Cornwall with… SIMON REEVE

He may be known for his intrepid overseas exploits, but Wanderlust favourite Simon Reeve has turned his sights closer to home – Cornwall. He tells us about his South-Western adventures

How did the idea for the Cornwall series come about? And was it your idea?

No, it wasn’t. And I slightly resisted it. I wasn’t convinced that we could make it work. I suppose I’d bought into a simple stereotype of Cornwall – the beaches and surfing image of the place.

Then as soon as you start doing even the most basic research, you start uncovering stories, issues, the history, the mythology... And so, it became a bit of a no brainer. This summer, Cornwall was such a focus of vacation desires but it’s also a microcosm of so many issues we face during the pandemic, and more broadly as well as a nation.

This year’s been particularly devastating for Cornwall from the point of view of jobs?

Not just this year. There is the ‘staycation’ Cornwall, but there’s also the fact that during our great industrial decline, Cornwall lost an enormous number of jobs. I don’t think enough people fully appreciate the scale of that. And as a result, there is a shortage of long-term careers there, and a shortage of employment for a lot of people.