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| a | Do you have something to say to improve on this site and what it communicates? |
| b | Do you have something to say about what is happening to Cornwall and the Cornish people? |
| c | Contact the Author at the following email address ->> TGG@kernowtgg.co.uk |
| d | An extract of any contribution {less any personal identification} may be posted to this page unless specifically requested otherwise. Whatever is said may have some bearing on how this site develops. |
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To 'Have Your Say' 30th May 1999 to 21st November 1999| 23/10/03 |
Hi Jim
Nice to be in touch after all this time - hope you are well. What seems to be missing from the site are the original sources for the claims that Edmund was 'king of the English and ruler of this province of the Britons' and that mediaeval documents refer to 'Anglia et Cornubia'. The claims keep on being made but we never see the source material so cannot judge the claims in the light of the original context. Critics could argue, for example, that the province of the Britons being referred to is Britannia, the whole island of Britain, to which successive English kings laid claim. David
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| 26/10/03 |
Hi David, Good to hear from you and hope all is well with you and Wessex? I came across the 'Edmund' reference in Malcolm Todd's book "The South-West to AD 1000" (Longman 1987 - ISBN 0-582-49273-4) page 289. The context of the quote is clearly Cornwall (q.v. page 289):
There are numerous references to 'Anglia et Cornubia' many of which are contained in the documentation provided (as evidence and argument) by the Duchy of Cornwall, circa 1857, in the Duchy v Crown arbitration over rights to the Foreshore. I believe that this has been significantly superceded by the 'Cornish Milestone' of 1351 and the language of the various Patents and Charters clearly show that the creation of the Duchy was a 'restoration' and not something 'new'. The phrase seems to have fell out of use, following 1337. I suspect that this reflected again the peculiar nature of Cornwall's constitutional position at that time - a Royal Dukedom. Norden, circa 1650, was of the opinion that the Cornish Duchy had, in 1337, been united with Wales, and thus (imho) the phrase almost certainly became supplanted by the use of England & Wales! In time, I shall include, on the site, many of the primary source documents submitted by the Duchy to prove its right to the Foreshore. The ones refering to Cornwall & England are as follows:
I hope that this is helpful? Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly |
| 23/05/03 |
I am the outgoing chairman of Wessex Society, a cultural society which aims to promote a distinct cutural identity for the Wessex region (Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Wiltshire), the way the Cornish revivalists have done for Cornwall. I was particularly interested in your comments on the Cornish Genocide. Wessex Society and the Wessex Regionalists have come under fire from some Devonians who are pushing the line that Devon is a Celtic nation like Cornwall and that there is no racial divide at the Tamar. You can see their comments on the BBC Devon, BBC Cornwall and latterly, the BBC Somerset message boards. There are only a few of them, but they make a lot of noise. They have created a flag for Devon (basically the Cornish flag with the black bits coloured green) and are pushing St. Petroc of Padstow as the patron saint of Devon on the grounds that there are many churches dedicated to him there (the native Devonian St. Boniface was obviously too English for them). It is denied that Devon was ever a part of Wessex, that the Tamar was ever any more than a county boundary etc. I would be interested to read your comments on this on the TGG website. Nick |
| 25/05/03 |
Hi Nick, Thanks for the opportunity to respond on this interesting phenomenon regarding a new 'Celtic' status being promoted for Devonshire. I have already been in discussion on the BBC Cornwall forum and know exactly what you mean. The whole forum was, possibly still is, hijacked by a very vociferous individual. I have referred, elsewhere within this site, to a change of emphasis in the promotion of the English South West region. This seems to have begun, following a contrived "The Way Forward" Conference in Cornwall (1987), when the Duke of Cornwall was 'tricked' into recommending the formation of a "Devon & Cornwall Development Company". The promotional propaganda of the 'South West' took on a mysterious 'Celtic' agenda. At a full council meeting of Cornwall Council, in 1988, an English lady councillor (in verbally putting-down a pro-Cornish speaker) made the comment, "let's have no more of this rubbish. The South West is the equivalent to Brittany, not Cornwall." The discussion on how the people of Devonshire view themselves and where the future takes them must rest solely with the people of that English county. The "Devonshire is Celtic" argument seems to rest on the following factors to which I have added my indented comments on how this is viewed by TGG: A - a revelation that DNA testing of blood samples show a commonality across the whole of southern England and Cornwall, becoming stronger the further west. From this, it is deduced that the people of Devonshire are just as 'Celtic' as the Cornish.
B - 'Celtic' is a cultural identity refering, principally, to those who spoke one of the 'Celtic' languages and which, inevitably, also attaches itself to the topography of a Celtic-speaking region. Therefore, we find the argument that it is discovered that there are now, allegedly, more 'Celtic' placenames, albeit corrupted, in Devonshire than had previously been thought.
C - the attempt to try and trivialise the Cornish arguments, seems to arise, apparently, because when putting the Cornish Case, there is no recognition of a Devonshire Dimension.
D - they/he asserts that the Tamar border was set as a 'county' boundary, by Athelstan, in line with many other similar boundaries created at that time. The statement that the Cornish were removed from Exeter and the Border set between Cornish and English was dismissed because it was stated 200 years after the event.
E - there is the belief that Devonshire was not a part of Wessex because the first reference to it as being part of Wessex did not occur until "500 years after Wessex disappeared".
