Cornwall

Woman rescued from top of church tower in Cornwall

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The risks some people take as part of the ongoing support for our monarchy! This story tells us:

A woman has been rescued from the top of the highest church tower in Cornwall.

She became ill after climbing the tower in the village of Probus, near Truro, on Sunday afternoon, rescuers said.

The tower had been open to the public as part of celebration of the Coronation of King Charles III.

Because of the difficult location, a coastguard helicopter and cliff rescue teams were also involved, as well as an air ambulance, police and firefighters.

The tower, which dates back to the 1500s, is the tallest of any parish church in Cornwall at 126ft (38.35m), according to the parish council.

Villager Paul Bassett said the operation was an “amazing to watch”.

He told BBC Cornwall: “There were a lot of people trying to work out how to get the poor lady down. Then all of a sudden there was lots of activity and the rescue suddenly unfolded.”

Cornish farm launches project to triple UK’s temperate rainforest

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I say the nature offer of rural in these islands is not fully managed or facilitated and I’m very pleased to see another example of something good in that context in this story! Which tells us:

Tripling Britain’s temperate rainforest is the goal of a new charity founded by a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who found solace in this unique and biodiverse habitat.

The Thousand Year Trust is being launched this week by Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after three tours of Afghanistan and is now transforming his 120-hectare (300 acre) hill farm on Bodmin Moor into the largest rainforest restoration project in England and Wales.

The charity is working with local farmers, landowners and charities to identify land suitable to triple Cornwall’s estimated 1,200-1,600 hectares of surviving temperate rainforest, with the ultimate aim of tripling Britain’s surviving rainforest to 1m acres over the next 30 years.

Cornwall pub receives framed apology from Vogue magazine

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Well just to prove that rural settings are at the cutting edge of fashion this article tells how:

A village pub has received a framed apology from the publishers of one of the world’s biggest fashion magazines.

The Star Inn at Vogue pub in Cornwall had been asked to change its name by Vogue magazine’s publishers as it might “cause problems”.

Publishers Conde Nast later apologised and the pub has now received a framed version of the apology.

The parcel included a handwritten note that said: “From one Vogue to another – please accept our apologies.”

Pub landlord Mark Graham said the response to the story has been “absolutely mind-blowing”.

“It’s gone worldwide. I was speaking to the Washington Post last night, and Australian TV for their ‘Have I Got News for You’ type show over there this morning.”

The programme offered him 500 Australian dollars to donate to a charity of his choice.

“To be honest I don’t think they [Vogue Magazine] have done too badly out of this mistake either. We are all friends now.

“But we still have some ideas to poke a bit of fun at them.”

Airbnb boss: ‘Cornwall’s more popular than London’

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Airbnb is a fascinating phenomenon both driving and reflecting change. This article is an example of its power to drive rural economic trends. It tells us:

Airbnb was hit hard by Covid last spring, shedding a quarter of its workforce. Throughout 2020 it experienced booking levels lower than 2019.

But despite an unprecedented drop in international travel, people still booked accommodation for domestic holidays when local lockdowns eased. 

So property rental firms like Airbnb, whose revenues grew by 5% in the first quarter of 2021, were not as badly hit as airlines or package holiday operators.

However, its figures now reveal a big change in customer behaviour.

“Rural nights booked in the UK used to be a quarter of our bookings, they’re now half,” Mr Chesky tells the BBC. 

Cornwall is the country’s most-booked summer location in 2021, a title previously held by London.

Globally, domestic bookings went up from 50% in January 2020 to 80% in 2021, according to Airbnb’s newly released report, Travel & Living, May 2021.

Another long-term change is becoming evident, according to Mr Chesky. He believes people are increasingly using Airbnb for remote working opportunities, rather than just holidays. They crave a change of scene, perhaps, rather than just a short, sharp break from the nine-to-five.

New 150-mile Cornish cycle route to open in the autumn

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Everywhere has a cycle route now! I hope there is some detailed evaluation of the actual impact of this latest initiative planned as I think it will be really helpful to map the outcomes arising from this sort of initiative and to begin a sharing process in terms of the emerging results.

A new Cornish cycling route that takes in some of the UK’s most spectacular coastal scenery as well as atmospheric old industrial works and bronze age monuments is due to open in the autumn.

Called the West Kernow Way, the 150-mile route begins and ends in Penzance and is designed to take four days to complete.

The charity Cycling UK has been working for more than a year on developing the project, plotting a route using bridleways, byways and quiet stretches of country road.

Highlights will include Land’s End, the most westerly place in mainland England, the Lizard Point, the most southerly spot of mainland Britain, and the island castle and gardens of St Michael’s Mount.

Other attractions include the tin mine engine houses that cling to the cliffs at Botallack and the open air Minack Theatre, which perches above the Atlantic.

Cyclists will also be able to visit the extraordinary standing stones Mên-an-Tol and Carn Brea, the hilltop castle and monument.

Sophie Gordon, Cycling UK’s campaigns officer, said: “The landscape has so much to offer, from the natural beauty of Lizard Point to the wilds of the north coast, but we want to dive into the culture and history of Cornwall too.

