Evocative Cornwall calendar - 20 great years!
In 2024 Evocative Cornwall celebrates the 20th anniversary issue of its iconic calendar. But how and where did it all start?
Pedn Vounder near Porthcurno - Mike Newman
In 2024 Evocative Cornwall celebrates the 20th anniversary issue of its iconic calendar. But how and where did it all start?
Back in 2002, Sarah Lay found herself a single mum, living in St Just and, as the owner/manager of Headland Printers, running a staff of ten. The Common Purpose programme had recently launched in Cornwall and the opportunity to engage with businesses of all sizes and meet people from different backgrounds was too good to miss. Sarah attended a lecture by Steve Ellis, then chief executive of St Petrocs charity for the homeless based in Truro and, intrigued by what she heard, signed up to further workshops that he was leading.
With all the calls on her time, it was hard to imagine how this inspiration could be turned into something more practical, but Sarah saw an opportunity in the printing business and in time for Christmas that year had printed four different design Christmas cards with the money going to St Petrocs. They were a great success. "Fantastic cards," was one comment, "but what a shame no one does a decent Cornish calendar ...".
The seed was sown and using images from a range of photographers, the first calendar launched in 2004. Mike Newman had the cover shot (above), with a fabulous image of a wave breaking at Porthcurno - an image very reminiscent of Evocative Cornwall's initial logo.
Sarah never intended to use her own images in the calendar, but soon found it difficult to source the gentler, more intimate images that she needed to balance the calendar and so slowly, tentatively more of her own images started to appear.
Farm building near Morvah - Sarah Lay
2006
Penberth fishing boat - Sarah Lay
2007
Lanyon Quoit - Simon Cook
2008
Men-an-Tol, Penwith Moors - Sarah Lay
2009
St Michael's Mount - Sarah Lay
2010
Lamorna Cove Storm Wave - Lee Searle
2011
Sunset Surfers, Gwynver - Sarah Lay
2012 -
A good day's drying, Land's End - Sarah Lay
2013
Winter Light, Land's End - Sarah Lay
2014
Evening Lights, fields above St Michael's Mount - Sarah Lay
2015
Glorious gorse on a spring morning, Pedn Vounder, Porthcurno - Sarah Lay
2016
Charlestown Harbour, near St Austell - Sarah Lay
2017
Sunset at Wheal Owles engine house, Botallack, St Just - Sarah Lay