The school summer holiday season is drawing to a close, and August Bank Holiday is almost upon us. Matt Hancock was one of many hundreds of thousands to travel down here from up country earlier this month:
The effect on Covid-19 cases here in North Cornwall is all too evident. The Camelford and Davidstow area is now in the top category for cases:
However we are still a long way behind Newquay East, which today broke the 2,000 cases per 100,000 people per week barrier:
Here once again is the “heat map” showing the age distribution of cases across Cornwall as a whole for the current wave of Covid-19:
The upper limit on the 7 day “rolling rate” legend really requires updating. In the 15-19 age group the rate has now reached 5,080.6. For 20-24 year olds it is 2,419.4.
As reported recently, Tremail based artist Kasia Turajczyk is currently exhibiting some of her paintings at Camelford Gallery. Ms Turajczyk is an extremely versatile artist who draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources, resulting in very different styles of painting as can be seen from the pictures below.
This morning the after effects are still affecting our beaches, as can be seen via the Surfers Against Sewage Safer Seas Service map:
Currently Bude and Widemouth Bay still have green ticks, but a bit further south there are numerous sewage pollution alerts from Polzeath down to Newquay and beyond.
We commented yesterday on the current outbreak of Covid-19 cases further west in Cornwall than Davidstow, and suggested that the cause may be the recent G7 Summit in St. Ives, which finished on Sunday.
Here is yesterday’s map:
Together with a “heatmap” showing the age distribution of cases across Cornwall as a whole:
The far right of the image suggests that during this so called “third wave” of Covid-19 cases, the 15 to 24 age range has been the hardest hit. Possibly that’s because this section of the population has yet to be vaccinated?
The official data for June 10th have also just been released, and this is how the latest map looks:
Truro, Redruth and Mevagissey are no longer pure white, as they were on June 9th. A total of 27 cases in St. Ives doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s an enormous percentage increase on the previous 7 days.
The swell was onshore and the wind was light and sometimes offshore along the North Cornwall coast on Sunday 13th June:
Hence we headed to the coast for an afternoon bodyboarding session at Watergate Bay, which also allowed us to wave goodbye to some of the global leaders departing these shores at the conclusion of the 2021 G7 Summit:
Pics from our #surfing session at #Watergate Bay yesterday, as our assorted lords and masters flew out of #Newquay Airport.
The police were friendly, although not local by the sound of it. Almost apologetic as we left.
The G7 summit ended with rich nations reaffirming their goal to limit global heating to 1.5C, and agreeing to protect and restore 30% of the natural world by the end of this decade, but failing to provide the funds experts say will be needed to reach such goals.
Boris Johnson badly needed a successful G7 deal on climate finance to pave the way for vital UN climate talks, called Cop26, to be held in Glasgow this November. Climate finance is provided by rich countries to developing nations, to help them cut greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the impacts of climate breakdown, and was supposed to reach $100bn a year by 2020, but has fallen far short.
Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace, said: “The G7 have failed to set us up for a successful Cop26, as trust is sorely lacking between rich and developing countries.”
Without stronger commitments on climate finance, Johnson will face an uphill struggle in getting support for any Cop26 deal from the developing world, who make up the majority of countries at the UN climate talks and who will make or break any deal there.
The prime minister was left to re-announce previously allocated cash, in the form of a £500m blue planet fund for marine conservation, already set out last year, while the other G7 members refused to stump up funds. About $2bn is to be provided to help countries phase out coal-fired power generation, but it is not clear whether this is new money.
The action was part of an ongoing series of protests leading up to the G7 summit to be held nearby, featuring Boris Johnson sharing intimate quality-time in Cornwall with a Fossil Fuel Buddy. The celebrity pair were seen sitting on deck-chairs as the sun rose and a boat burned in the bay, billowing black smoke, across its sail inscribed ‘Your Children’s Future.’