Cornwall: Home care issues for people in rural areas

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I feel for the staff who manage the commissioning at Cornwall Council and also for the carers forced into this dysfunctional situation. It is the product of a major system failure in relation to national care policy. This story is true to a greater or lesser degree in many rural authorities. It tells us:

Some people living in rural areas are being left without home care packages because providers say they can’t recruit enough staff or afford high mileage costs.

More than 80 eligible people in Cornwall currently have no council-funded care, Cornwall Council says.

The authority says it cannot afford to pay more to providers.

Phil Hartley, owner of Hartley Home Care, provides services in Cornwall and Devon, where he says the council pays more for remote carers.

“Devon recognise the cost implications of providing rural care and they now pay a differential rate which is significant – a difference of nearly £4 an hour,” he said.

“Whereas in Cornwall there is no differential rate.”

Cornwall Council said it does not have “the scale of urban conurbations that Devon has so our contract price reflects the rural nature of Cornwall”.

The council added that it works with homecare companies to provide more than 2,800 care packages across Cornwall, and pays the Foundation Living Wage for staff, covering travel times and training.

The government says it’s giving councils more than £1 billion of ringfenced money for social care next year.

Cornwall named as venue for G7 summit of world leaders including Joe Biden

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Well done Boris – this is a fabulous shot in the arm for a signature rural county. This story tells us:

Mr Johnson said that the choice of Cornwall as location for the summit will focus the eyes of the world on the beautiful and historic region, adding that its status as a centre for green innovation made it an appropriate setting for a gathering expected to discuss climate-friendly economic growth.

Visit Cornwall has estimated the total economic impact for the county at £50m, including through an increase in future tourism.

Mr Johnson said: “As the most prominent grouping of democratic countries, the G7 has long been the catalyst for decisive international action to tackle the greatest challenges we face. 

“From cancelling developing world debt to our universal condemnation of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the world has looked to the G7 to apply our shared values and diplomatic might to create a more open and prosperous planet. 

“Coronavirus is doubtless the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced. It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future.

“Cornwall is the perfect location for such a crucial summit. Two hundred years ago Cornwall’s tin and copper mines were at the heart of the UK’s industrial revolution and this summer Cornwall will again be the nucleus of great global change and advancement. I’m very much looking forward to welcoming world leaders to this great region and country.”

Cornwall leads calls for more money for rural areas

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Interesting initiative by a long established RSN member…

A major new report has called on the Government to provide more support to rural areas which are being missed by Government policy.

Land of Opportunity – England’s Rural Periphery has been published by the New Local Government Network (NLGN).

It was written in collaboration with a group of 12 local councils, led by Cornwall Council, brought together as Britain’s Leading Edge which is aiming to highlight how the Government focus is on urban areas with rural areas being left out.

The report puts forward three key “asks” of the Government which could help improve the opportunities of rural areas, their businesses and residents.

The first is “a stronger, rebalanced national economy” which includes an industrial strategy that works for both rural and urban areas; a UK Shared Prosperity Fund that minimises regional inequalities and more devolution to rural and peripheral areas.

“Improved social cohesion and mobility” is the second area with calls for a new Rural Social Mobility Fund; employment and skills devolution to rural areas and improvements to transport infrastructure.

Lastly it calls for “21st century living and working” with a need for excellent digital connectivity in rural and peripheral areas; more innovative approaches to improving mobility in rural areas and linking them with the rest of the UK; and the establishment of a high profile 21st century rural commission.

‘Cornish embassy’ would continue to represent county in EU

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More power to Cornwall’s elbow I say on the strength of this story, which tells us:

The clock might be ticking to Brexit on 29 March, but even if Britain leaves the EU on that date, a “Cornish embassy” will continue to speak out in Brussels.

Cornwall council is tendering for a contract for the continued operations of an office in the city “to support our efforts to define our place within the new UK/EU relationship”.

About £240,000 has been put aside to support the project, which will cover what is envisaged to be a Brexit transition period.

Providing that there is a deal between the UK and the EU, and therefore a transition period, the council states on the tender contract that EU funds will continue to flow until the end of 2023 into Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIoS).

“Having a Cornwall Brussels office in place will ensure that we have a channel through which we can engage directly with EU stakeholders on funding issues during this period,” it says.

A deadline of 11 February has been set for receipt of bids to the council, which is the only local authority in England covering what qualifies under EU rules as a less developed region (LDR).

Cornwall had been receiving £80m a year in EU funding, according to the council, money that has gone into jobs, local businesses, infrastructure, training and research. It had been on course to receive about £350m for the next round of funding from the years after 2020.

Bottlenose dolphins found living off English coast in ‘incredibly exciting’ discovery

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Yet another reason why Cornwall is such a fab place!

England’s only resident population of bottlenose dolphins has been discovered by researchers.

Experts analysed thousands of sightings and photographs from the South-west of England between 2007 and 2016.

They identified 98 individual bottlenose dolphins and were able to define a distinct group of 28 that were resident throughout the year.

These dolphins were present in shallow coastal waters mainly in Cornwall – particularly St Ives Bay and Mount’s Bay – but also in Devon and Dorset.

Ruth Williams, marine conservation manager at the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, described the discovery as “incredibly exciting”.

“Further work is needed but this is a huge step forward and I am proud of what our partnership between Cornwall Wildlife Trust, scientists and boat operators has achieved,” she said.

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