Golowan - better than Glastonbury?

When 18-year-old Ben Clunie was elected the new Mock Mayor of Penzance on Wednesday night, he proclaimed Golowan was “better then Glastonbury”. He is two years younger then the festival itself, and most of his friends had made their way to Somerset to watch Dizzee Rascal, Muse et al, yet he was in no doubt just how important this event was to his home town. And after witnessing the Mazey Day for the first time this weekend myself, I have to say that I’m inclined to agree.
For many of the 50,000 people who took to the streets over the weekend, Glastonbury and even England’s disastrous World Cup defeat were something of a sideshow. The event, celebrating its 20th year as a modern revival of the old Feast of St John, was a fantastic display of community involvement with everyone in the town playing their part. Dozens of local performers, hundreds of volunteers and thousands of schoolchildren had put their heart and soul into the week-long celebrations, culminating in the spectacular bustling Mazey Day parades on Saturday and the more leisurely Quay Fair event on the promenade on Sunday.

I’ll resist the temptation to compare Mazey Day to Rio Carnival, but it was seriously a sight to behold. The giant images, particularly these sea horses from Graham Jobbins and Mounts Bay School, alongside multi-coloured bugs, sea creatures, snakes, pirates and, courtesy of Trythall School, the largest collection of Cornish Choughs you’re likely to see in one place at the same time were incredible. Market Jew Street, free of traffic and full of stalls and people was transformed into Carnaby Street, or something even better.

Even the England game failed to keep thousands away from the promenade the following day for Quay Fair Day, with Penzance’s new synchronized swimming team, The Jubilees, splashing into the art deco pool for their second stunning display, local restaurant workers battling it out in the inaugural Waiters’ Race and a wonderful performance in PZ Gallery by the 50 Degrees Choir, before the gallery turned into an unusual venue to watch the game on the big screen.

Fireworks, a torchlight procession, the Mazey Ball, bands in the Ritz and the Acorn, street music and displays, impromptu gigs and performances and smiling faces everywhere made for a week to remember in the town. The community spirit which pulled together so many people and allowed such a wonderful event to be put together on a shoestring made me proud to be in Penzance. There are fears that after recent budget cuts from Cornwall Council it could face even further funding difficulties next year. I hope those with any influence witnessed this year’s event and will make sure it gets the support it deserves. Better than Glastonbury? I know where I’d rather be…

A difficult decision to make

The increasingly bitter debate over Penzance Harbour reaches another important milestone tomorrow. Three months after the strategic planning committee voted against the listed building consent for a combined freight and passenger terminal, those same plans are returned to the table. It seems absurd that just because the decision didn't go in its favour, Cornwall Council would bring the plans back again, with no change, until the 'right' decision was made, but that's exactly what seems to be happening.
It's impossible to tell how the committee will vote tomorrow, but the momentum in the build-up to this vote certainly seems to have shifted. While the December 2009 vote came in the wake of a huge campaign against Option A by the Friends of Penzance Harbour, it seems it's the opposite side who are running the most vociferous campaign now.
Mike Waters, from the Chamber of Commerce, has helped set up the 'True Friends of Penzance and the Isles Of Scilly', attracting thousands of signatures to his petition to save the sea link. Meanwhile, a second group of local businessmen have set up the Facebook group, 'A Future for Penzance', which has also gathered more than 3,500 'fans'.
Many have argued this is evidence of a shift in the attitudes of local people to the harbour. And perhaps they're right. But with the Falmouth gun to their head, it's hard to tell whether people actually like Option A or whether they'd just accept anything that kept the sea link in Penzance for fear of ruining the town.
But there is an alternative. MP Andrew George has helped another new group, the Penzance Business Network, draw up Option PZ. The plan was officially unveiled last Wednesday to a packed audience in the Methodist Church on Chapel Street. It was said to be an extremely positive meeting and the plans, for all the criticism that they've been thrown together in a few weeks, were reportedly very well received. They would involve a big compromise from both sides, but it's that sort of compromise that could be necessary to move forward.
Unfortunately, Cornwall Council is still insisting it's Option A or nothing. So will the committee agree to Option A on this basis? Is it too late for any other plans? If councillors are told that to vote against Option A would signal the end of the historic sea link between Penzance and Scilly, would they really be prepared to vote against it on the off-chance that another plan, labelled by some 'Pipedream PZ', might just get off the ground?
It's a really difficult decision to make. I hope those involved can see through the spin to the real truths and make the right decision for the town. We need to repair the divisions that have opened up and unite Penzance again. And keep this sea link where it should be - in our town.

