Over-60s are set to ride free on all England's local services. It's liberating...
...The best companies too (which are often the small ones) will happily recommend their most enjoyable journeys (this is how I discovered the Western Greyhound 556 and now know that the 501 Newquay to St Ives, summer only, is worth trying too). In places like Cornwall, the time to make these journeys is now, before its roads are clotted with cars, and buses run late, and connections are missed and the joys of the liberation that is ENCTS from tomorrow may not be quite so unqualified. more>
Monday 31 March 2008
Sunday 30 March 2008
The Co-op isn't making much of a contribution to 'fashionable' Penzance...
Earlier this month, one of this blog's posts carried a Times newspaper article describing Penzance as much improved from a decade ago and as 'fashionable'.
The Co-op isn't making much of a contribution to the town's new image.
Its Pioneer store on Market Jew Street is in dire need of renovation. Externally it needs more than a lick of paint and inside it's shabby and uninviting. Its next door Off Licence is no better. For weeks it had (and may still have) a damaged door and the carpet inside is stained and unsightly. It's surprising that a major retailer like the Co-op should allow one of its stores to reach such a state - unless it's about to close it down or begin a major renovation.
Not so long ago, the Co-op's stores in St. Ives were completely renovated and are now clean, bright and a pleasure to shop in. The St Ivean will be asking the Co-op what plans it has for its Penzance stores.
The Co-op isn't making much of a contribution to the town's new image.
Its Pioneer store on Market Jew Street is in dire need of renovation. Externally it needs more than a lick of paint and inside it's shabby and uninviting. Its next door Off Licence is no better. For weeks it had (and may still have) a damaged door and the carpet inside is stained and unsightly. It's surprising that a major retailer like the Co-op should allow one of its stores to reach such a state - unless it's about to close it down or begin a major renovation.
Not so long ago, the Co-op's stores in St. Ives were completely renovated and are now clean, bright and a pleasure to shop in. The St Ivean will be asking the Co-op what plans it has for its Penzance stores.
Saturday 29 March 2008
Diary of a St Ivean
Walking along Wharf Road I detect on the wind the presence somewhere of the man who seriously overdoses on bathing products. But I'm mistaken. This time the same odour is coming from an elderly lady I've seen around the town before. She's sitting enjoying the Spring sunshine on a bench at the Fishermen's Lodge. This lady always dresses in startling colours, seeming to specialise in what I should call the Romany Style - bright embroidered voluminous dresses with beads and bangles. This morning the eye-catching piece of her wardrobe is a very long scarf of Rastafarian colours and design.
On the bus from Penzance to St Ives yesterday was the Small Woman with the Loud Voice. Her usual modus operandi is to board the bus with her Iceland shopping, but to continue to converse via a series of shouted statements with her obese daughter left standing on the pavement (she must live in Penzance), as we wait to depart the bus station. This shouting exchange usually continues even as the bus departs the station.
On one occasion I had to endure this for several minutes as the bus was late in departing, so I was mightily relieved when the bus at last moved off and the woman fell silent and her daughter shrank into a tiny speck in the distance. Then, just as I settled down to enjoy a tranquil journey, she produced an ancient mobile phone from her pocket and resumed the conversation with her daughter at full volume for several long miles. Later, as we approached Lelant, she took a call from her son anxiously enquiring if she had purchased a goldfish bowl and food for the goldfish and that he would meet her at the Malakoff. In fact, it took until the Malakoff to establish that the said bowl and food ("it cost me a pound"), had indeed been safely purchased and accompanied her on the bus.
At the Malakoff, the Small Woman with the Loud Voice was met by her goldfish owning son whom I estimated to be about forty years old.
On the bus from Penzance to St Ives yesterday was the Small Woman with the Loud Voice. Her usual modus operandi is to board the bus with her Iceland shopping, but to continue to converse via a series of shouted statements with her obese daughter left standing on the pavement (she must live in Penzance), as we wait to depart the bus station. This shouting exchange usually continues even as the bus departs the station.
On one occasion I had to endure this for several minutes as the bus was late in departing, so I was mightily relieved when the bus at last moved off and the woman fell silent and her daughter shrank into a tiny speck in the distance. Then, just as I settled down to enjoy a tranquil journey, she produced an ancient mobile phone from her pocket and resumed the conversation with her daughter at full volume for several long miles. Later, as we approached Lelant, she took a call from her son anxiously enquiring if she had purchased a goldfish bowl and food for the goldfish and that he would meet her at the Malakoff. In fact, it took until the Malakoff to establish that the said bowl and food ("it cost me a pound"), had indeed been safely purchased and accompanied her on the bus.
At the Malakoff, the Small Woman with the Loud Voice was met by her goldfish owning son whom I estimated to be about forty years old.
GULP - but is there any mileage in 'food miles'?
On Wednesday, The St Ivean posted (see below) news of a new farmers' market in St Ives with the organisers claiming that it "will reduce the environmental impact of 'food miles'".
An alternative view on the concept of food miles appears in the online journal spiked.
At last, people are questioning the eco-parochialism of the local-food lobby. But what we need now is a loud defence of modernised food production... more>
The St Ives market will be open between 9.30am and 3pm every Thursday from April 3. Admission is free. For further information, please contact Tim Andrewes on 01736 795387
Thursday 27 March 2008
'Democratic deficit' fears for Penwith
Penwith will suffer from a cut back of more than half of the councillors currently representing the district when the new unitary authority takes over.
A current total of 45 district and county councillors serve Penwith, (35 district and 10 county councillors), but this will be reduced to a total of 20 councillors at the most under the new authority.
The public is being asked to give recommendations by April 21 to the Boundary Committee for England on the boundary changes and number of councillors to be seen under the unitary authority... more>
A current total of 45 district and county councillors serve Penwith, (35 district and 10 county councillors), but this will be reduced to a total of 20 councillors at the most under the new authority.
The public is being asked to give recommendations by April 21 to the Boundary Committee for England on the boundary changes and number of councillors to be seen under the unitary authority... more>
Wednesday 26 March 2008
GULP - new farmers' market for St Ives
Shoppers will have a new opportunity to buy fresh local produce from 3rd April, when a farmers’ market opens in St Ives.
The markets will be held on Thursdays every week at the Backpackers, just up from Royal Square. A range of food and drink will be available, all of which has been produced within 30 miles of the town, including fresh meats and fish, vegetables, fruit juice, speciality breads, chocolates, herbs and flowers. Around a dozen local farms and food businesses will be attending the market each week.
The markets have been organised by a community group, GULP, ( Great-tasting Unbeatable Local Produce). The aim of the markets is to give residents the chance to buy more local food than is available in the larger supermarkets. This will help strengthen the area’s farming economy and will reduce the environmental impact of ‘food miles’ – the distance food travels from the farm to the consumer.