Protestors say the scene represents the UK government’s total lack of purpose to do anything to combat the catastrophic climate change, ocean acidification and biodiversity loss that will devastate all our futures and leave a dead ocean for future generations. Ocean Rebellion members say the UK government must make the ocean a priority at the G7, and want politicians to distance themselves from the fossil fuel industry. They demand all governments cease subsidies to shipping and begin to tax shipping fuel. They demand the fleet is furloughed until a full and open investigation of world fish stocks is completed, with all fisher folk to receive full pay using a tax on commercial shipping fuel. Ocean Rebellion members say the UK government must make genuine action on climate & nature the priority at the G7. The time for posturing is over.
Sophie Miller of Ocean Rebellion said: “Countless young people have already decided not to have children because the future they will face is simply too hard. With extreme weather already afflicting many people, crop-yields are failing and food shortages are leading to conflict, forced migration and famine. Our disregard of the Ocean has led to a catastrophic decline in fish stocks, with many crucial habitats totally destroyed.”
Rob Higgs added: “This is an emergency. Ocean Rebellion is appealing to the G7 to wake up, join the dots, and take immediate action: Marine habitat destruction is causing elevated levels of atmospheric CO2. For instance, UK bottom trawling dragging heavy weights along the seabed to catch fish] generates emissions equivalent to 13% of UK terrestrial emissions.”…
According to a new article on her web site Tremail based artist Kasia Turajczyk is currently exhibiting some of her paintings at The Camelford Gallery:
I am back to the active and creative part of myself. I am back at my studio. The weather is getting better, warmer. I am back in front of the easel and back at my drawing desk.
I have delivered a few old and new paintings to The Camelford Gallery, in the centre of Camelford at 23 Market Place.
The gallery is full of exciting paintings in oil, acrylics, watercolours, drawings, graphics and prints. If you are in Cornwall at the moment or planning a holiday this year, you should try hard to visit the gallery.
Kasia concludes by saying:
It doesn’t have the usual holiday-like-boats-trashy-images. If you seriously appreciate quality art, The Camelford Gallery is the perfect place for you.
I’ll try to translate that for you. If you’re visiting Cornwall and you want to buy pictures of fishing boats bobbing up and down on a cerulean blue ocean then go to St. Ives, preferably before or after the forthcoming G7 Summit at Carbis Bay. However if you fancy some more substantial artistic fare then come to Camelford instead!
By way of example, here is one of Kasia’s water colours with a bit of blue in the background:
Just over a month ago we reported that North Cornwall had experienced a very dry April. Today we are compelled to report that North Cornwall has experienced a very damp May!
The forthcoming summit of the G7 nations is taking place on the north coast of Cornwall, just down the road from Davidstow . According to the G7 UK web site:
In June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will welcome fellow G7 leaders to one of the most beautiful parts of the UK: Carbis Bay in Cornwall.
Other parts of the region will also play a key role in the Summit, including neighbouring St Ives, Falmouth and Newquay airport.
With over 400 miles of coastline, Cornwall’s stunning landscape provides a perfect setting for world leaders to come together and discuss how to respond to global challenges like coronavirus and climate change.
Here’s one of my recent pictures of some of that coastline, including part of Cornwall’s industrial heritage and some large waves!
Cornwall Council has recently issued guidance about the G7 summit, which is likely to be of interest to both residents and visitors to the area over the next couple of weeks. Here it is:
Devon and Cornwall force expect challenges ranging from foreign leaders’ security to gull attacks on drones.
The police force in charge of law and order at the G7 summit in Cornwall has said it faces challenges ranging from the “tricky” business of liaising with foreign leaders’ security details to not wrecking people’s holidays – and stopping gulls from attacking their drones.
Devon and Cornwall police, which is leading the operation for next month’s summit, said officers, backed by military planners and intelligence agencies, would patrol from the land, air and sea to keep the event safe.
On Tuesday it allowed reporters to watch firearms officers going through their paces and drone pilots practising their skills as final preparations were made for the largest operation in its history.
Officers fired Heckler and Koch G36 carbines and Glock pistols in an indoor range at the force’s headquarters in Exeter. They will also have access to a range of other equipment including baton rounds, typically used in riot control, Taser stun guns, smoke and stun grenades and incapacitant spray.
It probably makes sense to stay away from those areas over the long weekend of the G7 event, unless you have a particular reason to go there? Surfing Watergate Bay certainly looks to be fraught with difficulty!