ADDITIONAL COMMENT: There is, in my mind, a big question as to why Devonshire became Devonshire, considering that the word 'Devon' derives from the Romano-British province/kingdom of Celtic-speaking Dumnonia. The alternative names for Dumnonia, during the advance of Wessex, were 'Cornwall' and 'West Wales'. It seems odd! Why use the name of the Celtic province for the most English of English counties. It is the sort of thing that would have occurred as the 'final solution'. I have a theory which suggests that when Wessex reached Exeter, circa 690, there was a presumption that Wessex had subjugated Cornwall/West Wales and that that territory was named after its Romano-British provincial name. There is a quote, in Borlase's 'Antiquities of Cornwall', attributed to Sheringham (I have not pinned down who this is!) which states; "Britain, Wales and Cornwall, were the portion of Belinus, elder son of Dunwallo, and that that part of the island, afterwards called England, was divided into three shares, viz. Britain, which reached from the Tweed, Westward, as far as the river Ex; Wales enclosed by the rivers Severn, and Dee; and Cornwall from the river Ex to the Land's-End." Other references quote the eastern boundary of Cornwall as aligning with the rivers Parret and Axe and that Exeter was considered the Cornish capital. There is a need to critically examine all references relating to the encroachment of Wessex into the Cornish territory, in order to establish an objective time-line of usage of identifying epithets - sometimes Cornwall and sometimes Devon. It is my opinion that they were one and the same territorial identity and dependent upon who was chronicling the events. The 'final solution' occurred in 936 when the Tamar was established as the national border for what was, in truth, the rump of the Celtic kingdom of Dumnonia. I would also go so far as to say that the obvious loss of status of Devon, leading up to that moment, ensured its 'shire' status within Wessex. It may also be a reason why there was no obvious reference to Devonshire being 'in Wessex' which it obviously was! WHAT ABOUT DIRTY TRICKS???: For decades the Cornish have been fighting for the recognition of their rights - and with a little help from Europe are nearly there. The predictable bureaucratic 'put-down' response, has been consistently that, to concede any recognition of the Cornish would be to create a precedent which would open the flood-gates for similar recognition from all the other counties of England. There is, imho, no single county in the whole of the British Isles which can even begin to match the unique Cornish historical experience. So! Is the above - rather bizarre, and out of the blue, Devonshire Dimension - perhaps, a 'dirty tricks' attempt to make the impossible prediction come true? It is, after all, easier to cause confusion than to formulate objective arguments against the inexorable truth of Cornish legitimacy. What better place to start than England's most southwesterly county of Devonshire - particularly given the confusing aspects of the Duchy of Cornwall-owned stannary and estates within that English county! Jim Pengelly |
| 21/02/03 |
Ayup I've just been reading through the Tyr-Gwyr-Gweryn website and I found it fascinating. The best articulation of Cornish independence, national identity, heritage and the threat from the big bad neighbour I've ever read. I do think however that you dismiss other identities than the "Celtic" ones in these islands in a slightly English manner. I think the contradistinction between "Celtic" and "Anglo-Saxon" is a little too neat and the product of a British imperial mindset that seeks to define us in purely racial and ethno-cultural terms. Many of the legal and historical precedents you cite relate also to my native Yorkshire, who's sheer size, scale and political independence make many of us feel we are a nation within a nation. My father fought at the Battle Of Orgreave. He fought as a miner and a Yorkshireman against the armed instruments of the British state which sought to destroy Yorkshire communities. If you visit the pit villages of South Yorkshire, like similar communities in Wales and the tin mining villages of Cornwall, you see examples of British cultural and economic genocide. Yorkshire was founded not by Anglo-Saxons, but by Danish and Norse settlers. It was divided into Ridings (thridings- Thirds, Old Norse) and ruled as the Kingdom Of York. Like Cornwall we were late relegated to the status of Duchy. In 1974 the government destroyed Yorkshire and sought to bury Yorkshire identity. We lost a large part of the East Riding to "Humberside", the North Riding to Cleveland and the West Riding to Lancashire and Cumbria. 'Yorkshire dialect' more accurately known as "Tyke" is as different from English as Scots and Danish are. Many older dialect speakers recall being beaten black and blue by teachers from the south for calling something by its Tyke name. In the North Riding where I live, our young people are being forced out of our upland communities and into cities or abroad to make way for the white settlers from the south, who send house prices soaring and try to turn our bit of soil into a piece of the Home Counties. So I understand how the Cornish feel. Local, regional, national identities need to be preserved in the face of the all conquering "Nation State" and the international bodies and corporations over and above them. Best Wishes and Solidarity from G.O.C. (God's Own Country-and that's Yorkshire, not England !) Martyn |
| 25/02/03 |
Hi Martyn Good to hear from you and thanks for your comments and invaluable update on Yorkshire - much appreciated and much to think about. You certainly know how to hurt someone, 'slightly English manner' and 'British imperial mindset'. However, I do know what you mean and no offense taken. I do not actually think, or discuss things (I hope), in terms of Celtic or Anglo-Saxon but I do see things from a Cornish perspective, and identify the threat as deriving from the inertia of 'English' Imperialism. I try, as best I can, not to point the finger at individuals, but, we should all be well aware that it is individuals, irrespective of origin or belief, that acquiesce to all that is wrong in society and, as a consequence, drive these wrongs ever forward. I shall consider a concept of 'British' Imperialism to have a sincere meaning when I see the masses objecting to the universal use of 'Anglo-' to represent - one assumes? - 'British' interests (q.v. Anglo-American et al). Likewise, I have seen no debate which challenges the legitimacy of the publicly proclaimed god-like status of the mysterious hybrid phrase 'Anglo-Saxon'. Which, whenever used in a political context, effectively pigeon-holes the rest of humanity into an abyss of ignorance, immorality and incompetence. The reality is, as you suggest, infinitely more diverse but, without the challenges, only to the enlightened few. I have always been aware that Yorkshire was the only place, in England, which was ever held to have a unique identity (Cornwall, of course, is not in England!), and I was more than a little amazed, at the time, that its people had acquiesced, or capitulated, to the boundary changes of 1974. I could never consider it to have been, historically, in any way 'Anglo-Saxon', but this latter hybrid is never publicly set into a legitimate historical context. I reciprocate your good wishes and expression of Solidarity (you use a phrase that I often use for Cornwall - G.O.C.). I have long-standing associations with some of the grassroots English Regionalist movements and can only hope that these prevail in winning hearts and minds away from the State-imposed bureaucratic regions. If you can point to specific areas within this website which misrepresents your interests, I would gladly consider making any recommended changes. I am also willing to consider reciprocating links with any of the grassroots Regionalist Groups. My sincere thank you, for a truly interesting and informative contribution to this website. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly |
| 19/02/03 |
Hi just perusing your website I felt I had to jot a few notes! I am of Scottish/Irish origin and proud of it However I do not subscribe to the notion of being just a "Celt."
Did the inhabitants of Britain ever call themselves Celts? They did not.