One of the market organisers, Tim Andrewes, commented:
The farmers’ market project has been supported by Penwith District Council and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund’s Small Grant Scheme.
The market will be open between 9.30am and 3pm every Thursday. Admission is free. For further information, please contact Tim Andrewes on 01736 795387.
The markets will be held on Thursdays every week at the Backpackers, just up from Royal Square. A range of food and drink will be available, all of which has been produced within 30 miles of the town, including fresh meats and fish, vegetables, fruit juice, speciality breads, chocolates, herbs and flowers. Around a dozen local farms and food businesses will be attending the market each week.
The markets have been organised by a community group, GULP, ( Great-tasting Unbeatable Local Produce). The aim of the markets is to give residents the chance to buy more local food than is available in the larger supermarkets. This will help strengthen the area’s farming economy and will reduce the environmental impact of ‘food miles’ – the distance food travels from the farm to the consumer.
One of the market organisers, Tim Andrewes, commented:
" Since the idea of a local farmers’ market was first raised, there has been a lot of interest from shoppers as well as food producers. Bookings for the first markets are already going well, even though the number of crops available in April tends to be quite limited. We expect to have a range of vegetables and fruit that changes through the seasons.
"One of the great aspects of farmers’ markets is that shoppers can meet local producers and talk with them about how the food is made, or how their animals are treated. This is really important in giving consumers confidence in the quality of what they’re buying, and it also helps to connect people with local farmers and growers."
The farmers’ market project has been supported by Penwith District Council and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund’s Small Grant Scheme.
The market will be open between 9.30am and 3pm every Thursday. Admission is free. For further information, please contact Tim Andrewes on 01736 795387.
Tuesday 25 March 2008
Diary of a St Ivean
The man of the overpowering bathing product is gossiping in the newsagents on Tregenna Hill but today he doesn't seem to be talking Rubrik Cube or playing card magic - but I don't have time to eavesdrop this afternoon. A freezing cold day but he's stoically wearing his shorts.
Across the road there's a notice in the window of the shortly to be opened SubWay ('restaurant' or 'store', depending on which country's SubWay website you visit). They sell sandwiches and salads. The notice advertises vacancies for staff amongst which 'sandwich artists' are required. So I shall expect something rather more than the bread with fillings they show on their website menus.
Standing in the cold behind a couple of tourists at the money machine, I quietly curse the time it's taking them to complete their transaction. The care with which they peer at the buttons and screen makes me think that perhaps they're landing the Space Shuttle rather than merely withdrawing £10.
Across the road there's a notice in the window of the shortly to be opened SubWay ('restaurant' or 'store', depending on which country's SubWay website you visit). They sell sandwiches and salads. The notice advertises vacancies for staff amongst which 'sandwich artists' are required. So I shall expect something rather more than the bread with fillings they show on their website menus.
Standing in the cold behind a couple of tourists at the money machine, I quietly curse the time it's taking them to complete their transaction. The care with which they peer at the buttons and screen makes me think that perhaps they're landing the Space Shuttle rather than merely withdrawing £10.
Ask Ephraim
As seasoned followers of The St Ivean know, Ephraim appeared frequently on earlier blogs, dispensing opinion, knowledge, advice, folklore and myth for the price of a pint or two. So this fount of all wisdom has been invited back to answer any questions you care to put to him. His mailbox will soon be full - so get your questions in soon.
From: A St Ivean
St Ives, Cornwall
Dear Ephraim
When I tie my shoe laces on a particular pair of shoes, I'm sure I do it in exactly the same way with both shoes. Why, then, do the laces of the right shoe always eventually unravel and rarely the left shoe? (In case it's relevant, I'm right-handed).
An unusual question which I passed on to the Guardian newspaper's Notes & Queries feature. A reader suggested this explanation:
I expect if you're right-handed, you're also right-footed, and lead with your right leg when walking, kicking, etc. I bet it gets a fair bit more action than your left and forces the laces apart.
Ross, Manchester
I hope this helps with your question. I'll keep you informed of any other explanations.
Thank you for contacting The St Ivean.
From: A St Ivean
St Ives, Cornwall
Dear Ephraim
When I tie my shoe laces on a particular pair of shoes, I'm sure I do it in exactly the same way with both shoes. Why, then, do the laces of the right shoe always eventually unravel and rarely the left shoe? (In case it's relevant, I'm right-handed).
An unusual question which I passed on to the Guardian newspaper's Notes & Queries feature. A reader suggested this explanation:
I expect if you're right-handed, you're also right-footed, and lead with your right leg when walking, kicking, etc. I bet it gets a fair bit more action than your left and forces the laces apart.
Ross, Manchester
I hope this helps with your question. I'll keep you informed of any other explanations.
Thank you for contacting The St Ivean.
Monday 24 March 2008
Cornwall petitions the Prime Minister
Enter "Cornwall" into the search box of the Downing Street E-Petitions website and you'll get a flavour of some of the concerns - serious and outlandish - currently exercising folk this side of the Tamar.
There is the petitioner who wanted the Prime Minister to ban all tourists from Devon and Cornwall in August (10 signatures). Another petitioner wanted the Prime Minister to rule that only pasties containing all Cornish indredients and made in Cornwall to be named "Cornish Pasties" (10 signatures). Another wanted to ensure the well-being of the Great White Shark (16 signatures). Several petitioners are objecting to unitary status.
Mebyon Kernow's leader Cllr Dick Cole has recently launched a petition asking the Prime Minister to reject the plan from unelected South West quangos to construct 68,700 new properties in Cornwall (currently 249 signatures). Anyone thinking of signing Cllr Cole's petition should first read the blogger mudhook's view on Cllr Cole's position.
So far, only six people have signed to increase wages in Cornwall and only five supported a petition to create more fairness in Cornwall's water rates by instuting [sic] a "water tax".
There is the petitioner who wanted the Prime Minister to ban all tourists from Devon and Cornwall in August (10 signatures). Another petitioner wanted the Prime Minister to rule that only pasties containing all Cornish indredients and made in Cornwall to be named "Cornish Pasties" (10 signatures). Another wanted to ensure the well-being of the Great White Shark (16 signatures). Several petitioners are objecting to unitary status.
Mebyon Kernow's leader Cllr Dick Cole has recently launched a petition asking the Prime Minister to reject the plan from unelected South West quangos to construct 68,700 new properties in Cornwall (currently 249 signatures). Anyone thinking of signing Cllr Cole's petition should first read the blogger mudhook's view on Cllr Cole's position.
So far, only six people have signed to increase wages in Cornwall and only five supported a petition to create more fairness in Cornwall's water rates by instuting [sic] a "water tax".
