A TRIO of local writers who visited Penryn Museum last week could have used the occasion as a company reunion, all three of them having worked together for the Falmouth Packet and its sister titles for a number of years.

However, John Marquis, Mike Truscott and David Barnicoat actually joined forces to present the museum with a selection of history books they have written over the past few years.

John, who was Packet editor from 1986 to 1995 and managing editor of The Tribune, the Bahamas’ leading daily, until his retirement, donated seven titles. These included his recently-published Cornwall: The Land of Writers, two volumes of his history of his home village of Flushing, and his study of DH Lawrence, My Very Good Friend Bert Lawrence.

Master mariner David, who was a Falmouth port pilot for 35 years and remains the Packet’s In Port columnist, provided the museum with two books: Sailing Ship To Super Liner (Falmouth Docks 1860-2010) and Dodman To Black Head. Produced to mark the 150th anniversary of Falmouth Docks, Sailing Ship To Super Liner has raised more than £20,000 for the Falmouth branch of Mission to Seafarers.

 

Mike Truscott, David Barnicoat, Gill Grant and John Marquis with the donated books

Mike Truscott, David Barnicoat, Gill Grant and John Marquis with the donated books

 

Mike, who ran his own PR company for 25 years, served the Packet as chief reporter and produced its shipping pages until 1988 when David took over. His gift to the museum included Mike’s View Of Old Falmouth And Penryn, Twenty Local Stories That Made National Headlines, The Lighter Side Of Life and Memory Lane In Falmouth And Penryn.

These and other books by Mike were all written in aid of Cancer Research UK, and he continues to write a weekly column in the Packet.

Accepting the books on behalf of the museum was its chairman, Councillor Gill Grant and, as a footnote to this “not a reunion story,” the picture was taken by another former Packet employee Paul Jordan, who was a reporter and chief sub editor, and now volunteers at the museum.