West Country this Summer?

[Bluetack42]

I'm not impressed if someone who presumably likes Falmouth is put off the place and people for good when he's not been there to experience anything for himself. Presumably he hasn't been there to experience any of the antipathy he claims for the last 3 months, so why does he believe it exists? (he was not allowed to be there by UK-wide government rules, don't blame us locals). I have the same issue with a cottage I have in Scotland - goodness knows when I'll be allowed to visit - but it doesn't make me dislike the place or say the people are suddenly unfriendly.

I am one of the majority of second home owners who have obeyed the rules & stayed away, but its not difficult to keep up to date with the local sentiment. Cornwall Live as mentioned by atol above is a more extreme example, local Facebook groups give a consistent negative vibe of how the locals are feeling, the pattern is that the misbehavior of a few second home owners is cited & rapidly degenerates into a more general gripe about the negative impact on the community they have. Reading this stuff opens ones eyes to the depth to which a significant number of people hold these feelings, perhaps hidden in more normal times, but broadcast now to give an aura of hostility intended to keep outsiders away.

I contrast this with the behavior of similar groups in the Solent who have no such hostility, which is why I intend to relocate There

 

[chriss999]

Second homes are fine up to a point. Over a certain concentration) various views on what concentration) most agree that they undermine the local economy, rather than enhance it. But really this is a separate issue.

For the OP, I suspect that visitors the SW will find the place and people as delightful as ever. Though nobody can guarantee the weather or guarantee no resurgence of covid.
Maybe bring more stores.

 

[zoidberg]

I get my attitudes to emmits from watching 'Doc Martin' episodes. Them's all proper jobs.....

 

[MJWF]

I'm surprised anyone goes to Cornwall for the warm welcome - the cornishmen i know (my father was raised near Bodmin) delight in being grumpy and mildly xenophobic (of those from London). It's part of their charm - you go to Cornwall for the geography (and clotted cream).

 

[Tintin]

you should read Cornwall Live,who have been doing their best to stoke resentment in Cornwall over all contentious issues,especially visitors and second home owners etc,the comment section is equally revealing.
basically clickbait,and copy n' paste journalism online and on facebook.
it is no wonder there is resentment,but it generates income for them and the hacks that work there.
Council leader backs and praises Black Lives Matter protesters

I've given up looking at it, gutter journalism.

 

[GTom]

Talking to the HM at Yarmouth last week (cancelling a rally) the issues is contamination of guard rails. Current advice is the virus can live on the wire for 3 days.

That one probably depends on sunshine.

 

[lw395]

I am one of the majority of second home owners who have obeyed the rules & stayed away, but its not difficult to keep up to date with the local sentiment. Cornwall Live as mentioned by atol above is a more extreme example, local Facebook groups give a consistent negative vibe of how the locals are feeling, the pattern is that the misbehavior of a few second home owners is cited & rapidly degenerates into a more general gripe about the negative impact on the community they have. Reading this stuff opens ones eyes to the depth to which a significant number of people hold these feelings, perhaps hidden in more normal times, but broadcast now to give an aura of hostility intended to keep outsiders away.

I contrast this with the behavior of similar groups in the Solent who have no such hostility, which is why I intend to relocate There

If you think there is no antipathy to second home owners in the Solent area, I think you are wrong.
Perhaps similarly to Cornwall a significant number of 'DFLs' (down from London) have behaved poorly, disregarding the rules which most of the locals have been obeying, often at great personal expense. Likewise I know a fair number of people in Brighton and around, people are fairly p'd off with second home owners and day trippers just the same.
I'm not sure the people who are most annoyed are 'local locals' who were born there, the annoyance is felt quite keenly by people who've moved into the area to work or retire. I got a takeaway the other night, I suggested to JP, the man in the curry house, he must be pleased business was picking up a bit, he was quite cutting about the weekend visitors.
It's not like the people rushing to the coast are the ones who've been cooped up in a high rise for the past couple of months.
Personally I just keep my head down at weekends at the moment.

 

[jdc]

I've given up looking at it, gutter journalism.

+1.

Nobody I meet feels or acts like that, it's really just trolling.

 

[Tintin]

+1.

Nobody I meet feels or acts like that, it's really just trolling.

I make a point of not meeting or chatting with anyone that acts like a lot of their commenters ??

 

[Solent sailer]

I'll let you know about Brittany, I'm off down to my boat on Sunday !

Will be really interesting to hear how you find it.

 

[dehlerdave]

Tourists who visit when infection rates and R values suggest the risk is tolerable and who contribute positively to the local economies will always be welcomed.
Second home owners who have priced locals out of the market and made schools, lifeboats, fire stations, communities etc unviable, who pay reduced council tax levels and who contribute little to local economies and who reportedly(by the BBC) registered their second homes as businesses and then rushed for business support grants early in lockdown may not be seen in the same light. Not saying the OP fits any or all of that but perception is the basis of ill feeling.

 

[Sandy]

It took a while for the penny to drop..... must be an age thing!

However I do know a 'Royal' or two, and I reckon they'd ALL love a play with one of them - especially if they can do a 'brew up' inside.

Not an age thing! You will need to have seen the Imperial Scout Walker and be a Star Wars fan to understand the comment, I have a very dry, typically Scottish sense of humour.

