The Cornish Language
Language
The native Cornish are Brythonic Celts, the same stock as the Welsh and the Bretons. Unlike those races, whose language survived, it may have been the early industrialisation of Cornwall, often with English finance, that saw their language die out. Dolly Pentreath, who died in 1777 at Paul near Penzance, is often said to have been the last person to speak Cornish. But John Davey of Boswednack, who died in 1890 and is buried in Zennor Churchyard, was speaking it - as an academic exercise - a century after Dolly died. Be that as it may, it is likely that no one had spoken it as a living language for more than a couple of hundred years until a group of nationalist Cornish academics set about re-inventing it in the twentieth century. With no spoken tradition and a paucity of literature on which to base their attempt, I suspect that this academic re-invention of Cornish might bear little relation to the (possibly somewhat anglicised) Cornish that Dolly spoke. I admire the academics' Cornish pride but I fear their efforts may prove futile. Amongst those driving the hoped-for re-introduction of the Cornish language there have been four or five schools of thought on many aspects. Indeed, it is only recently that they seem to have agreed to relate it to Welsh rather than Breton, I suspect because the former is easier. Despite all their continuing efforts, only a few hundred have a smattering of Cornish and it is said that less than 100 speak their re-invented language fluently. It will be interesting to see what progress is made in the future.
Dolly Pentreath's Memorial
John Davey Memorial Tablet
Photographs
More in Miscellanea
The Tamar Bridges
The River Tamar forms a natural barrier, and in consequence boundary, between Cornwall and England. In medieval times it was easier to sail to London than to make the journey by road. Bridges gradually got built and in 1485 New Bridge (it's still called that!) at Gunnislake provided the southernmost crossing. It was not until 1961 that the Saltash ferry, the only direct vehicle access from Plymouth, was superceded by the suspension bridge on the right of the picture. However, capable Victorian engineering had already provided a southern rail crossing. The great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, builder of the first real ocean liner, the Great Britain, completed his Royal Albert Bridge in 1859. Its height was dictated by the need for large naval vessels to pass underneath with 100 feet clearance at high tide. Its construction was revolutionary: its two massive spans were pre-fabricated, floated down the river on barges and jacked up into position. Brunel demonstrated his confidence by standing on each span end as it was jacked up. The bridge was opened by Prince Albert. Sadly Brunel died shortly after. There are two contrasting viewpoints - a high level car park on the Plymouth side and the waterfront (with pubs) on the Saltash side.
Thrussell and Thrussell - Artist Metalsmiths
I first encountered the work of the Thrussells, father and son Gary and Thomas, in 2005 when Jane and I started walking the Clay Trails, around Bugle and Wheal Martyn. At beginning of what I like to call the White River Trail -Wheal Martyn to St, Austell and, after a gap, on to Pentewan - is a small metal chimney with cleverly cut out small individual clay country features, photo below right. My next encounter, some years later was, when doing a round walk from St. Breward, I found "Arachnathrone", photo below left, on a grassy patch between the Primary School and the path to De Lank. Then Jane and I were walking on Bodmin Beacon when we discovered Thrussell benches; how pleasing to be able to rest on the work of one's favourite artist metalsmiths. Since then we have encountered their work at two pubs, the Rann Wartha in St. Austell, below, and Weatherspoons Chapel an Gansblydhen in Bodmin, and at two more primary schools, in Pensilva and Wadebridge. A favourite motif seems to be the salmon; we particularly like the one near Wenford Dries on the northernmost section of the Camel Trail. Now that I seem to be committed to seeing all the Thrussell works that we can reach in a day, I am compiling a list of those yet to see. Already I have added the Penrice Cross at Penrice Academy in St. Austell, the Archway to the Children's Playground in Carharrack - happy memories of the Redruth and Chacewater Mining Trail.and the Bandstand in Launceston. We also found an unexpected one on the slope below the Cornwall end of Tamar Bridge. If our health and fitness hold out into 2017 we hope to cross the bridge to see their work on Plymouth Hoe and on the Plym Valley Trail. The Thrussells work is not just in Cornwall and Devon; see it also in Bilston in Staffordshire and Maldon Friars in Essex.
Trevithick Day in Camborne
We would have gone to Trevithick Day in Camborne in 2005 but the steam parade had been cancelled for 'health and safety' reasons. Happily, such nonsense didn't happen in April 2006 so we went then. From early morning to late afternoon the central streets were closed to traffic. The Camborne Town Band led dancers through the town; a static steam traction engine display later trundled smokily throught the streets; in Town Square we were treated to a pipe and drum band, the Holman Climax Choir, the Praze and Hayle Male Voice Choir, a circus clown, a saxophone quartet and a samba band. We also saw a rousing steel band, fairground organs, vintage fire engines, classic cars, military vehicles and a Punch and Judy show. The parades of traction engines and their miniatures were the true highlights but our small personal highlight was sitting in Town Square, eating Rowe's excellent pasties whilst enjoying multi-instrumentalist Graham Hart playing and singing his rousing version of 'Going up Camborne Hill, coming down' - which commemorates the first trial of Trevithick's 1801 Puffing Devil road loco, which the crowd of fascinated spectators were convinced was going backwards. A great day - both for steam and Trevithick enthusiasts and for the folk of Camborne. We shall go again.