This article appeared on the Electronic Telegraph on 26 January, 1999. I've archived the text here in case it vanishes from its original place.

Rents in Cornwall Eclipse the Sun

By Sean O'Neill

PEOPLE in Cornwall have been accused of profiteering over the solar eclipse this summer by demanding weekly rents of up to £10,000 for holiday lets.

The eclipse occurs on Aug 11 at the peak of the holiday season and accommodation is scarce. Rents have been fuelled by rumours of Americans and Japanese paying five-figure sums.

Hotel accommodation is almost totally booked in west Cornwall, regarded as the best place to view the two-minute event, and self-catering properties are being advertised on the Internet. The "This Is Cornwall" web site features two at £10,000 and others invite "best offers". Many are demanding £5,000 and more.

Cornwall county council and the regional tourist board condemn the demands as greed. They recommend that the holiday industry raises rents by no more than 10 per cent. Gage Williams, the eclipse co-ordinator, said: "These prices are aberrations, but could do real damage to our tourist industry."

A householder who wants £10,000 for her three-bedroom cottage near the fishing village of Mousehole said that the authorities were unrealistic. "Cornwall suffers badly in economic terms so this is a one-in-a-million chance for people here to get some money flowing."