Sunday 23 March 2008
Diary of a St Ivean
The man who seriously overdoes the use of bath foam or shower gel, gets on the bus at the Malakoff and takes a seat right behind me. I am immediately enveloped in an heavy odour. Although it's a cold day, he's wearing the usual shorts although he's without his large floppy hat, exposing his bald head to the cold air. He carries a green Tesco Shopping Bag for Life. For some reason, he uses the Tesco store at Eastern Green in Penzance rather than the one at Carbis Bay. Perhaps only the Penzance store stocks his gel or foam.
As soon as he takes a seat he begins a conversation with a man further down the bus who claims to be an overworked builder: the subject is as usual the Rubrik Cube. From behind my head I hear energetic clicking as a cube is being twisted furiously. As he does this, he is telling the builder that he can complete the puzzle in just under two minutes but that the world record is 15 seconds. (Actually, it's 9.18 seconds). He also says that manipulating the cube is good exercise as he suffers from arthritis. Then he announces he's done and asks the builder to confirm that it was achieved under his two minute target and the builder readily agrees.
At Eastern Green he leaves the bus (the builder departed earlier), from the pavement waving to other passengers he has conversed with throughout the journey. All the way to the bus station, the odour of his bathing product permeates the vehicle.
As soon as he takes a seat he begins a conversation with a man further down the bus who claims to be an overworked builder: the subject is as usual the Rubrik Cube. From behind my head I hear energetic clicking as a cube is being twisted furiously. As he does this, he is telling the builder that he can complete the puzzle in just under two minutes but that the world record is 15 seconds. (Actually, it's 9.18 seconds). He also says that manipulating the cube is good exercise as he suffers from arthritis. Then he announces he's done and asks the builder to confirm that it was achieved under his two minute target and the builder readily agrees.
At Eastern Green he leaves the bus (the builder departed earlier), from the pavement waving to other passengers he has conversed with throughout the journey. All the way to the bus station, the odour of his bathing product permeates the vehicle.
Saturday 22 March 2008
The things they say: MR K D VARNALS
An insight into the minds of local personalities and politicians through their own words.
This week, Mr K D Varnals, whose manic diatribe against local government in the correspondence columns of the St Ives Times & Echo - the "new unitary dictatorship", "this leviathan" and "the faceless incompetents who reside in Truro" - managed to equate it all with the collapse of the Evil Empire:
"...we have all watched the Soviet block [sic] with its centralised control and bureaucracies crumble, because the whole thing became too slow to respond to local conditions".
It almost makes one nostalgic for the sweet reasonableness of the front page of Pravda.
This week, Mr K D Varnals, whose manic diatribe against local government in the correspondence columns of the St Ives Times & Echo - the "new unitary dictatorship", "this leviathan" and "the faceless incompetents who reside in Truro" - managed to equate it all with the collapse of the Evil Empire:
"...we have all watched the Soviet block [sic] with its centralised control and bureaucracies crumble, because the whole thing became too slow to respond to local conditions".
It almost makes one nostalgic for the sweet reasonableness of the front page of Pravda.
Migrant workers and Andrew George MP
Andrew George MP has replied to The St Ivean's
recent post, So, where are all the progressives?
He comments:
"What I am able to say is that I was one of those MPs who was instrumental in setting up the Gangmaster Licensing Authority, have taken up and supported many cases on behalf of migrants and migrant workers, and importantly, respect my duty to protect the confidentiality of the individuals who bring casework to me."
What is puzzling about this statement is its implication that because one has a duty to respect confidentiality in individual cases, it's therefore impossible to engage in public debates about the general issues raised by those individual cases. But Mr George cannot possibly mean that because it's obvious nonsense. So what does he mean?
Of course, one must respect confidentiality. The St Ivean, too, does not make use of information obtained under conditions of confidentiality.
But public debate of the issues is also essential.
If The St Ivean had not challenged Penwith over the eviction of migrant workers, the Council would not have been challenged at all. (Except, perhaps, for the reported comment of a witness to the eviction who Mr Allan Hampshire contrived, in his letter to the Cornishman newspaper of March 13, to airbrush from the scene).
The St Ivean welcomes and applauds any work Mr George has done on behalf of migrant workers and their families. But Penwith has still to answer key questions about the eviction of Polish migrant workers in Penzance. The St Ivean believes that our MP should be urging the Council to answer those questions - and there are good reasons why he should be doing it publicly.
recent post, So, where are all the progressives?
He comments:
"What I am able to say is that I was one of those MPs who was instrumental in setting up the Gangmaster Licensing Authority, have taken up and supported many cases on behalf of migrants and migrant workers, and importantly, respect my duty to protect the confidentiality of the individuals who bring casework to me."
What is puzzling about this statement is its implication that because one has a duty to respect confidentiality in individual cases, it's therefore impossible to engage in public debates about the general issues raised by those individual cases. But Mr George cannot possibly mean that because it's obvious nonsense. So what does he mean?
Of course, one must respect confidentiality. The St Ivean, too, does not make use of information obtained under conditions of confidentiality.
But public debate of the issues is also essential.
If The St Ivean had not challenged Penwith over the eviction of migrant workers, the Council would not have been challenged at all. (Except, perhaps, for the reported comment of a witness to the eviction who Mr Allan Hampshire contrived, in his letter to the Cornishman newspaper of March 13, to airbrush from the scene).
The St Ivean welcomes and applauds any work Mr George has done on behalf of migrant workers and their families. But Penwith has still to answer key questions about the eviction of Polish migrant workers in Penzance. The St Ivean believes that our MP should be urging the Council to answer those questions - and there are good reasons why he should be doing it publicly.
Friday 21 March 2008
Only the parents can scupper the plan to make St Ives School a trust school
The St Ives Times & Echo this week reports teacher union opposition to the proposal, first reported by The St Ivean, to turn five schools in Penwith, including St Ives School, over to trust status.
But protest as much as they like, it is not the NASUWT or any other union that has the power to halt this project - their influence will be marginal. The power to scupper it lies solely with the parents of students at the school.
Although they may have difficulty in deciding if trust status will ultimately be worthwhile or not for a school that has done well in recent years, parents should have no such doubts about the probable baleful effect of the project on the students currently at St Ives School. The experience of similar projects, much less ambitious than this one, suggests that their education will almost certainly suffer.
A school can be seriously disrupted once projects such as these get underway. Unless carefully handled, conflict develops within the school which leads to loss of morale and confidence amongst staff.
It can be hugely diversionary for the daily life of a school, demanding much preparatory work. Headteachers and deputies may disappear for days on end to attend meetings or they remain closeted in their offices preparing reports or bids. Classes are taught by staff who are not specialists in the subject they are covering and precious preparation time is lost covering for colleagues working on the project. An endless stream of supply teachers passes through the school. This can go on for months and long after the project is in place.
Parents of students at St Ives School should ask Headteacher David Harris to show them estimates of the impact of the preparatory work for trust status on the school's students and the plans to manage the impact.
