Nightmare for Cornwall

There was a UN summit in Newport a few years ago, and although it caused chaos on the roads, to local businesses etc. it did bring some much needed short term prosperity to the area, hotels were fully booked and trade was good. It was very short term though..

Daisend1. I live 15 mins drive from the airport. They landed at just before midnight. For the sake of 5 days I'm not venturing to drive that way now. The signs have been up for over a week about roads closed and the diversions. I drove to Newquay last Wednesday and Friday and the signs were up.

The Bidden motorcade had to use The Chiverton Cross Roundabout. It's pretty much every Cornwall motorist's worst nightmare. Locals were out videoing and taking photos last night. ?

Olddudders It takes 2 hours. I live mid Cornwall and the slowest part is from me to Penzance. Retired folk do move here but the majority of the housing goes into second homes. Not as bad as when I lived in Derbyshire though. It took me 3 hours to drive from north to south and that's using a motorway. A30 has been widened quite a lot up to mid point.

I recently found out that Cornwall has 13,642 empty houses. This is more than any other authority in England. The majority of these are second homes, the majority of which are holiday homes.

I have some friends with young children who live down there. They are finding it all rather exciting. It's not for long.

I have just read that President Biden has brought a smaller version of The Beast! Even that could have problems negotiating the narrow roads.

I’m sure many locals do find it all exciting, and it’s not for long.

Lucca

I’m afraid I look at it from a very simplistic view. Why have people travelling from far afield while the pandemic is still flourishing? But yes the vaccination thing is particularly wrong.

Absolutely Lucca. It’s totally ridiculous to bring people from all over the world and all over the country to do something that doesn’t need doing right at this moment. I know life must go on, but how stupid is this! At the last meeting, the pre G7 meeting, whatever that was, two members of the Indian delegation tested positive for Covid and the whole group had to go into isolation. Now we have the potential for this to happen again. Why do politicians think it’s their right to travel and do exactly what they want to despite the pandemic? We have been told not to travel to Greater Manchester and people living in Greater Manchester have been told not to travel out of Greater Manchester. We have been told not to travel to Europe. Why are these people allowed to travel from across the world, possibly bringing infections with them?

Maybe not relevant but three years ago I was at the open air Shakespeare in Regents Park -As You Like It . D was working on it and told me how they had had to stop rehearsals every time Trump’s (or Secret Service) huge helicopters flew in and out of the US Ambassador’s residence, and it wasn’t just to ferry DT in and out.
And yes it blighted the production as well. Nothing comes between world leaders, their security detail and the schedule. ?

MaizieD

It's a bit nimbyish, isn't it? International summits happen all over the world and whichever place is chosen as a venue will experience the same disruption. Why should Cornwall be any different?

Yes, 'bout time our country cousins took some of the strain off us in London!

Such a drama about nothing
apart from the american guy who has to bring bigger and better helicopters and vehicules what's the fuss about?
Cornwall will get over it in a few days.

Cornwall has very limited hospital beds and derriford (the closest large hospital in Devon) is currently overflowing (15 hour waits in A&E a few weeks ago).

Let’s hope if delta spreads within the local population there is support for treatment.

It’s the usual norm here when any president comes it’s just the same.

I live in Cornwall for quite a lot of the time and from over 40 years of experience, I'm convinced that if the entire county can find something to moan about, then it surely will. They grumble about people coming down there and then grumble when they don't. It's only for a few days, so take advantage where possible and get on with it. It's not as if it's even the school holidays so the roads won't be so bad (those that aren't blocked off..) and it's not as if the residents haven't had fair warning.

For those who want something to giggle about though, currently the Italian plane is circling Newquay airport (plane spotting OH says it's on its 4th circuit) and the German one is heading in to join it. The weather is probably to blame: I don't think anyone counted in the Cornish mizzle and sea frets.

Ellianne

^Devon and Cornwall Police are well prepared!!^

You have to be joking.

