Gorsedh Kernow chooses Launceston for 2017 as Mayor describes 'Devonwall' as catastrophic!

News from Kernow Matters To Us:

In a supreme and brave act of defiance, our Gorsedh Kernow has announced that the north Cornwall town of Launceston (Lansteventon in our Cornish language) would host the 2017 Gorsedh Kernow Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture and Bardic ceremony.

This flies directly in the face of the outrageous proposals by the distant and wicked English Boundary Commission aided and abetted by the equally distant and self serving Westminster Government to gerrymander Cornwall's time honoured 1,000 year old border in the widely discredited scheme which has become disparagingly known as 'Devonwall'.

Launceston, a former capital of Cornwall until the 13th century, is contained within the area proposed for a cross-border constituency by the faceless civil servants who form the unelected quango. people who can have no concept of the close ties and love felt by the people toward their Cornish homeland. The borders of Scotland and Wales with England have been recognised, so why not those of Cornwall? Are we not also a lawfully recognised National Minority along with the Scots and Welsh, an indigenous people of these islands here long before England and the English arrived, or is that status somehow second class for Cornwall and the Cornish, something conveniently overlooked by our absent Lords and Masters of this, England's first colony?

“In years gone by this was the furthest into Cornwall that officers of the crown felt safe to venture,” said the Grand Bard of Cornwall, Dr. Merv Davey, Telynor an Weryn  “and since that time this splendid town has continued to live up to its motto of loyalty.”

The Grand Bard’s words were spoken as a joint declaration with town mayor Cllr Brian Hogan that the North Cornwall town of Launceston would host the 2017 Gorsedh Kernow Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture and bardic ceremony.

“We are delighted that the bards of the Cornish Gorsedd have accepted our invitation to hold their celebrations here next year,” said Cllr Hogan, “especially in the 100th anniversary year of the birth of bard Charles Causley, Morvarth, teacher, writer, revered poet and son of Launceston.”

Accepting the invitation on behalf of fellow bards, Dr. Davey expressed a wish for openness and decisiveness among Cornish people as they grapple with the issues facing a modern Cornwall.

“We are faced with an ever increasing threat to our precious Cornish culture,” said the Grand Bard, “and we face one of our toughest challenges persuading the government to Keep Kernow Whole by agreeing to the smallest of changes to legislation.”

Pointing out the obvious contradiction by Government of Cornwall’s official recognition in 2014 of the Cornish as a National Minority alongside Wales and Scotland, the mayor of Launceston made his views plain.

“The people of Cornwall have fought long and hard to preserve their sense of identity. They are not keen on centuries of history being pushed aside because of Government red tape. There’s a lot of anger around here. Cornwall is passionate about its own identity” said mayor Cllr Brian Hogan.

“Launceston has always worn its Cornishness with pride,” he continued, “and as a town at the very edge of these potentially catastrophic changes to our 1000 year old border with England we wholeheartedly echo the words of the Grand Bard.”

Gorsedh Kernow’s Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture, which includes the Bardic ceremony where new Bards are initiated, will be held in and around Launceston from Wednesday 30th August (opening date to be confirmed) and conclude on Sunday 3rdSeptember 2017.

#KeepCornwallWhole

#KernowMatters

Photograph shows Launceston Castle flying our National Flag of Piran of the Tinners