The Ship Inn in Mevagissey stood in the rain, then filled with thanks

They came before the pub had even opened for the day. By half past seven a group had gathered outside The Ship Inn in Mevagissey with scrapers in hand, working through the rain to strip vandalised paint from the old stone building, while others went inside to wipe, clean and hoover every corner.

What happened at The Ship Inn

The vandalism follows a run of similar incidents in the village, after CornishStuff reported shopfronts, noticeboards and bins around Market Square being targeted with paint earlier this month. Whatever the connection, the response from the village to what happened at The Ship Inn was immediate. People turned out without being asked twice, some outdoors in the wet scraping paintwork, others indoors putting the place back together. Among them was Katie, from St Austell, who arrived at 7.30am and worked alongside everyone through it all.

“Her support throughout everything has been truly amazing,” the pub said. “We cannot thank her enough.”

A party to say thank you

Once the cleaning was done, the team at The Ship Inn decided the people who had shown up deserved more than a quiet word of thanks. They brought everyone back together for a celebration.

Noah and the kitchen team put together a spread of homemade tapas, while St Austell Brewery and Katie provided the drinks, giving the pub the chance to raise a glass to the people who had helped them.

The messages that came from further afield

The gratitude did not stop with the people who turned up with scrapers and cloths. The pub also thanked everyone who sent messages online, wrote in, or simply got in touch to check they were okay, adding that even where an individual reply was not possible, every message was felt.

“When something is wrong, kindness matters. Helping one another matters,” the pub said. “This wonderful community proved that even during a difficult moment, something beautiful can come from people standing together.”

Aleks, Noah and the rest of the team at The Ship Inn closed their message simply: “Once again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

📷Credit: The Ship Inn, Mevagissey