Tinned Wind?

True but strange. The famous Crown Mines at Botallack, or to be more precise, their underground/undersea tunnels have been identified as one of the best sites for a scheme to try to generate electrickery from Atlantic waves (of which we have many).

The mines at Botallack (pictured in the feature on my continuing treks along the Coastal Path not published due to popular demand as being just more stuff about my walks) are one of the more spectacular and frequently photographed manifestations of Cornish tin minery. As with most of the tin mines on the coast the actual workings go out under the sea and it has been discovered that the wave motion in the lower flooded areas causes strong two-way surges of wind which can reach over 100 metres per second. Now some bright spark has devised a two-way wind turbine that can harness this wind motion to generate electrickery.

Now, if we can just find some way of storing the electrickery in tins .....

Net Prophets

The evil that is the Tate Organisation appears once more to be trying to stick its tentacles in the ruination of St. Ives. Regulars, groupies and connoisseurs of the St. Ives arts scene will be aware of the significance of the Porthmeor Studios, lair of many an artist including the legendary Hyman Segal.

The studios now need some serious renovation, which is a good thing, but at the back end of last year rumours began to circle like vultures that the current occupants would be forced out due to ruinous rent increases, which would then leave the place available for any passing organisation that might just be wanting to expand its operations in St. Ives. The fact that the studios are earned by a Trust whose chairman just happens to be one Sir Nicholas Serota, a leading field marshal of Oberkommando Tate.

The resident artists have (supposedly) been assured that they will not be driven out but no such assurance has been given to the fishermen who use the net lofts in the studios, oddly enough to mend their nets. A spokesgauleiter for the Tate has said that the fishermen will be given the option to come back when the renovation is complete but the Trust would have the sole decision as to where they went, how much space they'd be allocated and what rent would be charged.

A local fisherman who has rented a net loft for over 20 years claimed that the Tate wanted to force them out so that the space could be converted into a cafe and issued an 'over my dead body' statement. A spokesflunky for the Tate declined to comment on the cafe plan, while ordering two Danish pastries and a cup of cappuccino as soon as the Netloft Bistro was up and running!

It Won't Be All White On The Night

In order to prevent further futile electric mail communications, it is not snowing in St. Ives. Yes, I'm sure it's snowing everywhere else but it is not snowing in St. Ives. IT NEVER SNOWS IN ST. IVES!

Thank you.

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