Blogs

The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) 2018 road racing event is underway on the Isle of Man (Mannin). This week the qualifying rounds have been taking place on the 37.73 mile public road course, with the races scheduled to commence on Saturday 2nd June to Friday 8th June. Described as the world's ultimate road race, no other motorcycle race is held on such a challenging track as the Isle of Man Mountain Course. There is little to rival the skill, bravery and concentration levels needed to race in the TT.

The decision on whether to build a proposed £1.3bn tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay is likely to be announced next week. It has been reported that the UK government is set to reject the plans. Tidal Lagoon Power (TLP) who are behind the scheme said it could provide power for 120,000 homes for 120 years and that the unit price of power from a pathfinder project at Swansea Bay need cost no more than the unit price of power from Hinkley Point C [nuclear plant], which has already received government backing. 

A number of important Pictish artefacts has been discovered in the remains of an ancient fort near Burghead (Scottish Gaelic: Am Broch) on the Moray coast (An Cuan Moireach). The building is thought to have been destroyed by fire in the 10th century during the Vikings invasions. As well as a complex layer of oak planks in a wall, archaeologists have uncovered jewellery and animal bones. Samples of the well preserved wood found at the fort is being sent for carbon dating.

Even the press in Cornwall have been reporting on the fate of 'Tommy Robinson' but many in the Duchy have different views when it comes to this glorification of a criminal and what he really stands for.

A Cornwall Live article, no matter how well intentioned, has caused much offence.

A number of readers of the website which describes itself as "the leading news, sport, entertainment and information website for Cornwall, bringing you everything you need to know about our wonderful 'county' (sic) live and as it happens. It’s the online home of the West Briton, Cornish Guardian and Cornishman newspapers and Cornwall Today magazine..." were horrified to read the following headline:

Next year marks the fortieth anniversary of ‘Operation Tân’ a notorious police crackdown in Wales in 1979/80 which was targeted indiscriminately at nationalists because police were totally in the dark about a Welsh Nationalist direct action campaign which involved the targeting of holiday homes.

There is the usual chaos and carnage as the Isle of Man TT 2018 is in full swing. Deaths and injuries are of course the norm almost expected these days but an added dimension is bikes crashing into cars on the course. In addition sat navs are definitely not de rigueur as folk seem determined to go against the one way flow on the mountain section. Added to this year's ‘diversions’ an irreverent spectator who failed to move when directed by marshals his punishment was severe no more TT for him. He is however probably in the safest place for the TT period.

Obviously things work differently at the BBC but but when I was a official for the old TGWU if I had an important off Island appointment I usually went the day before so as to ensure punctuality in case of any difficulty with flights.

BBC officials due to appear before a select committee of Tynwald however failed to materialise on time today because flights were cancelled although even the BBC weather was predicting mists over the UK yesterday (link):

I’ve received a reply (from the Cabinet Office) to my query about the changes to the manner in which Manx RPI is calculated on the Island it's clear that the change occurred by diktat rather that with Tynwald approval. The government of course used the ‘cover’ of a ‘consultation’.

My original query was reported on Crown Dependency News:

https://www.facebook.com/crowndependencypoliticalnews/posts/185579325777...

Golowan Festival – Penzance town centre

(Cornish: Gool - 'feast day' & Jowann - 'John' so 'Feast Day of John')

15 June 2018 to 24 June 2018

Golowan is just one example of a much wider Midsummer European tradition.

The ancient festival was first described by Dr William Borlase in 1754 in his book Antiquities of Cornwall: