The Big Cornish Question

What Cornwall Thinks is proud to support Cornwall's Rewind Radio

Have Your Say on Life in Cornwall with What Cornwall Thinks

Run by Cornish market research company PFA Research Ltd, What Cornwall Thinks invites people from all walks of life to take part in short surveys on a wide range of topics. It’s not an open forum, but a structured and purposeful space where your views are gathered through carefully designed questionnaires. You might be invited by email or see a call for opinions through social media – and when you respond, you’ll know your voice counts.

Participation is easy and rewarding. Members receive surveys that match their interests, and as a thank you, they collect points that can be exchanged for cash. There are also regular prize draws and other incentives to keep things interesting.

Check out past big questions below and their results:

Recent Big Cornish Questions

Q1
16/08/25 - Over three quarters said we would be willing to pay more for this everyday product. What is it?: A
A pint of milk… if the extra went straight to the farmer! (78%)
Q2
15/08/25 - 35% say we get annoyed by this behaviour when on holiday.: A
Excessive Selfie-taking
Q3
13/08/25 - This is the top thing Brits love to grumble about...: A
Potholes and the state of the roads
Q4
12/08/25 - 16% of use think this classic Cornish activity overrated…?: A
Surfing
Q5
11/08/25 - According to What Cornwall Thinks, of all 15 UK National Parks, this is the one they’d most like to visit — either again or for the first time?: A
The Lake District (23%)
Q6
08/08/25 - It’s not vanilla, and it’s not pasty — but according to What Cornwall Thinks, 30% of people in Cornwall said they’d try this unusual ice cream flavour. What is it?: A
Lavendar
Q7
07/08/25 - According to What Cornwall Thinks, Nearly half % of people say this actually makes customer service worse. What is it?: A
Online chatbots (48%)
Q8
06/08/25 - It’s not glamorous — and 1 in 6 people in Cornwall say they’d gladly give it up for life. What household chore are we talking about?: A
Cleaning the toilet
Q9
05/08/25 - It’s just one word — but 32% of people say it makes all the difference in a bad customer service experience. What is it?: A
Sorry
Q10
04/08/25 - What Cornwall Thinks asked people in Cornwall what they do when customer service is really good. 48% said they... what?: A
Mention it on social media or leave a review
Q11
01/08/25 - According to What Cornwall Thinks, 17% of people say they were model students who never did anything naughty at school. But among the rest, what did more people admit to than anything else?: A
Faking a sick day
Q12
31/07/25 - According to What Cornwall Thinks, Strictly Come Dancing was named the top TV guilty pleasure — but what came next?: A
I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
Q13
30/07/25 - What Cornwall Thinks asked people in Cornwall to choose two scoops from a big ice cream menu. Which flavour came out on top, with 1 in 5 people picking it?: A
Salted Caramel
Q14
29/07/25 - According to What Cornwall Thinks, 18% of people say they did this to a teacher — and probably regretted it straight away. What is it?: A
Talking back (giving a bit of lip!)
Q15
28/07/25 - It’s fiddly, it’s endless, and 15% of people in Cornwall say they’d love to never do it again. What is it?: A
Weeding the garden
Q16
25/07/25 - Nearly half of us think British people do not do this enough?: A
Complain
Q17
24/07/25 - What percentage of us believe the customer is always right?!: A
27% think the customer is always / usually right… compared to 16% saying rarely / never! (Everyone else is a ‘sometimes’)
Q18
23/07/25 - What concern do a half of us have about companies using artificial intelligence?: A
Giving us the wrong information (i.e. just getting things wrong!) (49%)
Q19
22/07/25 - 1 in 5 of us think this skill is an advantage of AI… but it could save you on holiday. What is it?: A
‘Multilingual support’ – or helping us communicate in a foreign language
Q20
