Clara Moyle, Billy grew up in the Commercial Road home he lived in for almost his entire life.

On leaving the village school, he worked at Porthoustock quarry - initially in the office and then as a driver - before becoming a driver for the former St Keverne Co-op in Commercial Road.

Following a spell working with his brother, Percy, a stonemason and builder, Billy became a driver for RNAS Culdrose - a position he held for 21 years until his retirement in 1975.

An accomplished singer, with an "amazing" range, Billy was the last surviving founder member of St Keverne male choir. A member for more than half a century, he was also secretary to the choir for 47 of those years.

His vocal talents were also put to good use with the St Keverne church choirs - initially with the parish church and then with the Methodist chapel, where he was a member of the choir from 1922 to 1996.

His singing also earned him gold medals at the Cornwall music festivals of 1952 and 1954.

Billy played solo cornet with St Keverne band from 1922 to 1935.

His involvement with the community extended far beyond his musical interests.

A founder member of both the St Keverne working men's club and the St Keverne local history society - of which he was secretary for ten years - he was also involved with the St Keverne gardeners' society and a trustee of the village's Methodist chapel.

He served on numerous village committees, including ox roast and cancer research, and, with his late wife, Miriam, was a driver for meals on wheels for almost 15 years - a role the couple only gave up in 1989 when they realised all the recipients were younger than they were.

Billy was also a firefighter based at the former St Keverne fire station in Commercial Road for 20 years.

His extensive work on behalf of the community was officially recognised both by St Keverne parish council and Kerrier district council.

In 2003, he was invited to Truro Cathedral for a golden jubilee service attended by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, while the following year his service to the community was again recognised at a garden party at Trewithen attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall.

Billy loved gardening - tending his own plot well into his nineties - and also watching sport on television, particularly football.

An ardent chronicler of village life, he was a reporter for several local newspapers, including the Helston Packet, submitting stories for publication until shortly before his death.

His son said: "He was a wonderful storyteller. You had to take some of it with a pinch of salt but it was always fascinating to listen to. He started writing his memories in the mid-90s and continued to add to them right up until January. He loved recalling events in his life and, most of all, sharing that with other people."

Billy's latest project was financing a book written by his son to mark the centenary of St Keverne Methodist chapel next month.

The book was being kept under wraps until the anniversary - on March 11 - and, true to form, Billy was greatly enjoying the secrecy, but desperate to share its stories with the wider world.

The chapel was the setting for his funeral yesterday - the service due to be taken by local minister the Rev Beverly Turner and the Rev Anne Curnow, from Callington, daughter of a former St Keverne minister, John Pearce.

Stephen Ivall, deputy editor of the Packet who worked in Helston for many years, knew Mr Moyle well. "He was a correspondent for the Packet sending in news from the St Keverne and Coverack area while his brother, Hugo, looked after the Manaccan district," he said.

"He was a regular visitor to the Helston office and if I ever needed information about the St Keverne area, Billy was the person I would go to. He was always helpful. He was also a proud man and loved the area in which he lived."