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~ Stories from Cornwall and the South West
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Australia's "Little Cornwall" cheers its roots – Kernewek Lowender 2017
Posted by Sally Bell in Uncategorized
Australia, Bewnans Kernow, Copper Coast, Copper Mining, Cornish Culture Association, Cornwall, dance, Festivals, Heritage, History, Jay Weatherill, Kadina, Kernewek Lowender, Kernow, Kernow bys vykken, Moonta, music, Revived tradition, South Australia, Wallaroo, Yorke Peninsula
Sally Bell at the Moonta Mining Heritage area
** Originally published in the Western Morning News 20/5/17 **
Kernewek Lowender in the Western Morning News, 20/5/17
Cornish Australian Sally Bell travels from her home in the South West to her childhood home Down Under for Kernewek Lowender – the world's biggest festival of Cornish culture.
The world's largest Cornish festival, Kernewek Lowender, began yesterday in Australia's "Little Cornwall" on the Copper Coast in South Australia. The festival, which is expected to draw 50,000 people over three days, has been held biennially in the towns of Moonta, Wallaroo and Kadina since 1973.
The opening day drew huge crowds in Moonta, which became a Cornish community in the 1860s after the discovery of copper. Cornish miners and their families created close-knit communities and Cornish heritage and culture is a part of everyday living in this part of South Australia's Yorke Peninsula, two hours north west of Adelaide.
Kernewek Lowender, Opening Parade at Moonta
Moonta was a sea of Cornish tartan with adults and children dressed in traditional costume. The autumn sun shone for the first event of the day, a procession through the streets of Moonta, with floats with children from local schools and representatives of local business and Cornish associations of Australia. The Grand Bard of Gorsedh Kernow, Merv Davey, who is the guest of honour, processed through the street with the group playing Cornish double-chantered bagpipes.
Pasty Bake-off with Premier Jay Weatherill, Kernewek Lowender, 2017
The most contentious event of the day was the Pasty Bake-Off, where members of the local community and the Premier of South Australia, Jay Weatherill, were challenged to make the best pasty from scratch. Judged on the quality of their pastry, how finely their veg was cut and how good their crimp was.
Maypole Dancing, Kernewek Lowender, 2017
Attention then turned to the maypole dancing with numerous May poles erected along the main street of Moonta, and children from all schools dancing proudly. The Furry dance followed, and again the children excelled themselves to the delight of the watching crowds.
Children getting into the Cornish spirit, Kernewek Lowender, 2017
The formal proceedings began with a Welcome to Country by a local school child, then there were addresses from the Festival officials. The Festival was officially opened by Premier Jay Weatherill who made mention of the recent news that the South Australian Cornish mining towns of Burra and Moonta have been added to the National Heritage List, paving the way for these areas to apply for recognition which would put them on the same level as the Cornish Mining World Heritage areas.
Premier Weatherill went on to add,
"Though many are aware of the significance of the Cornish, I'd like to see their contribution receive greater prominence. The classification of the two mines means they're connected to the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape on the World Heritage List. Also, it means that – in a general way – they enjoy a stronger sense of identity and are even more outward-looking in their orientation to the world. This new status is something that we – together – can use to further project this region to the world, and to share our unique history and culture. Very few immigrant communities have been more influential – more enterprising and full of conviction – than the "Cousin Jacks" and "Cousin Jennies" of South Australia. They're part of our State's social, political and economic "DNA". And in 2017 they continue to make this – in every way possible – a decent, buoyant and optimistic place to live."
The Grand Bard of Gorsedh Kernow, Merv Davey, who is also the guest of honour, then addressed the crowd in Kernewek and English.
Pasties for sale at Kernewek Lowender, 2017
On Friday evening there was a traditional Chapel tea with Cornish music; on Saturday the festival will bring the town of Kadina to life with more Maypole and Furry Dancing, Cousin Jack and Jenny Dress up Competition, markets and plenty of entertainment. The traditional ceremony Gathering of the Bards of Gorsedh Kernow will be held in Wallaroo in the afternoon which will see bards from across the globe come together for this unique ceremony spoken entirely in Cornish.
Local man Phil Mason dressed as a Cornish Miner, Kernewek Lowender, 2017
On Sunday there will be a traditional "Blessing of the Waters" at the Wallaroo foreshore which remembers the hardships of previous generations of Cornish families. This will be followed by a Classic cavalcade of cars and motor cycles from Moonta to Kadina and a Voices in the Ecumenical Heritage Church Service which is expected to fill the 1200 person capacity historic Moonta Mines Uniting Church.
Kernewek Lowender provides a direct economic benefit to the local community of AU$8 million and an indirect benefit of AU$30 million to tourism across the State of South Australia. It is hoped that with increased support from the local community and the State government this will be the best Festival in its proud 44-year history.
www.kernewek.org
www.southaustralia.com
(C) Sally Bell 2017
Exploring Cornish History
Cornish Culture Association, Cornwall, Cornwall Today, Festivals, Folk Music, Gorsedh Kernow, Heritage, Historical Association, History, Old Cornwall Society, Revived tradition
For this month's Cornwall Today magazine I was pleased to write about three different organisations which promote the study of Cornwall's history, traditions and culture. Many thanks to Delia Brotherton from Gorsedh Kernow, Terry Knight from the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies and Ed Groom from the Cornwall/Kernow branch of the Historical Association for their invaluable assistance.
From the earliest prehistoric and Celtic times, to today's age of tourism, Cornwall has been set apart by its geographic location, culture, traditions and language. Its rich history is distinct, readily accessible and, it seems, experiencing a new level of demand.
And while it's easy to dip in to aspects of the Duchy's history – iconic places such as St Michael's Mount for example receive thousands of visitors ever year, all of whom are keen to indulge in the magic and romance of a different time – what organisations exist for the general public to both engage with and learn more about Cornwall's history?
Cornwall recently rejoined the Historical Association (HA), a national charity that supports the teaching, learning and enjoyment of history from primary-school age upwards. The HA believes that the study of history should be accessible to all people, and with 50 branches around the UK holding over 350 events annually, this is good news for anyone interested in history of Cornwall and beyond.
The Cornish branch will be headed up by the Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies (ICS) Dr Garry Tregidga, with Bob Keys, Research Fellow of the ICS as President. I spoke with Ed Groome, the Student Representative of HA in Cornwall, about how and why the reconnection to the HA came about.
"As a third year history student at Falmouth, I jumped at the chance to become the Student Representative for the newly reformed Cornish branch", says Ed. "There are a number of reasons why the branch has reformed, the most obvious being that there has been a resurgence in the interest in Cornish history, both from inside and outside the county, thanks in no small part to the BBC series Poldark. There is also a sense of isolation in Cornwall, with people feeling very distant from the rest of the UK, and our rejoining the HA may also help mitigate that".
So what can we expect the Cornish branch of the HA to offer anyone interested in history? "The committee has a desire to ensure people in Cornwall have a platform from which they can explore their interest in history. We will be hosting regular talks and trips, which will enable members to hear about and then discuss varied topics. As well as having access to these events, paid members also gain access to all the HA's online resources, such as their publications and podcasts. Our first event, a lecture about the Russian Revolution, was a tremendous success and we hope our upcoming events will be just as popular. While this event was held at the Penryn Campus, this is not purely an organisation for students. I would recommend anyone with an interest in history to join as there is something for everyone."
The Duchy is full of rich pickings for anyone who wants to delve deeper into history and culture in Cornwall. The first port of call has traditionally been the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies (FOCS). FOCS is a registered charity and was founded in 1924 with the objective of collecting and maintaining "all those ancient things that make the spirit of Cornwall — its traditions, its old words and ways, and what remains to it of its Celtic language and nationality".
There are now 41 individual societies dotted all over Cornwall, and all are charged with the same aims: to collect, record and publish information concerning Cornwall's culture and heritage, including Cornish history, topography, place names, folklore, traditions, dialect, music, industries and similar subjects; to encourage the study and use of the Cornish language; and to support the preservation of Cornish antiquities and relics of the past.
Each society arranges its own programme, but each comprise a series of talks by invited speakers throughout the year with excursions during the summer months, including events such as the Midsummer Eve bonfire. Originally, a chain of fires would spread from one end of Cornwall to the other, each on the highest ground in the locality so that they could be seen by each other. Modern fire prevention requirements and archaeological concerns have sadly put paid to some of the events, but ageing memberships has killed off others. I can personally attest to the bonfire held at Kit Hill being both spectacular and full of pathos. And while there might not be quite so many as there used to be, when standing on top of Kit Hill on St John's Eve you can still see other bonfires lit "down the line", and the sense of connectedness that it brings is very moving.
The organisation welcomes new members and is particularly interested in involving more young people. More information about where to find your local OCS can be find on the website, www.oldcornwall.net, which also has the link to the Facebook page.
Grand Bard Dr Merv Davey of Gorsedh Kernow – image credit Gareth Parry
Finally, perhaps the most well known historical group in Cornwall – but one to which membership is invitation only – is Gorsedh Kernow (GK), the association of Cornish Bards. GK exists to maintain and give expression to the national spirit of Cornwall as a Celtic country. It also includes in its aims the promotion of the study and use of the Cornish language, history, literature, art, music, sport and related subjects, as well as the fostering of good relations with other Celtic countries.
It holds two public ceremonies each year: a proclamation ceremony in April and an Eisteddfod, known as the Esedhvos, and the GK Bardic ceremony in September, all of which this year will be held in Launceston.
Following nomination by an existing Bard, prospective new Bards are elected by the Council of GK and the honour of Bardship is awarded to people who have given exceptional service to Cornwall, or to people who qualify by a high degree of proficiency in the Cornish language and people of distinction who, in the opinion of the Council, should be received as Bards of Honour. More information can be found at www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk.
There are many other wonderful organisations that foster and encourage the study of history and culture in Cornwall, including fabulous museums and wonderful smaller community groups. I'd encourage you to support any of them however you can; they are fundamental in maintaining and preserving the iconic traditions and stories of our glorious Duchy.
www.history.org.uk
Also on Facebook – search "The Cornwall/Kernow Branch of the Historical Association".
The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies
www.oldcornwall.net
Gorsedh Kernow
www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk
© Sally Bell 2017
Originally published in Cornwall Today
www.cornwalltoday.co.uk
Seasonal Cheer in Stratton and Bude
Bewnans Kernow, Bude, carols, Christmas, Cornwall, Cornwall Today, December, Heritage, History, Kernow, Revived tradition, Stratton, Truro Cathedral
Having lived in the South West for over ten years, until recently – and to my shame – I had never been to Bude. But when I interviewed Alex Langstone from Cornwall Folklore recently (CT October, 2016) he mentioned that the towns of Stratton and Bude have a lovely tradition of carol singing, with carols that are peculiar to the area, and so it was time to right my wrong and head to the most north-easterly part of the Duchy.
While the seaside town of Bude may be the better known of the two, Stratton, which sits inland by a couple of miles, was originally the main town of the area. That is until the railway came, and tourism took over, and Bude became the star in the constellation of towns that make up the northern-most part of Cornwall.
Apart from its spectacular beaches, sea pool and canal, Bude's greatest treasure is an interesting piece of early Victorian architecture known as The Castle". Formerly the home of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, a fêted but now somewhat forgotten engineer and inventor, it now houses an excellent Heritage Centre, complete with galleries, shop and café which all enjoy spectacular views of the sand dunes, town and beaches beyond.
I arranged to meet Janine King, Heritage Development Officer, to find out more about the two towns and the intriguingly named Sir Goldsworthy. Janine was a helpful and enthusiastic guide and having been brought up in the area, she was able to give a "local's" viewpoint on the history of the towns and the forces that had shaped them. It quickly became obvious that there is more to Bude and Stratton than initially meets the eye.
The well constructed and visually engaging displays range from insights into local shipwrecks, battles and wars, the geology of the area and finally Sir Goldsworthy Gurney himself. There is a depiction of "Sir Bevil Grenvile's Regiment of the Sealed Knot" by artist Robert Lenkeiwicz, and I was delighted to see references to the Bude Surf Life Saving Club (the first surf life-saving club in Cornwall), which was started with the assistance of Aussie lifeguards. A mechanical display shows how in Victorian times, canal boats were winched up a hill to get to higher ground in order to collect goods, then winched down again to get the goods back to the canal at sea level. It's a worthy illustration of fabulous ingenuity and an important nod to Bude and Stratton's industrial past.
Regular readers of this column will note that I occasionally take the liberty of slipping a personal connection into my writing. My closest school friend when I was growing up in Melbourne, Australia was Katherine Gurney, who comes from a family of architects and designers, and so it was with great delight that I discovered that The Castle was built by and home to another Gurney – Sir Goldsworthy. Gurney is often referred to as Cornwall's "forgotten genius" and when looking at the displays about his life it's easy to see why.