This is a comparatively recent invention. The people of the UK are an amalgam of numerous peoples who have inhabited these Islands since the end of the ice age. The Celtic element are about as indigenous as the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings Normans et al! It is not only some Celts that have been submerged by a new cultural identity. Would you really have preferred that England never existed? Britain has always been infused and renewed by newcomers surely that is what makes the UK the Nation it is. Its OK to have differences but to imply some sort of cultural/Imperial oppression by the English I think is unfair. They were just successful! Would any other group of people have behaved differently? Regards Jim (of Birmingham) |
| 20/02/03 |
Hi Jim, Nice to hear from you and thanks for taking the time to 'have a say'. When you say that you are of "Scottish/Irish origin and proud of it", what exactly are you saying? What, of more relevance, do you consider yourself to be now? Not sure I can get my head around the concept of the 'pre-Celtic' inhabitants of the British Isles, or its relevance to modern perceptions of territorial identity and written history. Most of the points you are trying to make are established facts of history and unchangeable and, therefore, irrelevant to the 'hear and now' consideration of Cornish Rights and how to restore them. Such comments always seem to me to be a form of opting-out of any meaningful discussion. If you really mean that the strong will always dominate the weak and that absolute power corrupts absolutely, then I totally agree with you. But surely we have come a long way in acknowledging the rights of others to exist - unless of course, it's the Cornish! In the absence of any form of records, or tangible evidence to the contrary, one must assume that, over the millennia, each wave of migration would have been met with some form of resistance (q.v. modern immigration). I would also presume, that any random snapshot of such historical events would reveal the existence of those whose tendency is to resist, but others who will invariably - for reasons of apathy, or gain - capitulate to the incoming hoards. This is clearly in evidence throughout the period of recorded history. The Cornish Case is not too dissimilar, but has a fundamental difference in that the Imperial English (alias British) State has chosen to be substantially economical with the truth - indeed, it blatantly tell lies! - about the existence of the Cornish people. Why, therefore, do you have a problem with our attempts to bring the Cornish Debate out into the public domain and to point the finger to the only place it can be pointed? What would you advise us to do - just lie back and think of England? If you have fully browsed through the website, you will be well aware of my thoughts on the mythical concept of the UK (alias British) State as a nation. It is an imperial aggregation of nations which has imposed an ambiguous dual identity upon the dominant group. Its disingenuous attempts to develop true nationhood can only exist in the repression of the minority nations - recognised, and unrecognised - within the State Whatever you may feel about the term Celt, it is a growing cult term which even some English now prefer to regard themselves as. As, more correctly, a linguistic definition, it attaches itself most unashamedly to the peoples and territories which has overtly carried its existence through all your waves of invaders (post-Celtic) and, so-called, successful Empires. It has been said, the use of 'Celt' is a modern invention. Considering that the National Curriculum specifically excludes any reference or discussion on the (pre or post Roman) Celtic-speaking peoples - in order, I imagine, to foster some form of longevity and credibility of the non Celtic-speaking people of this island - it was, surely, a definition-in-waiting. If only to announce the 'great British truth' to the world. As to whether any other group of people (surely its hierarchy?) would have behaved differently, we shall never know. Probably not - but, again, irrelevant! I am only concerned with the 'hear and now' rights and wrongs which have a direct bearing upon Cornish Rights and which can be argued on the basis of recorded history. All other things, like identity, are totally subjective and open to insidious manipulation by those having the power to impose their corrupt and evil will. Should they be allowed to get away with it? I would be interested in how you consider it best to promote the Cornish arguments? Lowena dhys Jim of Lanner |
| 15/08/01 25/12/00 |
I think this is relevant but not necessarilly helpful... Select link button to view this correspondence re 'Cornishness'. Use Back/Return facility to return to this location. |
| 11/06/01 | Hello.
A wonderful site and great work that you are doing, keep it up. Sadly, being exiled to London from Bude, I missed the 'Kernow' television programmes of which you speak. Given that you felt they were insightful and informative (a big surprise for television here!!!!!!!!), I would have loved to have seen them. Do you by any chance have video copies of the programmes? If so, and if you were able to make copies, I would be prepared to pay for them to be sent to my mothers house in Bude, if this were possible. Please let me know either way by return e-mail. Yours Hopefully Ian |
| 11/06/01 | Hi Ian,
Thanks for the welcome comment re the site. I am sorry to say that I did not record the two programmes but I am sure that someone must have done so. I shall email around to see if anyone knows anyone who did and get back to you. Perhaps if anyone reading this has copied the programmes they might be able to oblige. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly
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| 06/02/01 | I have just visited your site, and yes, I enjoyed the visit. I just wish that all the people who talk about fighting for Cornwall, would get up and do something instead of just talk. Surely, it cannot be beyond the realms of possibility that if the Stannary, Mebyon Kernow and the rest, would stop jostling for position, grow up and join forces, that our Country would be recognised by everyone, even the idiot politicians. I said, I wish....... Cheers Pam |
| 07/02/01 | Hi Pam!
Absolutely delighted that you have had a go at challenging what, probably, the Cornish do best, namely, fragmentation of our own scarce resources and effort. There have been many extremely hard-working people striving, over many decades, to raise the profile of the Cornish debate. Just imagine all that duplication of effort? However, because we have been denied a 'formal' Cornish education, and encumbered with an administration that consistently fails to identify with Cornish aspirations within the Duchy, there seems to be as many 'experts' on Cornwall as grains of sand on any Cornish beach. The regrettable consequence of all this disparate talent is that there has been a total lack of cohesion or dynamic corporate vision to consolidate this 'personality-based' knowledge into an authoritative and corporate Cornish voice. There have been a number of moves since the late 70s to bring everyone under an umbrella organisation but, as you so rightly observe, there has been a distinct reluctance to compromise. I can accept that each group should retain its autonomy, because each has its own policies and ideological base. At the highest level, however, all seek the same objective and this must be channelled through a structurally higher single entity which can speak with authority on those specifically Cornish issues which urgently need to be addressed. The recently created Cornish Constitutional Convention would certainly qualify as a broad-based entity to fulfil this roll and also act as a catalyst to identifying, and influencing, a common agenda. We are rapidly running out of alternatives! This one must not be allowed to fail! Everyone should be encouraged to write - NOW! - to the Chairman of our existing administration at Truro suggesting that that authority should declare its unreserved support for the aims and objectives of the 'Cornish' Constitutional Convention. This site should provide more than adequate ammunition for anyone wishing to make the Cornish Case! Let us all 'sign-on' to the common objectives - after all, 'Unity is Strength'! - and establish the over-riding principles. Then be prepared by genuine debate, and the principles enshrined within the creation of the Duchy of Cornwall - our legal symbol of sovereignty and statehood - to compromise on the inevitable detail. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly
