Index
In spring 1987, acting on information from the Conference on Cornwall, Rachel John and Rita Pope attended the 10th Convention on "Europe of the Regions" organised by the Foundation for International Understanding in Copenhagen. They found much of which Cornwall needed to be better informed.
The County Council was promoting Cornwall economically and commercially and town twinnings have been growing since the 1960s. However, many possibly important cultural, social, educational and political projects and trends were ignored in the UK press. With John Fleet and the late Paul Smales they founded CoBER as a voluntary group with the aim of promoting a better knowledge and appreciation of Cornwall in the rest of Europe and of the rest of Europe in Cornwall and had soon recruited a team of members.
In 1995 CoBER was reconstructed as a limited company.
CoBER is strictly non party political and draws attention to these movements, to help people to be involved and Cornwall to be better recognised as an historic, cultural and economic region of Europe.
CoBER encourages people to contribute to and benefit from the social and cultural life of Europe, to create a Europe of the Peoples; not a coalition of states but a union of peoples. Jean Monnet.
CoBER encourages mutual respect to replace competition between the peoples of Europe with collaboration on the great social, political, security and environmental issues.
CoBER seeks intelligent consideration of European issues based on fact rather than prejudice.
"In our modern times one must be European-minded, " Mme de Staël 1766 - 1817.
"Europe is not a melting pot of cultures and languages. Real European citizenship means to respect the diversity of languages and cultures -within the EU. " Bojan Brezigar, former President European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages
| 1987 | With Christopher Beazley, MEP, and in response to the European Parliament's Kuijper's Report, CoBER prepares a petition to the European Parliament on Cornwall's culture and identity. This seeks an enquiry into the effects of EC policies on the social and cultural life of Europe's regions, using Cornwall as an example. CoBER responds to the Council of Europe's new Cultural Routes programme. | |
| 1988 | CoBER's petition is presented to the European Parliament. CoBER members help found Bredereth Sen Jago (Brotherhood of St James ) to ensure a Cornish response to the first CoE Cultural Route, the reopening of the continent-wide network of pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela. | |
| 1989 | The petition is accepted by the Parliament and designated 480/88. | |
| 1991 | Frustrated by slow progress CoBER makes direct contact with the European parliament to
promote the petition. Growing working relationship with Kerrier Groundwork Trust. | |
| 1992 | CoBER gains backing for its petition from the County Council, all six district
councils, Liskeard Town Council and the Cornish Association of Parish and Town Councils. The petition is quoted in the preamble to the European Parliament's Laroni Report on conserving Europe's architectural heritage. Dr P Payton and Mr J S Fleet visit Brussels to prepare a meeting with the Parliament's Cultural Committee and make useful contacts with other MEPs. | |
| 1993 | A CoBER delegation, John Bolitho, John Fleet, Roger Holmes, visits Strasbourg to promote the passage of the petition by lobbying MEPs etc. Acting on information gained at Strasbourg CoBER attends meetings in Parthenay, France, to launch Langues et Cultures Sans Frontiéres and in Antibes, France, to launch the Fédérations Européennes des Maisons de Pays, intended to establish a network of European cultural centres.(see 2000) | |
| 1994 | The petition is consulted in the preparation of the Killilea Report. Delegates from CoBER and the Cornish Cultural Trust address the European Parliament's Inter-Group on Minority Languages and Cultures; the petition gives CoBER a consultative status on the Intergroup. The opening of St Michael's Way, through the co-operation of CoBER, Bredereth Sen Jago and Cornwall C C's Countryside Access department, in the presence of the Spanish Ambassador and two leading members of the Council of Europe. Sr. Domenico Ronconi, Principal Technical Officer of the Cultural Routes Programme, described this as an important beginning. The ceremony is followed, at the CoEs request, by a seminar hosted by the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society, to investigate further Cornish involvement in the Cultural Routes programme. The Bude Canal and the Mineral Tramways Projects are highlighted amongst several possibilities. A Cultural Routes Working Party is established under the chairmanship of the County Council and with many groups represented. Both CoBER and the County Council join ECTARC (the European Centre for Traditional and Regional Cultures.)( see 2003.) |