Born near Padstow, Goldsworthy Gurney was an engineer, inventor, surgeon, chemist, lecturer, architect, pianist and scientist of the Victorian era. Inspired by Richard Trevithick, he dreamed up many ingenious innovations, including a series of early steam-powered road vehicles. His was a story of boom and bust, yet with the application of classic Cornish can-do attitude, he recovered from bankruptcy to create a novel form of illumination, the Bude light, examples of which can still be seen in Trafalgar Square and Pall Mall today. He lit the Houses of Parliament in London, and one of the fascinating displays in the Heritage Centre is a set of keys to the Palace of Westminster, gifted to Gurney. He famously claimed that he could light the whole of The Castle with just one of his lights and many mirrors. Gurney invented "limelight", the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe, the steam jet, and laid claim to the blastpipe, a key component in the success of steam engines. He also built huge Gurney stoves, which were used to heat enormous areas such as cathedrals, an example of which is in The Castle. The Castle itself is also one of his inventions. Legend has it that Gurney was challenged to build his new house in Bude on sand, with the challengers believing it couldn't be done. Gurney's response was "Wait and see." That was in 1830, and anyone visiting The Castle today will readily see that Gurney has had the last laugh.
If you haven't been, I strongly encourage you to visit The Castle and learn a little about the rich and varied heritage of Bude and Stratton. And there's no better time to visit than Christmas – a Christmas market will be held at the Castle on Sunday 4 December, and there are lots of other events taking place during the festive season including the Christmas Day Swim.
And speaking of Christmas, what about those special Stratton carols that I mentioned earlier? The Old Cornwall Society hosts the "Stratton Hundred Carols" each year. It recalls the traditional carols of the area known as the Stratton Hundred and is an event close the hearts of many local people. This year, the event will be held on Monday 28 November at 7:30 pm at the Parkhouse Centre, Bude. Carols from the local area will be sung along with better known Cornish carols such as "Hark The Glad Sound". All are welcome to bring their voices to this great celebration of the season and the music of the area, and more information can be found on the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies website (see below). The programme will then be repeated at Truro Cathedral on Monday 19th December at 6 pm and I'm very much looking forward to being in the audience.
And so, at this very poignant time of the year, I'd like to take the opportunity to wish you all Nadelik Lowen ha Blydhen Nowydh Da – Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
The Castle, Bude
www.thecastlebude.org.uk
Visit Bude
www.visitbude.info
Federation of Old Cornwall Societies
The Redruth Wassail
Bewnans Kernow, Cornish Culture Association, Cornwall, Cornwall Today, Festivals, Guizing, Heritage, History, Kernow bys vykken, Krowji, music, Redruth, Revived tradition, Singing, The Melting Pot Cafe, Wassail
Cornwall Today – November 2016
I'm sitting in one of Redruth's hidden gems, the Melting Pot Café at Krowji, Cornwall's creative hub in the up cycled former Redruth Grammar School. Redruth sits in the centre of the Cornish Mining World Heritage site, and Krowji, in its former industrial heartland, is Cornwall's largest creative hub.
The café is warm, colourful and bohemian with mysterious corners and book-lined alcoves begging to be explored. I'm here to meet Mike Chappell, Town councillor and passionate Redruth local, to chat about the revival of both the Redruth Wassail and the town's flourishing community spirit.
Mike is a native of Redruth and spent 30 years in the police force before returning home. "I was born in this town, as were generations of my family on my mother's side, and I felt a real call to come back here to retire."
Councillor Mike Chappell at the Melting Pot Cafe, Krowji
But "retirement" didn't last long; before he knew it he was busy with offers to get involved in various community organisations. He began a new career as a writer and poet, and buoyed by publication of his work and being accepted into Cornwall's vibrant poetry scene he quickly became hooked.
Social media has proved to be a useful asset to this new vocation. Mike now runs six Facebook pages with nearly 20,000 followers, including "The Cornish Are A Nation", and the "International Cornish Association" page, responsible for connecting sons and daughters of Cornwall to stories and events of interest both locally and nationally.
"I'm in daily contact with Cornish people from around the world. And when they come back to Cornwall, I look after them."
And his interests also include politics. "I'm quite a political animal, I was part of the campaign group that saw Cornish people recognised by the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in 2014. I'm a prolific letter writer as well and I'm not afraid to tackle politicians. I've been a Town councillor for a few years now, and I love it. I'm not aligned with a political party and that's how I like it – I see myself as being in the 'Redruth party' because that's who I stand for".
So what is it that Mike loves about his town? "Redruth has been through really hard times. As a young boy in the '60s I remember it as a thriving town, it was still on the back of mining and mining engineering – at one time it had been the wealthiest area in the world. But I think the one thing Redruth has got, and it's been something I've been very proud to tap into, is a very strong sense of community. And that's more important than pounds in your pocket. I still know of people here that leave their keys in their car and their doors unlocked. And to say that in the 21st century is incredible. Of course you do get crime, I'm on the local Police liaison group, but we are lucky that our crime rate here is incredibly low, and I'm proud of that and I'm proud of the people in this town.
What is it about Redruth that give it this sense of community? "It's difficult to put your finger on it, but I think it's just how Cornish people are, we're incredibly outward looking and we think about other people. Cornish people have a way of connecting to each other – at home and abroad – in a very strong way. I was once in Dallas, Texas and struck up a conversation with a businessman whose great-great grandfather was Mayor of Truro. We sat and chatted to each other for two hours and you'd think we'd known each other all our lives, and it's an incredible thing. We are the indigenous people of this land and we are all connected."
I absolutely agree with this, I personally have had so many similar "co-incidental" experiences, from striking up conversations with strangers to then find we both have Cornish ancestry or the discovery that the majority of my dearest, closest friends – here in the UK and in Australia – have Cornish ancestry. There is a sense that we are bound by something and that we recognise that in each other. I can't quantify it but it's a feeling so strong for me that I also can't deny it.
The Redruth Wassail Parade, 2015
And while the sense of Cornish identity appears to be strengthening in the face of funding cuts to the Cornish language, more talk of what devolution might mean and the looming threats of "Devonwall", it's still community events that are at the heart of bringing people in the Duchy together.
In 2015 Mike was instrumental in the revival of the Redruth Wassail, a custom originally embedded in the Christmas guizing traditions of the area. In a similar fashion to the Bodmin Wassail (CT January 2016), Wassailers would go from house to house, singing and carrying a bowl full of specially concocted spiced ale, offering it to the householder or landlord as they went. The Wassailers would then receive a reward of some form of refreshment and continue on their way.
Simon Reed from the Cornish Culture Association wrote a book on Wassailing several years ago and came across the Redruth tradition. He approached the Town Council to revive the event which they agreed to, with the help of Mike Chappell. The revived Wassail is based on Simon's research and includes the performance of the Redruth Wassail song.
The Redruth Wassail Bowl
Simon says "The 2015 Wassail was one of the most successful events I've ever been involved with. It's beautiful in its simplicity and is getting bigger this year thanks to the work of CCA trustees Pol Jenkin and Jo Kennedy. It will include a Cornish celebration this year at the Miner's Arms and everyone is invited. I am so delighted that we can support the community of Redruth and bring this very special tradition to its people".
This year's event will be held on Saturday 26th November and will start at the Regal Cinema at 5:30pm with stops thereafter. It will be led by a procession of musicians and singers who stop at several places in the town, including under the town clock where the bowl is presented to the Mayor of Redruth. The bowl was commissioned and decorated by Pol Jenkin and the custom is now set to occur on the last Saturday of November every year. Dress will be mock formal with seasonal greenery and all are welcome to this wonderful celebration of one of Cornwall's proudest towns.
The Redruth Wassail Song
The Mistress and Master our wassail begin,
Pray open the door and let us come in.
Chorus: With our wassail, wassail, wassail, wassail;
And joy come to our jolly wassail
The Mistress and Master sitting down by the fire,
While we poor wassailers are travelling in the mire.
The Mistress and Master sitting down at their ease,
Put their hands in their pockets and give what they please.
I hope that your apple trees will prosper and bear,
That we may have cyder when we call next year.
And where you've one hogshead I hope you'll have ten.
So what we may have cyder when we call again.
I hope that your barley will prosper and grow,
So that you may have some and enough to bestow.
Now we poor wassail boys growing weary and cold,
Drop a small bit of silver into our bowl.
I wish you a blessing and a long time to live,
Since you've been so free and willing to give.
Krowji
www.krowji.org.uk
The Melting Pot Café
www.themeltingpotcafe.co.uk
Visit Redruth
www.visitredruth.co.uk
Cornish Culture Association
www.cornishculture.co.uk
On the trail of the Duke of Restormel in Lostwithiel
Cornwall, Cornwall Today, Duke of Restormel, English Heritage, Guided walks, Heritage, History, John Pegg, Lostwithiel, Lostwithiel Museum, Restormel Castle, Revived tradition, Tours
John Pegg
Something I've realized since I started writing this column is that the place where a story ends is often very different to what you imagine it might be at the beginning. And so it was on a cold, bright winter's morning when I drove into the lovely town of Lostwithiel on the trail of an ancient Cornish custom.
Lostwithiel sits on the banks of the River Fowey and to anyone driving through on the A390 may initially seem unremarkable. But turn down the main street and a charming town dating back to the 12th century opens up, full of independent shops, restaurants, great pubs and the notable parish church of St Bartholomew. It was at one time the capital of Cornwall and is overlooked by the impressive Norman Restormel Castle.
Years ago when I lived in Sydney, I picked up an old Tor Mark Press booklet on "Cornish Customs and Superstitions" at the Paddington Market. The booklet was full of stories collected and collated in the nineteenth century by the historian, Robert Hunt, and one of them was the tale of the annual re-enactment of the arrival of "The Duke of Restormel" to Lostwithiel. It was of particular interest to me as ten years ago, I moved from Sydney to Lostwithiel and lived there for a few years, yet I'd only ever heard about this tradition via Hunt, who wrote:
"A very singular custom formerly prevailed at Lostwithiel, on Easter Sunday. The freeholders of the town and manor having assembled together, either in person or by their deputies, one among them, each in his turn, gaily attired and gallantly mounted, with a sceptre in his hand, and a crown on his head, and a sword borne before him, and respectfully attended by the rest on horseback, rode through the principal street in solemn state to the church. At the churchyard stile, the curate, or other minister, approached to meet him in reverential pomp, and then conducted him to church to hear divine service. On leaving the church, he repaired, with the same pomp and retinue, to a house previously prepared for his reception. Here a feast, suited to the dignity he had assumed, awaited him and his suite; and, being placed at the head of the table, he was served, kneeling, with all the rites and ceremonies that a real prince might expect. This ceremony ended with the dinner; the "prince" being voluntarily disrobed, and descending from his momentary exaltation, to mix with common mortals. On the origin of this custom but one opinion can be reasonably entertained, though it may be difficult to trace the precise period of its commencement. It seems to have originated in the actual appearance of the prince, who resided at Restormel Castle in former ages; but, on the removal of royalty, this mimic grandeur stepped forth as its shadowy representative, and continued for many generations as a memorial to posterity of the princely magnificence with which Lostwithiel had formerly been honoured. This custom is now almost forgotten, and Lostwithiel has little to disturb its quiet."
So, it appears that short sentences weren't Hunt's thing, but he's also wrong on two counts; after further inquiry it seems that this tradition actually took place on "low Sunday" (translation = the Sunday after Easter Sunday) and secondly, these days Lostwithiel is alive with community spirit and activity. Pleasant and easy-going maybe, but not quiet.
I there to interview John Pegg, a local man who a mutual friend said might be able to help with my inquiry, and met with him in his delightful cottage in the centre of town. John Betjeman reputedly said, "There is history in every stone in Lostwithiel" and the short walk to John's home quickly proved this right. As it turns out, walks around town are what John Pegg is renowned for, or more particularly, historical walks in Lostwithiel. John is part of the team that leads tours of the town during the summer season and consequently has become a repository of wisdom relating to all things pertaining to the town. A former town Mayor, he's taken great delight in both educating others about "Cornwall's hidden treasure" but has also learned a great deal during the years he's taken the walks. I started by asking him what got him interested in history and tradition. "My family moved here from Plymouth over 30 years ago and I gradually got involved with various things in the town. When we had the 800th anniversary of Lostwithiel in 1989 they were desperate for people to participate in an historical re-enactment. I've done some am-dram and thought, "I could do that!" It was an amazing event, and it got me involved with the activities of the town. I've stuck my toe in lots of places over the years, and I ended up doing the heritage walks around the town". In addition to his role as Mayor, some of those "other" things have been Secretary of the Lostwithiel Garden Society, Licensee of the Church Rooms, Treasurer of Lost in Play, which raises funds to provide play equipment in the town, and a long-standing involvement in the renowned Christmas Pageant.
So what appealed to him about the historical walks? "I enjoy it. It took me ages to learn all of the information – I already knew quite a lot but I had to learn more – and when you do it, it's more like a performance. But I also learn a great deal from the people who I take on the walks. There have been times that I've not known about something and one of the people I'm taking around will tell me about it, and so the knowledge just builds. We get a lot of Australians coming and they are amazing because they have that connectivity, there will always find something that links Cornwall to Australia." Being an Aussie of Cornish descent myself, this was lovely to hear, and I know there are lots of other Cousin Jacks and Jennies internationally who'd agree.
I mention that I've found having a very strong interest in Cornwall but not having been born in Cornwall has given me the ability to see things in a different way, and the sense of objectivity really helps when you're trying to relay information to an audience. John agrees. "One of Lostwithiel's secrets is that it's very cosmopolitan. There are a lot of outsiders who bring new flavours and new enthusiasm and it reinvigorates everything. It's been a huge advantage. We have a cinema club, Lost In Film, and it's a great evening out even without the film. It's so well patronised and we've been so lucky to have people like Mat Connolley and Kat Smith, who run the group, move to Lostwithiel because they bring others with them who are also enthusiastic, but also they build into the organisation a legacy so that if they stopped doing it tomorrow, there's other people who could pick it up."
