A Conversation with Bernard Deacon: Direct Action- Keskows gans Bernard Deacon: Gwrians Didro
Several months ago, two folk from Sordya sat down with academic and Cornish activist Bernard Deacon. If you’re not familiar with the series so far, check it out our chat on the Cornish leftist magazine An Weryn (The People) and our discussion on housing.
Our next section is about Cornish direct action in the 1970s.
Nans yw misyow, dew dhen a Sordya a gewsis gans akademek ha gweythreser a Gernow Bernard Deacon. Mar nyns aswonydh an kevres bys y’n eur ma, mir orth agan keskows a lyver termyn a Gernow An Weryn (An Werin) hag agan dadhel annedhyans.
Agan tregh nessa a doch gwrians didro yn Kernow y’n 1970ow.
Several months ago, two folk from Sordya sat down with academic and Cornish activist Bernard Deacon. If you’re not familiar with the series so far, check it out our chat on the Cornish leftist magazine An Weryn (The People) and our discussion on housing.
Our next section is about Cornish direct action in the 1970s, and in our final part, still to come, we discuss our strategies within the Cornish liberation and language movements.
A transcription of the audio follows below.
Nans yw misyow, dew dhen a Sordya a gewsis gans akademek ha gweythreser a Gernow Bernard Deacon. Mar nyns aswonydh an kevres bys y’n eur ma, mir orth agan keskows a lyver termyn a Gernow An Weryn (An Werin) hag agan dadhel annedhyans.
Agan tregh nessa a doch gwrians didro yn Kernow y’n 1970ow hag y’n diwedh, hwath a dheu, ni a glapp yn kever agan stratejiow y’n movyansow yeth ha rydhheans a Gernow.
Yma treylyans a’n son kevys war-woles.
Part three of our conversation with Bernard.
Sordya Onan: And I want to just return to the 1970s, so we can move on to the contemporary stuff without missing that, Lee wanted to ask about the nuclear reactor that was going to be built at Nancekuke?
Bernard: Yeah, there’s Nancekuke. That was one of three.
Sordya Onan: And also the Holman strike of 1979, neither of these things we’d heard of before.
Bernard: I hadn’t heard of the Holman strike of 1979. The Holman strike of 1979, I know nothing about that. You’re sure that’s not a myth? There were various strikes at Holman’s before 1980-81, when it began to get shut down. Because the engineering union was quite strong then, so the skilled workers at Holman’s went on strike. But that didn’t stop them downsizing it. So it really suffered in the early ‘80s from Thatcherite policies. It destroyed the manufacturing industry basically in Cornwall.
There was other strikes. We’ve mentioned some with people who were involved in An Weryn. One of the team was a shop steward down at Falmouth, so he was quite involved in those kind of things. But the Holman strike of 1979 doesn’t ring any particular bell or something. I can remember other stuff.
The anti-CEGB thing, on the other hand, that was quite a movement. And we were fairly heavily involved in that, yeah. There were three sites actually. There was Nancekuke, the one at Luxulyan, where the action happened, and I think Hayle. They were looking at Hayle as a possibility as well.
Sordya Onan: We’d love to know about the organising and what the action was.
Bernard: Well, the action was to basically block the CEGB getting in to do their preparatory drilling at Luxulyan, because fortunately the farmer there that owned the fields, was against them doing it. So he was quite happy with a bunch of activists who were already demonstrating against the CEGB.
I wasn’t there then. But they kind of… just ad hoc. It just happened out of the blue. They just set up a barricade across the field so the CEGB couldn’t bring in their drilling rigs. And then eventually they did get them in and we occupied the drilling rigs—I’ve got a picture of me sitting on the drilling rig with other people—to stop them drilling. But you had to be there 24 hours a day. I wasn’t there 24 hours a day, but we took turns going up to Luxulyan.
Sordya Onan: Did you deal with the police at all?
Bernard: The police were there, but they didn’t get involved because the farmer who owned the land didn’t give the police permission to get in. We weren’t damaging anything. The CEGB eventually backed off, but the whole thing fell through anyway.
So that involved a lot of people: environmentalists, MK were involved. And the inspiration from the MK point of view, or from our point of view, came from Brittany, where there’d been a similar sort of occupation of a site that was meant for a nuclear power station. And that was being built there, this was just planning for it. And in the end, I’m not sure what the reason they gave for pulling out was.
Nancekuke had an attack by the Cornish Republican Socialist Army on it. The CEGB had a drilling rig right on the cliffs of Nancekuke. And we had this idea, we’d go out, we’d throw the drilling rig over the cliffs—because it was right on the edge—into the sea. That was basically the plan.
This was completely… I mean, it’s more of a funny story than a serious political story. So we planned it. The idea was to go out at dusk. I forget what time of the year it was actually now. It must have been summer because dusk was late. And we would get into Nancekuke from the northern side. That’s right. We’d go along the cliff path. And we knew that the CEGB men went away at normal working hours. So this drilling rig was there because we’d kind of sussed it out.