Even parents who are sympathetic to the idea of trust status might think again when their son or daughter returns home with news of yet another lesson that day taught by yet another supply teacher, while Mr Harris and his fellow headteachers in Penwith are busy pursuing the uncertain prize of trust status for their schools.
LINKS: What are Trust Schools?
Heads reject trust schools proposals
But protest as much as they like, it is not the NASUWT or any other union that has the power to halt this project - their influence will be marginal. The power to scupper it lies solely with the parents of students at the school.
Although they may have difficulty in deciding if trust status will ultimately be worthwhile or not for a school that has done well in recent years, parents should have no such doubts about the probable baleful effect of the project on the students currently at St Ives School. The experience of similar projects, much less ambitious than this one, suggests that their education will almost certainly suffer.
A school can be seriously disrupted once projects such as these get underway. Unless carefully handled, conflict develops within the school which leads to loss of morale and confidence amongst staff.
It can be hugely diversionary for the daily life of a school, demanding much preparatory work. Headteachers and deputies may disappear for days on end to attend meetings or they remain closeted in their offices preparing reports or bids. Classes are taught by staff who are not specialists in the subject they are covering and precious preparation time is lost covering for colleagues working on the project. An endless stream of supply teachers passes through the school. This can go on for months and long after the project is in place.
Parents of students at St Ives School should ask Headteacher David Harris to show them estimates of the impact of the preparatory work for trust status on the school's students and the plans to manage the impact.
Even parents who are sympathetic to the idea of trust status might think again when their son or daughter returns home with news of yet another lesson that day taught by yet another supply teacher, while Mr Harris and his fellow headteachers in Penwith are busy pursuing the uncertain prize of trust status for their schools.
LINKS: What are Trust Schools?
Heads reject trust schools proposals
Migrant workers: key questions remain
So far the local media has not reported The St Ivean's reply to Allan Hampshire's letter in the Cornishman newspaper of March 13 defending Operation Westport, the eviction of Polish migrant workers from houses in Penzance.
There are five questions:
1) Were the evictions at all stages lawful?
2) Were there children among the evicted and, if so, how were they accommodated and for how long?
3) What precisely were the conditions at the premises?
4) Did those conditions leave the Council with no alternative but to eject the tenants onto the streets?
5) What consideration was given to the effect of the evictions on community relations?
Until we have clear answers to the above, the questioning will go on.
There are five questions:
1) Were the evictions at all stages lawful?
2) Were there children among the evicted and, if so, how were they accommodated and for how long?
3) What precisely were the conditions at the premises?
4) Did those conditions leave the Council with no alternative but to eject the tenants onto the streets?
5) What consideration was given to the effect of the evictions on community relations?
Until we have clear answers to the above, the questioning will go on.
Wednesday 19 March 2008
Diary of a St Ivean
Two days before the Great Storm, I discovered in next door's garden the builder responsible for the scaffolding that will soon have been there for twelve months. When I reminded him of the approaching anniversary, he sheepishly mumbled that he'd nearly finished but that the weather had been so poor that...
He was talking about the sunniest February since records began.
But it seems he got the message because yesterday I saw in the garden next door a man wearing a woollen hat and with a cigarette dangling from his month staring up at the house and the scaffolding. I decided he was either a burglar casing the place or the scaffolder himself. Soon the merry sound of steel tubes and bolts being hurled to the ground confirmed that it was the latter.
Though the stuff is still there now lying in the garden waiting to be taken away. Don't hold your breath.
In Penzance yesterday I had my hair cut by a young lady who thankfully didn't utter a word during the whole operation (for which I rewarded her with a modest tip), except to enlighten me on the grading of haircut lengths. It seems that grade one is Yul Brynner short right up to grade eight. She gave me a seven. So now I know and can on future visits demonstrate some knowledge of the art and fashion of modern barbering.
He was talking about the sunniest February since records began.
But it seems he got the message because yesterday I saw in the garden next door a man wearing a woollen hat and with a cigarette dangling from his month staring up at the house and the scaffolding. I decided he was either a burglar casing the place or the scaffolder himself. Soon the merry sound of steel tubes and bolts being hurled to the ground confirmed that it was the latter.
Though the stuff is still there now lying in the garden waiting to be taken away. Don't hold your breath.
In Penzance yesterday I had my hair cut by a young lady who thankfully didn't utter a word during the whole operation (for which I rewarded her with a modest tip), except to enlighten me on the grading of haircut lengths. It seems that grade one is Yul Brynner short right up to grade eight. She gave me a seven. So now I know and can on future visits demonstrate some knowledge of the art and fashion of modern barbering.
Credit card debt rising faster in west Cornwall
Credit card debt is rising faster in west Cornwall than anywhere in the UK, figures obtained by the BBC show.
The average amount on a card has gone up from £1,147 to £1,644, a rise of £497 over the last year.
Elsewhere in the county it has risen by only £12, according to credit ratings agency Experian... more>
The average amount on a card has gone up from £1,147 to £1,644, a rise of £497 over the last year.
Elsewhere in the county it has risen by only £12, according to credit ratings agency Experian... more>
Tuesday 18 March 2008
A website for St Ives Town Council
It seems that St Ives Town Council is at last likely to get a website, several years after The St Ivean proposed the idea and resurrected it in February. In that same post, The St Ivean suggested that the Green members on the Council might bring in some changes. So it appears.
The Town Clerk, Malcolm Veal, is about to retire. The St Ivean here wishes him a happy retirement and thanks him for his many years of service to the town.
Yesterday afternoon, The St Ivean sent an email to St Ives Town Councillor Tim Andrewes (West Cornwall Green Party). asking him to obtain copies of the Council's recent budgets - the just announced charge is above the rate of inflation and the government Council Tax cap of 5%. Two hours later the budget statements were delivered by Tim to The St Ivean's door!
On the other hand, The St Ivean is still awaiting a reply to a query put to a Liberal Democrat member of the Town Council. And that was two years ago. This time, and just this time, that councillor shall remain nameless.
The Town Clerk, Malcolm Veal, is about to retire. The St Ivean here wishes him a happy retirement and thanks him for his many years of service to the town.
Yesterday afternoon, The St Ivean sent an email to St Ives Town Councillor Tim Andrewes (West Cornwall Green Party). asking him to obtain copies of the Council's recent budgets - the just announced charge is above the rate of inflation and the government Council Tax cap of 5%. Two hours later the budget statements were delivered by Tim to The St Ivean's door!
On the other hand, The St Ivean is still awaiting a reply to a query put to a Liberal Democrat member of the Town Council. And that was two years ago. This time, and just this time, that councillor shall remain nameless.
Monday 17 March 2008
Dawn still too dark
The blogger mudhook makes a considered contribution to the migrant worker debate:
Back to the ejection of the migrant workers in Penzance. Penwith council has set out its arguments in a letter to the Cornishman, a local newspaper, and the blog The St Ivean, which first challenged these events, has counter-replied.
