Cornwall

River, I felt quite pleased today when I read that the Gherkin had gone into liquidation. I'm sure I shouldn't have, but there you are.
It could house all the homeless in London if turned into flats.
I also saw today that the last fruit and veg shop had closed in Helston because of the rise of supermarkets. Perhaps this will be a wake-up call to Cornwall.
Isn't Eric Pickles supposed to be the champion of localism. Whatever happened to that idea? He's got rid of planning rules, so that the government can say that it is going to build six new garden villages without any affordable homes. They are in trouble about that, because the garden village has to have about 50% of affordable homes, or it cannot be called a garden village.

I live less than three miles from the Houses of Parliament and as alienated from the ruling elite as anyone in Cornwall or Scotland.

There are many deprived areas of London e.g. Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived boroughs in the UK but also home to Canary Wharf.

The average school-leaver in that borough hasn't a hope in hell's chance of a career at J P Morgan, Credit Suisse, KPMG, etc.

I am Cornish and had to grin when I heard it on the radio this morning. I just knew there would be a wealth of moaning!

I spoke to my sister in Exeter today. They find it a bit stupid and can't understand why Cornwall is now classed as being 'special' as opposed to beautiful Devon or Dorset or anywhere else in the UK.

Perhaps poor old Jethro will have to change his way's.

He will have to stop saying "Well, what happened was". To " Well, this is how it occurred old chap".

I don't think some people will be happy until we have regressed to the Feudal System. We will all be crossing borders with pick axes and loo brushes soon to evade the 'rotten neighbours' who have had it all too good compared to us.

For heaven's sake if you are unemployed in Leicester you are in the same boat as being unemployed in St Austel. If you are in work and just keeping your head above water in Skegness you are no different to someone in doing the same in Penzance. If you are a fisherman in Weymouth you are no different to a fisherman in Polperro. If you are a farmer in Helston you are no different to a farmer in Windermere.

As I said there are some people who are weighed down by the 'chip on their shoulder'.

I agree with the point made about the excellent publicity give to Cornwall. I feel for those folks born in Cornwall, Devon, North Wales, The Lakes, various parts of Norfolk and I'm sure lots of other lovely places within reach of London, Birmingham and Manchester. 2nd homes in areas near the coast the dales, etc have driven prices right out of the reach of most locals with ordinary jobs.
I'm with jendurham on the idea of more regional governments, that represent their own communities. It seems a common desire for the majority of this countries inhabitants, who don't live in London and feel excluded and disenfranchised.

DEB we all have our cross to bear !!!!!!!!!!!
We love "em though really , don"t we ?

Nonu That is exactly what I tried to get across to OH but he just said: 'we shall have to agree to differ' - a metaphorical 'pat on the head'? Spot on Pentsemmon

Doesn't every capital city receive a great deal of publicity with regard to tourism?

If you were to ask me which county in the UK has the most TV coverage in terms of food, documentaries, dramas, publicity, (Caroline Quentin) promotion of tourist attractions like The Eden Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan not to mention countless appearances on Escape To The Country, I would say Cornwall without a moment's hesitation.

How on earth can they feel undervalued?

perhaps the more places feel separated or undervalued,for whatever reason, the more parochial they become?
So many interesting places across UK it should not be a competition but a celebration!
I think it is good to maintain local traditions, languages and dialects but one should not be seen as more 'special' than another.

Perhaps if central government made more of celebrating regional and local traditions and cultures on publicity about the UK those regions and counties would feel less that they need official minority status to be visible.

As it is, we hear a great deal more, for instance, about London as a tourist destination than we do about Cornwall or the North East. I have met Scots who believe that the whole of southern England from the Lizard to Hull is a mass of motorways and built-up suburbs.

DEB I feel exactly the same , kinda scary really , I doubt for one nanosecond I will be here to see it . However, it pains me to think of my DGC and what it will be like for them.
Still I suppose they will adapt, as people have done from time immorial.

I have to say this has all been an excellent and interesting discussion whatever the views held. roses.

Elegran, yes, I appreciate that Cornwall are not getting independence. Sorry, I didn't make that very clear. I was really just trying to say that all of these parts of the UK, including Cornwall, seem to have aspirations of independence from the UK, almost as the next step from getting the minority status, and I'm really not convinced that this is a good thing. I just didn't put it very well. It seems to me that very soon the minorities in this country will vastly outnumber those who are supposedly the majority. I am definitely beginning to feel like a minority, and I'm not Cornish, Welsh, Scottish, etc etc etc, haha!

Couldn't bring myself to come back to read this yesterday, sorry, because the whole thing has upset me. Really pleased to read some responses, particularly from POGS phoenix and rosesarered you three would be far more able to explain to my OH how I feel about it all than I am. I am frightened for Great Britain's/England's long term future.

rosesarered my first daughter was born in Treliske hospital!

Cornwall is very similar to Northern France, particularly Brittany. Some people believed that that's where King Arthur came from.
It would be an interesting exercise to see what would happen if all counties kept their own taxes. As it is the council tax gets sent to London, then doled out depending on the whim of the government. The North East has lost out a lot in taxes these last few years.

All our holidays were spent in Wales when the children were small, Ana

It RAINED

Can anyone tell me why Cornish people think their culture is not being respected? They've had more promotion via TV documentaries, cookery shows and lets not forget drama, Doc Martin and.....er Jamaica Inn than any other county.

Aren't they piskies in Cornwall?

And then there's the pixies...

You could visit Wales and support UK tourism instead of French, merlot!

I think "independence" means exactly that - no access to taxes raised by the rest of the UK, and no paying taxes to Westminster eithe

I don't what "minority status" entails, not a great deal, I suspect, only that their culture is to be respected. The link that DebnCreme posted says "The status does not attract extra money"

Certainly, Cornwall is NOT getting independence.

Cornwall's economic problems have a lot to do with its remoteness. The weather can be pants (grandson's verdict) as well. I love its beauty but I no longer feel the need to travel so far to find beautiful beaches and stunning scenery. Do they think making themselves appear a bit 'foreign' will benefit their tourist industry?

If I want to listen to another language I can hop on a ferry and be in France in the same time it takes to travel to Cornwall.

I wonder if these areas of the UK would be quite so keen on "independence" if they then had to be totally self funded, ie for medical care, policing, government, etc, etc? I don't pretend for one second to be a financial expert, and it's quite possible I'm talking absolute rubbish, but I suspect this "independence" still requires considerable financial support from UK taxes and hence from the rest of us unindependent souls!

durhamjen, I think the difference between Cornwall and Wales and Scotland is that it is a county, not a count r y!

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cornwall-is-celebrating-after-being-granted-minority-status--but-what-of-other-english-counties-claims-to-independence-9284240.html

Do you agree with your county's claim to independence?

So I presume those of you who are not going to visit Cornwall do not visit Wales or Scotland for the same reason. What Cornwall has that other counties do not have is a very short border.

Pogs and phoenix I agree with every word you say! Having lived in Cornwall [first baby was born there] I can say it's a nice place to live [but not as nice as Devon.]Some of it is a bit run down and feels like bits of Wales, economically I mean.Don't think giving it special status will help with this somehow, it's all about jobs isn't it? They make excellent pasties, although the best ever pasties are from a shop in the covered market in Plymouth [over the other side of the Tamar.]It seems that all extremism is on the up these days, Welsh, Scottish, Cornish, Muslim etc. where will it end? Roadsigns in Cornish? Cornish lessons as part of the curriculum?Jobs handed to Cornish speakers only? All this happened in Wales in recent years.Cornish tv?Ooh-arr.