We didn’t really have any good plans apart from “we’ll push it over the cliff”. This was the plan. But we had got… We had plastic bags that we wore to, I don’t know, make us inconspicuous, because obviously the RAF station was still open at the time. So we were kind of concerned there’d be the security police. So we were creeping along in the half dark—couldn’t use torches because obviously those would be seen—along the cliff edge, heading towards this thing. A couple of false alarms where we thought we’d heard people, but they were false alarms. We got there all quiet.
And then we realised that even with four of us, we couldn’t push this damn rig over. It’s too heavy. We couldn’t move the bloody thing. And we hadn’t thought of that. So we were there, determined to do some damage, but not knowing what to do. So in the end, what we did was anything movable we took off and threw over the sea, filler caps on the oil stuff, and smashed up a couple of things, fairly minor.
What else did we do? We didn’t even take any aerosols or anything with us. We couldn’t spray anything on it, which looking back was pretty stupid. And we did this and then sort of ran away, basically, got in the car we had out there and headed back to Redruth. And one of us, not me, rang some newspaper and claimed it and said the Cornish Republican Socialist Army has attacked the drilling rig, the CEGB.
This did get headlines and it’s still talked about now. And I’ve had someone tell me and say, “Oh, the Cornish Republican Socialist Army threw it over the sea.” Well, we didn’t. It’s become a kind of interesting myth that sometimes comes right around back at you. And it got mixed up with this story about people putting glass in the sand on Portreath Beach as well, which never happened. That was a complete myth, it all got combined with that and people mentioned that. But that was it. It was a spoof. There was never any Cornish Republican Socialist Army. That was just a name we kind of used at the time.
After the CEGB gave up, we claimed victory. But it was a student prank more than anything else. Great days.
Sordya Onan: Yeah, that’s amazing.
Sordya Dew: That’s an incredible story.
Bernard: Well, that’s the truth of it now. So anything you hear now is totally exaggerated.
Sordya Dew: I’m still going to use the exaggerated version.
Bernard: Oh, yeah. The exaggerated version is better. Yeah, carry on using that.
Sordya Onan: Hag y fynnav dehweles dhe’n 1970ow may hyllyn ni gwaya yn-rag heb fyllel henna. Lee a vynnas govyn a-dro dhe’n dasoberor nuklerek mayth esa ogas dhe vos drehevys yn Nanskoog?
Bernard: Ea, Ma Nancekuke. Tho va idn meaza trei.
Sordya Onan: Hag ynwedh astel ober Holman yn 1979, naneyl anedha aswonys dhyn kyns.
Bernard: Nag o an feth wheal Holman a 1979 clowez gennam. Wheal Holman en 1979, na worama. O whye seer nag ew hedna myth? Thera deffrans fethow wheal ort Holman kenz 1980-81, termen ev tha thalla tha geas. Rag tho an kezunians lavur creav lower e’n termen’na, della an weithorion skentol Holman eath tha feth wheal. Saw na reeg hedna go gwitha thort e thigressia. Della en weer, e soffraz en 80ow avar athor policys Thatcherack. E thistreeaz diwisians an whelober framia en Kernow.
Thera keen fethow wheal. Ma complez gennam gen teez melliez gen An Weryn. Tho wonen an bagas gwithiaz-shoppa tha Falmeth [sic: Penzans], etho tho’va por conserniez gen tacklow an zort’na. Saw nag igge neb feth wheal Holman 1979 seny clogh po neppeth. Me ell remembra tacklow erol.
An peth bedn an CEGB, e’n contrary part, tho hedna gwayans broaz. Ha thera nye mellia en town gen hedna, tha weer. Thera trei thelhar, en greeanath. Thera Nancekuke, an eil ort Luxulyan, lebma reeg an gweithres skidnia, ha Hayle, therama perdery. Thera angye meeraz ort Hayle aweth vel possibilita.
Sordya Onan: Ni a garsa godhvos a-dro dhe’n restra ha pyth o an gwrians.
Bernard: Wel, tho an gweithres tha weetha an CEGB thort moaz agy tha weel go thardra parra ort Luxulyan, rag en gwelha prez, an teeack ena, hag ev pewa an gweal, nag o da ganz ev angye tha’e weel. Etho, tho’va looan lower gen bagas a weithresorion nang era protestia warbedn an CEGB.
Nag era ve enna. Saw angye… tho ad hoc. Car drevol e skidniaz heb porpos kenz. Thera noweth drevelez barricad gungans et an gweal na olga an CEGB drye agy go thackel tartha. Ha wortewa angye go droaz angy abera saw nye gomeraz an tackel tartha—ma foto them ha ve setha war’n tackel gen teez erol—tha’go gweetha thort tartha. Saw tho raze boaz enna 24 owr pub deth. Nag era’ve enna oll an journa, saw gweel troyow reeganye moaz aman tha Luxulyan.
Sordya Onan: A wruss’ta delya gans an kreslu vytholl?
