I write in response to the letter submitted by J Golding of Falmouth.

I actually realised the April Fools article was exactly that, as soon as I read it. Firstly, given the date, secondly, with names in the article such as “Flora Stealer” and “Mick Taker” along with complete construction of the article.

Personally, I do not think it is very polite, nice or necessary, for J Golding to refer to the writer/instigator of the article as a “moron,” just because the humour contained within the article was clearly missed by J Golding.

J Golding stated “some Cornish people reading this article will dislike non Cornish people even more than they do already.” That is a rather wild assumption is it not.

I suggest that any Cornish person with the slightest bit of intelligence or common sense, will not base any judgment of anyone, Cornish or otherwise, purely on their place of birth.

If anyone has any prejudices against others, I doubt very much an April Fools article containing fiction will attribute to those prejudices. I suggest the article was written by someone who is not Cornish by birth and if that person can laugh at the humour then I am sure other non Cornish can.

J Golding additionally stated “My house certainly hasn't gone up 35 per cent let alone 700 per cent in the last 15 years.” (The Packet article actually said 700 per cent in 10 years) No, I do not suppose it has, that is the thing about a fictional article with humour, it can contain fiction, and humour.

I and many others clearly thought the article amusing and took it for what it was, a “tongue in cheek” April the first joke.