Climate change & Helston Flora day.

[Graham Easterling]

Forget sea level rise, this is a serious consequence of climate change. There are 2 flowers associated with Helston Flora Day (normally 8th May). 

1. Bluebells. They have tended to be well over in several more recent years, and in west Cornwall they are mostly over already. 

2. Lily of the Valley, which worn during the dances, is simply not flowering and is extremely hard to come by. Possibly due to lack of rain at a critical time? People are having to resort to buying plastic versions, a sad state of affairs.

Graham

Penzance

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

Up here we don't get the extensive Bluebell woods that occur (or used to) in southern England.  Bluebells are often open hillside flowers in north Scotland.

But there are a few patches of woodland Bluebells.   Today at Cawdor.

Jack

[Freddie]

"All hail, Jack! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"

Sorry Jack, couldn't resist a Macbeth quote!

On Monday, 28 April 2025 at 20:41:30 UTC+1 jack.h...@gmail.com wrote:

Up here we don't get the extensive Bluebell woods that occur (or used to) in southern England.  Bluebells are often open hillside flowers in north Scotland.

But there are a few patches of woodland Bluebells.   Today at Cawdor.

Jack

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, 29 April 2025 at 11:30:07 UTC+1 Freddie wrote:

"All hail, Jack! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"

Sorry Jack, couldn't resist a Macbeth quote!

 

A guide at Cawdor Castle said that he regrets what Shakespeare did for the place. 

It's all that visitors - especially Americans - ever want to talk about 

Jack

[Graham Easterling]

Similar experience here, but nothing of Shakespeare's genius involved.

Back around 1970 there was a famous folf club at Botallack, in the old counting house of the Botallack mine. At that time Botallack mine was shut, but a couple of miles away Geevor was still operational. As well as many miners, some well known artists appeared. Davey Johnson who ended up in Elton Johns backing band, including lead guitar on Yellow Brick Road, then there was Steeleye Span, Mike Chapman, Jasper Corrot, Decameron etc. So mining and singing summed the place up. 

Then the National Trust came along. The last time I went to the Count House, and it will be the last, it was the inevitable NT tea towel cafe. But far worse was to come, nothing about it's actual history. NO, the other end of the building was dedicated to Poldark, including a directors chair. 

That's the NT for you, everything designed for a certain demographic. Like turning a field at Bedruthan Steps into a coach park & "Audio Visual Experiance". Christ, just look at the f*****g view. Who needs an tea towel and audio visual experience. 

Still, weatherwise the temperature's just exceeded the 20.2C recorded early in the month, the earliest date I'd recorded >20C in the last 34 years.

Graham

Penzance

[Len]

You need an audio visual experience when it's hammering down with rain outside.

22.7C here in my garden today.

April record is 24.6C on 21st in 2018

Len

Wembury

[Graham Easterling]

Some us rather enjoy the genuine wild audio visual experience. Sennen Feb '22 The new lifeboat roof peels off.

 

[Graham Easterling]

I would like to add, that nobody was hurt and that the lifeboat remained fully operational. The lesson that a roof that peels off might be OK on a sports centre where a local authority is trying to cut costs, but not so in such an exposed location, has hopefully been taken on board. It was the only damage in the cove.

A friend of mine who lives above the shop opposite certainly heard it!

Graham

Penzance