Blogs

Does I wonder Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK see himself as a latter day Orson Welles there are aesthetic similarities after all!

The Isle of Man government likes to tout its links to China and there’s no doubt that quite a few politicians and Civil Servants have generated some exotic trips at our expense for themselves from such ties.

The Great Strike – Public Lecture with Dr John Callow will be held on 7th July 2018 at the Manx Museum at 2pm. This will be the most thoroughly researched presentation ever given on the events that led to and took place during the Manx General Strike. This is the centenary of the 1918 Manx General Strike

No doubt the Chinese official with the education brief will be all smiles on his visit to the Isle of Man in the next few days:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/chinese-education-boss-v...

However China uses education as a weapon to destroy the culture of its political minorities such as the Uyghur.

While Department of Education officials in Mann showcase the Manx education system I am sure their guest will be all smiles.

It's nothing new for Tynwald members to keep bad company but in rolling out the red carpet (no pun) to a visiting senior official from the Chinese Embassy in London they are plumbing the depths.

China’s aggressive global expansion most epitomised by the territorial sea grab in South East Asia is bad enough but it is there treatment of national minorities that most inflames me.

The annexation and subjugation of Tibet are well publicised with many Tibetan families now into their second or third generation of exile in India.

Since just 2006 school children in Cornwall have rightly been allowed to record themselves (or via their parents for the younger ones) as ‘ethnically’ Cornish or at least identifying as Cornish, on the annual Schools Census - the Census and Pupil Level Annual Schools Census (PLASC).

Since then the number identifying as Cornish has risen from 24% to 51.1%

2006: 24 percent

2007: 27 percent

2008: 30 percent

2009: 34 percent

2010: 37 percent

2011: 41 percent

2012: 43.2 percent

2013: 46 percent

In one of a series of events organised by All Under One Banner an estimated 15,000 people took part in a march and rally at Bannockburn yesterday. This is the site of the Battle of Bannockburn on 24 June 1314, which was a significant Scottish victory in the First War of Scottish Independence against the English forces of King Edward II.

Statistics released by the Welsh Government (link posted below) demonstrate deep broad support for increased efforts to strengthen and protect the Celtic Language of Wales. However, the survey also showed profound skepticism over the seriousness and effectiveness of the government's efforts to protect the Welsh Language against the English language onslaught.

BBC Northern Ireland has an interesting piece here on the American artist Rockwell Kent and the time he spent in Ireland (Donegal) in the mid 1920s

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-44534911

Kent was one of a group of socialists and intellectuals who were involved with the American Socialist movement in the early twentieth century.

The Cromwellian invasion of Ireland (1649–53) resulted in the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell. The Parliamentarian reconquest of Ireland was brutal, and Cromwell remains a hated figure in Ireland. Cromwell passed a series of Penal Laws against Roman Catholics, who were the overwhelming majority of the population and confiscated large amounts of their land. Laws regulating the lives of Catholics and penalising the practice of their religion were introduced throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.

With huge sadness, we hear of the passing of Cornish Patriot, Donald Rawe.

Born in Padstow in 1930 of a very longstanding Padstow family, Donald became a Bard of Gorseth Kernow in 1970 with the Bardic name of Scryfer Lanwednoc ('Writer of Padstow') 

He was a hugely influential in Cornish culture, politics, heritage and publishing. 

Donald was a driving force behind the Cornish Literary Guild.