Bert Biscoe
DL (born 1952), also known by the
bardic name Viajor Gans Geryow ,
[1]
[2] is a
Cornish
politician , historian and
bard of the
Cornish Gorseth .
[3] Biscoe represented
Cornwall Council 's
Truro
Boscawen District as an independent Cornwall Councillor until 2019, serving as an independent
Truro City Council Councillor for the new Boscawen & Redannick Ward.
[4]
Bert Biscoe is known for his work as a
local historian
[5] and for his
activism related to the
Cornish identity debate.
[6] In 2012, his book of poems called "Trurra" won a
Waterstones Publishers Award at the Holyer An Gof literary competition.
[7] Elected
Mayor of
Truro for 2019/21, his installation ceremony was streamed online.
[8]
Personal life
Born in 1952 to Dr Charles Biscoe, a
kinsman of the
Tyndale-Biscoe family,
[9] he was raised at
Stithians, Cornwall , and attended
Truro School before going up to
Bangor University .
[10]
Married to Susan Barker in 1990, the couple live near
Truro, Cornwall .
[11]
Bardic work
Bert Biscoe is a traditional musician and poet,
[12] specialising in Cornish folk music, some in the
Cornish language .
[13] Some of his audio works have been collected into a compilation titled "An Kynsa".
Created a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh in 1995 "for services to Cornwall" with the
bardic name Viajor Gans Geryow ,
[14] Biscoe has been a member of the Council of the Gorsedh since 2009.
[15] He is the author of several books of poetry.
[16] As a Bard of the Gorsedh he is regularly in attendance at celebrations of Cornish culture and important cultural occasions.
[17]
[18]
[19]
His poetry centres on the 'Spirit of Kernow', which he has performed with other
bards in Cornwall.
[20]
Political career
Serving as an independent
County Councillor on
Cornwall Council for
Truro
Boscawen District ,
[21]
[22] Biscoe was also a City
Councillor for
Truro City Council until he lost his
seat in the
May 2021 elections .
[23]
Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for
Transport responsible for the county's transport links, in 2017, Biscoe was succeeded by Councillor Geoff Brown.
[24] During his time in office, he was involved in many projects including the
A30 road improvements at
Temple, Cornwall ,
[25] and one of the failed bus lane projects in
Truro .
[26]
Work as local historian
Chairman of the Truro Civic Society,
[27] Biscoe also serves as President of the
Truro Old Cornwall Society .
[28]
[29] Honorary Secretary and a Trustee on the board on the
Royal Cornwall Museum ,
[30] he is the author of two books about the
history of Cornwall .
[31]
Activism
Relevant in the
Cornish Identity
debate ,
[32] with
Dr James Whetter he popularised the campaign for increased powers for Cornish local government and the creation of a
Cornish Assembly .
[33]
[34] He also served as chairman of the
Cornish Constitutional Convention .
[6]
Books
Biscoe is the author of several books, mainly related to Cornwall and poetry:
Maudlin' Pilgrimage , book of verse set in the reign of
Henry VIII .
[35]
Rebecca (1996).
[36]
The dance of the Cornish air (1996).
[37]
At a wedding with Yeats in Turin (2003).
[38]
Trurra , published by Dew Vardh , winner of the Waterstones Award at Holyer An Gof Publishers' Awards 2012.
[39]
Words of Granite (
ISBN
9780946143269 ).
[40]
[41]
Mercifully Preserved Fictional account of the life of
Sir John Betjeman
[42]
On Yer Trolley: Poems Made During Complete Bed Rest! (2008).
[43]
White Crusted Eyes: Tales of Par , (2009).
[44]
Meditations on Carn Brea, Poems and Pictures from a Cornish Hill (2005).
[45]
Accompanied by Larks .
[46]
See also
References
^ Tregarthen, J.C. (2004).
John Penrose : a romance of the Land's End ([New ed.]. ed.). Fowey: Cornwall Editions.
ISBN
9781904880028 . Retrieved 13 September 2017 .
^
"Eseli Konsel Gorsedh Kernow" . Gorsedh Kernow . Gorsedh Kernow. Archived from
the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
www.express.co.uk
^
www.itv.com
^
"Squeeze Guts" . cornwall live . cornwall live. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017 .
^
a
b Simon, Parker (12 January 2001).
