A book featuring a collection of poems that was written by a late Cornish Bard has raised over £4,500 for healthcare charity Cornwall Hospice Care.

Hilary’s Humorous Poems, which has been produced by her widower Dennis, celebrates the terrific talent she had for telling a good tale in rhyme.

On May 31, over 200 people attended the book’s launch at Ladock Village Hall which raised £2,460 on the evening. All proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in St Austell, which is run by Cornish Hospice Care.

Dennis, Hilary’s husband of 61 years, said: “The launch was packed, people had to park on the road because the car park was full. The pub allowed us to use their car park but that was full too. It was phenomenal.”

All of the food at the launch was donated by Sainsbury’s, who supplied scones, jam and cream, while Warrens Barkery provided saffron buns to the event.

Born in St Austell, Hilary trained as a teacher and after two years in London she spent the rest of her teaching career in Cornish schools.

Hilary had a love of music and was self-taught on the piano and organ. She was a founding member of Tresillian Singers and later, a quartet, Kescan Lowen (Happy Chorus). On retirement, Hilary took up painting and her skill and incredible attention to detail are evident in the paintings that are featured in the book.

It was the installation of a Rayburn cooker at her home in Probus that leaked water from the boiler in 1981 that started Hilary’s poetry journey. She would go on to compose more than two hundred poems over a 40-year period.

Hilary entertained at more than 80 villages and towns across Cornwall, from Penzance to Torpoint, sharing her witty and poetic observations from 1981 until 2019. She was regularly invited to perform at WI groups, chapels, churches, functions and concerts. Hilary never took expenses, she just asked for donations to either the Cornwall Air Ambulance or Cornwall Hospice Care.

Hilary was always proud of being Cornish and in 2010 she was thrilled to be made a Bard for her contribution to the Cornish dialect and for raising funds for local charities.

Since her passing in August 2024, it’s been Dennis’ focus to produce the book which took him six months to compile. Dennis, a retired teacher of Truro School where he taught woodwork, received support from Truro Methodist Church organist Philip Davey, who was a former pupil of both him and Hilary. The team at Mid Cornwall Printing also lent a helpful hand in getting the book published.

Brimming with great character and humour, most of the 150 poems featured in the book are all based on actual events in Hilary’s life. The book also features many beloved family photos, including plenty that portrays Hilary’s love for Jack Russell dogs.

To order the 228-page book, contact Dennis on 01726 882586.