FOUR objects have been shortlisted for the Cornwall Heritage Awards 2026 Object of the Year. The awards celebrate Cornwall’s 80-plus museums, galleries and historic properties, and the coveted Object of the Year category is decided by public vote. This year’s theme is “community”, and the nominees are:

· Lanner Women's Institute (WI) scrapbook, titled 'Our Village Today' and compiled in 1965 as part of a competition inspired by jubilee celebrations. Kresen Kernow in Redruth holds 15 such scrapbooks, and this one details the Lanner of 1965 - its people, buildings, nature, businesses, history, fashion and community - through the eyes of WI members, a fascinating snapshot of time.

· A silver-plated hurling ball won by 26-year-old Oliver Hocken on May 29, 1856, the day after his marriage. The 45-minute match celebrated the end of the Crimean War, with goals at Lambessow Gate and Buck’s Head. With the tradition of hurling currently under threat, this ball, from the archives of Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery, represents Cornish community, celebration and camaraderie.

· A blue wooden surfboard used from 1921 by pioneer waverider Anne Stephens. One of the first known Cornish female surfers, Anne passed the board onto her son, George, who rode it regularly until he donated it to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in 2007. It’s currently on display as part of the Surf! Exhibition.

· The twinned telephone box from The Castle Heritage Centre, Bude. The original box once stood outside Bude railway station, and was gifted in 1985 to Bude’s twin town Ergué-Gabéric, near Quimper in Brittany, France, where it has served the community as a micro-library. This replica was commissioned by Ergué-Gabéric’s mayor and presented to Bude-Stratton in 2017.

Voting closes at midday on Monday, April 20. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 19. Vote at https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/culture-hub/surveys/objectoftheyear2026.