At this point I have to declare an interest as I was one of the founding members of Lost In Film, and that's what we hoped to bring to the town, that sense of something different from somewhere different, while still maintaining what's precious about the town. "Absolutely," says John, and one of the other things I've been involved with in the last few years is Lost In Play, and we've managed to raise a staggering £87,000 last year for the town's play equipment. People like Siobhan Yates and her friends are just amazing; once you get in their slipstream anything is possible. Then there's the choir, Lost In Song, which is run by Emma Mansfield, and very few people in the town know who all these people are because they just get on and do it. There's no sense of ego, you just get on and do it for the good of the community. It's enjoyable and self-perpetuating and it brings life to an incredibly old town."
So how does John think Lostwithiel is now translating that sense of history to its very diverse community? "In spite of all the wonderful community organisations we have in Lostwithiel, we do predominantly have an older demographic and we desperately need more young people to get involved in community life. Our younger people are so busy with work and family lives, but also, people get put off by concerns such as health and safety. I'm a great believer in getting on with the job and finding a way. We rely very strongly on organisations such as Rotary – the local club basically runs our Carnival week in summer and we really need their can-do attitude. I used to be very involved with the Christmas Pageant but I'm trying to pull back a bit now – my daughter Jenna is now getting involved, and she's Lostwithiel to the core, so that's what we need really – the next generation to come on board."
So at the end of our thoroughly enjoyable conversation I remember to ask the question I initially came for – could John shed any light on the "Duke of Restormel" re-enactment? "There's a reference to a 'Mayor for the Day' tradition in Barbara Fraser's book on Lostwithiel, but there's not a single reference to any re-enactment of the Duke coming into the town, even in our Museum. It would be quite good fun to revive it, but we are left with the perennial question – who would do it?"
So get going, people of Lostwithiel, you have a tradition to revive and add to your already impressive collection of events. Maybe the current Duke of Cornwall might even offer his services? Just make sure you can find someone to take care of the health and safety…
Restormel Castle
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/restormel-castle/
Reopens on 25 March, 2016
Lostwithiel Town website
www.lostwithiel.org.uk
Lostwithiel Museum and guided historical walks
www.lostwithielmuseum.org
The guided walks in Lostwithiel take place every Wednesday at 2:00pm from 30 March – 26 October. Meet at the Lostwithiel Community Centre and Town Information Centre, Liddicoat Road, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0HE.
Cost is £3.50 per adult, children with adults go free, funds raised support the Lostwithiel Museum (Registered Charity No. 0192141). Allow 1- 2 hours. Group bookings at other times also available, for more details contact Kitty Chanter-Menendez on 01208 873341.
http://www.cornwalltoday.co.uk
Preserving our heritage – the Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network (CASPN)
Australia, BBC Spotlight, Bewnans Kernow, CASPN, Cheryl Straffon, Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network, Cornish Association of Victoria, Cornwall, Cornwall Archaeological Society, Cornwall Community Fund, Cornwall Today, Eden Project, Effervescent Social Alchemy, English Heritage, Festivals, Fisherman's Friends, Gool Peran Lowen, Heritage Lottery Fund, Kernow bys vykken, National Trust, Pasties, Penwith Landscape Partnership, Plymouth, Radiant Gallery, Revived tradition, Shout Kernow, Singing, St Austell Brewery, St Piran's Day, The Cold Truth, Trelawney Shout, World Pasty Championships
Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network – Chynhalls Point clear-up
It's been a massively busy year so far and I'm afraid I'm behind on posting my monthly articles from Cornwall Today here on my blog. The first couple of months of 2016 were exciting and chaotic as I prepared the media launch for a show that I was part of in my "other" job as Communications Lead for the arts organisation, Effervescent. It's called The Cold Truth, and it's a groundbreaking work curated and created by a group of young people who have lived experience of child sexual exploitation, and it's on at Radiant Gallery in Plymouth until 29 April, 2016, do go and see it if you can.
Just after that, I flew to Australia for two weeks to celebrate my Mum's 70th birthday and visit family and friends. It was a family affair – my husband, our eldest daughter Daisy and our 5-year-old twins, Freddie and Clemmie – and no mean feat – but we're very glad we made the effort! I was especially pleased to have the opportunity to attend the monthly meeting of the Cornish Association of Victoria – which was down to luck rather than good planning on my behalf! I had the opportunity to address the group about what I do in Cornwall and some of what's happening in the Duchy and also to meet some of the delightful members of the group. Thank you to everyone for the warm reception and more about this later. Upon our return, the transition from 41 degrees in Melbourne to 3 degrees in the South West was a bit of a shock to the system but we hit the ground running and we're now looking forward to Spring showing its face very soon.
But back to the business of the day – Gool Peran Lowen! It's St Piran's Day today, and as a special treat for the Cornish National Day I'm posting two of my articles from Cornwall Today today! I'm really looking forward to the celebrations today – I'll be at the Eden Project with my family where we'll be enjoying the World Pasty Championships and catching up with our mates the incomparable Fisherman's Friends. It was great to see them on our local news, BBC Spotlight last night and we're also looking forward to hearing how this year's Trelawny Shout goes. As the memory of the hangover I had from the last one is still quite painful, I think I'll lay low tonight but if you can get to one of the pubs that it's being held at (there are many, here's a list), do try – it's great fun and raises really important funds for the Cornwall Community Fund.
But I digress… here's my February column, which I wrote about the work of the Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network, an organisation I'm proud to represent as Voluntary Publicity Officer. CASPN does incredible work protecting and maintaining precious sites in the Duchy; if you feel you'd like to support it you can join it's support group FOCAS for a very reasonable sum and keep this important work going. And don't forget you can sign up now for CASPN's "Pathways to the Past" weekend which happens at the end of May, 2016.
Happy St Piran's Day to all – wherever you may be – and Kernow bys vykken!
Cornwall Today – February 2016
The word "unique" is frequently overused when it comes to describing landscapes, but when it comes to West Cornwall, the description is not only warranted but also very apt.
This granite land with its rugged coastline, spectacular moorland, industrial heritage and ancient sites is much loved and much-visited, but both the wildness of the landscape and its popularity present significant challenges when it comes to the maintenance and preservation of the area.
Cornwall has one of the most intensive prehistoric landscapes in Britain and the far west peninsula of Penwith has the highest concentration of ancient sites in the whole of Western Europe – there are several thousand in total.
While Historic England is the body responsible for individual ancient sites, and landowners have responsibility for maintaining access pathways to the sites, maintaining the sites as a coherent whole doesn't fall under any statutory body or individual's responsibility.
It was for this reason that in 1997 a group of passionate local people came together from a wide range of organizations with a shared concern for the protection of ancient sites. There had been some disturbing incidents including the attempted theft of one of the Merry Maidens stones and arson attacks on the iconic Men-an-Tol and Lanyon Quoit. But there were wider concerns about the ongoing maintenance and conservation of and access to the sites.
CASPN Clear up at Tregeseal Circle
And so the Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network – conveniently shortened to CASPN – was established and formed as a Registered Charitable Trust in 2000 and it has been protecting, preserving and promoting the cause of ancient sites in the Duchy ever since. CASPN's board includes representatives from both mainstream organizations such as the National Trust, Cornwall Council's Historic Environment Service, Cornwall Archaeological Society and English Heritage and also user groups such as the Madron Community Forum and the local Pagan Moot.
CASPN Clear-up – Madron Well clouties
Their aim is to educate the wider community about the local historic environment whilst encouraging the responsible use of the sites, as well as bringing people together to care for the sites with a shared sense of place and identity.
But with ever-increasing public sector and funding cuts and a decreasing volunteer pool to draw upon, CASPN has a massive challenge ahead.
CASPN is chaired by Cheryl Straffon, a Cornishwoman, writer, tour guide and magazine editor. She explains, "CASPN came into being to fill the gap between statutory bodies and landowners, but as a Charitable Trust, we have very few resources at our disposal. I think we punch quite a lot above our weight in terms of the resources we do have but we don't have any regular or basic income and we're not in receipt of any regular grant money. So we're doing what we're doing on a complete shoestring."
CASPN organizes regular site clear-ups in which volunteers, co-ordinated by the Maintenance Co-ordinator, Dave Munday, make their way through gorse and brambles armed with gardening gloves, secateurs and strimmers to maintain ancient sites so that members of the public can safely and responsibly access them. They've also revived traditions, such as the Fenton Bebibell "dolly dunking" where generations ago, children would take their dolls to a well on Good Friday to enact a kind of dolly baptism. These days it's preceded by a clear up of the area and followed by a feast of hot cross buns, but it's another example of how CASPN is doing its best to not only look after these places but also involve the community.
CASPN Clear-up – Mulfra settlement
But the challenges of working in the charitable sector are huge, and finding new people who are able to help out is a constant battle. Dave Munday has been forced to retire from his position after ten years due to ill health, and CASPN is yet to find a replacement.
Cheryl says, "I was recently at the Volunteer Cornwall ceremony with Dave – he'd been highly commended for an environmental award. It was quite staggering to see how many sectors are now being run by local volunteers. There is a huge demand for voluntary work in our society and that's one of the challenges for CASPN. Another challenge is always to maintain the things you want to do with people who are willing to make a big commitment. A lot of people will make a small commitment and that's great but for something like CASPN to function to its full effect needs a big commitment from a lot of people. None of us is getting any younger and if the people on the CASPN board eventually retire or can't go on any more – and David's a good example – then you're always on a knife-edge with it. My big fear for the future of CASPN is that there just won't be the people there to maintain it in the future. It could very quickly move from being a successful effective, respected and fully functioning organization to one that simply can't function any longer.
CASPN is supported by a membership organization "Friends of Cornwall's Ancient Sites" (FOCAS) which anyone can join for the cost of a tenner a year. FOCAS members enjoy regular newsletters and free entry to the Pathways to the Past programme of guided walks and informative talks held in West Cornwall every May. But with membership numbers around 100, more help is needed. So what can you do?
"We're very grateful for FOCAS because it provides our only income," says Cheryl. "But most of the money from membership goes on paying every day running costs such as insurance. But without it we wouldn't be able to do what we do. The people who become members do it not because of the newsletters or Pathways to the Past, they do it because they want to help us and that's fantastic. They're putting their money where their beliefs are." And that's what CASPN could do with more of. There's strong interest – Facebook likes for the CASPN page number over 2,000, but those likes need to be translated into FOCAS membership and voluntary support.
But there has been some good news recently. It was announced late in 2015 that the Penwith Landscape Partnership bid for Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) money had been successful to the tune of £2.7million. CASPN is a lead partner with the Ancient Sites strand of this bid, and the award now means that CASPN may have the opportunity to do many of the things it's wanted to do for years.
"What we've done up till now has really been reactive. We've tried to protect sites when they were under threat, we've tried to keep an eye on the state of the sites – we have very much a hands-on practical approach so if something happens we move in," says Cheryl. "The HLF award will put us into a different league where we can become more proactive rather than reactive. It's incredibly exciting. We can start to manifest our vision for a complete network of interconnections between the ancient sites, between the access to the sites and the visitors who visit them. It's a delicate dividing line – we don't want to over-promote these places so they just become another site on a tourist trail, but it would be really great to join up all the dots and create a coherent vision around promoting and presenting the sites so that they are good visitor experience."
CASPN volunteers – Three Brothers clear-up
But there's still a gap between now and when the Penwith Landscape Partnership puts the HLF money into practice in 2018. So if you're at a loose end and you'd like to do something positive for the landscape of West Cornwall, join FOCAS, or better still, dig out your gardening gloves, have a look at the CASPN website and help out at one of their events, your efforts will be hugely appreciated and you might just enjoy yourself too.
The Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network
www.cornishancientsites.com
Originally published in Cornwall Today www.cornwalltoday.co.uk
With thanks to the CASPN for the use of images.
Wassail
2016, Bodmin, Bodmin Wassail, cider, Cornish Orchards, Cornwall, Cornwall Today, Festivals, Folk Music, Heritage, January, Kernow, Lostwithiel, music, Performance, Pub singing, Pubs, Redruth, Revived tradition, Shout Kernow, Singing, Twelfth Night, Wassail
Wassailing, Cornwall Today, January 2016
For the uninitiated, the notion of Wassailing might conjure up images of pagan revelry and mystical customs. And with the word itself having Nordic roots – the old Norse "ves heil" and old English "was hál" mean "be you healthy", some people believe that it doesn't have a place in Cornish culture. But in Cornish, it's known as "Wassel" and has been practiced in Bodmin and other parts of Cornwall for centuries. And there are groups of very enthusiastic Wassailers who'll tell you why it's a really important – and very Cornish – custom.
My first encounter with Wassailing was many years ago on a December evening in the Globe at Lostwithiel. I was treated to my first experience of pub singing in Cornwall, a worthy and highly enjoyable living tradition much feted in towns and villages across the Duchy and the subject of Hilary Coleman and Sally Burley's recent book, "Shout Kernow". On this particular occasion we had in our company a local male voice choir (who, in order to protect their reputations, shall remain nameless), and they delighted us with a very lusty performance of the Bodmin Wassail song, possibly enhanced by the numerous pints of excellent Cornish ale they'd downed beforehand.