Tweetally ridiculous to criticise

Arguably the most interesting local authority debate for years was started this week by an article on
www.thisiscornwall.co.uk on the self-proclaimed "Twitter Gang" of Cornwall Council. Cllrs Alex Folkes, Andrew Wallis, Steve Double, Jeremy Rowe and Rob Nolan had been labelled the "naughty schoolboys" of the council after it was revealed they had been tweeting from meetings.

Now, as a newbie tweeter myself, I was fascinated to see how this debate went. And it seems people have been really upset by it. Yes, it was childish to make fun of the chairman and ignore her instruction to turn off their mobiles. But it was also quite funny. And actually, I think many of the positive results of their tweets have been overlooked by people who think councillors should just be sitting, nodding, jeering and shaking their heads at meetings on their behalfs.

On Monday, I was actually following Cllr Andrew Wallis as he posted regular Twitter updates on the discussion in Cabinet about the future of Penzance Harbour. At no point did he give an opinion on what was taking place (his position on the strategic planning committee would have made it difficult for him to openly comment), he just gave a straight report of what was going on in occasional one-liners from his Twitter account. And I, for one, thought it was brilliant. I felt as though I was almost part of that meeting because I could find out what was going on in real-time.

He described himself as a "sort of at the scene Twitter reporter" in his blog later that day. And that's exactly what he was. Like millions of others across the world who are starting to inform the future of news through social media in this way, he was reporting what he saw and heard and informing the public. Now, I won't go into the debate over what effect these so-called "Twitter reporters" might have on newspapers as I'll be here all night. But I will say that I think keeping people informed in this way - or any other - can only be a good thing.

As for the audience for these "Twitterers", well it will have got a whole lot bigger with our recent stories. And the bigger this audience gets, the more worthwhile their tweets become.

The reason it's got everyone's knickers in a tweet is because it sits against the usual image of stuffy local politicians. But I am struggling to see how we can really criticise a group of councillors who are actually making an effort to create a more accessible face of politics. Surely if they can find a way to engage the "Big Brother" generation and anyone else who wants to be informed, that should only be applauded.

Penzance Harbour poll - a "complete farce"?

Penzance Harbour. It's been the biggest issue facing this town since I joined The Cornishman six months ago. And it shows no signs of being resolved. Every week the paper is bombarded with letters on the subject and every week the story takes another turn. (To see a little of what I'm talking about, log on to www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/penzanceharbour - I promise not to mention this subject too often!)
Now, I feel there's been ample opportunity for people to make their views heard on this subject. And they have - in several public meetings; in a Cornishman vote; and in a strategic planning committee, which saw the plans for a combined freight and passenger terminal rejected. But, in light of threats by Cornwall Council that if Penzance did not get its act together and bring back the latter proposal, known as Option A, the Isles of Scilly sea link could move to Falmouth, we decided to see whether people in Penzance had changed their minds.
The words "can" and "worms" spring to mind. For campaigners have allegedly asked all of their contacts to persuade their friends, family members and in turn their contacts to vote against Option A. There is, of course, nothing to stop anyone voting, but if, as alleged, many of those contacts are outside the county, the result is unlikely to be an accurate reflection of feeling in Penzance. And as such, with the votes standing at 30% in favour of Option A and 70% in favour of looking at alternative options, the poll has been dismissed by one councillor as a "complete farce".
So what next? How do we truly gauge public opinion on this? Is an internet poll representative of public feeling? The Chamber of Commerce took to the streets this weekend with a petition in favour of Option A and gathered more than 700 signatures. But they say, like the council, that there is no alternative to Option A and therefore gave people no alternative. So is this an accurate reflection of public opinion? Or is it what people will accept when left with nothing else?
It's hard to see where this will all end. All I want to see is the best solution for Penzance. If everyone would sit down together and talk about this in a rational and calm manner, then maybe we could find a way forward for the good of this town.