The Triumph of Goliathia Tremayne by Catherine Leyshon
The Triumph of Goliathia Tremayne by Catherine Leyshon is a wonderfully funny short story set near Camborne.
The Triumph of Goliathia Tremayne by Catherine Leyshon is a wonderfully funny short story set near Camborne featured in the Cornwall Writers anthology Cornwall Secret and Hidden
Excerpt:
Sharky Tremayne had lurched into fatherhood with his customary haphazardness. An arsonist of the heart, he briefly lit up Marigold Polglase, Cornwall’s strongest woman, who had run away from the circus when it pitched up at Pool Market.
Absolutely loved this perfectly-packaged piece of magic realism with its juxtaposition of faerie with modern. Set in the ‘real Cornwall’ of its interior, far away from the sand and surf of the periphery, I was fully engaged with Trevithick Day in Camborne in 1977 where the air was redolent with “the fragrance of carbolic soap and Vosene”. The legends of Giants such as Bolster, Trecobben and Cormoran abound in Cornwall and Carn Brea, the setting for this story, has its fair share of giant’s paraphernalia dotted about its mass.
The tale is basically about unrequited love – Jason for Gloria (or the eponymous Goliathia) and Gloria’s unrequited love for her father. It’s just the idea of stealing and storing classic motorbikes down an abandoned mineshaft that makes this story for me. Conversely, I also recognised within it the sad and well-documented fact that there are actually children having been brought up in Camborne, which is a matter of a few miles from the sea, that have never been to the beach.
It was joyfully funny and even more so when Gloria and Jason ‘head off into the sunset’, an ending revealed the galumphing great pun of the title. It even reminded me of Hilts (Steve McQueen) in The Great Escape riding his bike over the fence…and like this story, that was a Triumph too.
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The Triumph of Goliathia Tremayne by Catherine Leyshon is a wonderfully funny short story set near Camborne.
Up Frogs by Ross james is about a young boy who grows up too soon when the closure of South Crofty tin mine causes his world to collapse.
“Welcome to Cornwall – the one you might not know about” was hilarious and yet sensitively pried open the darker side of second homes, the closure of Crofty and living four miles from the sea in Camborne, Pool and Redruth but never having visited or even seen it.
Cornwall Secret and Hidden book review by Linda Camidge: well-paced and assured reveals often notable for physicality and visual strength
The Cornwall Secret and Hidden book review by Gray Lightfoot gives an overview of the short stories and a deeper dive into his favourites.
‘She couldn’t pull the thin blanket up to snuggle down as it was gripping the far end of the bed with all its might.’
The Cornwall Secret and Hidden Publishing Campaign successfully fundraised to publish the work of local authors in our anthology.
Cornwall Secret and Hidden by Cornwall Writers is an eclectic collection of short stories written by authors in Cornwall.
Our Secret and Hidden Book Cover Designer is Lucy H Smith, a freelance illustrator inspired by nature and wildlife in Cornwall.
These Little Moments in Time by Lamorna Ireland is a beautifully poignant story set near Coombe creek in Cornwall.