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| 1995 | CoBER is reorganised as a not-for-profit limited company. CoBER delegation addresses the European Parliament's Cultural Committee in Brussels. A Cornish delegation ( including CoBER ) visits the south of France to investigate possible areas of cooperation on cultural routes; hosted by the regional councils of Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon, arranged by the European Association for Inter-Regional Cooperation, which works under the ægis of the Council of Europe. (separate report.) Conference - Pride of Place in Practice - organised jointly by the County Council, CoBER, West Cornwall LEADER Project and the Institute of Cornish Studies. Visit to Cornwall by M Olivier Cébe of the EAI-RCoop and M Thomas Penette of the Council of Europe to see the Bude Canal and the Mineral Tramways Project. They are also taken to Cotehele and Heligan gardens and learn of the Eden Project. CoBER is represented in Tarragona at the ECTARC-sponsored conference to launch the MEDICI programme (under PACTE III of the EU.) CoBER attends a conference in Nîmes for the official opening of the Chemin de la Régordane, a CoE cultural route also backed by UNESCO. (separate report.) | |
| 1996 | A protocol is signed between Cornwall County Council and the European Association for Inter-Regional Cooperation. Reorganisation of the
Association ends plans for a conference in Cornwall and a technical magazine on cultural routes management and promotion.
In May, at CoBER's first Annual Europe Day Dinner, the Chairman of ECTARC explains the EU's PACTE and MEDICI programmes for supporting regional cultures. In July and October we participate in ECTARC conferences in Llangollen. In December we move into temporary offices on the Trevarno estate. |
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| 1997 | We attend a conference in Ireland, hosted partly by the Shannon Development Corporation and by ECTARC, on culture as a catalyst for
economic development.
The Slovene ambassador addresses our Europe Day dinner in Redruth. CoBER and the Cornish Language Board address the European Parliament in Strasbourg. CoBER talks with the CoE in Strasbourg to advance the cultural routes programme. CoBER agrees to take on the secretariat of Cornwall's Cultural Routes Working Party. John Fleet, a director, addresses a conference in Munich. |
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| 1998 | We prepare briefing sheets for councillors on the EU's NUTS/Regional Aid.
David, later Lord, Williamson, retired Secretary General of the European Commission, addresses our Europe Day Dinner, in Tintagel. We attend a meeting of the European Movement Branches Association in Swansea. John Fleet, a founder member, resigns as a director for personal reasons. We participate in a meeting between Cornish representatives and the EP's Economic and Social Committee in the Hall for Cornwall and on St Michael's Mount ( part of Cornwall's successful campaign for Objective One bid.) We address the Cornish Association of Parish and Town Councils, The Cornish Association of Larger Local Councils, St Stephen in Brannell Residents Association and other bodies. We participate in the ECTARC conference in Cardiff on culture and economic development. |
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| 1999 | CoBER continues to pursue the project for a Cornish Institute of European Studies.
Baron Paul von Maltzahn, EU specialist at the German Embassy, addresses our Europe Day dinner in Newquay. We attend a meeting on language, identity and economy in Morlaix held by the International Association for the Defence of Threatened languages and Cultures; act for a while as their UK representative. Inaugurate, at the Lorient Interceltic Festival, a Cornish-Breton Association. CoBER participates in a conference in Cividale del Friuli to advance a multi-lingual book on Europe's cultural regions. With a little EU aid this FEdMP production appears in 2001. Called These Europeans who want to Speak and Live their Language. CoBER produces a cheap one-leaf give-away, A Brief introduction to Cornwall, ( Currently available in Breton, Catalan, Cornish, Dutch, English, French, Gallego, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Manx, Spanish, Piemontese, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish. , Russian ) |
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| 2000 | Canon Pat Robson addresses our Europe Day Dinner at Charlestown on the White Cross Mission in Romania and Charlotte Barry talks on
helping journalists in eastern Europe adapt to the needs of modern democracies.