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| 21/01/01 | Hi
Makes interesting reading! I'm Cornish through and through - born in Durgan on the Helford River, lived in Mawnan and went to School in Falmouth before going off around the world in the Royal Engineers, Germany, South Arabia, Singapore, Ireland, Hong Kong etc etc and then returning to UK where I joined the Fire Service in the Midlands (No vacancies in Kernow!). 11 years later a serious injury and I'm medically retired - right, home to Mawnan, but unfortunately the well-monied English have been busy whilst I was away for those 26 years and the properties in my own village were at prices I could not afford. So up to the Far North of Scotland where we purchased a practically-derelict cottage for £7,000 which had been empty and unwanted for years. It came home to me when a local Scottish crofter says on our arrival: "where are you from then? " - "Falmouth in Cornwall" I reply "I was born there" - " Oh well that's alright" he says "you're not one of these bloody English".. That was a lovely feeling I can tell you! A few weeks later and we get a visit from our local Police Sergeant who was going around introducing the new Tongue copper to the locals "hello my lover how be e getting on he says"! Bloody hell he was from St Erth near St Ives - still had his accent but wearing a 'Northern Constabulary' uniform.. lovely. Since then we've discovered many Cornish living up here because of the terrible inflated prices of houses in the south. We run a B & B (www.smoothhound.co.uk/hotels/catalina.html ) and have regular Kernow folk coming up each year from Padstow, Helstone, Fowey and so on - like being home. Must admit when we visit Mother in Mawnan and sometimes stand in the Post Office queue it's disconcerting to hear Surrey, Yorkshire, Kentish and other English accents, usually informing all and sundry what committee etc they are on.. Oh well all the best from the Far North! Pete & Jane |
| 22/01/01 | Hi Pete and Jane,
Delighted that you found the site interesting and I am sure that many will identify with what you have to say. It identifies a very serious aspect of what is going on in the Duchy and which has been ignored by those who 'administer'(?) our Cornish affairs. Most probably because its 'make-up' more reflects your queue at Mawnan Post Office or those who aspire to be something more than they are. It qualifies, in my opinion, as one of the many mechanisms of Cornish genocide. Perhaps we may be able to begin to get a measure of such enforced exile from the 2001 census in April. This will be the first ever census to carry a specific 'Cornish' data code which will be used to record those who consider themselves to be Cornish. This can be done by selecting 'other' in the appropriate box and then entering the description 'Cornish'. In previous census returns such an entry would be lost as 'British - other' but we shall now be able to have specifically derived 'Cornish' related statistics. Please pass this information to as many cousin Jacks and Jennies as you can. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly
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| 18/12/00 |
Jim,
I've filled in your questionnaire regarding the look of the site, but felt that I should say a bit more, as there wasn't really room to go into much detail. I'm a Web and Graphic designer living at present in Carshalton, Surrey, and intending to move to Cornwall in a matter of months. Until I saw your site, I was totally unaware of the separateness of Cornwall. Perhaps this says something about media coverage in the region I inhabit. I was brought up in Pembrokeshire, just across the water, which in itself is something of an anomaly; many people think of it as being Welsh, when it is not. Pembrokeshire people are descended from Flemish stock, and few of them speak Welsh. It is known in the history books as "Little England beyond Wales", although there's nothing particularly English about it. Your site has worried me somewhat regarding the sort of welcome I'm likely to receive when my partner and I move to Cornwall. Although, I have to say, not enough to change my mind. To my mind, it's people who make a place. I'm a person...and I have a feeling for Cornwall like no other place I've been to, and that's enough for me. I think the review in Cornish World was rather unfair. The language used was way over the top, and in my view was totally unnecessary. And, apart from anything else, unkind. You have a point of view to express, and you did it in the best way you know how, and it's an admirable point of view; I can't say that I feel as strongly about it as you do, but I'm all for halting the spread of homogeneity that is sweeping the whole country, every High Street the same, McDonalds and the Body Shop everywhere etc. And the identity of a people is more important even than that. As you have said, the content of your site is more important than the look of it. But, as a designer, I feel strongly that the look is tremendously important too. I'm only going to make one point, and it's the one that I made in my questionnaire answer: I would not use so many different colours within a block of text as you do. In fact, I wouldn't use ANY different colours. I would emphasize passages of text by using conventional means, ie, bold, underline, and nothing else. Also, I'd avoid the use of type with Serifs. I'd be glad to say more, or assist you in any way I can with the layout/design of the site if you'd like. That's not meant to sound patronizing and I hope it doesn't. I have a genuine interest in spreading good design and typography, and I admire your cause. If I can be of any help, please let me know. Best wishes, Paul |
| 18/12/00 | Hi Paul,
It was good of you to respond to the questionnaire and also to follow up directly with an email. Thanks, also, for the kind comments re the site. Your helpful comments re the visual impact of the site are gratefully acknowledged. I have always accepted that there is more that could (and should) be done to improve visual impact - in the way that you suggest (q.v. some of the very latest updates) - but that the CW reviewer of the site was, in my opinion, working to an entirely different, and disturbing, agenda. In fact, the constructive tone of your comments, like those of an original correspondent and others, significantly reinforce that belief. Sounds to me as if you have admirable qualifications for moving to Cornwall and I hope that somewhere within the site you may have gleaned those attributes which cause concern and that you will, I am sure, also be welcomed. You will also find that the media which serves us is equally lacking in its promotion of a Cornish existence - hence the need for people like me. Your offer of help is very tempting but I feel that I must make the effort to get to grips with the problems myself. However, if you visit the site once you have settled in and there is still no improvement, please feel free to send off the appropriate missile. My first project will be, as you and others have kindly suggested, to simplify the presentation of the fonts and colours. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly
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| 13/12/00 | I am very pro-Cornish, not anti-English, let them do what they will with england & let Cornish people, (not English living in Cornwall) have their say. I read Mr. george's transcript, but did I miss this bit that he said? "The primary downside is that such an initiative might give succour to a handful of people with dubious and certifiable views about Cornwall and the Cornish as a race. Such people are few in number and there would be no tolerance of such views. The prospect of compulsory kilt wearing and constant reference to genealogy would soon become tiresome." Now begging his pardon, but why is it dubious to consider the Cornish a race, few in number maybe in Cornwall, but there are 6 million Cornish overseas who see it differently, or they will if I have my say! There is nothing wrong with genealogy either for that matter, we Cornish are proud of our ancestors. By certifiable he is calling you, myself & countless others crazy, yet it isn't crazy to be English & have a German Royal Family? Yeah, right. ;-) Nudge nudge wink wink. Was this paragraph on your site? It is definitely in his speech. I was shocked that this man is a Cornishman, he professes anyway, but yet doesn't consider us a different race (ethnically) than the English. Jim T |
| 16/12/00 |
