Kernow Matters to Us's blog

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:

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:

Each year Redruth celebrates its most famous citizen, inventor William Murdoch (1754 – 1839) when the town is packed with events and entertainment throughout the day for the whole family. Murdoch, although not born in Cornwall, is revered locally as a mechanical genius who improved the efficiency of steam engines in Cornwall’s tin mines.

He was also a pioneer of gas lighting and famed for building Britain’s first working model of a steam carriage which he demonstrated in and around Redruth in 1784.

Liet International was invented and developed in 2002 to give modern bands who sing in a minority language a stage. In ten years it has grown to be a multilingual alternative of the Eurovision Song festival, with the main difference that singing in English is prohibited.

After a long night at Neushoorn, with 14 songs, a break and a long jury-meeting the results were as follows:.

Jury Award:

1. The Rowan Tree (Cornish)

2. Nastasia Zürcher (Galician)

3. Gerda Stevenson & Kyrre Slind (Scots)

Following a statement by the Prime Minister, Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, has been appointed to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Well, the time when many local folks go into forced hibernation is fast approaching, as the annual invasion will soon be upon us. Many say that Cornwall depends on tourism. That comment is often arrogantly rammed down our throats by people from elsewhere in an attempt to say that 'we are dependent on them and their English pounds'. (We read it so many times as well. Soon too we shall again witness undersized England football shirts stretched across oversized bellies as we are constantly reminded that their football team just about won a cup in....1966......yawn!) 

News from Kernow Matters To You:

With the royal wedding set for Saturday, Cornwall Council has been notified of only two street parties requiring road closures, an all time low. Additionally, there has been one event notification.

The street parties are in Bude and St Austell and the event notification is for a village hall tea party at Carnon Downs.

This has caused the local media to ask the question: "Is anyone celebrating the Royal wedding in Cornwall?"

Early May sees Helston town celebrate the much-awaited coming of spring and passing of winter in its own unique and colourful way. Flora Day, as it is known, is always held on the 8th unless that happens to fall on a Sunday or Monday, in which case it is held of the Saturday before.

The news that Prince Charles' Duchy of Cornwall will get a £8.7million grant from Cornwall Council along with a loan of £7.1m to fund a road to its housing development in Newquay has provoked anger and outrage in Cornwall.

The Council's Cabinet has agreed to provide the £8.7m which will plug a funding gap for the Newquay Strategic Route (NSR) which will serve the Duchy of Cornwall's Nansledan development. The heir to the throne visited the "urban extension" development in March.