ORNWALL SPECIAL ... 4-PAGE CORNWALL SPECIAL ... 4-PAGE CORNWALL SPECIAL ... 4-PAGE CORNWA
HOW much do we know about things? Well, it all depends on what that thing is. Some things – like cars, mashed potato and tropical fish – we know quite a lot about. Other things – such as ghosts, the dark side of the Moon and Higgs Bosons – are more of a mystery. But however much – or little – we know about things, we can always find out more. And this includes the county of Cornwall, because…
Cis for MOST UK counties have several cities, with some places like Yorkshire, Essex, and the West Midlands packed to the rafters with these large conurbations. But believe it or not, Cornwall has just one – the City of TRURO – which in reality is little more than a large town. And whereas most cities boast polluted ringroads, traffic congestion and drug-related crime, Truro has to make do with tranquil, clean streets, Georgian architecture, and the gentle bustle of visitors making their way to its Gothic Revival-style cathedral.
Ois for CORNWALL is famous for cream teas, ice cream, and mouth-watering pasties. But it is less well known for oranges. Nevertheless, these sweet citrus fruits are available in shops, supermarkets and market stalls all over the county, from Lizard Point in the south to Gooseham in the north. And you can purchase many other things beginning with ‘O’ throughout the county too, including oatmilk, oven mits and Old Spice aftershave.
Ris for WHEN the Romans occupied Britannia – modern day Britain – in the 1st century AD, they famously built vias (modern day roads) all around the country as far north as Caledonia (modern day Scotland). One of these vias led from the Romanus (modern day Roman) town of Isca Dumnoniorum (modern day Exeter) all the way through Cornouia (modern day Cornwall) from Nanstallon in the septentrio (modern day north) to Calstock in the meridies (modern day south).
Nis for OVER CLINT EASTWOOD, MARILYN MONROE MORGAN FREEMAN. But it is not known whether NICOLAS CAGE is included in that list. No films that Cage has appeared in – such as Face Off, National Treasure or Con Air – have been set in the county, and his Wikipedia entry fails to mention any visits he may have made there. Furthermore, our requests for definitive information from his publicity agents, Los Angeles-based Stride Management, have gone unanswered. At the time of going to press, whether or not Cage has ever stepped foot in any of Cornwall’s 1375 square miles remains a mystery, and one which shows little sign of being solved.
Wis for WHEN his father became KING CHARLES III, HRH PRINCE WILLIAM became the Prince of Wales. But not only did the lucky lad inherit the entire Welsh country from his father, he also bagged the county of CORNWALL! Overnight, the lucky youngster found he was the owner of everything from Land’s End to the Tamar river – cities, fields, woods, the lot – including Tintagel Castle, The Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Monster Slip and Slide Water Park in Bude.
Or should that be sticky strawberry jam topped with thick clotted cream? Because if you get your toppings the wrong way round, it’s a Devon Cream Tea, the coronaryartery-clogging treat made famous by Cornwall’s arch rival DEVON! But nobody, including the inhabitants of the two warring counties, can remember which is which.
LAIF THERE
CREAM TEAS!
CORNISH
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ON THE VERY tip of the Cornish peninsula lies LAND’S END,a headland which holds the record for being the most westerly point in England – at 05˚ 42’ 58” west of Greenwich. It also holds the record for being the furthest place in the UK from John O’Groats, being 603 miles as the crow flies from the famously remote northerly Scottish village. And by a strange quirk of geography, Land’s End also holds the record for being the greatest distance from itself! If you head directly west from the clifftop landmark, you’ll travel a staggering 24,901 miles until you arrive back where you set off.
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EVERYONE in Britain suffers from loose stools at one time or another, and the Cornish people are no exception. In fact, it has been estimated that at any one point, 9.6% of the Cornish population has diarrhoea, as opposed to 9.4% of the population of the country as a whole. This increased incidence of the trots in Cornwall can be put down to the locals’ higher than average consumption of shellfish, which typically live and bottom feed around the sewerage outlets near Padstow and St Mawes.