Following a discussion with Steve Kessell (Visit Cornwall) the PDTA has learned that Visit Cornwall are looking at various options of running the information centre in Penzance. They have no intention of closing the centre but are looking at various ways the centre can be run in a more commercial way. This includes ideas such as the PDTA taking over the running of the TIC in Penzance; other private enterprises working in partnership to run it or the town council taking it over.

These are all ideas and no decisions will be made without the PDTA Chairman being kept fully informed and involved in discussions.

There’s been some talk recently on Twitter concerning the ritual prayer session held at the beginning of Cornwall Council meetings. The debate came about following recent news articles in the Telegraph and Guardian newspapers…

“Secular campaigners are launching a legal bid to outlaw the tradition of councils beginning their meetings with a Christian prayer by claiming it infringes the human rights of non-believers.”

The National Secular Society (NSS) is taking a council in North Devon to court for a judicial review of the time-honoured practice which is shared by at least 118 councils around the country. Christian groups have branded the move an attack by “aggressive atheists.”

Cornwall has a rather nasty history with the Church of England. The prayer book rebellion of 1549, against the enforced English church service and Crammer’s new prayer book, was particularly brutal and aggressive; a greater resistance was met in Cornwall than elsewhere in Britain for the Cornish not only had to adapt to the new style religion, they were also forced to perform their Mass in a foreign language. English. This provided a major reason for the rebellion. The articles of the rebels states: “and we the cornyshe men (whereof certen of vs vnderstande no Englysh) vtterly refuse thys new english”. The service was likened to “A Christmas game”.

The smashing and looting of colleges like Glasney and Crantock played a significant part in fermenting opposition to future cultural reforms.

“When traditional religious processions and pilgrimages were banned, commissioners were sent out to remove all symbols of Roman Catholicism. Within Cornwall, this task was given to William Body, whose perceived desecration of religious shrines angered many. The anger was great enough that on April 5, 1548 Body was murdered by William Kylter and Pascoe Trevian at Helston.

Immediate retribution followed with the execution of twenty eight Cornishmen at Castle Terrible. One execution of a perceived “traitor of Cornwall” occurred on Plymouth Hoe — town accounts give details of the cost of timber for both gallows and poles. Martin Geoffrey, the priest of St Keverne – near Helston, was taken to London. After execution his head was impaled on a staff erected upon London Bridge.”

So how do modern day Cornish people view the Church of England in Cornwall considering its ubiquitous status in the UK? Here’s an interesting interpretation from Cornish author and researcher John Angarrack, taken from his first book Breaking The Chains:

To pray or not to pray, that is the question.

On Twitter @Cornwall_Info suggested that the council prayers be read/spoken in Cornish but few people responded to that idea. Symbolically at least,  you could say that converting the Council prayer sessions over to the Cornish language is a way of bringing about a sense of final unity between the two cultures and lay to rest the tragic events of the past in some small but significant way?

The biggest hurdle would obviously be the language barrier, a reflection of the dilemma faced by William Kylter and Pascoe Trevian five centuries ago.

Would the 120 non-Cornish speaking councillors lobby against the idea? Perhaps via a written statement along the lines of:

“..and we the cornyshe Councillors (whereof certen of vs vnderstande no Kernewek) vtterly refuse thys new prayer service”.

Perhaps the prayers could be in Cornish  just once a year?  At the last council meeting before Christmas.

David William Donald Cameron in his “Born To Rule” outfit — worn by all members of The Bullingdon Club — the UK equivalent of the elite Skull & Bones Society.

The club is an ultra-exclusive clique that admits only the nation’s richest and brattiest trust-fund kids. Its openly declared primary activities are outlandish drinking, boisterous behavior and damaging property.

Cornwall South East

Cornwall North

St Austell & Newquay

Truro & Falmouth

Camborne & Redruth

St Ives

Put your cross in the Cornish box.

Send the Cornwall Party to London – for a change.

VOTE CORNWALL – VOTE MEBYON KERNOW

Performed by the sea shanty singing “Fishermen’s Friends” from Port Issac.
(currently in the top ten album chart. Buy it now, get it to No 1)

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“TRY FOUR YEARS WITHOUT A LONDON PARTY..

FOR A CHANGE.”

Vote For Cornwall.

VOTE MK

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“We don’t need yet another corrupt-tri-party-cabal MP for the Newquay/St Austell constituency – we need an honest and straight Cornish MP with insight, talent, experience, sincerity and determination. Mr Cole has proved his mettle, commitment, stamina, integrity and determination over many years. His heart is in Cornwall and devoted to doing the best for Cornwall and her people.

Mr Cole is the best candidate with the best credentials to best represent his people at Westminster.

Vote For Cornwall.

Vote Cole.”

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(Email received today from the Celtic League)

Thank you for your generous donation to fund the campaign in Camborne & Redruth to ban secret lobbying. Despite having approved the advert in principle on Tuesday, I’m afraid The Western Morning News has now refused to publish it. I’m really fed up about this. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do.

Our campaign to ban secret lobbying will continue. With the media scared of legal threats from Mr Eustice, we’re going to launch a people-powered campaign to distribute the advert by email, blog, facebook and twitter. Below, you can see the launch email,  which I’ll be sending out shortly. It’s a set-back not to be able to run the ad, but we always knew our main strength was people power and I’m sure we’ll be able to spread the word and keep up the pressure that way.

Given you donated specifically to fund an ad which we can’t run, I’ll obviously make sure your money is refunded if you would like it to be. Otherwise, your donation will be put towards other parts of our campaign to ban secret lobbying – including some online advertising about George Eustice,  targeting voters in Cornwall. It’s up to you. You can request a refund by replying to this email or calling one of the staff team on 020 7611 4728.

Thank you, and sorry again that we can’t run the ad.

David
Executive Director
38 Degrees

—-

Our “ban secret lobbying” advert has been refused. Despite originally approving the ad, The Western Morning News lawyers decided yesterday that the threat of legal action from the former lobbyist and spin-doctor, George Eustice, is too high.

Our ad isn’t controversial, it simply presented the facts. We showed that in Camborne & Redruth George Eustice is the only election candidate refusing to back a ban of secret lobbying.

With the media too scared of legal action we only have one option left: people-power. If we work together we can make sure plenty of voters go to the polls knowing the facts.

Together let’s make sure every voter in Camborne & Redruth knows the truth. Please sign the petition to George urging him to back a ban of secret lobbying, then forward this email to everyone you know in Cornwall to make sure they see the ad.

View the ad and sign the petition here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c05fae/2d465d0d/58d23b35/4674e83c/3892043493/VEsH/

Across the UK 38 Degrees members have demanded a ban on secret lobbying. At the moment big business can spend millions on lobbying to change government policy in their favour – and we have no right to know what’s happening. New rules for lobbyists would help clean up politics and make politicians work for us. Across the country we’ve got hundreds of election candidates to back a ban. Former lobbyist George Eustice sticks out as someone who’ll do all he can to block these new rules. Together we can make it harder and harder for him to stick to this position.

Please sign the petition to George Eustice then forward this email to your friends and family in Cornwall:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/camborne

Thanks for getting involved,

David, Hannah, Johnny, Nina and the 38 Degrees team