Mair Williams's blog

News From Kernow Matters To Us

To cheers and huge applause in Truro on St. Piran's Day and subsequently much shared on social media drawing widespread support, here are the words of Cornwall's Grand Bard:

’The Cornish are an open-hearted people, but we will not be taken for granted. It’s now almost two years since we gained recognition of our National Minority status and we must continue to consolidate and assert this identity.

News From Kernow Matters To Us

St Piran's Day is becoming a huge celebration in Cornwall and this year, the annual Feast Day fell on the day itself, Saturday the 5th March, 2016.

Originally the patron of tinners, Piran has now become widely accepted as the National Saint of Cornwall and his black flag with a white cross is widely seen even now outside of official government offices in the Duchy.

Enormous numbers took to the streets of Cornwall but the Cornish diaspora worldwide also joined in the event.

St David is the Patron Saint of Wales and March 1st is St David's Day. The first of March is recognised as a National Day throughout Wales. It is also a day of celebration for Welsh communities throughout the world and the Welsh flag with Y Ddraig Goch (the Red Dragon) is proudly raised. The date is tradionally seen as the date that Saint David died in 589. David was the son of the Prince of Powys and he went on to found a monastery on the site where Saint David's Cathedral now stands in Tyddewi/City of St David's in Sir Benfro/Pembrokeshire, Cymru/Wales.

News From Kernow Matters To Us:

KMTU. some of whose members administer social media sites such as the ever popular 'The Cornish are a Nation' Facebook site are preparing to attend a number of key meetings.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

Following the earlier post on THE OUTLAW OCEAN series of New York Times articles and after some exchanges of emails today with reporter Ian Urbina he has forwarded further links outlining some of the ongoing investigative work.

Interestingly this material although focused as all the series has on crew conditions also highlights the plundering of fishery resources from third world countries.

News From Kernow Matters To Us

The BBC One Show of 19th February, 2016 with coverage of Tintagel Castle - the full story!

'LEGEND SWAMPING CORNISH HISTORY'

'CARVING JUST THE START'

(BBC iPlayer 2:16 onwards refers: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b070j6rd/the-one-show-19022016)

Tintagel Castle is administered by 'English' Heritage (EH) for Duke Charles, Duke of Cornwall.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The foundering of large oil tankers and the immense damage that this causes to the marine environment has not led to lessons being learned according to a BBC news report (link):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-35563031

The report highlights specifically the withdrawal of Emergency Towing Cover (ETV) which was put in place following disasters such as the Sea Empress (off Wales) and the Braer (off Shetland).

News From Kernow Matters To Us:

Hundreds of Cornish people condemn 'English' Heritage as news of desecration spreads across social media and the wider internet! 

Action by 'English' Heritage condemned as far afield as Australia by Australian Cornish diaspora who describe this as 'official vandalism'!

Cornwall's name was first recorded in a place-name, Durocornouio, 'fortress of the Cornish', around 400 AD, nearly 500 years before the name England was first recorded as 'Englaland' and the English people arrived.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The Banc d'Arguin National Park according to the Wikipedia entry is a:

“Nature reserve that was established to protect both the natural resources and the valuable fisheries, which makes a significant contribution to the national economy, as well as scientifically and aesthetically valuable geological sites, in the interests of and for the recreation of the general public. The park's vast expanses of mudflats provide a home for over two million migrant shorebirds from northern Europe, Siberia and Greenland.

Preceding the annual general meeting of Agan Tavas, (The Campaign for the Cornish Language), held at Murdoch House, Redruth on Saturday 6th February the Pewas Perghyryn, (The Michael Palmer Award) was presented for the second time.

 The award is for new literature in Cornish or outstanding translation work and was given by the Palmer family in memory of Michael who was a prodigious writer of  stories in Cornish. The name of the award reflects Michael's bardic name.