There are in fact at least three official Cornish Wassail songs and the tradition can be practiced in two ways depending on whether you're in a town or the countryside. The "town" Wassailing is a form of caroling where a group of "Wassailers" visits from house to house with a large Wassail bowl, singing carols and collecting various alcoholic (or monetary) contributions to the bowl. The countryside or "orchard" Wassail refers to the ancient custom of going out into the dormant apple orchards with lights and anything that makes a loud noise in order to scare off the evil spirits and ensure a good harvest of fruit that year. It's also customary to choose one special apple tree to symbolize all the others and to treat it to a little libation of apple juice or cider while saying a prayer or incantation to further encourage the orchard to deliver a bounty of apples.
Wassailing usually takes place on or around Twelfth Night, but last November the Redruth Wassail was resurrected by the Cornish Culture Association after an absence of generations as part of the Redruth Christmas Festival, and at Cotehele House they hold an orchard Wassail every December.
The Bodmin Wassailers, 2014
But in Bodmin, according to town records, Wassailing has been a part of the town's life since 1624. Each year on 6th January (or the 5th, if the 6th falls on a Sunday), a group of men known as the Bodmin Wassailers make their way around the town singing Wassail songs to the locals. They dress in top hat and tails, smart outfits comprised of "gentlemen's hand-me-downs" – clothes acquired from the local gentry and passed down from one Wassailer to another over the decades. They begin by wassailing the Mayor in the Shire Hall at 12 noon, and then across the afternoon visit private houses, and the main street of Bodmin, several pubs then finishing late in the evening at the Hole In the Wall pub.
The Bodmin Wassailers in the 1940s
The songs are full of poignant memories of another time but are kept alive by the practice. Years ago, one of the Bodmin Wassailers, Charlie Wilson, suddenly sang a little Wassail song, saying he had learnt it in St Columb Boys' Home in 1910. It is possible that it was the original St Columb Wassail song. Two years after he shared it, he died. Peter Marlow, who has sung with the Wassailers for over forty years and is joined in the Wassailing by his son Will, now proudly sings this song. Peter shared with me how it feels to go out into the streets of Bodmin on Twelfth Night. "It's just incredible, the adrenaline runs so high – and you've got to bear in mind that we're stepping out in the footsteps of Bodmin men over hundreds of years. It's a great honour". Peter can also testify to how welcome a small glass of whisky is after nearly ten hours of Wassailing, and the Bodmin Wassailers look forward to serenading members of the community on 6th January, 2016. There's also an altruistic aspect to this celebration – any monetary – as opposed to alcohol – collections taken will be donated to Cornish charities.
Bodmin Wassail at the Hole in the Wall
Fifteen years ago, Andy Atkinson, a dairy farmer from South East Cornwall, foresaw the decline of the dairy industry and decided to sell his herd in favour of setting up an apple juice and cider business. This became Cornish Orchards, still situated on the Westnorth Manor Farm in Duloe. One of Andy's most inspired decisions was to create a spiced cider, which he called "Wassail". It's a brew of cider, apple juice and an infusion of fresh oranges and spices, and served warm it's as delicious as it sounds.
Cornish Orchards Wassail Mulled Cider
Andy said "Our Wassail Mulled Cider is a firm favourite at this time of year. Our cider makers here at the farm take great enjoyment and pride in blending newly pressed apple juice with aromatic spices and cider, using traditional techniques." I can attest from significant experience that the Cornish Orchards Wassail is worth a try; if you're in a hurry, you can gently warm it in a sneaky mug in the microwave (1 minute is plenty, don't want to evaporate too much of the alcohol!) or if you're having guests (or just still feeling festive), warm it in a saucepan on the hob and serve it in a red wine glass. Perfect with a leftover mince pie and a dollop of Cornish clotted cream.
Of course at Cornwall Today we advocate the responsible serving of alcohol, and other excellent mulled ciders and wintry drinks are available, but this will always be my favourite. It's available online (if you really like it, try the bag in box version, it lasts for 12 weeks!) or do yourself a favour and visit the farm shop in Duloe – don't forget to make yourself known to Margaret who works in the shop and is one of the loveliest people you'll ever meet.
I can't think of a better accompaniment to fine singing and the company of good friends, whether walking through the streets of Bodmin or crashing pans through the fields, scaring away evil spirits and who knows what else.
The Bodmin Wassail
www.bodminwassail.co.uk
www.cornishorchards.co.uk
The Cornish Culture Association
With thanks to the Bodmin Wassailers and Cornish Orchards for the use of images.
Harvest in Cornwall
Bewnans Kernow, Cornish Culture Association, Cornwall, Cornwall Today, Crying The Neck, Gulldize, Gunwen, Harvest, Harvest celebrations, Heritage, Old Cornwall Society, Penzance, Revived tradition, September
September can be the best month of all in Cornwall. The height of the tourist season has passed, the weather is usually glorious, the water is warm and the countryside has reached its peak. But for me, there's always a faint sense of melancholy that begins to creep in as the days get shorter and the evenings get cooler. Maybe it's my Australian upbringing that begins to dread the damp, dark coming days of winter, but fortunately my Cornish blood usually triumphs, especially when there are so many wonderful events coming up in the heritage calendar.
In August, we celebrated Lammas, the first harvest, and in September we find ourselves in this midst of, what would have been for or our ancestors one of the busiest of seasons – harvest proper.
Modern Harvest celebrations began in 1843 when the eclectic Reverend Robert Hawker of Morwenstow in Cornwall invited members of his congregation to a special thanksgiving service. This was then popularized by Victorian harvest hymns, and the idea of decorating churches with homegrown produce began to catch on. These days, most churches and chapels will have a Harvest service during the month of September, the main theme of which will be giving thanks for the bounty of the land, and for farmers too – still very relevant given much of Cornwall's rural landscape. Parishioners bring homegrown produce and shop-bought supplies, they are displayed in a central place near the Church or Chapel's altar, prayers of thanksgiving are said and harvest hymns are sung, and often followed by a social event where parishioners can celebrate with good food and good company.
This feasting tradition goes back to much earlier times, where celebrations would centre around the Autumn Equinox, the time of year where day and night are in balance. In fact, Church harvest services are still often held on the Sunday near or on the Harvest Moon. This is the full Moon that occurs closest to the Equinox, which this year falls on the 23 September.
And in the 1920s, the Old Cornwall Society revived a tradition called "Crying the Neck". It was based on a practice that took place across most large farms in Cornwall that signified the end of the corn or wheat harvest. Back then, corn and wheat were harvested in rows, and by scythes (yes I know, I'm thinking of Poldark too) or hooks. The very last bundle of corn to be cut was known as the "neck", and it was traditional that as it was harvested a cry would go up signifying that the last of the harvest had been brought in. Much merriment, mischief and feasting would then ensue, and a corn "dolly" would be made from that those last stalks of corn. A much older belief was held that the spirit of the corn resided in those ears of grain, and that by weaving them into a dolly – the shape of which was particular to each region – and keeping it safe, luck would be brought to the next crop the following year. The dolly often had pride of place at the feasting table, and was then plowed back into the soil or kept in a special place.
Today, many Old Cornwall Societies hold "Crying the Neck" ceremonies, where a short service of thanksgiving is given in English and Cornish, and then the symbolic cutting of the last corn sheaf takes place. Once it's cut, the cry of "I hav'n', I hav'n', I hav'n'" goes out, followed by the answer (from the audience) of "What hav'ee? What hav'ee? What hav'ee?" then answered with "A neck, a neck, a neck".
Harvest Celebrations at Gunwen Chapel
In Gunwen near St Austell, the local community is doing its best not only to maintain its traditions, but also to educate its children about them. On the evening of 17 September the Gunwen Methodist Chapel will hold their Crying the Neck ceremony in conjunction with the Luxulyan Old Cornwall Society. After the ceremony, an evening of celebration will take place with Cornish music and dancing. In addition to this, the Chapel will invite children from four nearby schools to participate in their own ceremony, with the children acting out the Crying the Neck and learning how to make corn dollies. They will then be given daffodil bulbs to take home and plant so they can see the fruits of their labour flowering in the spring.
Corn Dolly on display at the Admiral Benbow pub in Penzance
The Cornish Culture Association has revived the Penzance tradition of Gulldize, which this year will be held on 18 September. A large group of up to 150 people, including the 60 musicians of the Raffity Dumitz Band, will gather at the Yacht Inn in Penzance, from where they will process, dressed in traditional rural dress, with a "Neck" of corn, a pitchfork and a scythe, to the Admiral Benbow pub on Chapel Street, where an auction of home-grown produce will take place along with songs and dances traditionally associated with the time of year. As with other events, a dolly is made and last year's can be found still hanging in the Admiral Benbow. I don't know about you, but the opportunity of dancing the "Cock In Britches" whilst wearing dungarees and sipping on mulled cider is too good for me to pass up, so I'm looking forward to being there this year.
Gulldize at the Admiral Benbow in Penzance
However you celebrate, remember to stop for a moment, take in the harvest moon, and give thanks for everything you're grateful for. You never know, it might just help you prepare for the coming days of winter.
Gunwen Methodist Chapel (search "Friends of Gunwen" on Facebook)
Bewnans Kernow
www.bewnanskernow.org
The Celebration of Lammas – the First Harvest
Cornish Giants, Cornwall, Cornwall Today, Festivals, Heritage, Lammas, Lughnasagh, Pasties, Revived tradition
My article on Lammas has just been published in the August edition of Cornwall Today – you can read it in full here or better still, go out and buy yourself a copy, as always it's full of stories that matter to Cornwall.
"Harvest approaches with its bustling day
The wheat tans brown and barley bleaches grey"
August. The height of summer, that wondrous season when the countryside is at its best, and Cornwall is at its finest. The time of year when the great outdoors beckon, and nature's bounteous harvest starts to ripen.
Then there are the crowded car parks, busy beaches, super-busy supermarkets, the dreaded low-hanging jet stream and tailbacks on the A30. The summer holidays herald a great influx of holidaymakers to our Duchy, and it's the busiest time of the year for most people who live here. And with such a huge percentage of the Cornish economy relying on seasonal business, making hay while the sun shines is part and parcel of living here.
But it's still possible to find ways of escaping the crowds and enjoying the best of what summer in Cornwall has to offer. And if heritage events are your thing, you'll be pleasantly surprised in August.
In the traditional year, August is the time of celebrating Lammas, also known as Lughnasagh. In Celtic times, Lammas signified the celebration of the grain harvest and was a time for tribal gathering, feasting and giving thanks to the land for the early harvest. Lugh is the Corn King or Sun King who dies with the waning year and symbolizes our journey towards the darker months.
In his book "The Traditional Cornish Year", local historian and Director of the Cornish Culture Association, Simon Reed states "Although no specific Lammas Day events are described, the people of Cornwall, like all other Celtic nations, mark this event with a series of celebrations… Most famous of these was Morvah Fair. It is said that nearly the whole of the population of West Cornwall made the journey to Morvah to consume vast quantities of ale and fine food."
In the late 19th century, the celebrations became so excessive that the local priest led a campaign to ban the Fair, cautioning "all such persons from assembling on that day for idle and profane amusement, so revolting to that great command of the Law of God – Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy!"
It seems he was successful, and there was no celebration until the 1970s when a "Pasty Day" was held at St Bridget's Church in an effort to bring the local community together with some (but not all!) of the spirit of the ancient festival. Now, the Morvah Pasty Day Festival is an annual event, held on the first Tuesday in August. Tish Smith, who is part of the organising committee, says that local legend has it that the Morvah Fair was the occasion when all the giants in West Penwith would come down from their lonely carns and have an annual gathering. These days the Pasty Day Festival is a joint venture between the Morvah School House Gallery and the Church, and last year 800 pasties were consumed! There's also entertainment by local musicians and bands, a car boot sale and children's activities during the day with more live music in the evening. Sounds like a great party to me, and given that my ancestors came from down that way, it's an event I don't want to miss.
Another event with significant history is the Goldsithney Charter Fair, which as been taking place in various forms since as early as 1140AD. In his "Romances of West England", antiquarian Robert Hunt writes "In olden time, the good St Perran the Little gave to the wrestlers of his parish a glove as the prize, and the winner of the glove was permitted to collect the market toll on the day of the feast, and to appropriate the money to his own use". The Fair is still held in August on the Saturday nearest St James's Day and includes the parading of said historical glove as well as other cultural celebrations!
Further up the county, the Devon and Cornwall Pagan Federation will hold their Lammas picnic at the Hurlers on Bodmin Moor on Sunday 16th August. As part of the picnic the 5th annual "Lughnasadh Games" will take place. Included in this are the Welly Boot Hurl, Discus Challenge, Skilful Quoits and creative crafts. Sounds like great fun, and if you've never been to the Hurlers, it's worth the trip.
But these are just some of many events taking place this month; it's worth having a look at the Cornish Culture Association and Bewnans Kernow websites to get a bigger picture of what's on offer.
So have a wonderful August and get under the skin of what's on offer in our Duchy. Don't forget to look forward to September with further celebrations of late harvest including the evocatively named "Crying the Neck" and "Guldize". Let's celebrate everything that Cornwall has to offer, Kernow bys vykken!
Morvah Pasty Day
Tuesday 4th August, 2015 10:00am – 11:00pm
Morvah, West Penwith, Cornwall
www.morvah.com
Goldsithney Charter Fair
Saturday 1st August, 2015
Goldsithney, near Marazion, West Cornwall
www.goldsithneycharterfair.org
Lammas Picnic, Sunday 16th August, 2015 from 2:00pm
The Hurlers, Minions, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall
www.paganfederationdevonandcornwall.co.uk
The Cornish Culture Association www.cornishculture.co.uk
Bewnans Kernow www.bewnanskernow.org
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Limited to 200 copies. Blooming Soul strikes back with a very special release that has its roots in the Motor City. K-Alexi Shelby, Rennie Foster, Rob Belleville, Laurent Maldo, and Dave-G joined forces for a four-track EP full of expertly-crafted techno funk that will undoubtedly raise the temperature on the dancefloor and bring a smile to your face.


