Sick of some Cornish people bleating on as though they are the worlds only tourist destination

[Endlesssummer2022]

Just read the article below and found a few gems such as these:

’ have you ever wondered where the local people live? Or have you noticed that many of your holiday neighbours are recognisable in the narrow lanes of the pretty fishing villages because they are the same people you live near in London?’

and…

‘Despite what you may have read, we Cornish do welcome visitors and are happy to share our love of our land with you. But it might help if you do a bit of research – Cornwall is fiercely independent and has a proud and unique history and heritage…* *And try not to be rude to local people. If you’ve been asked to not drink from a glass bottle on the beach, there is a reason for that. Don’t forget to tip waiting staff. ‘

What patronising bollocks. So Londoner’s (as those are apparently the only people who visit Cornwall) are so untraveled and boorish we need to be told not to be rude to people, pay tips, not to smash glass bottles in sand, that we’ve bought all of their houses, that it’s ‘their’ land and we’re the ones who are rude?

I’d already decided I wouldn’t go back there after how some of them carried on during Covid but this article has pissed me off. Why would anyone go there when they can go to equally lovely places in the UK/World and not be treated with contempt?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/29/welcome-to-cornwall-please-dont-ruin-it-for-us-local-people

It's the same in any tourist destination. I live in North Wales and apart from the horrendous traffic that stops us going about our daily lives, people do abuse the place because they don't have to live there.

I live in Cornwall

It's little thing like walking in the middle of the road ... you wouldn't do that in London why do it here? Ok pavements aren't as common but shuffle in a bit yes there's brambles and stingers but they were as much as car

Dogs - pick up their shit . Not saying locals always do but we do when your 2m from a pop bin

It's realising that seagulls are bastards and shouldn't be fed .

It's making sure that you don't leave litter on your plot when you leave the campsite or beach

It's learning how to reverse around a corner or into a field entrance before coming down. Once saw a Chelsea tractor cause a lot of damage to his wing mirror and a wall because he refused to reverse against a caravan.

It's obeying the bylaws when it's says not suitable for vehicles and not following the satnav regardless

I think a lot of the antagonism probably comes from the fact that some Londoners have bought second homes in Cornwall. House prices have gone through the roof and locals can't afford to buy them as a result. I don't blame them.

Who is selling them though?

Lizzt2007, that happens everywhere

I’ve never experienced rudeness from locals in Cornwall but maybe because I have an overseas accent. Though I have lived in London for decades so I am the target audience that they apparently dislike.
What I don’t get though is why it is so popular in the first place - the planning decisions have really let the place down and some of the monstrosities built along the coast (drab medium rise apartment blocks) wouldn’t even be allowed in London not to mention a part of the U.K. coastline that is supposedly beautiful. It is a victim of its own success sadly.

Shakeyourfeathers, you sound friendly

Place is stunning, always find locals lovely.
However, the holiday camps are rammed with people from the midlands and north west, flying nationalistic flags above the tents & making their kids miss school as it's 50 quid cheaper that week. Plenty of tattooed 35-yr old grandmothers among them, too. Can't imagine they contribute much to local economy.

Sad to read some of the posts on here.
I grew up in Cornwall and all my family are still down there, I was the first to leave for generations.
My family certainly don’t look down on tourists but, like any population of people, some can be a nightmare.
West Cornwall in particular is really poor. Traditional industries are no longer there. I come from families of farmers but there is no real money in it anymore that makes up for the gruelling and relentless work.
so yes, Cornwall relies on tourist money and I can understand why that might be hard for some locals to take when they see what’s happened to their once thriving communities. Who see the growing drug problems and town centres being boarded up.
I miss the days of big family gatherings in the old granite farmhouses and hearing Cornish tales on feast days - but things have moved on.
Of my friends that stayed in Cornwall, they really love living there, are really proud of being Cornish and the history. You’d have to have that connection to not move away to find a decent paying job, and don’t get me started on how many have managed to get on the property ladder.
So maybe they find it especially grating when some tourists don’t treat the place with respect.
I love Cornwall (and the Cornwall that was) but, sadly, couldn’t live there anymore.
I really hope that it’s a minority of people that have a bad experience down there.
and I don’t understand the comments about there being bad food - so many good places to eat, especially during tourist season.
this has really made me reminisce and feel a bit sad about how times have moved on.