I still don’t know clearly what happened, the sequence of events, whether this was the only way as Penwith council suggests, or whether there was a better way as The St Ivean suggests. We need more knowledge to be able to judge. Half a story, which is what we have at present, is not good enough... more
Back to the ejection of the migrant workers in Penzance. Penwith council has set out its arguments in a letter to the Cornishman, a local newspaper, and the blog The St Ivean, which first challenged these events, has counter-replied.
I still don’t know clearly what happened, the sequence of events, whether this was the only way as Penwith council suggests, or whether there was a better way as The St Ivean suggests. We need more knowledge to be able to judge. Half a story, which is what we have at present, is not good enough... more
So, where are all the progressives?
The eviction of Polish migrant workers from premises in Penzance is one of those issues that tests the mettle of progressives. It concerns matters of fundamental human rights, of decency, of concern and support for the vulnerable, and of solidarity.
For progressive politicians it throws down the gauntlet of the challenge of supporting a cause that is probably a vote loser. So it calls for some political courage.
Which brings us to Mr Andrew George MP and Mr Dick Cole.(The St Ivean will turn to the Labour and Tory parties at a later date). Mr George "believes it is his role to seek out the silent voices." Well, you can't get much more silent than a Polish migrant worker with limited English and being ejected onto the streets of Penzance.
There are three reasons why Mr George might be expected to be championing this cause. As a Liberal/radical/progressive (he has been heard to claim all three descriptions); as a member of a party that believes in the EU and the free movement of workers etc; and as a member of an oppressed minority (his view, not ours). Only two weeks ago he was calling for a Cornwall public holiday.
Which brings us dreckly to Mebyon Kernow's leader, Mr Dick Cole. MK, "is a party of principle, campaigning for a better deal for Cornwall and a fairer, more equitable World." The party exists "to fight for ALL the people of Cornwall". Whether that includes Polish migrant workers in Penzance is doubtful but, if not, surprising for a party carrying the banner of an oppressed minority (again, their view, not ours).
Although, if anyone can show The St Ivean the last time MK had anything to say remotely touching the life of the man or woman on the Penzance omnibus, they will receive as a reward a lifetime's supply of pasties (fanciful constitutional proposals not allowed, but a real bread-and-butter issue like The St Ivean's recent suggestion for discounted fares for people living in Cornwall on income support, is certainly allowed).
Of course, it's always possible that Mr George and Mr Cole have been discreetly doing their bit to represent the migrants. If so, they should share it with us. This is an issue not just for today but for a future when we can expect to have a sizeable minority of migrants living permanently amongst us.
This is an issue both men should be publicly embracing. They should state their position now. The fact that they are not so doing raises serious doubts about their progressive credentials.
For progressive politicians it throws down the gauntlet of the challenge of supporting a cause that is probably a vote loser. So it calls for some political courage.
Which brings us to Mr Andrew George MP and Mr Dick Cole.(The St Ivean will turn to the Labour and Tory parties at a later date). Mr George "believes it is his role to seek out the silent voices." Well, you can't get much more silent than a Polish migrant worker with limited English and being ejected onto the streets of Penzance.
There are three reasons why Mr George might be expected to be championing this cause. As a Liberal/radical/progressive (he has been heard to claim all three descriptions); as a member of a party that believes in the EU and the free movement of workers etc; and as a member of an oppressed minority (his view, not ours). Only two weeks ago he was calling for a Cornwall public holiday.
Which brings us dreckly to Mebyon Kernow's leader, Mr Dick Cole. MK, "is a party of principle, campaigning for a better deal for Cornwall and a fairer, more equitable World." The party exists "to fight for ALL the people of Cornwall". Whether that includes Polish migrant workers in Penzance is doubtful but, if not, surprising for a party carrying the banner of an oppressed minority (again, their view, not ours).
Although, if anyone can show The St Ivean the last time MK had anything to say remotely touching the life of the man or woman on the Penzance omnibus, they will receive as a reward a lifetime's supply of pasties (fanciful constitutional proposals not allowed, but a real bread-and-butter issue like The St Ivean's recent suggestion for discounted fares for people living in Cornwall on income support, is certainly allowed).
Of course, it's always possible that Mr George and Mr Cole have been discreetly doing their bit to represent the migrants. If so, they should share it with us. This is an issue not just for today but for a future when we can expect to have a sizeable minority of migrants living permanently amongst us.
This is an issue both men should be publicly embracing. They should state their position now. The fact that they are not so doing raises serious doubts about their progressive credentials.
Saturday 15 March 2008
Migrant workers: Mr Hampshire has made the case for an independent inquiry
Suppose you believe that the house next to yours - perhaps a B&B - is overcrowded and possibly a fire hazard. There's also been noise from the house and some refuse has been dumped outside. So you complain to Penwith District Council. A few days later you are awakened at dawn by a commotion next door and you see council and fire-brigade officers ejecting the holidaymakers with their suitcases onto the street.
Incredible? Yes, until, that is, you replace 'holidaymakers' with 'migrant workers'.
Two days ago, Penwith's Head of housing, health and community safety, Allan Hampshire, in a letter to the Cornishman, replied to The St Ivean's criticism of Operation Westport which in late January/February evicted some Polish migrant workers from premises in Penzance:
1) The letter does not now offer a defence of the appropriateness of the dawn raid to establish the number of tenants.
2) The letter's account of the advice offered to the street homeless migrants is at variance with that given by Katrina Islam, Penwith's housing advice co-ordinator; and what does 'to initiate the accommodation issues' mean in any language?
3) We are told that the property 'was clearly overcrowded under the statutory Housing Health and Safety Rating System' (HHSRS). There is a formal scoring system within HHSRS to calculate hazards. Was this a high-scoring Category 1? Where is the evidence that the Council gave proper consideration - as it should do under HHSRS - to how easy it would be to re-house the displaced occupants?
4) What were the 'substantial failures' under the Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Management Regulations? What were the 'other issues found within the premises'? Why is 'noise and refuse' now being mentioned?
5) We are told that the 'action was proportional to the risk to life' but we are not given the detail of the risk. Presumably we are not just talking about the absence of smoke alarms. Note, also, the absence here or elsewhere in Mr Hampshire's letter of any suggestion that the risk to life was imminent or immediate - the only conditions that could possibly justify peremptory eviction.
6) Why are no clear answers given to questions about Notices and enquiries prior to the raid?
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, The St Ivean has asked the Council for more information about the evictions.
Allan Hampshire tells us that MIGWAG (the Migrant Worker Action Group) first became aware of the property. One of MIGWAG's objectives is the improvement of accommodation for migrant workers. An Audit Commission report cites a case study in Kerrier where an early morning inspection led to improvements being made to the accommodation.
