Blogs

Celtic League concerns about the continued operation of Hunterston nuclear power station have proved prophetic after it was revealed that cracks in the graphite core of the reactor are widening.

The Celtic League has highlighted concerns about a number of UK nuclear facilities which we believe are being operated beyond their sell by date to plug gaps in the UK's energy needs

In November 2015 EDF the plant operator said the operation of the cracked reactor core was safe:

Yesterday 8th March was International Women's Day. Interesting to see an item by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) or as it should be better described English Broadcasting Corporation. With their usual sleight of hand they wrote: "In 1919 Lady Nancy Astor became the first elected woman MP to sit in Parliament." Their little trick was to include the words "sit in". In fact the first woman to be "elected to" to the British parliament was Constance Markievicz (February 1868 – 15 July 1927).

The Celtic festival season bursts into life this weekend with Cwlwm Celtaidd, a family-friendly festival which retains strong links with the Isle of Man and presents a packed weekend programme of concerts, dances, workshops, street displays and legendary bar sessions in the seaside town of Porthcawl.

Returning after a year's hiatus to assess the festival's future strategy, Cwlwm Celtaidd has gone into partnership with TRAC Cymru, an initiative which promotes and encourages the participation and development of the folk music scene in Wales.

The Breton football team of Stade Rennais Football Club, commonly referred to as Stade Rennais, SRFC or Rennes are celebrating victory over the English side Arsenal on Thursday. It was the first leg of the their EUFA League 16th round match, which they won by 3 goals to 1. They are based in Rennes (Breton: Roazhon), a city in the east of the Celtic nation of Brittany (Breizh).  Rennes plays its home matches at the Roazhon Park, located within the city.  They are one of the clubs that can play in what is known as the Derby Breton.

A recent opinion poll commissioned by 'Cornwall Live', revealed that of the several thousand people participating, a remarkable 92% believed that St Piran's Day should be made a holiday in Cornwall.

7% disagreed and said that it was no different than any other day and 1% asked 'Who's St Piran?'

Sadly, a number of people who have moved to live in Cornwall left bitter opposing comments in response to the poll. We say 'shame on them' for very many reasons!

I’m thinking about nostalgia the subject having been broached by a Manx Radio interviewer this week asking me about nationalism and Mec Vannin.

Right on cue a small strong buff envelope drops through the letterbox with a US postmark. I’m intrigued used as I am to the gas, electricity or telecom bill with a variation when Alfred Cannan MHK and his chums at the Income Tax Division undertake their annual ‘extortion’.

On a hill within view of Swansea Castle (Castell Abertawe) in 1262 stood William Cragh, also referred to as Crach, a Welsh warrior and supporter of Rhys ap Maredudd awaiting his execution. Rhys ap Maredudd (c. 1250 – 2 June 1292) was a member of the Welsh royal house of Deheubarth, a kingdom of Medieval Wales. He led a rebellion against the English King Edward I between 1287–88. Edward, the foreign English invader, had waged a war against Wales between 1282 and 1283. William Cragh fought in the rebellion on the Welsh side.

I’m up at Manx Radio chatting to Aaron Ibanez about nationalism and Mec Vannin. He’s one of the new ‘Young Turk’ reporters most of whose names I don’t know. I cut my teeth with folk like Charles Guard (now an elder statesman of the Manx Radio Board), John Moss (he of the graying hair) and Terry Cringle (probably a ghostly figure wandering the corridors).

Charles Altamont Doyle was born on 25th March 1832.  Today he is mainly remembered for being the father of Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. However, Charles Altamont Doyle was a talented illustrator and watercolourist. He was the son of Irish artist John Doyle, the political cartoonist known by the pen name as H.B., and Marianna Conan Doyle. Charles Altamont Doyle moved to Edinburgh in 1849, where he worked as an assistant surveyor  at the Scottish Office of Work.

News from the Celtic League:

I remarked recently in a post about the Celtic Leagues long term opposition to the disposal of nuclear waste in the Irish sea and remarked that the practice was to continue with the disposal of contaminated silt from Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Station to a site off Penarth South Wales The tidal flow at this point is sure to take contaminated sediments out via the Bristol Channel into the confluence with the Celtic and Irish Sea (link here includes infographic of radioactive waste disposal):