Launceston, Cornwall.

Eether or Eyether 

         You say eether and I say eyether

            You say neether and I say nyther

            eether, eyether, neether, nyther,

            Let's call the whole thing off.

                                                George & Ira Gershwin: From Shall We Dance? 1937.

We were enjoying our sausages and egg, and bacon and tomato, at our B&B in the small village of Stratton in Cornwall. Our hostess, similar to the many we had come across, was very intent on seeing us well-fed before our day's travel. She was also showing keen interest in where we had been and where we were heading.

So where are you off to today?

We want to go to Launceston and have a look around there.

Where?

Launceston.

Never heard of that place. Where is it?

Here, a little bit south of here - as I pointed to the town on the map in front of us. We would often look over our day's route during breakfast.

Oh! You mean Launceston (hostess pronounced it Lansen).

Yes, Launceston (I pronounced it Lawn-cec-ton).

You Australians! How on earth do you get Lawn-cec-ton out of that? And why for heaven's sake do you want to go there?

It's just that our daughter lives in a town with that name in Tasmania. It's Lawn-cec-ton there, or Lonny if you are really intimate with it. And our English Heritage pass says that there is an interesting old castle there.

In Launceston (Lansen)? Just a pile of stones on a hill. Go south along the coast. It's much more interesting.

It usually makes good sense to listen to the locals and follow their suggestions. They can be a gold mine about the local area and put one on the local features the travel brochures do not mention. In this case we did not avail ourselves of the local knowledge. We still felt that as our daughter lived in Launceston (Lawn-cec-ton) and had often visited that place, we would like to see this Launceston (Lansen) as well. So we headed inland and not along the coast.

Our B&B Lady's "pile of stones" in Launceston (Lansen) in Cornwall.

This connection is found in the person of Philip Gidley King, the third Governor of the penal colony of New South Wales. In 1804 a settlement was established at the head of an estuary here in Northern Tasmania. It was named Launceston in honour of the Governor who was born in Launceston, Cornwall. The estuary in Tasmania was named after the river which flows beside Launceston in Cornwall. A geographic coincidence is that in Cornwall a number of tributaries join the Tamar near Launceston and in Tasmania a number of rivers join to form the Tamar estuary.

Whereas Governor King arrived in New South Wales to take his place governing the colony, a Launceston compatriot of his arrived on the first fleet in more lowly circumstances. This was a man called John Ruse, a farmer, who at the age of 23 was arrested for breaking and entering. He was sentenced to seven years transportation to New South Wales.

But John Ruse made good, for the farmer boy in him stood him in good stead. He was the first to grow wheat successfully in his new home and as food was desperately needed in the growing colony he was granted land to grow grain. So he lived to a ripe old age of 77. He carved his own epitaph on his gravestone (before he died) which echoes a satisfied life:

            MY MOTHER REREAD ME TENDERELY WITH ME SHE TOCK MUCH PAINES

            AND WHEN I ARIVED IN THIS COELNEY I SOWD THE FORST GRAIN

            AND NOW WITH MY HEVENLY FATHER I HOPE FOR EVER  TO REMAIN

 But back to Cornwall in the 21st century. The remains of the fortress castle high on a hill over Launceston proved to be more than a pile of stones. The restored section held a fine historical record of its existence. It was however a far cry from its glory days when it was heavily involved in the politics of the day. That was all for the history buff. I was happy to look out over the countryside struggling to keep dry and hold my balance against the strong wind.

Our visit was brief as was also our visit to the town itself. The weather reminded me of its counterpart in Tasmania (rainy, windy and cold), but there the comparison ended.

One shouldn't make comparisons, but I think that our Launceston (Lawn-cec-ton) in Tasmania has outdone its English ancestor. And how do you get Lansen out of Launceston?

Now Launceston (Tasmania) really does have piles of stones. Here at The Basin in the cataract Gorge, one of the great places to visit.