"Cornwall wants to go it alone" . The Guardian . Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
"Holyer an Gof" . Archived from
the original on 30 August 2017.
^ Lee Trewhela (11 May 2020).
"First time in over 200 years new Truro mayor is sworn in online" .
Cornwall Live . Retrieved 8 January 2021 .
^
www.burkespeerage.com
^
"Biography" . BB . Bert Biscoe Campaign. Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
"Bert Biscoe" . Cornwall Gov . Cornwall Council. Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
"Dew Vardh, with Bert Biscoe and Pol Hodge" . Penzance Literary Festival . Retrieved 13 September 2017 .
^
"A Kynsa" . Cornwall 24 . Cornwall 24. Archived from
the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
www.lordlieutenantofcornwall.org.uk
^
"Council Members" .
Cornish Gorsedh . Retrieved 29 August 2017 .
^
"Jennet Campbell MBE: Cornish Gorsedd Honour - The Radford Charitable Trust" . www.radfordtrust.org . Retrieved 13 September 2017 .
^
"Ceremony welcomes bards from all over the world to Lannstevan" . Cornish & Devon Post . Retrieved 13 September 2017 .
^
"Guardians of a rich cultural heritage" . Cornish Guardian. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2017 . [
permanent dead link ]
^ Council, Cornwall.
"September 2013 - Cornwall Council" . www.cornwall.gov.uk . Archived from
the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2017 .
^
"Poets lead Cornish revolt against 'English imperialism' " . The Independent . 18 May 1997. Retrieved 13 September 2017 .
^ Boscawen or Truro Boscawen is an electoral division and area of central Truro.
"ONS Geography Linked Data | Truro Boscawen" . statistics.data.gov.uk . Retrieved 9 September 2017 .
^
"data.ordnancesurvey" . data . ordnance survey. Retrieved 9 September 2017 .
Boscawen Park is not located in the electoral ward but shares the same name.
^
"Big names were booted out at Cornwall Council elections" . 10 May 2021.
^ Cornwall Council.
"Profiles of Cabinet members - Cornwall Council" . www.cornwall.gov.uk .
^
"A30 improvements finish date moves from spring to summer" . ITV. ITV news. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017 .
^
"Scrapping of Truro bus lane costs £60,000" . BBC. BBC Cornwall. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2017 .
^
"TCS" . Retrieved 29 August 2017 .
^
"piran day article" . falmouth packet . 4 February 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017 .
^
"Truro Old Cornwall Society" . Truro Old Cornwall Society . Retrieved 12 September 2017 .
^
"Trustees" . Royal Cornwall Museum . Royal Cornwall Museum. Retrieved 29 August 2017 .
^ Truro Library Archives
^
www.thetimes.co.uk
^
"Councillor details" . Retrieved 13 August 2017 .
^
"About Bert Biscoe" . Retrieved 13 August 2017 .
^ Bert, Biscoe.
"MAUDLIN' PILGRIMAGE" . oldcornwallshop . BB. Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
"Rebecca" . Open Library . Retrieved 18 October 2017 .
^
"the dance of the cornish air" . Open Library . Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
"At a wedding with Yeats in Turin" . Open library . Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
"gorsedh kernow awards list" . gorsedh kernow . Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^ Biscoe, Bert (1997).
Words of granite : bearing witness : poems of time & place (1 ed.). Wadebridge: Lodenek Press. p. 53.
ISBN
9780946143269 . Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^ Biscoe, Bert (1997). Words of Granite - Selected Poems . Lodenek Press.
ASIN
0946143269 .
^
"oldcornwall" . oldcornwall.net .
^ Biscoe, Bert (5 December 2008). On Yer Trolley: Poems Made During Complete Bed Rest! . Creative Edge.
ISBN
978-0956021816 .
^ Biscoe, Bert (1 September 2009). White Crusted Eyes: Tales of Par . Creative Edge.
ISBN
978-0956021823 .
^
"MEDITATIONS ON CARN BREA Poems and Pictures from a Cornish Hill by Biscoe Bert: Biffworks, Cornwall Thin Card, First Edition, Signed by Author(s) - Polsue Books" . www.abebooks.co.uk . Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
^
"Accompanied by Larks - BISCOE, Bert" . www.cornishbookworld.co.uk . Archived from
the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017 .
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