What an amazing evening the premiere of "Unsung Heroes" was – the setting at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall of this powerful story was indeed pure magic! The drama told of the heyday of the gardens and gardeners of Heligan, their subsequent loss, and hope for the future.

The story is told through the characters of the Narrator( Mike O'Connor), the Head Gardener (Roger Bryant), the Maid (Lucy Burrow), the Old Gardener (Jon Heslop), Second Gardener (Ron Openshaw), First Gardener (Tony Truscott), and Helygen, the spirit of the garden (Kathy Wallis). With such a talented group of writers and singers, it is not surprising that there are some memorable and eminently singable songs, some new, some recycled, which takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotion as the story unfolds.

The evening wove song, verse and dialogue together to enable us to glimpse the Edwardian way of life for the workers on the estate, the onset of World War I, and the decline of the estate as the gardeners departed for the front line. What could have been a depressing tale has an optimistic end, as we are able to witness today. The story is indeed a metaphor for Cornwall and life itself.

There are scheduled performances at several places over the summer, including Golowan Festival and Sidmouth Folk Festival, and I urge you all to go and see this marvellous production.