Hi Jim, Thanks for taking time to give support to the site and have your say. I have an expression which says "What the English do to themselves is their business but what they do to the Cornish is my business" The Andrew George comment you refer to is indeed included within the site as a full unedited reproduction of the text of his article. I am sorry that Andrew felt a need at all to say what he said but I feel that having chosen to fight our case from within an English political party then he probably feels obliged - possibly a condition of membership? - to disassociate himself from whoever it may be that he identifies as such. I am not clever enough to discern between such terms as race and ethnicity and am content to think only in terms of 'Cornish'. My main concern is to work towards raising an awareness of the immaculate deception which continues to deprive us of recognition. I personally feel that the concept of 'race' [what does it truly mean?] is a much misused and misrepresented term and, in my opinion, is certainly not a definition which can necessarily be applied uniquely at the level of the indigenous groups of Europe - over the past three thousand years - or even, possibly, world-wide. Genealogy is fine if it gives the desired answer but there are inevitably some skeletons lurking in the darker corners. I am proud to have a Cornish surname but then so did George Macaulay Trevelyan! Cornish Identity is not necessarily bound to genealogy and there will be infinite permutations as to the strength of any relationships with the Duchy which may be shown to exist. This is true, I feel, whether we analyse the current Cornish population or nth generation exiles. Too many unknowns and imponderables for me so I am content to rely on, and relate to, those who are genuinely saying and doing the right things for Cornwall and Cornish Rights and hope that this will act as a catalyst to a greater Cornish awareness and demands for action. The many views of what being Cornish means are important because they are a fundamental feature of the Cornish political culture which underpins the non-English nature of the Cornish historical experience. Sorry about the effect of the site upon your eyes. I do not have any problem with it myself but will nevertheless eventually get around to making a few mods. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly |
| 07/12/00 | I am proud to be Cornish. I was born here but left when I was 4, visited regularly all my life then returned six years ago, aged 30. As I don't sound Cornish though, I have once or twice been abused by some kernow-bigot types who took me for an incomer/tourist This has got me thinking. I'm all for some recognition of Cornwall's special culture and identity. Clearly we are not just another English county - a south west version Yorkshire or whatever. In principle I'd be all for some kind of recognition of Cornwall as a region. But does anyone really believe that Cornwall could run its affairs efficiently with an assembly? Believe me, as someone who has spent many years upcountry, I can say without doubt that the quality of local authorities and agencies here is often very poor indeed. They can be resistant to change and new technology, they bicker amongst themselves and (important at a time when Objective One is coming) they can't even spend the government money we get in grants already. A Cornish assembly right now would probably be a laughing stock Another but. How can we avoid Cornish nationalism descending into racism and xenophobia? It's a fine line. Here's the question: Can you be black and Cornish? I think so: 'one and all'. Those who answer no can go and jump off the Tamar Brigge as far as I'm concerned. In the same vein, I personally think your reference to Cornish 'genocide' is ridiculous (yes, almost offensive). Cambone is not Sarajevo and to imply otherwise undermines your case Keep up the debate Tim |
| 16/12/00 | Hi Tim!
Thanks for having your say. Your observation about the quality of local authorities etc. is quite valid and one that I identify with but neither this nor a speculation of how it might be received by others should stand in the way of developing a consensus on a Cornish Assembly. It is the externally driven status quo within Cornwall which has failed the Cornish people and, arguably, deprived us of those we could, possibly, describe as statesmen and stateswomen. It would be wrong, however, to believe that no such people existed at all in an environment that simply has imposed restricted horizons. I personally consider that a Cornish Assembly is the only way that Cornwall can ever hope to achieve what you identify as "recognition of Cornwall as a region". Perhaps you may be able to offer some other possibilities? You seem to believe that there is a fatalistic inevitability that Cornish nationalism will "descend into racism and xenophobia". I do not accept that assumption and would seek enlightenment as to why you have that concern? We have an enduring desire to be Cornish, and, to be seen to be Cornish. This is an identity which belongs to anyone wishing to embrace it. It is an identity which is beginning, at last, to seriously object to [you will not like this!] the State's continuing repression of this identity. I accept that there exists a degree of antagonism against the assumed arbiters of our demise but there is also the arrogant and bigoted prejudice of those who have moved to the the Duchy - consciously or otherwise - as an 'English' colonising force. I am sorry if my references to Cornish genocide upset you or, indeed, anyone else but I stand by that analysis of my observations, over the past forty years, of the Cornish historical experience. Whilst it is euphemised in many ways, the inescapable fact is that the Cornish people are being destroyed! I attempt briefly within 'the Cornish Paradox' to encourage visitors to look beyond the immediate and commonly perceived examples of genocide - to which I draw no parallels - and to think of a methodology of genocide as a function of time to achieve a comparable end result. In simplistic terms this is: Action x Time = Result! It is surely analogous with having to fulfil any task and how this would be achieved differently depending upon what time constraints exist or are imposed. It was my intention to expand on that thought process within a book but will probably continue this within the website. Perhaps now that should be sooner rather than later? Once again, I would invite you to offer your own analysis of the Cornish Paradox. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly |
| 10/10/00 | Mr. Pengelly, It was, as usual, delightful to read what a critic has to say about that which he/she knows nothing about; this time, your highly informative and thought-provoking website. As you know, those who have no skills or meaning in their lives usually end up as royalty, or criticize the passionate work of others. After reading the author's criticism, I reviewed your "eye-achingly awful" site looking for "outraged opinion", "a more extreme version", and "brash and nauseating" conspiracy-theorist paranoia. Problem is, I didn't find any. Methinks the critic has read too much propaganda and rhetoric distributed from east of River Tamar. And what is most astonishing, is that not only is the critic outrageously misinformed in his academic criticism, he is also an art critic! Well, laddy-da! I find your website to be a font of beauty in content and presentation. Don't waste your time trying to please the critic. You can't. Besides, consider the source! I don't wish to appear maudlin, but I remember the good old days when passionate Cornishman Phil Hosken worked his tail off to deliver an excellent world-class magazine out of his home. But comes homogenized corporate-speak, and controversy disappears, to be replaced by polished veneer for consumption by the masses who subscribe. I suggest, in order to mollify the pandering critic and his myopic view of Kernow, and to ensure higher sales of his milk-sodden white bread travel rag, that you begin immediately to regard Cornwall as a "quaint and bucolic English county where everybody has a high paying job, an eye toward higher education at the beautiful world-class Cornish University, and jobs galore just for the taking." Stay away from truth and use euphemisms. I mean, really, Mr. Pengelly, the next thing you'll be stating on your site is that Cornwall is a Celtic Nation with a history of her own. Because I don't read his mag, I have nothing with which to compare his views, but I have a feeling that the critic has not spent much time travelling round the world or studying world history. Tyr-gwyr-gweryn, Taumas - San Francisco |
| 10/10/00 | Hi Taumas!
