I'll see it when I believe it.
I'd like to be able to bet against anything happening in Cornwall, because if it does, I will shave my own arse before smoking the clippings in a pipe.
We have seen quite a significant sustained height in the price of tin. Nothing has happened in most of this time, apart from Treliver submitting half of their deposit for assay. Whilst there are the ingredients for a SIGNIFICANT and lasting price rise, I'm not sure Cornwall is compatible with anyone doing anything beyond speculation.
I have witnessed staff of both mining companies researching mineral rights. I gather that this is relating to a "mineral rights sucking" of parties behind the scenes (including the Duchy). My opinion is that these 3 people (and others) will be the first with their hands out when one of the big mining firms turns it's attention here.
Now, I'd love to see sheave wheels revolving, hear the sound of the mills and see the men going to work. I can't believe it's going to happen.
Let's face it, Britain has it's economy based on nice things like sustainable, eco-green technology, carbon footprinty things and ladies with names like Tabitha Yoga-Tofu talking about how Cornwall celebrates diversity, history, multicultralism and wimmen through the media of EU money, african dance and tourism. Until we get rid of this nonsense and realise that a bit of orange water being slung in the red-river isn't the same as fukushima, nothing will happen.
I can just imagine crofty chucking it's water in the red river. I'd like to imagine it had all sorts of super separators, clarifiers and things which add yoghurt, but Surfers against Sewage will find something wrong with it. Probably because they and the sorts of fellow imbeceile present in the eco-departments of the authorities are utterly ignorant of the workings of economies.
I like the idea of people re-opening mines. In practice, no-one will dig a crater at Treliver. There are too many nimbys. No-one will re-open Cligga as a St Agnes hub, probably because of some bloody bats or some other eco-bo11ocks from retirees, naive studenty types or just bloody yoghurt weavers. Redmoor is even more of a longshot. Whilst the deposit is a real gold star on the monopoly board, I can't imagine it's working will fit well with the RIGS, SSSI, AONB, lego estate above, flooded workings everywhere around, EU health and safety hysteria, mineral rights belonging to about 20 different people, 10 of which are untraceable, about 15 years worth of legal wranglings, a 10 year feasibility study, a 2 year pilot plant research and then either the end of the world will have come first, or the company will have reworked something in wonga-bonga land where they can throw all their cyanide into the river.
I bet my eyebrows that no meaningful mining will occur in Cornwall in the next 10 years. However, there will be a lot of talk, Crofty about to open another 4 times and various rumours about diamond drilling happening down by Leedstown.
That's what I think. Steve will be along shortly with a dose of sense :D
Edit:- Since these operations are not staff intensive, I can't see a lot of the benefit for the local area hosting such a thing. Gone are the days of Consols employing 3000 people and the trickle down of the money, I imagine most of it will go straight offshore, apart from the bit which goes to the mineral rights owner. When I look around at the various romantic minescapes like St Agnes, I appreciate what the money did for the economy. These days, it's more of a "take" industry. Apart from the burger van at the end of the lane, or the local shaking table firm, do these industries actually give much to the economy anymore? If they are going to make a noise/mess/environmental impact, perhaps they should.
(Which is the point where someone mentions that Hemerdon have opened a refuge for left handed lesbian trombonists). I'm talking a bit bigger scale than that.
I think if we want to see proper activity resume, it would be good to nationalise minerals (all of them) and like the lords of yore, take a % of the value of minerals (not the profits, because they will likely be £0 in the UK) and that's it. Whilst we're there, it would be good to remove the barriers (HSE nonsense) to more traditional methods suited to typical cornish lode mining.
I was reading a book about some mining happening in the 19th century down in Mount's Bay. Basically, Mr Teague and his adventurers erected a 70" engine on a kindly lode and the whole thing failed shortly after, the equipment being bought by another similar team who made a massive success and got rich out of it. If these men had shared in the nonsensical methods of today, the industrial revolution would have probably not happened! John Taylor and Brunel would have probably been buy-to-let landlords!