text:
using namespace std;

class Decommissionator
{
  public:
    Decommissionator(bitset<MAX_LASERS> northLasers, bitset<MAX_LASERS> southLasers, int positionOfEntry);
    ~Decommissionator();
    string annihilate();
  private:
    bitset<MAX_LASERS> northLasers;
    bitset<MAX_LASERS> southLasers;
    bitset<MAX_LASERS> maskOne;
    bitset<MAX_LASERS> maskTwo;
    int positionOfEntry;
    int simulateLaserFire(int direction);
    bitset<MAX_LASERS> filterLasersByDirection(bitset<MAX_LASERS> lasers, int direction);
    bitset<MAX_LASERS> makeMask(string parity);
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sara Strock, PMP, MBA, holds an MBA from The Ohio State University, an AAS from Ivy Tech State College in Indianapolis, and a bachelor's degree in music from Bowling Green State University.
Sara has worked in the IT field for more than 20 years, participating in and managing projects in a variety of industries including insurance, pharmaceutical, banking, travel, manufacturing, and financial. Her projects have ranged in business disciplines from customer relationship management (CRM) to security. Sara obtained her PMP certification in 2001, and is an active member of her local PMI chapter. She is currently working in a Project Management office for an insurance company.


CBBC show Raven is back, fronted by Aisha Toussaint and original Raven James Mackenzie!
A brand new series of Raven is back on CBBC after almost 7 years!
Raven is basically a fantasy themed gameshow, played and filmed in Scotland where contestants have to complete really extreme challenges!
It was originally presented by James Mackenzie and although he features in this series, we'll mainly see Aisha Toussaint on screen.
The new series of Raven will feature four heats with four children competing in each.
In each heat, the contestants get their own warrior names and fight under the banner of a formidable beast – the Bears, the Wolves, the Wildcats and the Stags.
Warriors must win as many golden treasure rings as possible by taking on a series of challenges.
The warrior with the fewest rings will be eliminated at key points in the heat and, at the end of each heat, the warrior with the most rings will win a place in the final.
Just like in the original series, games test physical strength, stamina, mental agility, and resourcefulness.
At the end of the whole game, one eventual winner will be named Raven's True Warrior!
More than 2,500 children auditioned for the TV show with only 32 being successful. Those kids come from all across the UK, as far north as Orkney and as far south as the Isle of Wight!
Technology not available during filming of the original Raven makes the new series really exciting.
The camera operators were able to capture new aerial shots with a drone and had an additional action cams positioned around the games.
Raven starts on Monday, 4th December 2017 at 3:50pm!
Cool! I love Raven It's my my favoruite fantasy gameshow while I'm so little kid and I love the strongest warriors because I loved it my show in CBBC and that is so awesome because I like James Mackenzie and Aisha Toussaint are very good hosting the prestent for the show for children with teams symbols full of stuff of animals and there was lots of Nevar's demons around here and I like to collect gold rings and this is becoming handy!
Just us I like to make Minecraft Challenges as well with osbtacles courses are in the series of the seasons of the episodes of Raven's quest on Youtube with Billybo10K.


