Article: Tall tales of 'proper' Cornish humour

J ust what "real" Cornish humour is exactly is almost impossible to define - but you really do have to be "proper Cornish" to recognise and appreciate it.

A new book of anecdotes and jokes, collected by the industrious Cornubiensis, contains dozens of examples of this rare comedic style.

Under 13 different headings, from "copper, tin, and the rest of it" to "stories that defy classification", they have all been gleaned from conversations in pubs, on railway stations, at informal meetings and written down immediately - a fact which adds to their authenticity.

Take this general election story from the 1950s, when a supporter of Camborne MP Harold Hayman was asked who the other candidate was.

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