I am a proper art heathen. Very little riles me more than the pontification of portentous artists blathering on about their composition, unique creativity and originality over a painting, or a photo.

As my dad says, good art is the demonstration that the artist knew precisely when to stop. (and then goes on to say that Damian Hirst should have stopped when he had the idea).

For me, it's not about flashguns, composition and nonsense, it's about what the picture tells, and with a brief explanation should make a profound statement.

The subject matter of this is a local copper mine, which I have got some great crystals out of, enjoyed researching the mining journals and old plans, knowing that we've only scratched the surface and knowing that it is in the process of changing beyond all recognition forever. My chum and I have been pushing the boundaries in there on numerous trips. Both of us almost lost our lives in there due to changeable air. The shafts are being plugged and what remains of the unrecorded engine house bases and shafts is being systematically abused and buried in concrete whilst not being recorded by the county archaeological unit. It's going to be another industrial estate, which is exactly what the county needs. Well, it's what the people behind the project need, in order to get more rich. Sadly, the county is getting poorer.

We are all familiar with HG Ordish and his photographic records of mining sites, we paw through them and note changes. This mine has changed very little since the 30's, when Ordish took this photo, for a poorly recorded mine with few documents, it's the backdrop for a magnificent steam train, bustling with excited tourists bound for a pre-ghetto Penzance, ice cream and tea treats. It is sublime.

[photo]Personal-Album-205-Image-80055[/photo]

Who knows what was going through Ordish's mind at the time, how he felt about the place, but we can imagine the excitement and crecendo of noise as that magnificent train rumbled by.

Here we see my effort, I've been up there "looking over the fence" to see how things are being buried. Since no-one else is recording the remains which are subsequently dug up and buried, I suppose I am one of the few who profoundly regard the passing of the site in a melancholy manner.

Since Ordish's vantage point has become a part of the A30 cutting and been obscured by mature oaks, the winding house stack seemed to be the perfect monopod from which to pay respect to Ordish's original masterpiece.

This isn't supposed to be a serious entry, as it was taken with my old phone camera, however, unlike the other entries, hopefully it is one of the more thought provoking.


🔗Personal-Album-205-Image-80054[linkphoto]Personal-Album-205-Image-80054[/linkphoto][/link]

Oddly enough, I am one of the few who has been in the workings when a train has gone overhead and it is a unique experience.

The shafts are being plugged and what remains of the unrecorded engine house bases and shafts is being systematically abused and buried in concrete whilst not being recorded by the county archaeological unit.

I believe there is a strong feeling in Camborne that Victorian Industrial remains / buildings are being ignored and not properly protected from redevelopment. I suspect it is lack of money (like earthwork vs bridge across red river on new link road and demolition of Holmans). Where things are restored we end up with Stray park engine house and Heartlands. All we can do is record these features before they get "restored" or buried!

---

What utterly boils my urine is the fact that if there is a private development, you have the whole weight of every piece of red tape come right down on your project.

Has sir done the right environmental survey?
Has sir done taken the right precautions for sustainable ecology low carbon building regs, etc, etc, etc.

In the back of the studies library, there is a Cornwall Archaeological Unit report on the rebuilding of the blockhouse of Caravan Shaft. Essentially, one of Crofty's shallow adit ladderways had a concrete block "phone box" over it, this was demolished and the CAU wrote a freaking report about it. I imagine it cost a fortune. Still, I personally believe that these things should be recorded for future "hamilton jenkins".

What's going on up at Hallenbeagle is fantastic and sustaining long term business investment and creating a forward thinking dynamic engagement with stakeholders and the economy in a low carbon etc, etc.

But it needs to be done properly. Yes, they are restoring the engine house, which is fantastic. I think they should go a step further, put a roof on it and turn it into a cafe with chrome seats all around.

What it appears to me is that because it is a site which CCC are involved with, they don't have to obey their own rules. I have been told that the CAU are not recording anything and bulldozers have ripped up the remains of allsorts, including some very odd fancy stonework, opened and plugged a couple of shafts, probably bulldozed whim plats and I note that on old-engine shaft, there is the base of an engine house which is not on the 1880 map (there is in fact the base of another one, which has been ripped up).

If you cast your mouse back over previous threads, there was a "point" raised about bats using the workings and how tarpaulins had found themselves around clwyd caps over the shafts and how "certain environmental considerations" were missing from the planning permission. I know there was a fuss made about these and all of it seems to have been swept under the carpet.

It is exceedingly poor form at best and at worst, the bloody council will come around and meddle, fine and insist on every step you take being in accordance with their statutes, if you so much as move a stone in your garden, however, they can pick and choose what applies to them.

I hold all of them in utter contempt.

....and I'm sure at some point, I will be moaning about how they plugged the open shaft with bats in it. What will they do? Take themselves to court and win/lose?

can we have stuey's rants as a winner please, far better than any image ever could be

Thanks Dave. You have to admit, I have a point!

The answer is simple re CCC, private money for improvements to your house or a business is income for them, doing stuff for themselves is expenditure...

---