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John Oswin 06 May 2003 12:08 Tourism in St Ives Looking at your website for the very last time I find your attitude to
'outsiders' in St Ives quite scary. Vile Jelly 06 May 2003 18:33
Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and you're welcome to create and
run your own website to give everyone the benefit of the truth ..... as you
see it. Go on, no one's stopping you. Or if you don't like what's on my site
you can always ignore it and go to all the other interesting St. Ives sites
that reflect the world as you want to see it.
But to correct a few misconceptions:-
All e-mails that get sent get published (assuming they are not illegal or
immoral, which has never been the case to date). If you tune into next week's
update you will see your own little oeuvre and this reply reproduced as are.
As for the site being dominated by 'a few insiders talking shite', well, I
can't dictate what gets sent to me. Still, at least it's fairly cheerful and
positive stuff which is more than can be said for your contribution.
You are correct that I have moved to St. Ives from the North, anyone who has
paid attention to the site will know that I have never tried to pass myself
off as a 'born and bred' local. You are completely wrong about me owning a
house, I have and always will rented a place I couldn't afford anything down
here. The fact that I am not originally from St. Ives does not, as far as I'm
concerned, disqualify me from sharing in and highlighting the problems faced
by locals. By your logic the fact that I am over 18 and not an ethnic minority
should disqualify me from being against child abuse and racism.
House prices in the area have not 'increased like the rest of the country',
they have increased exponentially. They are not far off London prices for what
you get but we don't get London wages down here, which is what makes the price
differential such a problem.
As for scaring you out of moving down to St. Ives, I am mystified as to how
such a perspicacious chap who has exposed the sorry sham of Spooky St. Ives
can feel intimidated a few non-locals 'talking shite' on the internet. Or do
you fear the wrath of cuddly animals such as Sonic The Hedgehog? Anyway, you
seem to have developed an inability to see things on the site that don't
support your anti-SSI view. Did you perchance miss the items Sad Loser Of
The Week and When WhenIs Attack in the news bulletins of 11
April and 18
April (very kindly hyperlinked here for you)? So much for local hostility.
What people object to is not 'outsiders' who move down and try to integrate
with the community as it is but people who move down and try to re-order the
community to suit themselves. The latter has been, I believe, termed economic
colonisation. The whole point of colonisation, e.g. USA, Australia, being
that it displaces the indigenous population for the benefit of the immigrants.
Finally, since the Sloop has been around since 1312 I don't think it can be
said to be wholly dependent on tourism. Unfortunately, if there was no tourism
in St. Ives a lot of people would love their jobs .... their wonderful minimum
wage jobs. But on the other hand, faced with mass unemployment in the county,
maybe even Tony and his London jet-set chums would have to get off their
ministerial arses and actually do something. As coincidence would have it, I
have just returned from the dentist after a spot of dental difficulty. The
trip has cost me the best part of a week's wages because I had to go private.
I had to go private because the waiting list to get registered with an NHS
dentist is so long that the Cambridge University has sent a top research
team down from the Theoretical Quantum Physics department to try and
measure it. (Apparently, it extends in at least four dimensions and possibly
more). As far as I'm concerned 'the money from tourism' issue is just
something dragged out to excuse government from the chore of creating
stable, long-term employment in Cornwall.
So, there.
PS. Do you know what an emmet is? (As in literally. Work that out, work out
why tourists are given that nickname and then you'll be able to work out
exactly how much we'll miss your singular presence).
PPS. Had a number of visiting Spookyists down over Easter and the Bank
holiday. Was busy in the kitchen most of the time so only managed to get a few
brief words in but they seemed alright, they seemed to think I was alright and
a reasonable time seemed to be had by all. Which was also alright. And I don't
recall any of them getting stoned to death or even savaged by cuddly
hedgehogs. So, why not tighten your sphincter and try it yourself?
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