Not keen on the whole Cornish vibe - visited 20 years ago with the kids - it was fine enough but there's so many other lovely places to visit there's no need to return to somewhere we need to apologise for visiting. We won't be going back - try Norfolk, they are nowhere near as chippy.

So go nowhere or do nothing and very Saturday? Really?

@Paq Whilst Bait is a better film, surely its whole premise is “you’re taking our houses, jobs and dignity away from us”? It’s deeply unfavourable towards tourism.

Someone needs to ask them if they’ve ever heard about what happened to the coal fields of Yorkshire and the North East

I try to be 😁

And 'affordable' is rarely that. Somebody local working in a local tourist attraction, hospitality, etc, still won't be able to afford the 'affordable' property.

It’s a weird attitude, I grew up in a seaside touristy town in Ireland (Tramore if anyone cares). Tourism provided me and all my siblings with summer / weekend jobs from the age of 15. It provided jobs year for some of my colleagues. Yes some tourist customers were rude but some customers are always rude!

I think the Cornish people shouldn’t bite the hand that’s feeding them!

Also, only the Americans ever really tipped 😂

Since the children were small we have visited Beachside holiday park in Hayle Cornwall. It is wonderful, a glorious beach and the people who run it are friendly and welcoming.

Two years ago we decided to go to another part of Cornwall for a change. Despite being quiet and unassuming and spending a vast amount of money, the hostility and rudeness from the locals was actually very unpleasant. We won't go back. Apart from lovely Beachside.

*every

I went once and wouldn't return. Too expensive and not enough space. I like the beaches better in the north east. Agree about that article OP, she sounds like really hard work!

@FrostyFifi yes you’re correct. It’s better in the Autumn. The locals’ attitudes I mean.

It's realising that seagulls are bastards and shouldn't be fed

@ShakeYourFeathers

Two summers ago, Brighton beach cafe.

French family were sitting at the next table.

Decided, against advice!, to give chip to starving lone seagull.

The next part was like Hitchcock on speed.

I used to holiday in Devon & Cornwall as a child and I liked it but don’t really get the hype. Northumberland is better and probably takes about the same time from London because the roads into the south west are so shit.

Honestly locals don't own an area anymore than visitors do. We live in a coastal area where there is a massive increase in visitors during the nice weather. Local carparks are rammed, we don't have the place to ourselves but so what! others have as much right to be there as we do.

I loathe the do this and don't do that as monologued upthread, just myob! Imagine if city dwellers started giving country bumpkins a list of instructions. It's mental.

We’ve visited every Easter since 1998 but haven’t since Covid. The anti Tourist news articles I suppose sunk in and we didn’t feel welcome. We ve since been to many UK marvellous places. Not busy, great beaches and welcoming.

The cottage we used to stay in no longer lets out for holidays either. Now the owners just use it when they visit. ( they don’t live in London ! )

If Cornwall don’t want tourists, fine. There are plenty of other places to visit that welcome the income and are happy for you to be there.

I live in a small town which gets lots of tourists due to some famous vets.
I work in hospitality and tips are very welcome but we would never expect it!

😬😬

It's just using common sense

I'm sure it's not limited to just Cornwall and I'm sure it's that thing of 1% ruining it for the other 99%. And I'm lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

Fwiw to the person up thread my favourite time of year is May/ June & very start of July time. Half term is busy but your not sick of the busyness yet. And the weather is getting warmer and it's just lovely. But the rest of those months it's pretty lovely

Not people from the Midlands and NorthWest 🤯