Its quite small you might fit somebody inside but no room for a brew.

 

[Sandy]

Gordon Ramsey, the TV chef, did second home owners no favours by moving his whole entourage to Cornwall then posting lots of stuff on Instagram, rather than keep under the radar.

 

[GTom]

Not miserable, just realistic. I can't speak.for Devon (they do their scones and pasties all wrong ) but in Cornwall, with one hospital that is almost permanently on black alert in a normal winter, it just won't cope with a summer surge of visitors right now (I think the increase in height of summer is normally 5x) and heaven forbid a second wave of c19.

We also have an much older population than other parts of the UK, and a much higher level of poverty, so a second wave will disproportionately hit us here.

And with a much reduced level of beach safety cover, and the whole issue of social distancing for rescue services, the last thing we need is a bunch of weekend solent sailors down here.

Sorry, sounds harsh I know, you call it miserable, I and others call it realistic and pragmatic.

I wonder why there is no Cornish lockdown then in every flu season? Flu comes from London too...

 

[Bluetack42]

Second home owners who have priced locals out of the market and made schools, lifeboats, fire stations, communities etc unviable, who pay reduced council tax levels and who contribute little to local economies and who reportedly(by the BBC) registered their second homes as businesses and then rushed for business support grants early in lockdown may not be seen in the same light. Not saying the OP fits any or all of that but perception is the basis of ill feeling.

Your wording can be interpreted in two ways; either all second home owners have done the things you list & are then to be despised, or just a few have. This second home owner is upset that the broad base of the local population chose the first interpretation and are lumping all second home owners in the same (first) bucket, which is patently not fair or correct. That is why this second home owner and anecdotally many others ( check out Rightmove) are off.

on your point about pricing locals out of the market, every second home owner purchase is either a willing sale by a local or several hundred thousands pumped into the local building trade. But most significantly, the overwhelming benefit second home owners have for very many locals is inflate the value of their property, just imagine a blanket ban on all second home purchases tomorrow. The locals should be careful what they wish for, one of the consequences of the get rid of second home owners from Cornwall mantra will be a property price collapse & widespread negative equity, the local economy minus second homes certainly cannot sustain the current market prices.

 

[coveman]

I wonder why there is no Cornish lockdown then in every flu season? Flu comes from London too...

It may have escaped your notice but there is a vaccine for one but not the other.

 

[GTom]

It may have escaped your notice but there is a vaccine for one but not the other.

Good excuse, but the flu vaccine is not very efficient. In some years just 40-50%.

 

[Tintin]

Your wording can be interpreted in two ways; either all second home owners have done the things you list & are then to be despised, or just a few have. This second home owner is upset that the broad base of the local population chose the first interpretation and are lumping all second home owners in the same (first) bucket, which is patently not fair or correct. That is why this second home owner and anecdotally many others ( check out Rightmove) are off.

on your point about pricing locals out of the market, every second home owner purchase is either a willing sale by a local or several hundred thousands pumped into the local building trade. But most significantly, the overwhelming benefit second home owners have for very many locals is inflate the value of their property, just imagine a blanket ban on all second home purchases tomorrow. The locals should be careful what they wish for, one of the consequences of the get rid of second home owners from Cornwall mantra will be a property price collapse & widespread negative equity, the local economy minus second homes certainly cannot sustain the current market prices.

You seem to be under the impression that the Cornish can afford the inflated house prices: they can't, not by a long way. So a price collapse and availability of housing could be a good thing. It would certainly reduce the need for 10's of thousands of new homes that are being built. 4500 just outside Truro.

And the money from those sales doesn't go to the local economy, it goes to the national housebuilders.

What really rankles many here is the second home owner dodge of owning their property through a business, so they then have to pay business rates, but because of small business rate relief they pay zero.

And then to cap it all, during this crisis, the council have paid out hundreds of thousands as they qualified for the small business 10k or 25k grants, paid out to their " businesses " that enjoy small businesses rate relief.

Put yourselves in the shoes of a local - self employed, scraping by serving the 2nd home owners, cleaning, plumbing, chefs at restaurants, waiters etc... who have got nothing from the government or council, are watching their lives crumble, paying rent to up-country landlords (who have got the grant btw) who refuse to allow a payment holiday or reduction in the crisis. How would you feel? Grateful?

You come down here with your London friends, bringing your waitrose food, shopping on the way at some retail park, but seem to have an almost imperial belief that by owning a second home you are supporting the local community and economy. You aren't, you aren't providing footfall to keep the local pub, shop, post office open (but you fool yourself that you are on your weekend away in Cornwall). And you certainly aren't solving any housing problem.

I'm not Cornish btw, I moved here 20 years ago, and created a company that employs many people in proper full time jobs, so I tend to reckon I've done my bit, but self-righteous 2nd home owners, and the attitude you've displayed that we should somehow doff our caps to you sire, sicken me.

 

[Hacker]

Most years it’s 80% but it was 30% in 2015 (I think). That year the flu death rate was 28,000; so about half the current rate.

 

[Tintin]

I wonder why there is no Cornish lockdown then in every flu season? Flu comes from London too...

The up-country visitors, emmets to some, tend not to come from October to March. Except maybe for xmas.