Thanks for taking time out to respond to the review and in support of the TGG site. The site will inevitably raise mixed feelings because of what it says and how this cuts across individual perceptions but I did detect a certain hostility in the review which took me by surprise coming, as it did from a magazine which acknowledges the existence of the Cornish people worldwide. Having said that the request to have the site reviewed could have been refused with, or without, an explanation and thanks are due to CW for delivering even a contentious review. Most of what I present is contentious to some so I cannot complain, but, I will certainly respond to it in, hopefully, a positive way. Lowena dhys Jim P. |
| 14/09/00 | I don't think Kernow should settle for an assembly, but, should have it's own parliament as does Scotland. As long as you let Westminster make the decisions it will be the Cornish who come out on the bottom. You should also re-establish the language, people who lose their language lose their heritage. You will become homogenised into the English. We are a unique people and a member of the keltic nations . All keltic nations should cooperate and help one another. murrasta why. Charles |
| 14/09/00 | Hi Charles!
Thanks for getting in touch. I am with you all the way but it will all depend upon what arguments are put forward to demand respect for our rights according to existing statutes and how far we are prepared to go to defend those rights. Let us not forget that in the selective eyes of the Imperial Establishment that we do not even exist nor have ever existed so there is the danger that any crumbs offered may be grabbed without too much wisdom being applied - especially if left to the bunch of quislings in what passes for a Cornish (sic) administration in Truro. There is an incredible amount of work that needs to be done to bring the Cornish language into the lives of every Cornish person. It is an undeniable part of our Cutural Property which is being destroyed by ignorance from all sides. There should be an appreciation and an understanding, at least, of the basics of the language - particularly with regard to our Cornish topography [ q.v. Tideford ] - as a minimum requirement within our(?) schools with the opportunity to take that further as required. It would, undoubtedly, be a valuable protection against homogenisation but, at this time, it is not even on the horizon and we must look elsewhere for a self-protection. This can only be by building upon an existing Cornish political culture and developing an expanding network of Cornish symbolism - this was surely true of English-speaking (sorry!) Scotland. I would like to think that a confraternity of Celtic nations existed but I am not sure whether it is something that we can, or should, count upon. It is our fight and we must take the initiatives. If there were truly 'six nations, one soul' we would not be fighting to be recognised by the Imperial State. I know from experience that we now get a lot of support from our Celtic cousins but prevention would have been far superior to eventual attempts to cure. Lowena dhys Jim P.
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| 07/09/00 |
A Cornish Republic is inevitable. The history of Ireland is such, that we can now determine exactly what direction the Celtic Nations are heading. And that is upwards - literally. We'll be the first to colonise space. Sounds crazy - but it is true. The Irish political system is far less aggressive than england's westminster one. The Irish seem perfectly happy to roll along and importantly - develop, both socially and economically. For instance they handed out candles for the millenium -westminster spent millions on a tent! Cornwall has spent a fraction of that on a spectacle which will definitely see many more people than the dome ever will. Yet Cornwall has been deeply hurt, and I would say - traumatised by the actions of the english. There are clearly some questions needed in regard to the psychological state of Cornwall. I believe denial is rife in Cornish people. Cornwall is a victim, and before Cornwall can really take off - economically and socially, she needs to accept her somewhat bloody history. While england is dying, whimpering and bullying as she goes down - think about the euro championships and england's "loyal(ist)" fans. All that racism, bigotry, narrow-mindness - leave it on the east bank of the Tamar please, break us off free. Piskey. |
| 07/09/00 | Hi Piskey! Thanks for getting in touch. It is nice to see such a decisive vision of the past present and future and since you have written it under a pen name it will be posted to the TGG website within minutes of sending off this reply because it touches on some very fundamental issues. The Celtic Nations have invariably been in the vanguard of world progress yet has still to harvest the recognition hitherto denied by, and as a consequence of, alliance with an insensitive and immovable force. Your Millennium comparisons are most appropriate! I certainly believe that our Cornish legitimacy is inevitable whatever constitutional form this may take. A Cornish Republic? Perhaps! But, only as long as the full effect of the constitutional rights of the Duchy of Cornwall are brought into full debate and not some legalistic chicanery which will be used by the External Establishment and/or its puppets as an excuse to repeal all existing statutes. Statutes which when fully comprehended will, in theory at least, guarantee our Right to self-determination in perpetuity and not at just some political whim. The psychological state of Cornwall [the Cornish people] is at the root of it all but who would you accuse of the blame for this continuing 'denial' [into the 21st century] which you so rightly refer to? Cornwall has seen at least a 100 years of a casual cultural renaissance and 50 years of a sort of political activity. At the end of this we still lack a high profile corporate voice, a coherent vision and committed leadership. During which time the External Establishment and its puppets in Truro have pursued ever more policies of genocide [by stealth] against us. This is an equation which should not even exist but in Cornwall we seem afraid to raise the 'burden of complaint' in order to even balance the equation in our favour let alone resolve! Who is to blame? Most communities have both good and bad in them and I believe that England is beginning to go through a process of rediscovery. Whilst the Celtic Nations have been able to cling on to their identities the English people now need to unravel the centuries of Imperial confused duality, the self-imposed misrepresentation of identity and their mythical 'Island of England'. There is, however, still the conflicting interests of the Imperial State. The Tyr-Gwyr-Gweryn website is only one way of spreading the Cornish message and yet sadly inadequate. It is by the higher academic institutions that the contents of the site need to be embraced and dissected and pressure brought to bear upon both the Duchy, the Crown and Parliament. Then we would see some real action!! Thanks again for the communication. Any ideas for the site would be welcomed. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly
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| 06/09/00 | Hi Jim,
I've just found your site and will be reading in much more detail over the coming weeks. I was born in Cornwall (Porthallow) but had to move away when I was seven years old . So I have visited on average about three times a year. I am Cornish by birth and have always felt that I am home whenever I pass the Kernow sign on the A30! However my parents and grandparents we're not Cornish, can I still refer to myself as 'Cornish' or does there have to be a lineage back two/three or more generations? One of my greatest concerns is the flux of retirees from up country, driving up house prices to an extent where the children of local people who have lived in a village for generations cannot afford to live locally because even a two-bedroomed cottage is now 100,000+ You raise this issue on the site too - what is being done about it and what can be done about it? Cornwall is beautiful and we can't stop retirees from entering can we? The local council in my Father's village of Stithians (I think it's Kerrier) recently built a small estate, of very nice houses it must be said, which were only available to local people. This is a step in the right direction! Of the retirees I have spoken to, many of them end up lonely. The scenario seems to be that they retire, leave London and move to Cornwall, they are then isolated and away from their friends, they don't understand the Cornish and believe they are ignorant and rude, so they move back, but they still want to sell their house for as much (or more) that they paid. Anyway I'll read the site in much more detail over the next week, and I'm looking forward to returning in January , trying to learn the language and starting two businesses that will help the local community and Cornwall in general. All the best Andrew |
| 06/09/00 | Hi Andrew!