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Home > About Fortress of Solitude South Africa
Founded in 2012, Fortress of Solitude has become one of the most popular geek entertainment interest websites in South Africa and covers news and reviews on movies, games, comic books, gadgets, TV series, toys, sneakers and more.
We are NOT a blog. We are NOT an eCommerce site. We ARE journalists. We ARE influencers. We ARE global. Fortress of Solitude IS one of the top entertainment news sites in South Africa and the world.
Fortress of Solitude had 4.5 million views in 2019
Our readers like superheroes. Watching horror movies. Reading comic books. Showing off the latest tech. Wearing the coolest sneakers. Owning the best toys. Playing the best video games.
Fortress of Solitude attracts visitors from around the world – the most popular being South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.
With a fanbase of 44 000 active Facebook fans and 8000 Youtube subscribers, Fortress continues to engage with the growing geek community.
The writing team comes from diverse backgrounds in filmmaking, creating writing, copyrighting, technical studies and business management. Brought together by a passion for entertainment, the writers strive to create the most engaging content for superhero and geek fans across the world.
The Fortress of Solitude team:
Jarrod SaundersJarrod Saunders is the founder and editor-in-chief of Fortress of Solitude. He currently works as a filmmaker (director, writer, editor) but has previous experience as a multimedia developer, web designer, DTP operator, graphic designer, layout artist and sound engineer.
Evan SaundersWith over a decade worth of experience in the field, Evan is a techie at heart. He is also a sneakerhead with a love for playing football, watching sports, movies, series and anime. The odd occasion he's free, he enjoys some gaming, along with app, web and graphic design too.
Sergio PereiraSERGIO PEREIRA is a writer from Johannesburg, South Africa. He has a strong interest in comic books, film, music, and comedy. He is the author of the highly rated fantasy comedy novel The Not-So-Grim Reaper and numerous short stories. In addition, he is the co-writer of the South African crime drama film The Lifesaver. As a columnist, he contributes to Screen Rant, CBR, SYFY WIRE, IGN Africa, and Fortress of Solitude.
Charlene BadasieCharlene is an advocate of individuality and a firm believer in pancakes for dinner. Her biggest passions are writing and music, with bylines at Glamour, GQ, HuffPost, Thrive Global and Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi. She loves movies, reading and is a closet comic book superhero geek. As an avid Harry Styles enthusiast, she spends far too much time watching his music videos online.
Clare MatthesAfter years as a B2B journalist, then a news journalist and eventually an editor in various industries including forestry, architecture, education and 702/947's EWN newsroom, Clare finally found herself at ITWeb covering a beat she never dreamed she would – IT, technology and gadgets - a grounding she's now expanded upon on a freelance basis. Clare has co-hosted the Talking Tech show on CliffCentral, chatted about tech news on the Gareth Cliff Show, SAfm, MixFM, and PowerFM's Power Update. She's also written a humorous technology column in Brainstorm magazine and has a recurring byline in Brainstorm, Popular Mechanics, BizCommunity, and recently Fortress of Solitude, to mention a few.
Damian RichardsDamian Richards is a lover of games with awesome stories and characters. He is also an avid collector of collector editions.
Darron SaundersDarron is a graphic designer. On the odd occassion that he is not staring at his computer screen he also enjoys sports, gaming, gadgets, movies, art & design.
Deville LouwDeville is a 30-something husband and father. His passions include gaming and toy collecting.
Loïs QutobLoïs is a fantasy-loving, hip-hop dance teaching geek and qualified copywriter. He is a lover of videogames, comics and entertainment that once foolishly believed he could download more RAM.
Neilan AdamsNeilan Adams is a journalist, writer and critic for print and online media as well as a music composer hear some of his music at soundcloud.com/firethornband
Rick AustinRick Austin is the author of fantasy-parody Life Insurance of the Gods (in paperback on Lulu.com!), and writes for various websites and anthologies. He is a fully-functioning geek, cosplayer and owner of a pair of TARDIS Converse sneakers.
Tafadzwa NjovanaTafadzwa Njovana is a video writer, director and editor with extreme geek tendencies. He loves tech, good stories and coffee. He also runs The Reel Sauce, a YouTube channel all about celebrating the best of African screen entertainment in the streaming space.
Trent MeikleTrent Meikle (20) is an aspiring writer from Johannesburg, South Africa. He is greatly interested in videogames, reading, writing, and football. He is the undisputed FIFA and Rocket League champion (too good for tournaments, so can't prove it). He often contributes to The United Stand, writing articles about his favourite football club, Manchester United.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mr. Cabrera is an Associate, having joined WCAS in 2016. Prior to joining WCAS, Mr. Cabrera was with Citigroup's Investment Banking team.
Florida International University – B.B.A.
Mr. Cabrera is a involved with several non-profit organizations including Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) and Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT).


