Have Britain’s imperial fantasies given us Brexit??

[Mick F]

I'm not banging on about Cornish Independence but stating the obvious.
Cornwall is geographically very different to the rest of the mainland. Until the 1960's the only way into Cornwall by land, was over ancient bridges. OK, Brunel brought the railway over the Tamar in 1850odd.

There are only 23 road bridges over the river, and they are all, except a couple, built in the 1500s or 1600s. (and I've cycled over every one) The bridge nearest the coast is here at Gunnislake, and it's a 20miles by road to Plymouth. Until the suspension bridge was built down at Saltash, Gunnislake was a major crossing, and Polson Bridge at Launceston being the next major crossing.

The Cornish people - and I'm not one - feel very very different and separate from the English.

[pwa]

I'm not banging on about Cornish Independence but stating the obvious.
Cornwall is geographically very different to the rest of the mainland. Until the 1960's the only way into Cornwall by land, was over ancient bridges. OK, Brunel brought the railway over the Tamar in 1850odd.

There are only 23 road bridges over the river, and they are all, except a couple, built in the 1500s or 1600s. (and I've cycled over every one) The bridge nearest the coast is here at Gunnislake, and it's a 20miles by road to Plymouth. Until the suspension bridge was built down at Saltash, Gunnislake was a major crossing, and Polson Bridge at Launceston being the next major crossing.

The Cornish people - and I'm not one - feel very very different and separate from the English.

Lots of those bridges are insignificant hops across small rivers. All that says is that the boundary between one county and the next was drawn up along watercourses rather than hill ridges. The only geographical distinction is that Cornwall is a peninsular. A sticky out bit. And do you really think Cornish people have a greater sense of identity than Yorkshire people? Or Scousers? It is a remote limb of England, and like all remote extremities it has its own sense of identity. Which is a good thing.

[Mick F]

Small rivers?

You mean a big river.
Just the one.
Most of the length of the river is in a steep valley too.

Cornish is a language.
Did/does Yorkshire have a language? How about Liverpool?
Strange accents and dialects, but they speak/spoke English.

[Cyril Haearn]

Small rivers?

You mean a big river.
Just the one.
Most of the length of the river is in a steep valley too.

Cornish is a language.
Did/does Yorkshire have a language? How about Liverpool?
Strange accents and dialects, but they speak/spoke English.

How many people speak, write, read Cornish, do you?
Kernow am byth! (not been there yet)

[Mick F]

Bits, but not much.
Mrs Mick F did a course on it, and she has enough to understand stuff.
Very good friends of ours are Cornish Bards.

[Cyril Haearn]

Bits, but not much.
Mrs Mick F did a course on it, and she has enough to understand stuff.
Very good friends of ours are Cornish Bards.

A wikicheck indicates that Cornish died out and was resurrected, it is growing in popularity, a few hundred people speak it now, +99
Another chance to mention my favourite book about small languages
Spoken here by Mark Abley

[bovlomov]

Lots of those bridges are insignificant hops across small rivers. All that says is that the boundary between one county and the next was drawn up along watercourses rather than hill ridges. The only geographical distinction is that Cornwall is a peninsular. A sticky out bit. And do you really think Cornish people have a greater sense of identity than Yorkshire people? Or Scousers? It is a remote limb of England, and like all remote extremities it has its own sense of identity. Which is a good thing.

And Hullensians, on another sticky out bit.

[CliveyT]

I'm not banging on about Cornish Independence but stating the obvious.
Cornwall is geographically very different to the rest of the mainland. Until the 1960's the only way into Cornwall by land, was over ancient bridges. OK, Brunel brought the railway over the Tamar in 1850odd.

There are only 23 road bridges over the river, and they are all, except a couple, built in the 1500s or 1600s. (and I've cycled over every one) The bridge nearest the coast is here at Gunnislake, and it's a 20miles by road to Plymouth. Until the suspension bridge was built down at Saltash, Gunnislake was a major crossing, and Polson Bridge at Launceston being the next major crossing.

The Cornish people - and I'm not one - feel very very different and separate from the English.

Lots of those bridges are insignificant hops across small rivers. All that says is that the boundary between one county and the next was drawn up along watercourses rather than hill ridges. The only geographical distinction is that Cornwall is a peninsular. A sticky out bit. And do you really think Cornish people have a greater sense of identity than Yorkshire people? Or Scousers? It is a remote limb of England, and like all remote extremities it has its own sense of identity. Which is a good thing.

Not just language or geography, the Cornish (and yes I am one) are genetically distinct from the Sawsen https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632200/ (apologies. I've no idea if this is open access or not so you might not be able to read it). Its not some pan-celtic thing either, all the celtic nations form their own clusters (sometimes more then one).
Although this would mean Devon should also be independent and they can't even design their own flag, they just used ours and changed the colours

[Audax67]

Of course, you Cornish folk all really Breton.

[Mick F]

Having spent a holiday or two in Brittany, it's amazing the affinity they have for Cornwall. Mention the fact that you live in Cornwall, and they bend over themselves to help and be friendly.

[kwackers]

Having spent a holiday or two in Brittany, it's amazing the affinity they have for Cornwall. Mention the fact that you live in Cornwall, and they bend over themselves to help and be friendly.

Be polite, avoid eye contact and move on.

Yep, heard that advice before.

[geocycle]

Not just language or geography, the Cornish (and yes I am one) are genetically distinct from the Sawsen https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632200/ (apologies. I've no idea if this is open access or not so you might not be able to read it). Its not some pan-celtic thing either, all the celtic nations form their own clusters (sometimes more then one).
Although this would mean Devon should also be independent and they can't even design their own flag, they just used ours and changed the colours

Yes that's an interesting paper isn't it. There's no obvious pan Celtic genetic inheritance. It also shows how Cornwall and Devon were later absorbed into Wessex whereas Wales retained some difference as Britons. Despite that the genetic differences of both Cornwall and Devon remained strong (although I guess that might be to do with whatever marker they are using).

[mercalia]

Not just language or geography, the Cornish (and yes I am one) are genetically distinct from the Sawsen https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632200/ (apologies. I've no idea if this is open access or not so you might not be able to read it). Its not some pan-celtic thing either, all the celtic nations form their own clusters (sometimes more then one).
Although this would mean Devon should also be independent and they can't even design their own flag, they just used ours and changed the colours

Yes that's an interesting paper isn't it. There's no obvious pan Celtic genetic inheritance. It also shows how Cornwall and Devon were later absorbed into Wessex whereas Wales retained some difference as Britons. Despite that the genetic differences of both Cornwall and Devon remained strong (although I guess that might be to do with whatever marker they are using).

If The Last Kingdom tv series is anything to go by, Cornwall was a very very strange place very much back of beyond with incompetant warriors

[bretonbikes]

Having spent a holiday or two in Brittany, it's amazing the affinity they have for Cornwall. Mention the fact that you live in Cornwall, and they bend over themselves to help and be friendly.

The closest language to Breton is Cornish and a large slice of the heart of Brittany (far south-west) is called 'Cornouaille' and was established (along with the root of both languages) by people coming from Cornwall displaced by the Saxon invasion circa 500 AD.

[Cyril Haearn]

Once upon a time sea travel was easier than land travel, that is one reason why Cymru, Kernow, Bretagne, Eire are alike

Cornwall is quite different, so is Norfolk or Devon or Cumbria or Yorkshire, having a lord-lieutenant as a sort of local ruler is enough independence maybe