Nice to hear from you and good to see that you are returning to Cornwall. I wish both you and you wife well in your ventures. What a thorny question you pose: "can I still refer to myself as Cornish?" You may glean, possibly, from the website that I think any discussion on what, or who, is Cornish is ultimately destined to become a sterile debate and which only fuels continuing confusion and negativity. My simple answer to your question is that you have already answered it yourself - and for the right reasons. If you already consider yourself to be Cornish then who has the right to say otherwise? There is one definition which requires at least both parents and grandparents to have been Cornish; another relating to having been born in Cornwall; some would even assign some 'racial' qualification and, I am sure, there must be a myriad of others. Perhaps in times of static populations there might have been some value in such definitions but a family tree unambiguously rooted in past history is a luxury. All Cornish family trees, nevertheless, start somewhere but rarely from datum zero and any arbitrary definion, in my opinion, is equally flawed. I feel that the all important focus of identity is 'the territory' and how this has affected the perceptions of its people over the centuries. In the Duchy, therefore, I feel that there are two classes of people: Those who identify culturally with Cornwall and those, sadly, who do not! But then Cornwall is, apparently, a paradox? Your comments on retirees, and the scenario, are very accurate. The house prices and 'local' housing needs are certainly a matter of serious concern. I do not feel this will ever change unless and until the planning authorities and administration in Cornwall see themselves as being there to protect the interests of Cornwall rather than simply serving the superficial needs of itinerant politicians and imported senior officers. That will need a major change in the political will and awareness of the Cornish people themselves. I hope that you will enjoy reading the rest of the website and please feel free to follow-up with any observations Good luck with the businesses. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly
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| 12/06/00 26/05/00 |
I was looking through your website, and I have a couple of questions about it....
Select link button to view this correspondence re 'A British Nation?'. Use Back/Return facility to return to this location. |
| 03/05/00 | Good Afternoon,
not unfortunely having lived in Cornwall I wish to ask you a couple of questions. A collegue of mine moved down to the West coast of Cornwall from London with his family a few years back, in a recent conversation with me he said he was thinking of moving back partly because the people were unfriendly towards him. Please don't take this a a dig at the Cornish people in general , maybe he hasn't tried hard enough to integrate, however my interest with this is as follows. I wish to live and work in Cornwall, my family originally came to this country via the spanish armada (shipwrecked and imprisoned at Plymouth) in 1588, upon release my ancestor moved to Dawlish then Polperro and stayed there until my Grandfather moved to London which brings me to the present. Were I to move back to Cornwall, would I be treated the same as my friend , i'm willing to learn Cornish etc ,hence me finding this website - believe it or not I actually have two cornish flag stickers stuck on my car for the last couple of years -strangely iv'e always felt Cornish despite not having been born there !. I know you can't really answer this question but I did notice that on your site you pointed out too many immigrants moving into Cornwall as being a problem. Regards, Neil |
| 05/05/00 | Hi Neil,
Thanks for your email. Sorry to take so long to reply but it seems as if fate took a hand. I attach a Word97 document which is an OCR scan of a letter in this weeks [Thursday] local paper which may provide some form of answer to you query. I am sorry that your friend has had the experience you say and I would be intrigued as to how he perceives Cornwall and how he promotes that perception? The majority of people moving into Cornwall still retain an Imperial colonial attitude of some imagined superiority and, as the attached letter implies, immediately set out to direct a reconstruction of Cornwall into the image of wherever it is they left and where, presumably, they did not like well enough to stay! I must admit that there is a growing dissatisfaction with what is being done to the Duchy and that this is simply a basic reaction to what is seen as a real threat to our existence as the Cornish people - not helped by the unwillingness and intransigence of the Imperial State to even recognise that we exist at all. My observations re immigration levels must be seen in the context of an obvious and culturally traumatic change - experienced just in my adult lifetime - and in numbers which make it resemble an uncontrolled stampede of ravaging bulldozers [ie. obvious!]. It is aimed at a Government policy of unlimited housebuilding and a system which sees new properties in our seaside towns and villages being built and sold for sums like £250,000 in a marginalised country where income is 20% below the British average and local people are pushed to the fringes in 'council' accommodation or forced into exile. I see no problem at all with people - like yourself - who are sympathetic to Cornwall and Cornish aspirations and who come to Cornwall for the right reasons. There will be a credibility test but the Cornish people will always accept people on merit whether this be pro-Cornish or just simply neutral and nice. There is no doubt that the mood is slowly changing in Cornwall and that can only be for the better. Until the Cornish people can debate and resolve Cornish issues from an obviously Cornish point of view there will be a developing schism which no Government policy of genocide can withstand. I hope this goes some way to answering your concerns? I wish you well. Lowena dhys Jim Pengelly |
| 26/03/00 | I found your site by accident and found it very thought-provoking.