Mr Hampshire is of course right when he says that to place vulnerable migrant workers into unsafe accommodation is wrong. It is equally wrong to eject those same vulnerable workers onto the streets of Penzance on a winter morning. And that is fact not emotion.
We do not expect responsible public officials to use the methods associated with exploitative gangmasters and landlords - the methods Mr Hampshire calls 'robust action'.
The central point is a simple one. Whatever the conditions at a property where there are vulnerable tenants, you do not behave in the way Mr Hampshire and his team behaved.
Allan Hampshire's letter is evasive, sometimes obscure, selective in the questions it chooses to answer and disingenuous. It undermines any confidence the public might still have in the Council's ability to objectively address the real issues. It conclusively makes the case for the need for an independent inquiry.
Incredible? Yes, until, that is, you replace 'holidaymakers' with 'migrant workers'.
Two days ago, Penwith's Head of housing, health and community safety, Allan Hampshire, in a letter to the Cornishman, replied to The St Ivean's criticism of Operation Westport which in late January/February evicted some Polish migrant workers from premises in Penzance:
1) The letter does not now offer a defence of the appropriateness of the dawn raid to establish the number of tenants.
2) The letter's account of the advice offered to the street homeless migrants is at variance with that given by Katrina Islam, Penwith's housing advice co-ordinator; and what does 'to initiate the accommodation issues' mean in any language?
3) We are told that the property 'was clearly overcrowded under the statutory Housing Health and Safety Rating System' (HHSRS). There is a formal scoring system within HHSRS to calculate hazards. Was this a high-scoring Category 1? Where is the evidence that the Council gave proper consideration - as it should do under HHSRS - to how easy it would be to re-house the displaced occupants?
4) What were the 'substantial failures' under the Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Management Regulations? What were the 'other issues found within the premises'? Why is 'noise and refuse' now being mentioned?
5) We are told that the 'action was proportional to the risk to life' but we are not given the detail of the risk. Presumably we are not just talking about the absence of smoke alarms. Note, also, the absence here or elsewhere in Mr Hampshire's letter of any suggestion that the risk to life was imminent or immediate - the only conditions that could possibly justify peremptory eviction.
6) Why are no clear answers given to questions about Notices and enquiries prior to the raid?
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, The St Ivean has asked the Council for more information about the evictions.
Allan Hampshire tells us that MIGWAG (the Migrant Worker Action Group) first became aware of the property. One of MIGWAG's objectives is the improvement of accommodation for migrant workers. An Audit Commission report cites a case study in Kerrier where an early morning inspection led to improvements being made to the accommodation.
Mr Hampshire is of course right when he says that to place vulnerable migrant workers into unsafe accommodation is wrong. It is equally wrong to eject those same vulnerable workers onto the streets of Penzance on a winter morning. And that is fact not emotion.
We do not expect responsible public officials to use the methods associated with exploitative gangmasters and landlords - the methods Mr Hampshire calls 'robust action'.
The central point is a simple one. Whatever the conditions at a property where there are vulnerable tenants, you do not behave in the way Mr Hampshire and his team behaved.
Allan Hampshire's letter is evasive, sometimes obscure, selective in the questions it chooses to answer and disingenuous. It undermines any confidence the public might still have in the Council's ability to objectively address the real issues. It conclusively makes the case for the need for an independent inquiry.
'Fashionable' Penzance...
Only a decade ago Penzance was a town on the skids. “There was a real sense of social deprivation,” says Matthew Barton, the town's head of sustainable development. “Had you walked through the centre of town then you'd have found it very rowdy, with lots of shop windows kicked in.”
But that was then: this is now. The 2008 version of Penzance is not as conspicuously wealthy as, say, Salcombe or Fowey, but it is most certainly trendy - in a gritty, Notting Hill circa late-1970s, kind of way... more>
But that was then: this is now. The 2008 version of Penzance is not as conspicuously wealthy as, say, Salcombe or Fowey, but it is most certainly trendy - in a gritty, Notting Hill circa late-1970s, kind of way... more>
Cornish encyclopaedia hits the web
A regional newspaper publisher has launched a new website for lovers of all things Cornwall... more>
Called wikikernow.co.uk, it features stories and information about the southern county from both past and present.
Called wikikernow.co.uk, it features stories and information about the southern county from both past and present.
Friday 14 March 2008
Migrant workers: the full text of Penwith's reply to The St Ivean
The full text of Allan Hampshire's letter in yesterday's Cornishman replying to The St Ivean's questions about the eviction of migrant workers from premises in Penzance (post below) can be seen here (pdf).
Thursday 13 March 2008
Penwith replies to migrant worker questions
Penwith District Council has now responded to The St Ivean's questions about the eviction of Polish migrant workers in Penzance reported in the Cornishman newspaper on February 14. The St Ivean's questions also appeared in the Cornishman's letters page on February 21.
Penwith's response is a letter (and below) published in today's Cornishman from Penwith's Head of housing, health and community safety, Allan Hampshire.
'Further to the report published on February 14 and the subsequent letter published on February 21, regarding the recent closure of properties used for the accommodation of migrant workers under Operation Westport, which commenced on January 28, 2008, I write to clarify the following points: This was a joint operation between numerous agencies (the Gangmaster Licensing Authority, Devon and Cornwall Police, VOSPA, the Fire Service, Cornwall County Council, Penwith and Kerrier District Councils and Stonham Home);
Fire safety officers actually closed the properties under their Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, although Penwith District Council sought and served the Warrants to Enter the properties under the Housing Act 2004;
The property concerned was clearly overcrowded under the statutory Housing Health and Safety Rating System assessment for that hazard.
There was also a substantial failure under Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Management Regulations, made under the Housing Act 2004, for other issues found within the premises;
One of the grounds for obtaining a Warrant to Enter is that service of a notice of intent to enter negates the purpose of entry;
The Prohibition by Fire Safety was not served until later afternoon; the owner may have been requiring vacation of the property prior to this, not fire safety, who were taking the enforcement action, and certainly not Penwith District Council;
A Polish translator/support worker was on site at the time of the visits to mitigate language problems and to initiate the accommodation issues through our on-call dedicated housing advice duty officer;
Where two properties were closed under fire safety legislation as part of Operation Westport, accommodation was provided by the respective landlord for the displaced tenants;
The property came to the attention of the Migrant Worker Action Group (MIGWAG) through the same Stonham support worker doing outreach sessions in Penzance and being approached by the tenants, who were concerned at the standard of accommodation they were paying for. The council was also aware of the property through complaints of noise and refuse;
The displaced tenants sought alternative accommodation from the employment agency (who organised the lease of the property) so there was no need for housing advice intervention in this instance, despite it being offered;
Placing vulnerable migrant workers into overcrowded, unsafe accommodation and overcharging them for the privilege is perhaps treating them more like criminals than taking robust enforcement action which deals with their safety;
Only migrant workers were living inside the property at the time of entry; the alleged witness to the incident who claims to be "ashamed to be English" is a mystery in this case.
