SATURDAY, May 2, will see the 2026 Gorsedh and Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture formally announced in Bodmin. The short Proclamation ceremony will be presided over by Bardh Meur / Grand Bard Gwythvosen, Jenefer Lowe, while the mayor of Bodmin, Cllr Liz Ahearn, will formally welcome Gorsedh Kernow to the town. The blue-robed bards attending will process from Shire House to Mount Folly, where the ceremony will take place at 11am.

‘I am delighted that Gorsedh Kernow will be returning to Bodmin in September’, said Grand Bard Jenefer Lowe. ‘The last time that we were here was in 1997, which was a very successful and enjoyable event. A lot of different events are being planned for the week and we look forward to working with the Council and local community to make this a Gorsedh and Esedhvos to remember’

The mayor of Bodmin, Cllr Ahearn, said: “Bodmin is honoured to be chosen as host town for the Gorsedh Kernow in 2026. This is a significant cultural event for Cornwall, and we look forward to welcoming the Bards, performers and visitors to our town to celebrate Cornish culture, language and heritage.”

The main Gorsedh ceremony will take place in Priory Park in Bodmin on Saturday 5th September. The Esedhvos festival, comprising community events and will take place in the preceding week, culminating in the main ceremony. Full details will be available later in the year.

THERE are plans to start up a new, informal fundraising group in Bodmin, supporting Cornwall Hospice. A similar group existed some time ago, and this is a chance to bring it back with fresh ideas and new people.

It’s intended to be relaxed and welcoming, with no big commitments, just an opportunity to meet others, share ideas, and get involved in a way that suits you. Whether you’ve fundraised before or are simply interested in doing something positive locally, you’d be very welcome.

If you’d like to find out more, you can get in touch by emailing [email protected] or call 07980 932389.

THE annual town council meeting where the mayor for the upcoming year will be chosen will take place on May 7 ay 6.30pm at the Shire House Suite.

A BRIGHT sunny evening treated the volunteers of the Bodmin Weed It Team in their latest session using good old fashion techniques to make parts of Bodmin look tidier.

The most recent weeding session took place on the path way which connects the Camel Trail at Cardell Road and goes up past Sainsburys (which people of a certain vintage will remember as the old railway line to Bodmin North).

Our small band of volunteers, which included a new recruit for the first time spent two hours filling two dumpy bags with weeds and rubbish – with the end result being something extremely tidy.

The next Bodmin Weed It Session will take place on Friday, May 1. Full details can be found on our social media page – Bodmin Weed It Team.