Thank you for an excellent, well-designed and fascinating site which I shall certainly re-visit. A quick question you might be able to solve for me. What do the Cornish people call tourists; I believe that there is a dialect or Cornish word for them? Hoping you can enlighten me? Many thanks. Lee |
| 27/03/00 | Lee,
Thanks for your email and kind comments re website. The dialect word used to describe tourists is "emmets". In some quarters [both sides of the divide] it is regarded as a derogatory term but in truth it innocently described lots of people seemingly wandering around aimlessly like a lot of ants [or emmets]. Its use has strayed from the original perception and is also now used of someone who obviously is not Cornish and which, sadly, perpetuates a 'we'and 'they' culture. Inevitable, perhaps, within a threatened culture like being 'Cornish'? Our English neighbours also have a dialect word for tourists, namely,"Grockles" Hope that clarifies what you wanted to know? Lowena dhys Jim |
| 16/02/00 | Dear Jim I felt an overwhelming compulsion to congratulate you immediately on reaching your excellent web-site! I have downloaded all of the pages but have not yet had the time to assimilate and digest all of your observations. Nevertheless, from what I have seen you are a man of my own heart! It would seem to me that all of what you have offered on your web-site would be very relevant to the current debate and would also serve a very useful function in educating those people who will be responsible for making the important decisions, hopefully to our benefit. ...I have attached a file of my own composition which I sent to the Council of Europe only last week, for your interest. Once again, congratulations on what must be the best Cornish web-site around! Gwella gorhemmynadow Onen hag oll ha Kernow bys vykken! Dr Nigel Hicks (Stannator) < Nigel@hicks52.freeserve.co.uk > |
| 16/02/00 | Nigel,
Thank you for a wonderfully welcoming email. The site has been running now for virtually 12 months and you are one of, literally, a handful of people who have taken the trouble to comment upon it. Thankfully, no one has given a negative response - not that I would mind, since it is based on factual information. I would like the site to be, or be a prompt to, the setting up of a Corporate Cornish Site which brings together all aspects of Cornish Rights, quoting the dirth of historical references which are known to exist but not in the public domain Lowena dhys Jim |
| 20/01/00 | Cornish Frustration! Dydh da! Firstly I must congratulate Tyr-Gwyr-Gweryn and yourself for producing such a great and valuable website. All sites dealing with Cornish (and any other Celtic Nation's) issues should have links to these pages! Keep up the good and necessary work. I am Cornish, having lived my whole life in the Duchy until I was forced to leave in order to pursue a university education, firstly in Lancaster and now here in Bangor, North Wales. Thus I am an academic exile unable to study in my homeland due to the neglective policies of successive British Governments and the insincerity and short-sightedness of much of the Cornish Administration. Growing up in Redruth I was aware from an early age that anything remotely promoting a Cornish Identity was being omitted from the school curriculum and it was only through friends that one developed a sense of 'Cornishness' and a feeling that some essential part of our culture was being suppressed. I think that the education system was, and still is instrumental in this, a poignant example being my father, who as a secondary school teacher and a Cornishman himself was constantly battling to prevent me developing a strong accent, worried that I would turn into, as he phrased it, a 'Cornish hick'. Such that now I have very little accent at all, except after a few pints of ale!! It was only after having left Cornwall to study for a BSc, and now my PhD, that a real sense of being Cornish, as opposed to English, developed, in part as a reaction against the ignorance of others to the history and identity of the Duchy and as an opposition to the general anti-Celtic sentiment openly exhibited by many of the students. Nowhere is this more acute than here in Bangor, the slow but steady successes of Plaid Cymru, the general Welsh Nationalist sentiment and now the establishment of a Welsh National Assembly inflaming the Anglo-imperial arrogance of many English students. Yet such Welsh successes have for me acted as a focus for my strengthening sense of Cornish identity. I take every opportunity to express my Cornishness. St Piran's flag hangs on my office wall, I wear my kilt at every formal gathering (and sometimes out on the beers too!), I've joined and support Mebyon Kernow and my PhD thesis is even on a subject related to Cornwall's pre-history and its links, geologically, with Wales and Ireland. But I still can't help feeling that this is not enough, and that despite the campaigns and petitions that groups such as your selves pursue, the English Imperial Government will continue to follow its own agenda of assimilation and cultural genocide. How much of this is due to ignorance, apathy, conscious and premeditated discrimination or the typical government characteristic of only spending cash on, and doing, anything worthwhile if its hand is legally (or otherwise) forced I am not sure. I can't help feeling saddened as well as enraged when I read the extent to which the Cornish Nation has been marginalised and ignored and knowing that as things are, this will only continue. But I also feel totally powerless to alter the course on which we are bound. My only feeling is that to be successful, to raise the burden of complaint we have to, not as individuals but as a group, as a community become a problem that the Government will be forced to deal with. At the moment if you ignore the Cornish you will be successful, but that has to change for the very survival of our land. Too many letters and petitions can be ignored. Happy jolly Cornish marches with their tartans, flags and pipes look far too quaint and provincial to put the wind up any Whitehall minister. It's about time we Cornish got up off our backsides and expressed our anger at what has been done. I don't mean to sound hot headed but militant direct action is the only way the government will take notice when all other channels of democratically expressing and defending our Cornishness have been denied us. Love them or hate them, you only have to look at the road protesters who by taking direct action, though perhaps not winning any individual campaign, have raised public awareness of the environmental issues and resulted in a virtual termination of the Government's road building programme. Create enough of a hassle and reasoned people will begin to ask why. If Cornish issues don't appear to be of 'National' importance then we must make them. Headline reports on the Six O clock News not the quirky final story on Spotlight Southwest. The question though, is how? And as a young Cornishman in exile I would dearly love to know what I can do to make a difference. Anyway, I must again congratulate you on a brilliant website that should be essential study material in all Cornish schools. What is needed online (perhaps it exists and I'm yet to find it) is a site dedicated to Cornish news from a Cornish rather than Anglo-centric perspective, especially for those of us living 'abroad', to keep us up to date with important issues from the Duchy free from the biased English media. Also perhaps, and maybe the Tyr-Gwyr-Gweryn site is the place for it, what is needed on-line is an up to date diary of pro-Cornish campaigns and events, meetings, rallies and demonstrations so that those with an interest can find out and get involved easier. The Internet can be and should be used to the advantage of the Cornish cause. Lowena dhys Mark |
| 20/01/00 | Hi Mark, Thanks for your email and kind comments regarding the website. I would eventually [probably sooner rather than later] like to see the site as the place which exposes the English Imperial Establishment within the Duchy for the disingenuous parasite that it is. It doesn't have to be this site but there is a need for a hard-hitting exposé of all factors affecting Cornish Rights and supported by a Cornish public The worst thing that anyone can possibly think is that they are "powerless" that is the road to self-defeat. I know what you mean and how you feel but everyone can do something. The trick is not to expect too much. It is a long and hard road but every action, however small, has a cascade effect upon opinions and perceptions - and that is what needs to be changed. We have to reverse the 'water dripping on a stone' effect which [by making people ashamed of being Cornish] has allowed us to get to where we are now. Being Cornish must be seen to have a value and only a continuing defence of Cornishness gives it value. In the Duchy we are sadly lacking those who challenge fundamental anti-Cornish comment in the papers or the English media generally - as with anything, confidence comes from being involved in the debate. This is because it is necessary to know the subject in order to challenge. The TGG site primarily wishes to provide a basic starting point for others to get involved in this debate. The site is, also, a recognition that there is a fundamental need to have an unambiguous point of reference [the media allows toing and froing of the arguments {sometimes selective censorship} which can only confuse the observer] which will only promote a Cornish perception of what is happening. I am well aware of both sides of the argument! Perhaps you might consider writing to all the Cornish(?) papers encouraging people to visit the TGG website giving reasons why they should do so in about 100/150 words - I could give you the addresses - I apologise for the self-interest. Your email is a typical cry from the heart and it offers the visitor an insight into the emotions of the next generation and, above all, proves that we still exist. Lowena dhys rag an Vledhen Noweth. Jim |
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