Penwith District Council supports the action of our fire safety colleagues in response to an unsafe situation; the action was proportional to the risk to life had the occupants remained in occupation.
It is unfortunate that the emotive press coverage of the subject and subsequent correspondence has diverted public attention away from the real issues, and the fundamental reason why initiatives like Operation Westport are essential.
It is unacceptable to migrant workers in West Cornwall, and the actions of the Fire Service and Penwith District Council, with other partners, were a proactive approach to improve the quality of housing, ensure landlords are aware of their responsibilities and seek to prevent the potential loss of life from overcrowded homes with little or no fire precautions.'
Mr Hampshire's letter is being studied by The St Ivean and a reply will appear here soon.
On March 1 The St Ivean asked Penwith's Chief Executive Jim McKenna questions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 about the evictions. Under the terms of the Act, the Council must respond by April 1.
Penwith's response is a letter (and below) published in today's Cornishman from Penwith's Head of housing, health and community safety, Allan Hampshire.
'Further to the report published on February 14 and the subsequent letter published on February 21, regarding the recent closure of properties used for the accommodation of migrant workers under Operation Westport, which commenced on January 28, 2008, I write to clarify the following points: This was a joint operation between numerous agencies (the Gangmaster Licensing Authority, Devon and Cornwall Police, VOSPA, the Fire Service, Cornwall County Council, Penwith and Kerrier District Councils and Stonham Home);
Fire safety officers actually closed the properties under their Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, although Penwith District Council sought and served the Warrants to Enter the properties under the Housing Act 2004;
The property concerned was clearly overcrowded under the statutory Housing Health and Safety Rating System assessment for that hazard.
There was also a substantial failure under Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Management Regulations, made under the Housing Act 2004, for other issues found within the premises;
One of the grounds for obtaining a Warrant to Enter is that service of a notice of intent to enter negates the purpose of entry;
The Prohibition by Fire Safety was not served until later afternoon; the owner may have been requiring vacation of the property prior to this, not fire safety, who were taking the enforcement action, and certainly not Penwith District Council;
A Polish translator/support worker was on site at the time of the visits to mitigate language problems and to initiate the accommodation issues through our on-call dedicated housing advice duty officer;
Where two properties were closed under fire safety legislation as part of Operation Westport, accommodation was provided by the respective landlord for the displaced tenants;
The property came to the attention of the Migrant Worker Action Group (MIGWAG) through the same Stonham support worker doing outreach sessions in Penzance and being approached by the tenants, who were concerned at the standard of accommodation they were paying for. The council was also aware of the property through complaints of noise and refuse;
The displaced tenants sought alternative accommodation from the employment agency (who organised the lease of the property) so there was no need for housing advice intervention in this instance, despite it being offered;
Placing vulnerable migrant workers into overcrowded, unsafe accommodation and overcharging them for the privilege is perhaps treating them more like criminals than taking robust enforcement action which deals with their safety;
Only migrant workers were living inside the property at the time of entry; the alleged witness to the incident who claims to be "ashamed to be English" is a mystery in this case.
Penwith District Council supports the action of our fire safety colleagues in response to an unsafe situation; the action was proportional to the risk to life had the occupants remained in occupation.
It is unfortunate that the emotive press coverage of the subject and subsequent correspondence has diverted public attention away from the real issues, and the fundamental reason why initiatives like Operation Westport are essential.
It is unacceptable to migrant workers in West Cornwall, and the actions of the Fire Service and Penwith District Council, with other partners, were a proactive approach to improve the quality of housing, ensure landlords are aware of their responsibilities and seek to prevent the potential loss of life from overcrowded homes with little or no fire precautions.'
Mr Hampshire's letter is being studied by The St Ivean and a reply will appear here soon.
On March 1 The St Ivean asked Penwith's Chief Executive Jim McKenna questions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 about the evictions. Under the terms of the Act, the Council must respond by April 1.
Wednesday 12 March 2008
St Ives Bay Line Shop sign: UPDATE
The St Ivean has received a response to our suggestion that the sign for the St Ives Bay Line Shop should be replaced.
Mr Richard Burningham, Manager, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, says:
"I certainly take your point about the shop sign at St Erth. The shop is run by Sterling Services and I will have a chat with the owner and First Great Western's station manager to see what can be done."
Mr Richard Burningham, Manager, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, says:
"I certainly take your point about the shop sign at St Erth. The shop is run by Sterling Services and I will have a chat with the owner and First Great Western's station manager to see what can be done."
Tuesday 11 March 2008
Ask Ephraim
From: 'A Local'
St Ives, Cornwall
Dear Ephraim
Is St Ives too posh?
This is a question exercising many people who dearly love our town. I recently met an acquaintance who has lived for many years in St Ives and is now leaving - to live in Honduras - exactly for that reason. "It's too posh," she says with feeling.
In the early 90's a rather eccentric guide to secondhand bookshops, drif's guide declared that, "Most of the people in St Ives are working class tourists" and that "the best view of St Ives is from the train as you leave".
This view was shared by Martin Gayford in a Spectator article in 2003. Gayford argued that a battle between the locals and the artists in the town led by Patrick Heron had been won by the latter. Locals had wanted a swimming pool; the artists wanted the Tate. (Of course, St Ives got both).
So the transformation of St Ives from a playground for working class tourists and a miasma of elderly chip-fat to one of smart restaurants began with the Tate and has continued - now we have the Bernard Leach Museum to cater for the Japanese posh.
I'm thinking of moving to Honduras.
Thank you for contacting The St Ivean.
St Ives, Cornwall
Dear Ephraim
Is St Ives too posh?
This is a question exercising many people who dearly love our town. I recently met an acquaintance who has lived for many years in St Ives and is now leaving - to live in Honduras - exactly for that reason. "It's too posh," she says with feeling.
In the early 90's a rather eccentric guide to secondhand bookshops, drif's guide declared that, "Most of the people in St Ives are working class tourists" and that "the best view of St Ives is from the train as you leave".
This view was shared by Martin Gayford in a Spectator article in 2003. Gayford argued that a battle between the locals and the artists in the town led by Patrick Heron had been won by the latter. Locals had wanted a swimming pool; the artists wanted the Tate. (Of course, St Ives got both).
Well, we know what happened in St Ives. A new Tate was built, and it more or less transformed the image and economy of the town and even the whole area of West Cornwall. When I went to the opening of the gallery in 1993, St Ives was a run-down and depressing resort. A miasma of elderly chip-fat hung over the place; fewer and fewer holidaymakers came. Now, there is a choice of smart restaurants. Numbers of visitors to the new Tate started off by exceeding expectations, and have carried on doing so. It is improbable that a local swimming pool, however useful, could have had this effect.
