Dear Skipper, I felt a reply to the lack of objectivity in Ed's letter was essential.

I'm glad Ed Fox agrees with me that that there is not yet educational parity within the British history curriculum, however he has missed the point of my letter.

It was deliberately written from a Cornish specific point of view, and no justification for that is necessary, and while he didn't respond to my criticisms of English heritage for ignoring many important landmark events in Cornish history, he is correct that not only Cornwall was affected by the prayer book rebellion, and though Henry VIII himself didn't live to see it, he set the stage, and one that his successors relished in following.

Another significant Tudor period event was the Cornish led rebellion of 1497 at Blackheath. This was one of the most significant battles to take place on English soil, yet English heritage refuse to include this in their database or educational programme, or that Cornish tinners were charged at twice the rate of 'Coinage tax' than any other tinners in Britain right up to the 19th century, not something you will learn at Heartlands.

This was not applied to Devon tinners Mr Fox, so the Cornish specific viewpoint is relevant.

Ed also seems to me to suggest that there was no deliberate persecution of the Cornish speaking community, this is what his comments don't address, it is well attested that the upheaval in Cornwall during this time was targeted, and contributed to the eventual near demise of the Cornish language, and that those monoglot Cornish speakers had the very heart torn out of their communities and greatly mourned the official banning of their tongue is fact.

I would like however, to stress my original point, children (and adults) in Cornwall must go out of their way to discover these facts, and progress is still slow in turning this around. My personal recommendation to anyone, including Ed, who is interested in Cornish history from a Cornish perspective, which is entirely relevant and not in any way 'localist' as was described, that they visit the Cornish centre in Redruth, where can be found a much more comprehensive and balanced telling of Cornish history than English heritage or the national history curriculum is currently capable of providing.

Shaun Toft Falmouth