Bernard: Thera an polis enna, saw na reeg angye mellia rag nag o cubmiaz entra reiez ort an polis gen an teeack gen an bargen tir. Ha nag era nye shindia terveth. Wortewa an CEGB omdednaz, bez an peth oll vee worrez a drenuan, bettegens.
Della, thera meer a deez ganz ev melliez: kerhinethorion, thera MK melliaz et en dra. An awen warler gwelva MK, po warler gon gwelva, theath athor Breten Vean, lebma vee sezians haval a splatt towlez rag stacion tredan atomack. Ha hedna boaz drevelez enna, ubma tho towl ragtho en idnack. Ha wortewa, nag oma seer pandr’o an praga reiez rag omdedna gungans.
Nancekuke vee assawltiez gen an Army Poblegethack Socyaleth Kernow. Thera tackel tartha CEGB war’n alziow en Nancekuke. Ha thera tibians tha nebonan, nye venga moaz carr, towlel an tackel a’n alziow—rag thera an dra seeth war an amal—berra an mor. Po tho hedna an towl.
Tho hebma … thew moy pocarra whethal dithan vel whethal pooz politack. Etho, nye a’n towlaz. Tho’n tibians moaz ter an thow wolow. Nag ez co them panna terman o an vlethan lebmen. E raze boaz hav rag tho an thow wolow en thewethes. Ha nye venga doaz tha Nancekuke athor an barh gleth. Thew hedna gweer. Nye venga kerras aheaz bounder an aulz. Ha nye oya der reeg an deez CEGB moaz carr ouge owrow lavuria kebmen. Della nye oya dr’era an tackel tartha enna.
Nag o towlow da genan a der “nye vedn e bokkia derez an aulz”. Tho hebma an towl. Bez tho gennan… Tho saghow plastik der reeganye don, na orama an praga, tha weel tha nye an peth nag o gwellez, rag por thiblans, tho an stacion RAF gerez whath. Della tho nye troublez e veea polis sekerder. Etho otanye cramia aheaz hag ev ogas tha dewlder—na olga nye ewzia lugern rag en thiblans, an re venga boaz gwellez—aheaz meen an aulz, moaz tua’n peth’ma, Copol a warnians faulz pereeganye perdery nye tha glowaz teez, saw tho’ngye faulz. Ottanye devethez hag oll cosel.
Ha nenna nye oya na olga nye herthia rag an malbew dabm jin ken vee pager ahanan. Thew re booz. Na olga nye gwaya an dra idn mezva. Ha nag o hedna perderez gena nye kenz. Della otanye, towlez tha weel neppeth droag, saw heb tibians dro tha’n peth tha weel. Wortewa, nye gomeraz neptra tel olga nye gwaya ha tewlel angye berra’n mor, cappa lenol oil rag sampel, ha destreea idn po deaw dra, nebbaz bian.
Peth aral? Na reeganye comeraz airosoles po neppeth gena nye, ken vee. Na olga nye skeetia terveth warnotha, ha meeraz wartheler tho hedna por thiskeeans. Ha hebma gwrez, nye boniaz carr, moaz en car-tan era gena nye enna ha moaz trea tha Redruth. Ha wonen ahanan, nag o ve, fonia ort neb paper newothow ha gweel clem, a laul thera tackel tartha an CEGB assawtiez gen an Army Poblegethack Socyaleth Kernow.
Hebma reeg cavos pedn linednow ha whath thew complez terwethiow lebmen. Ha thera nebonen a laul tha ve, ‘Ah, an APSK a’n towlaz ev berra an mor’. Wel, na reega nye. Ma treiliez ganz ev tha whethal tha leaz der igge terwethiow toaz trea orto whye. Ha tho oll kemeskez gen an whethal dro tha deez gorra gweder et an dreath tha Bortreath aweth, na reeg beska skidnia. Tho hedna myth en tien, tho oll junniez warbar ha’n deez compla an theaw. Saw, tho’va hedna. Nag o gweer. Na vee besca neb Army Poblegethack Socyaleth Kernow. Nag o bez hanow der reega nye ewzia e’n dethiow’na.
Ha nenna ouge an CEGB ry aman, nye glemiaz an victory. Saw tho prank stuthorion drez pub tra. Dethiow spladn.
Sordya Onan: Ea, henn yw bryntin.
Sordya Dew: Henn yw hwedhel marthys.
Bernard: Wel, thew hedna an greeanath lebmen. Della neppeth tel ero whye clowaz lebmen igge moaz re bell.
Sordya Dew: My a wra pesya usya an gwersyon gorliwys hwath.
Bernard: Ah, wel. Thew gwell an form gellez re bell. Ea, grew pedgia ha ewzia hedda.
Sordya
Moy Ahanan – More From Us
#70ow #70s #BernardDeacon #CEGB #Cornish #CornishRepublicanSocialistArmy #Cornwall #directAction #gwriansDidro #history #interview #istori #Kernewek #Kernow #Kernowek #Keswel #Nancekuke #Nanskoog #Sordya
Sordya
celtgreeklatin
celtgreeklatin
Sordya
Chris Bond