So the transformation of St Ives from a playground for working class tourists and a miasma of elderly chip-fat to one of smart restaurants began with the Tate and has continued - now we have the Bernard Leach Museum to cater for the Japanese posh.
I'm thinking of moving to Honduras.
Thank you for contacting The St Ivean.
Bernard Leach Pottery to become international centre of excellence
The internationally renowned Bernard Leach Pottery in St Ives, which reopened its doors to the public on March 6 following a £1.7 million transformation, is set to become an international centre of excellence celebrating the life and influence of its creator Bernard Leach... more>
Sunday 9 March 2008
Locals driven out in the hunt for rural retreats
...Last Wednesday Andrew George, MP for St Ives, met the Prime Minister to discuss the impact of second homes in his constituency, which covers west Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, an area where more than five times as many properties are being sold to second-home buyers as to first-time buyers. He wants the government to introduce a flat rate 'second home impact charge' levied as a percentage of the value of the property. The money from this would be ring-fenced for local housing... more>
Saturday 8 March 2008
St Ives Town Council Moanwatch
A recent contributor to Ask Ephraim asked what St Ives Town Council is for.
Ephraim, though nonplussed by the question, promised that The St Ivean would post occasional reports on the council's performance.
This week we can report no less than FOUR decisive thumbs down from the council:
NO to the Alfreso restaurant's plan for permission for an outside seating area.
NO to hanging shop signs.
NO to tree felling.
NO to the removal of a chimney by Coasters in St Andrews Street.
The council did reluctantly give a thumbs up to some tree thinning at Tregenna Castle.
Ephraim, though nonplussed by the question, promised that The St Ivean would post occasional reports on the council's performance.
This week we can report no less than FOUR decisive thumbs down from the council:
NO to the Alfreso restaurant's plan for permission for an outside seating area.
NO to hanging shop signs.
NO to tree felling.
NO to the removal of a chimney by Coasters in St Andrews Street.
The council did reluctantly give a thumbs up to some tree thinning at Tregenna Castle.
Friday 7 March 2008
Diary of a St Ivean
A walk this afternoon from the town to the Bernard Leach Musuem at the top of the Stennack. It's a long haul (no parking on the museum site) and few tourists will attempt it. Presumably there will be a bus service. The museum - which is well worth a visit - has been renovated at the a cost of £1.7m. I hope they've got their sums right.
*
Passing through Ludgvan earlier this week I see written in the dust on the back of a white van: Cleaned by the NHS.
*
Passing through Ludgvan earlier this week I see written in the dust on the back of a white van: Cleaned by the NHS.
St Ives pottery fires up after £1.7m restoration
The Japanese ambassador, Yoshiji Nogami, is flew to Cornwall yesterday to pay his respects to the memory of the potter Bernard Leach, now far more famous in Japan than in his native country, at a smoke-blackened fireplace in St Ives - once the meeting place of eastern and western craft traditions.
From his eccentric perch by the hearth, a plank laid over a three-legged, iron cooking pot, Leach entertained, lectured and harangued visitors from all over the world - and trained generations of British potters for more than 50 years... more>
From his eccentric perch by the hearth, a plank laid over a three-legged, iron cooking pot, Leach entertained, lectured and harangued visitors from all over the world - and trained generations of British potters for more than 50 years... more>
Wednesday 5 March 2008
St Piran's Day
St Piran's Day started as one of the many tinners' holidays observed by the tin miners of Cornwall. Other miners' holidays of a similar nature include Picrous Day and Chewidden Thursday. There is little description of specific traditions associated with this day. However, many observers noted the large consumption of alcohol and food during 'Perrantide'. The day following the St Piran's Day was known by many as 'Mazey Day', a term which has now been adopted by the revived Golowan festival in Penzance. The phrase 'drunk as a perraner' was used in 19th century Cornwall to describe people who had consumed large quantities of alcohol... more>
Monday 3 March 2008
Ask Ephraim
As seasoned followers of The St Ivean know, Ephraim appeared frequently on earlier blogs, dispensing opinion, knowledge, advice, folklore and myth for the price of a pint or two. So this fount of all wisdom has been invited back to answer any questions you care to put to him. His mailbox will soon be full - so get your questions in soon.
From: Name and Address Supplied,
St Ives, Cornwall
Dear Ephraim
What do you think of a traffic plan for St Ives?
That would be a good idea.
Thank you for contacting The St Ivean.
From: Name and Address Supplied,
St Ives, Cornwall
Dear Ephraim
What do you think of a traffic plan for St Ives?
That would be a good idea.
Thank you for contacting The St Ivean.
Saturday 1 March 2008
Diary of a St Ivean
Walking down Wharf Road early one morning this week, I see a man on the pavement near the Alba restaurant shouting across the road to a man on top of some scaffolding. He's saying something about someone being killed.
But - getting closer - I realise it's not people but deceased flies he's talking about and he's telling the man on the scaffolding a joke.
A man swats five flies and tells his companion that three were male flies and two female.
"But how did you work out what sex they are?" his companion asks.
"Easy," says the swatter. "Three were on beer cans and two were on the telephone."
But - getting closer - I realise it's not people but deceased flies he's talking about and he's telling the man on the scaffolding a joke.
A man swats five flies and tells his companion that three were male flies and two female.
"But how did you work out what sex they are?" his companion asks.
"Easy," says the swatter. "Three were on beer cans and two were on the telephone."
Plans for car park on St Ives Parish Church site mooted
Tommyknocker tales from the Cornish underground
St Ives Town Councillors are to discuss a controversial proposal to build a multi-storey car park on the site of St Ives Parish Church.
The church, which has dominated the town for hundreds of years, "is little used" according to Councillor Harry Newton.
"We need to get on with the de-pedestrianization of St Ives", he said. "Only yesterday I saw motorists being forced off the pavements in Tregenna Hill by impatient pedestrians. One day soon a car is going to get scratched."
Cllr Newton added that a multi-storey car park on the site of a razed St Ives Parish Church could become a "visitor attraction second only to the Taj Mahal or Great Wall of China."
St Ives Town Councillors are to discuss a controversial proposal to build a multi-storey car park on the site of St Ives Parish Church.
The church, which has dominated the town for hundreds of years, "is little used" according to Councillor Harry Newton.
"We need to get on with the de-pedestrianization of St Ives", he said. "Only yesterday I saw motorists being forced off the pavements in Tregenna Hill by impatient pedestrians. One day soon a car is going to get scratched."
Cllr Newton added that a multi-storey car park on the site of a razed St Ives Parish Church could become a "visitor attraction second only to the Taj Mahal or Great Wall of China."
Penwith quizzed on migrant workers
Penwith District Council's Chief Executive Jim McKenna has been asked to respond to questions from The St Ivean about the eviction last month of migrant workers from premises in Penzance. The questions were asked under the Freedom of Information Act.
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