Help to establish links with Ireland on St Piran. Establish links with Piemontese cultural activists. Our director, John Bolitho, is elected Grand Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh. We subscribe to the Institute of Welsh Affairs; their publications are often useful to Cornwall; we make them available to relevant councillors. |
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| 2001 | John Osmond of the IWA addresses our Europe Day dinner in Truro. We have copies of his speech on the Welsh Assembly for sale to
members.
A CoBER delegation visits N Wales to visit the Celtica centre in Machynlleth and King Arthur's Labyrinth near Corris, propos of ideas being floated in Cornwall re cultural centres. ( brief report in newsletter for July, 2001 ) The BSE crisis puts on indefinite hold plans to continue the Irish St Piran links with which we would have cooperated. |
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| 2002 | Dan Sreebny from the US embassy addresses our Europe Day Dinner on the workings of the US federation.
Director Roger Holmes successfully completes OU course on the Governance of Europe. We start to catalogue our growing library. Already available are Music and Dance; Parks and Gardens and Santiago de Compostela. In preparation is one on Early and Traditional European Theatre. Attend ECTARC AGM at which the body changes its name to the European Centre for Training and Regional Cultures which better reflects its principal current activities. We see chances for mutual activities. We have exchanged a number of publications. We investigate reports that the St Michael's Way cultural route is not being suitably maintained. Find the reports exaggerated; that the County Council has a programme to maintain and improve it; offer support and assistance. |
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| 2003 | CoBER attends a meeting in St Austell called by South West in Europe. Cornwall in Europe is launched to promote interest in the Euro but
no further meetings are called.
With EU emphasis on the proposed constitution we issue some ' Constitution Special newsletters to help illuminate aspects largely neglected or distorted elsewhere. Many letters are written to counter the increasing flow of inaccurate and negative correspondence appearing in the press. Attend ECTARC meeting in Llangollen. Meet students from Navarre staying in Wales en famille and working there in their specialities. A good scheme. |
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| 2004 | Project for adult education programme under the ægis of CCC and the Learning and Skills Council is not immediately accepted but shelved
for further consideration.
Give presentation to Cornwall Council Single Issue Panel on the role of the Council in Europe. ( relevant papers available in our library.) Annual Europe Day dinner at St Michael's Hotel, Falmouth. Zsolt Pataki, Head of Mission at the Hungarian Embassy, is guest speaker. ( See newsletter.) In May Roger Holmes attends the European Games Festival in Lesneven, Brittany ( festival of traditional European games) (report in CoBER library.) May/June - Roger Holmes hosts Guy Jaouen from Brittany for joint research on Celtic wrestling in the West of England ( Bristol, Hereford etc.) (account in newsletter for June 2004.) New recruiting leaflet devised and distributed in selected parts of east and north Cornwall. Slow going against a generally negative current! |
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| 2005 | Annual Dinner at the Gallery Restaurant, County Hall. Guest speaker was Cézary Krol, Head of Mission at the Polish Embassy, London.
(see newsletter.)
In October a stall is taken at Liskeard's St Mathew's Fair. Later in the month an exhibition is held in County Hall, Truro. John Bolitho, longtime director, dies. (see newsletter.) Geoff Wolstencroft retires as company secretary. |
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| 2006 | Mr David Waddington of Pensilva joins the board.
Decision to create an internet website. Europe Day dinner at the Royal Oak, Lostwithiel. Members shown new items in the CoBER library and interested guests introduced to CoBER. Mrs Anna Monk is appointed Company Secetary. |
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| 2007 | Website goes live |
CoBER is a limited Company Registered in England & Wales No 3083136, Registered Office, 7,West Street,Liskeard, Cornwall, GB
CoBER can be contacted by email: [email protected]