In a talk at the Maritime Museum on Monday Alan Renton, curator and archivist at Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, will be revealing Porthcurno’s place in the history of communications and the pivotal role of the ships, which laid cables and also recovered them from the sea-bed for repairs.

By the beginning of the 20th Century Porthcurno had become the biggest telegraph station in the world, linking Britain with the rest of the globe through a network of 100,000 miles of cables.

The illustrated talk, called Porthcurno and the Cable Ships, is part of a programme combining a lecture and lunch, which explores different historical and nautical themes. The lecture and set lunch is from 12.30pm and costs £12.50. Anyone wishing to book a place should call 01326 214546.