May update: Coronavirus; developments in Cornwall

There is not a lot to report from May. It was a dismal month, cold, wet and windy and only now has the summer arrived, with a huge influx of visitors, unable to fly to foreign destinations due to border restrictions.

A quiet Falmouth in mid-May, a glimpse of sun providing a brief respite from the grey skies

Late May: the tourists arrive, some not briefed on the fact that
the sea goes in and out twice a day

Falmouth's Gylly beach 2 days ago

Early in the month Coronavirus restrictions were eased a little, with groups of 6 allowed indoors to visit restaurants, and groups of up to 30 allowed to meet outside. Our first Cornish Mining Sundowner was held on the beach in Falmouth last week, with slightly more congregating than the law allowed (MEI Blog 28 May)!

Although at first it looked as though we were finally winning the battle against the pandemic, a worrying variant from India appeared during the month, and this might scupper later easing plans.

There was quite a bit of interesting mining news during the month, reported on the Sundowner posting, but for those who might be interested in developments in Cornwall, there is a very good video on all the activities down here, highlighting the enormous potential of the county.

This video is a background briefing for journalists attending the G7 summit in Carbis Bay next week. Cornwall was chosen for the summit as it is playing a leading role in the quest for a green economy, with its deposits of lithium, tin and other metals essential in feeding the demand for renewables and electric vehicles, and its almost unlimited source of geothermal energy stored deep below the granite batholith which lies below the whole area.

Falmouth will host the international media for the G7 next week, so is likely to be heaving. Carbis Bay, the G7 venue, is just 24 miles away, and huge security restrictions will pervade the whole area. May has been a fairly dreary month, but there should be much to report next month!

@barrywills