The report of the Student Senate Committee on Social Rules to the Faculty Committee on Social Rules was published in The Dickinsonian. The report addresses social rules that pertained to drinking downstairs in fraternities while female students were upstairs, privacy (or, as the reported defined it, the the separation of two persons of the opposite sexes from others), and what other college policies were regarding visiting hours for women. The report listed rules at other colleges, including Swarthmore, Stanford, Reed, Oberlin, Yale, and Haverford. The college viewed privacy as potentially contributing to promiscuity, which, according to the report, might lead to serious consequences.


Nashville, TN -- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band members Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden and Bob Carpenter delivered the healing power of music to patients, visitors and staff during a visit to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado.
"Our visit and tour of the hospital was the highlight of our weekend - getting to see firsthand the amazing work that the doctors, nurses and administrative staff are doing was humbling and inspiring. It was our pleasure to play a few tunes for the patients, their families and staff. We gained the most from that experience. We're really glad we were there," Jeff Hanna said.
The iconic and profoundly influential Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement in country, rock and American roots music, is celebrating its 50th anniversary of nonstop touring and recording vital music. Formed in California in 1966, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band consists of founding members Jeff Hanna (guitars/vocals), Jimmie Fadden (drums/harmonica/vocals), John McEuen (banjo/fiddle/guitar/mandolin), and Bob Carpenter (keyboards/accordion/vocals), "The New Guy" since 1977.
The group has lasted longer than virtually any other country-based group of their era with multi-platinum and gold records, including legendary hits "Mr. Bojangles" and "Fishin' in the Dark" (certified platinum for digital downloads in 2014 and the longest recurrent country radio song of all time). Their groundbreaking 1972 Will The Circle Be Unbroken album, which assembled the living legends of country, bluegrass and mountain music to record what many critics have hailed as "an American treasure," has been inducted into the U.S. Library of Congress and the Grammy Hall of Fame, paving the way for generations of what's now known as today's "cross genre movement." "Mr. Bojangles" was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010. Most recently the Nitty Gritty Dirty Band was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, class of 2015.


There are many ways to express your love. There are the traditional rings and bands, and then there's this. See the picture after the jump.
Talk about making your love perminant!
The full body ink is taking things to a whole new level. Let's be honest, do you think those two are going to be together for the rest of their lives?
'Like' this post if you think this tattoo is a bad idea! Or tell us what you think in the "Leave a Comment" section below.


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Trump Time Capsule #134: 'Trump Is a Monster! Vote for Trump!'
Editor's Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic's Notes section, retired in 2021.
Donald Trump, from his real (Android) personal Twitter account, in his only dispatch since the release of his "You can do anything you want" tape.
This is a day unlike any other I recall in many decades of watching and being involved in politics. The only possible comparison would be the tumult of the 1968 presidential campaign, and of the year 1968 in general. But the driving events back then were historically tragic (RFK, MLK, Tet and My Lai, and much more) rather than just squalid. Or perhaps the final stage of Richard Nixon's Watergate downfall, though even in his failings Nixon was a vastly more serious figure than the showman Trump.
So this stands on its own.
In fast-moving circumstances, it's challenging to keep track of which prominent Republicans are in which groups:
(a) Those who have been against Trump for a while, a very small group notably including Gov. Kasich and Sen. Flake;
(b) Those who were fine with Trump through "Mexican judge" and "I'd like to hear her say something" and "Build the wall!" and the tax returns and the foundation fraud and all the rest, but now are against him, for instance Sen. Ayotte; and
(c) Those who say they're sickened and offended and distraught and generally regusted by Trump's latest comments, but still think he should become president. This position is known as "the full Ryan," in honor of the senior Republican elected official, House Speaker Paul Ryan. It includes most GOP members of the Senate and House plus governors.
As a very useful guide, Daniel Nichanian, of the University of Chicago, has prepared an online spreadsheet showing currently serving GOP officials in each of these groups and some others. You can see the list, which he's quickly updating, at this link, which I'm sharing with his permission.
Below is a sample screenshot as of 2 p.m. EDT today, October 8. The real thing is larger and more legible.
Daniel Nichanian's GOP-support chart.
We now have 30 days and a few hours to go.


Earlier this week, Usher debuted a brand new song on iTunes. Interestingly enough, however, the single wasn't lifted off his current album, Here I Stand. Hush, a recording that continues the singer's national call-to-service for young people, stresses that people stop their complaining and start to take action. Featuring the motivational words of Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, who asked Usher to serve as National Co-Chair for his voter registration campaign earlier this year, Hush's proceeds will go directly toward the singer's nonprofit organization, the New Look Foundation. From lending services to those in need to donating time and money to the poverty-stricken, the work of this 5-time Grammy award winner truly speaks for itself. Hush can be purchased here.


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Home News 2020
How to Invest Millions During a Global Pandemic
Basemark, a Finland-based software company, attracted 7 million euros in funding during the global pandemic by communicating solely online with ETF Partners – the fund that made it happen.
Remi de Tonnac's, ETF Partners shares how one invests in a company without having seen each other in person.
Q: What kind of business do you run?
Remy: ETF Partners stands for Environmental Technologies Fund. We are a leading pan European Venture Capital fund based in London, and the team is one of the most experienced in the sustainability sector with over €400 million under management.
Q: What's your mission and beliefs? Why do you do what you do?
Remy: Global warming, the exploitation of our natural resources, the reduction of biodiversity, the pollution of the seas … these are simply some of the biggest challenges the world has ever faced. As the magnitude of the environmental challenges grow, so too does the urgency to do something about them. We are optimistic that we can develop the technological solutions to help address these threats to our world. We are firm believers that innovation holds the key to solving these issues and paves the way for a more sustainable future.
Q: What challenges were you facing and what motivated you to solve them? What was at stake?
Remy:Autonomous driving is clearly significantly advancing the sustainability agenda. Road transport is responsible for about 20% of total CO2 emissions. Research has shown that the introduction of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) could help reduce transport emissions by as much as 80%, through the advent of Transport as a Service and improved asset utilisation.
Basemark's critical AI software technology plays an integral part in the AV revolution. In a way, its technology is providing the "pick and shovels" for the foundations of the AV industry, by enabling OEMs to rapidly develop and deploy autonomous vehicles.
Q: How and where did you meet? How can one trust someone they have never met while we have a Covid-19 crisis going on and build enough trust to invest/be invested in?
Remy:I like to think that we have developed a true partnership over countless video calls, both one to one and among our teams. We did have some level of debate during the investment process, but we always managed to find common ground and an understanding as to how best to move forward. As strange as it may seem, we have developed a sincere rapport and trust between individuals in a "virtual world", as well as the belief that we are part of the same team on an important mission – to deliver commercial success and make the world a better place.
Q: What attracted you to invest in Basemark?
Remy:I look for bold, highly driven entrepreneurs who are on a mission - I believe I know one when I see one - and here we found not one but two: Tero the founder and visionary, as well as Keith Silverang, the highly disciplined CEO in charge of flawless execution.
Q: How do you see to grow your cooperation in the future? How do you see your company making a difference in the future?
Remy:Simple: we consider ourselves part of the Basemark team today, and we are already helping on several different fronts. For example, in partner or customer origination, talent identification, strategic challenging and strategic brainstorming to name a few. We will have made our mark when we have lots of "Basemark inside" reference designs in the developments of car companies and tier one auto suppliers. We believe this is coming soon.
Use the opportunity to e-meet with Remi during our Investors Insights Session on De(re)carbonisation on October 16, 2020 at 5pm CET. Learn more about the session here or contact Radostina Tsenova at radostina@techtour.com
Get the latest news and updates about our Community


