Beach Ices at Praa Sands
Ice meeting the sand at the base of the low cliff behind Praa Sands Beach, West Cornwall. 6th January 2009....
Icicles at Trewellard Bottoms
Water seeping through a wall is turned to icicles, ate Trewellard Bottoms, where Geevor Mine meets the sea....
Winter Sunset at Levant
A late afternoon scene, at Levant Mine, West Cornwall. 7th January 2009....
Winter at Levant
The old electricity generator building, at Levant Mine, West Cornwall, during the recent cold snap. 7th Jnauary 2009....
I don't think there are a lot of contributers on here from Mid-Cornwall (Shaz and Frenchie from Newquay understood). There never seems to be much talk about the clay industry and its present problems. I started my working life in the clay industry so it's of great interest to me, and I'm from St Austell. Living away, I find it difficult to assess the effects of the recently proposed changes. Can anyone fill me in with any details?
Mike, I think the writing was on the wall when Imerys took over. Went around a couple of the clay pits in 1997, at that time due to the Iron Contamination in the clay, ECCi were investing in new magnetic seperators (at the time they were the biggest magnets being installed anywere in the mining industry) to take the Iron out to enable them to compete with the Brazilian coating clays.
With Imerys taking over, as they owned most of the Brazilian industry, were they likely to continue to invest in the Cornish industry?
It gets my goat a bit, because none of our regional agencies seem to be able to grasp ther fact that a million pounds put into the conties economies from mining (whether it be Clay, tin or aggregates) is worth far more than a million pounds from the tourist industry. The bottom line is fishing, mining and to a lesser extent farming are the only industries that actually create wealth, all other industries generally push the same money around!
Thanks CK, I remember the HGMS work going on. what you say makes a lot of sense. I just cannot get an idea what the loss of 600 people will have on Mid-Cornwall nowadays. The total work force is 2000; it was about 5000 when I worked there. But it affects many more in the support industries, in fact it seemed the whole of Mid-Cornwall was owned by ECLP at the time. I understand that Blackpool and Lee Moor in Devon are to close completely and that will leave 6 major centres in the St Austell area. Am I right in thinking Par harbour will close, leaving only Fowey and that all paper coating grade clay production will cease leaving just filler grade?
Thanks again CK. If anything happens please update me or if you know a good source of info via the web let me know. I find it difficult to find info on St Austell and its environs. Thanks again
I live in St Dennis, and whilst the local plant (Parkandillick) seems to be unafected as yet, I know quite a few people that will be made redundant. People are fed up and worried, and those that can leave the industry seem to be doing so.
It is very worrying, and what the social fabric of these parts will be like with just the current number of layoffs, no one knows. Let alone if there are further closures. Imery's has been cutting back on the stuff that it does in the community quite a bit too. A couple of years back there was furore when they scrapped the Christmas meal or hamper or something for pensioners from the Clays.
You're right though, about how the Clay is neglected in talk about Cornwall. Cornish industrialisation is spoken of primarily in terms of mining, rather than anything that does still continue. At present the clay industry is fundamental to the mid Cornwall area, although outsiders from the locality (and that includes Cornish!) dont seem to venture here so much!
Hi Joanie, Thanks for the information. I passed through St Dennis 6 weeks ago when I was home in Cornwall. Know it well. Went out through Treviscoe and by Parkandillick, to look at where this infernal bleddy incinerator is planned for. Parkandillick is one of the major centres for production of clay, so I guess it will feel the pinch a bit.
The scale of the clay industry is something to behold, like you say and has been well, the spirit of Mid-Cornwall for a long long time.
Let's hope the changes are phased in so the effect is not too severe.
In response to Joanie, I don't know what has happened to the Cornish fighting spirit. The tin Miners in the mid eighties and late nineties fought tooth and nail for their industry and the communities they lived in fought with them. However no one seems to be fighting for the clay industry and its not just the clay: -
1. Holmans went with a whimper.
2. No one seems to want to stand up against the RDA with their plans to sterilise crofty
3. No one bats an eyelid when the County Council puts another £10 million investment it tourist attraction mines.
4. The clay cuts go largely unnoticed outside of St Austell.
The spirit has eroded and the unity between all cornish appears to have dissapeared, to be honest its a bit like divide and conquer. Until the Cornish reform as one, as we were, we will keep getting dumped on. A symbol of Cornish Unity was the rugby when 40,000 turned up on mass at Twickenham, now barely 3,000 turn up at Redruth for what is in effect a semi final.
I know what you mean Conan. Its almost as if industrial heritage is ok, but present, fully functioning industry is something of an embarresment to contemporary Cornwall and its emphasis on tourism and pretty, pretty Cornwall. Organisation to fight for industry first has to battle the bit in some people's minds that says - well if industry goes, is it such a bad thing and arn't the sand burrows ugly (I think they're wonderful but thats just me).
Its frustrating too, how the Clays are depicted. I grew up in North Cornwall, near Wadebridge, and before I moved here 7 years ago I'd heard about the Clay areas (although never visited the industrial heartlands), and thier reputation was/is pretty bad, like its a place that you really dont ever want to visit, especially on a dark night! Now I'm here I love it. There is so much going on in St Dennis, we have an annual pantomime, a thriving brass band, two football clubs, a working mans club, two pubs, loads of small community events, and the people are freindly and good to be around.
No they didn't. It was the general public and individuals unconnected with the mine that took part in the protests and demonstrations organised by Cornish activists (I should know - I was one of them!) With one or two notable exceptions, the miners themselves didn't bother to turn up.
Since then, various other Cornish orientated incidents have taken place, the most notable being when the three Cornish stannators faced British "justice" in the Truro Crown court. The absence of support from the Cornish was even less than at Crofty in 1998 and the situation as you rightly point out has deteriorated since then dramatically.
I agree entirely with your assertion that this is a manifestation of the tried and tested Establishment tactic of "divide and conquer". This is why the CSP has taken steps to prosecute the authorities in the international courts. Fortunately, that does not require a great amouint of public support.
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