That is a very unfair comment Oopsadaisy. Do you work for the Devon and Cornwall constabulary by chance? If not, I can find many who are proud of their force and who can enlighten you.

The Chief Constable is a friend of mine and I can assure you that from what he said to us a couple of weeks ago, they are astoundingly well prepared.

Good for the fishermen? Perhaps. One young man, on the BBC news, said that security men had stopped him from going out to check his lobster pots. Have any other workers been restricted from their normal activities, I wonder.

The delta variant is a concern and I wish the G7 had not happened for that reason.
On the upside, Devon & Cornwall have had the highest vaccination uptake in the country. Having a predominantly elderly population also means less social mixing in large groups, plus the added bonus of the great outdoors. Fingers crossed.

Thank you, Paperbackwriter. I worked for the Constabulary at Middlemoor and although a whole ago now, I can assure everyone that the force has its fingers on the pulse and knows how things work on the ground and at sea. They have been preparing for this for ages.

As to the timing, I think it demonstrates that the elite have all been vaccinated, that vaccinations work and they know it. Delta variant is more infectious, yes, but not a problem for the double-jabbed. Get those vaccinations done and give us our freedom!

I think people are overlooking the point that this is one of the most important meetings in the world. They need to get together to discuss the way forward. Humanity and the planet are in serious trouble so there has to be a meeting. And at the end of the day this will bring global publicity to Cornwall and hopefully grow the tourism industry. It is one of the poorest and most deprived areas of the UK so a few days of inconvenience may well pay dividends in the long run.

And already there has been an outbreak in the Press hotel it seem.
I hope the domestic staff, who are usually young, have had the vaccine.

There were many negative comments last year from the citizens of Cornwall, who didn't want holiday makers going there and increasing the risks of covid transmittion, and there are various views on that regarding risk - v- profit. Regarding businesses benefitting or otherwise, a colleague of my sons, who has to make regular visits to Cornwall and stays there pertaining to a branch of their business in Cornwall, stays at the same venue for a modest 3-figure sum for the stay. This time the colleague was quoted, from the same venue, a 3-figure sum at the very high end of the 3 figures for the same length of stay. Their business has decided not to make that routine visit unsurprisingly, so on this occasion the hotel has lost ou, and probably on future routine bookings from my son's employer and others not impressed with that particular hike in price. BTW, their business is not something frivolous, they are an essential part of the funeral chain.

Cornwall is being shown to the world. In the long run this is brilliant for the tourist industry there. Actually it will bring tourists to neighbouring counties as well.

There’s a lot to be said for mole life and this ‘prepping’ lark, maybe I’ll resurface when it’s all over !

Totally agree, Kali2. The whole jamboree is a nonsense anyway during a pandemic.

Regarding the hospitals, apparently a small area at Treliske Hospital has been set aside in case any VIPs need to be treated, but it's not affecting the normal running.
I live about 5 miles from the airport and was hoping to see some of the planes, but it's either they've arrived at night or it's too cloudy to see any of them unfortunately. I think it's quite exciting, and not a bother at all just for a few days.

And they are discussing climate change, think about that for a minute… the irony is agonisingly awful. I’m Cornish but don’t live there at the moment, I hate what they’re doing to my County

I live in Carbis Bay. I’m currently in Somerset having escaped for the week. Lots of my friends and family are having to sit in 2 to 3 hour traffic jams in country lanes as the one main road closed, to get to their places of work and home, just trying to live their daily lives.. you are not able to drive to local Tesco you have to walk, same with local pharmacy . We have no post office except mobile which has been suspended for duration. Local school closed, car parks taken over by security. Deliveries, carers, cleaners and some local businesses closed as they are on main route that is inaccessible. All local children excited by it all but many locals angry at the expense, threat of COVID and total upheaval to our lives when it could have been conducted on zoom. We don’t need to be put on the map, we are overwhelmed by visitors already.