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These Are UK's Most Remote Charging Points
Wed 17th Aug 2022
If you are going to offer off-road driving capabilities in your latest EV, it might be a good idea to do some research to ensure there are plenty of opportunities to charge your vehicle.
But that's exactly what Jeep have done to celebrate their new 4xe line. The 'Jeep Remote Charge Point Index' considers the number of local residents in each charge points specific postcode; a more remote location is indicated by a lower number of local residents and compares this to the distance from the nearest town or city with over 10,000 residents. These numbers are then balanced and provide an index number, with higher numbers indicating 'more remote' locations.
To celebrate their move to zero emission freedom, Jeep has revealed the 20 most remote electric charge points across the UK, encouraging people to plan exciting new road trips.
Across Britain, there are over 42,000 electric vehicle charge points; the research was conducted by Jeep to show that while the majority of charge points are currently located in larger towns and cities, the network is gradually expanding to more remote areas.
The 'Remote Charge Point Index', made to celebrate the entire Jeep® 4xe line including the just released plug-in Grand Cherokee, Compass 4xe, and Renegade 4xe, ranked the five most distant charging stations in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
According to a survey conducted by ScotThon, Lochinver Community Hall is the most popular destination in Scotland and the UK. It has beautiful mountain views, white sandy beaches, and is located on the North Coast 500, a popular driving route.
Scrabster Harbour on the north coast of Scotland and other sites are among the most remote charge points in Scotland. Visitors may also want to visit Farr Bay, where they may see otters, seals, or golden eagles, to feel as if they are on the edge of the world.
According to the Jeep research, the most distant charge point in England, Etal Village Hall, is just over 15 minutes from Northumberland National Park.
Visitors can still explore the village, but they'll find the remnants of a ruined medieval castle and Northumberland's only thatched pub. Alwington, where visitors may take a North Devon coastline tour, and the Yorkshire Dales, where they may view Asgarth Falls National Park's picturesque waterfalls, are among the top five destinations for road trippers.
Guests can begin wild walks and enjoy stunning sea views from Gara Rock in South Devon, where charge points are available. Alternatively, drivers can recharge their vehicles at Buckden for hikers wishing to add Buckden Pike or Birks Fell to their list of peaks conquered.
Plas Yn Rhiw, a 16th century manor house in Wales' most remote charging point, is a favourite destination for National Trust enthusiasts. Guests can also explore the small wooded area as they enjoy coastal views of Porth Neigw, "Hell's Mouth" bay.
There are other Welsh charge points that you may visit when you are in the Shropshire Hills. Nant yr Onnen is one of them, where you can learn about the legend of Twm Sion Cati, the Welsh Robin Hood, or straddle the border between England and Wales while visiting Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle. You may also head to the coast and ride the Cors-y-gedol and Neolithic trackway on your mountain bike, or find more than 200 species of shells at Shell Island in North Wales.
Driving an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, Northern Ireland's most remote charge station can be found in Belleek, County Fermanagh, which borders the Republic of Ireland. Guests planning a journey around Ireland can stop and admire this serene village famous for its pottery while recharging.
Near those 'remote' charge sites, other sites are waiting to be explored, including the southernmost town in Northern Ireland, Kilkeel, the picturesque crossroads village of Plumbridge, natural limestone caves on Cuilcagh Mountain, the picturesque foothills of which house Marble Arch Caves, and Castlederg, where you can see a ruined castle and two ancient tombs known as the Druid's Altar and Todd's Den.
"With hybrid and electric vehicles becoming more widely used and customers having a wider range of vehicle options, we wanted to show that the current charging infrastructure does cover some remote, off-the-beaten track locations that are worth travelling that bit further to," said Damian Dally, Jeep's UK Managing Director.
"As we increase our electric offering with the addition of the Jeep® Compass 4xe and Renegade 4xe plug-in hybrids, Jeep® Compass and Renegade e-hybrids and the recently unveiled all new Jeep® Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid - the most technologically advanced, 4x4 capable and luxurious Grand Cherokee yet - we want to encourage drivers across the UK to take on the challenge of visiting some of the locations listed on our 'Remote Charge Point Index' and discover the small villages, towns and communities they're situated in."


There are not enough words I can fit in this box to express just how amazing Chris is. My husband and I are from Texas, and as soon as I saw Chris' work I immediately knew I HAD to hire him. The first phone call with Chris sold me even more. He's very outgoing and super easy to talk to, which is important for a photographer for your special day. We flew to NC last December for our engagement shoot & he did not disappoint. He spent a great deal of time with us since we flew in from out of state and made sure I got all the shots I wanted. That shoot made me even more excited for our wedding day. On our wedding day the weather was great for the ceremony, but it began raining a little bit when we were taking pictures. BUT this bride did not care because Chris was our photographer and those sunset rain pictures ended up being the most BREATHTAKING photos you have ever seen. Every single photo Chris takes looks like a magazine ad. Oh, and he does a really good job capturing the unplanned, fun reception moments, and you don't even notice he's there capturing those special moments. HIRE HIM. It will be the best decision you've ever made!
Hotel Ballast is located in the Historic Downtown District right on the Cape Fear River. This makes it a choice location as the Cape Fear River Deck is just a few steps outside Hotel Ballast. Hotel Ballast provides a excellent location and amenities for any style wedding. Whether you are having your wedding, your wedding reception or both, Hotel Ballast provides the all inclusive wedding location.
There is something to be said about being able to take a walk outside and enjoy an incredible breeze and sunset. With something almost always going on at the Cape Fear Riverfront, Hotel Ballast makes for a great place to get out and explore for wedding pictures.
The Cape Fear Riverfront provides an incredible backdrop and atmouspere for wedding pictures. What I like as a wedding photographer is the ability to change things up with light in the surrounding area. Whether it be a tall ship in port or an amazing sunset, the Cape Fear Riverfront is a special place.
If you are a Bride looking for a wedding or reception venue in the Wilmington NC area, take a look at the Hotel Ballast. From a Wilmington NC Wedding Photographers perspective, Hotel Ballast has it all for lifestyle wedding photography. If you are in search for a Wilmington NC Photographer, we would love it if you took a closer look at what we do and see why we think our blend of wedding photography styles might be perfect for you.
If you are having a large reception (or small), then Hotel Ballast should be on top of your list for a site visit. From a large dance floor to the ballroom setting, the Hotel Ballast makes for a great place to have your reception. Having photographed many events at Hotel Ballast, I can speak to the service. The staff and service that I have observed is professional and first class. I have worked there for both weddings and corporate events, both as photographer and event guest. I cannot say enough about the service and would recommend the Hotel Ballast both as photographer and guest.


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Q: MySQL автоматическое обновление записи через заданное время В таблице есть ячейка в timestamp, в котором указана дата, когда необходимо обновить эту запись (например, изменить статус).
Можно ли при помощи MySQL сделать это автоматически?

A: CREATE EVENT update_status
ON SCHEDULE EVERY 1 MINUTE
COMMENT 'Update Status from 1 to 2 after 1 week.'
DO
UPDATE `table`
SET `status` = 2
WHERE creation_datetime < CURRENT_TIMESTAMP - INTERVAL 1 WEEK
  AND `status` = 1;

!!! Не забыть убедиться, что планировщик не отключен, и включить его, если он не запущен:
SET GLOBAL event_scheduler = ON;

Но лучше откорректировать строку запуска и/или файл конфигурации. Подробнее см. тут и тут.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A hacker with the handle @GuttsArc from the collective @TeamBerserk has announced a breach and leak on Interactive Data (https://www.interactivedata.com/).
Interactive Data delivers a comprehensive set of products and services designed to meet the needs of the front, middle and back offices at some of the largest and most well-known institutions around the world.
The paste contains server and breach information from scans and tests on the sites system as well as 26 user accounts and 6 public user accounts most of which are made of up staff from interactive data. The credentials leaked contain first names, user names, email addresses, administrator position status, encrypted passwords and other server based information. This is the second leak of data from a security based company by this team in as many days which is starting to show that everything, no matter who the site is and what they focus on is at risk of being breached as it only takes 1 insecure entry point for hackers to gain access and start playing around. ITs not the first time this company has been breached either with a paste from 2012 which appears to of leaked one of its source codes for the "Market Q project" in which the data is still online at wikisend.


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Q: Reference for $\operatorname E\left[f\circ X\mid X^{-1}(\mathcal F)\right]=\operatorname E_{\mathcal L(X)}\left[f\mid\mathcal F\right]\circ X$ Let

*

*$(\Omega,\mathcal A,\operatorname P)$ be a probability space;

*$(E,\mathcal E)$ be a measurable space;

*$X$ be an $(E,\mathcal E)$-valued random variable on $(\Omega,\mathcal A,\operatorname P)$;

*$\mathcal L(X)$ denote the distribution of $X$ with respect to $\operatorname P$;

*$\operatorname E_{\mathcal L(X)}$ denote the expectation with respect to $\mathcal L(X)$;

*$\mathcal F\subseteq\mathcal E$ be a $\sigma$-algebra on $E$;

*$f:E\to\mathbb R$ be bounded and $\mathcal E$-measurable.

We can easily show that $$\operatorname E\left[f\circ X\mid X^{-1}(\mathcal F)\right]=\operatorname E_{\mathcal L(X)}\left[f\mid\mathcal F\right]\circ X\tag1,$$ but I wasn't able to find this result in any textbook.
Is there a commonly used name for the identity $(1)$ and does anyone have a reference for this result?


There is one way to make sure you definitely get on the flight you paid for.
If you take flights often, you've probably been there before: you've raced to the terminal to make sure you get on your flight before it leaves, you pass security and customs and finally make it to the gate. It's there you're told you're going to have to wait for the next flight. All that effort has left you stuck in the airport for hours until another flight arrives.
TL;DR Past employees of Air Canada have revealed that the airline has been overselling flights in order to make extra revenue. Tickets that direct to the gate only, without a designated seat, are often the oversold tickets. Needless to say, Twitter is outraged. Read all of the Tweets below.
If it's any consolation, you're definitely not alone. At least 510,000 Air Canada customers are sold plane tickets for overbooked flights per year, according to CBC News. Despite this, the popular airline has continued these practices and even train their employees to mislead customers.
Why? Well, it turns out that Air Canada is making a ton of money off of the extra tickets sold.
Apparently overselling a flight can happen no matter what your destination is. If your ticket doesn't have a specific seat on the flight, it's basically code that you won't be getting on. This has lead to thousands of people missing family vacations, weddings, holidays, and even serious events such as a surgery.
Because of this, Twitter is definitely outraged.
Never bumped, but have definitely been asked on numerous occasions to give up my seat for what I considered to be shady compensation.
Other people shared stories of being bumped from a flight.
The last time we used Air Canada, there was a group of 16 of us. We all had pre booked seats. Yet 6 of our group did not get in the flight. They had to drive to Ottawa, then after that to Montreal where they finally got a flight that arrived 12 hrs into our 4 night stay.
@AirCanada nice, forcing your employees to lie to passengers to make more money. Nice nice nice.