21/07/25 - A quarter of us dislike this happening to us as customers. What could it be?: A
Customer reps being over familiar (e.g. calling us “mate”) – 26%
Q21
18/07/25 - When dealing with companies, 48% of us said we would be willing to pay more for what?: A
Dealing with a real person, rather than an automated/AI chatbot
Q22
17/07/25 - 18% say this is what matters most when receiving customer service.: A
Politeness
Q23
16/07/25 - 31% say we are likely to do this when we receive good customer service.: A
Leave a more generous tip than original intended
Q24
15/07/25 - 14% of us say we have had this stolen from us by a seagull.: A
Ice cream
Q25
11/07/25 - 2% say we do this while listening to the radio...: A
Gardening
Q26
10/07/25 - What well known landmark in Cornwall are Cornish residents most likely to recommend to someone else?: A
St Michael’s Mount (67%)
Q27
09/07/25 - 43% say this is worth spending a bit extra on, for better quality or experience.: A
A comfortable mattress for the bed
Q28
08/07/25 - 20% say this chore doesn’t get done by anyone in their household.: A
Cleaning the oven
Q29
07/07/25 - On a night out, 62% of us might do this…: A
Sing karaoke
Q30
04/07/25 - According to What Cornwall Thinks, what was our favourite subject at school?: A
English
Q31
03/07/25 - Almost a third of us say we used to watch this on TV, but no longer do. What is it?: A
Big Brother
Q32
02/07/25 - What do 92% of us say we enjoy doing as a common pastime..?: A
Listening to the radio
Q33
01/07/25 - What percentage of us say we enjoy a Sunday roast?: A
39%
Q34
30/06/25 - 9% say this is our top priority in life...: A
Be in a relationship
Q35
27/06/25 - In June 2020, 25% of us said we always made an effort to do this but 9% rarely did it...: A
Shop locally from smaller, independent businesses … (and this was the Covid year, of course).
Q36
26/06/25 - 17% say they have not done this in at least the last 10 years, if ever.: A
Been to the theatre.
Q37
25/06/25 - Nearly 60% of us say they have seen tourists make this mistake...: A
Parking their car on the beach just before high tide (58%)
Q38
24/06/25 - What well known landmark in Cornwall are Cornish residents most likely to say they have visited? (As in ever visited…): A
Land's End (91%)
Q39
23/06/25 - What do more than a quarter of us wish we could spend more time doing?: A
Our hobbies and interests (26%)
Q40
20/06/25 - What % of people say they are proud of Cornwall as a place for people to visit?: A
75%, or three quarters of those responding in the What Cornwall Thinks survey. A further 21% said they have mixed feelings about it.
Q41
19/06/25 - More than a half of us are annoyed by this behaviour when on holiday. But what is it?: A
Queue jumpers! (54%)
Q42
18/06/25 - 14% of us will make this the first thing we do when we arrive in a hotel room.: A
Put the kettle on!
Q43
17/06/25 - 10% of us say we usually pack this when we go on holiday, but never end up using it.: A
A sewing kit
Q44
16/06/25 - More than half of people responding to a What Cornwall Thinks survey say they will be doing what in Cornwall this year?: A
“Staycating” - 57% say they will be having a ‘staycation’ in Cornwall this year…. i.e. staying at home but doing holiday things. (54% are also taking a holiday away from home)
Q45
13/06/25 - What do 12% say is among our top priorities in life?: A
Going on holiday
Q46
12/06/25 - Over 60% of us believe what activity is now outdated?: A
The traditional ‘9-5’ job (i.e. a full time, salaried job, with regular working hours across a 5 day working week) - 45% said tend to agree and 18% said strongly agree.
Q47
11/06/25 - 13% of people describe their generation as what?: A
Thrifty
Q48
10/06/25 - What is our top priority in life?: A
Just.. being happy! (58%) Followed by Good health & fitness (40%) and Financial stability (35%).
Q49
09/06/25 - The thing Brits most love to grumble about is the weather — no surprise there! But what came in with 10% of the vote?: A
Potholes and the state of the roads.
Q50
06/06/25 - 15% of people in Cornwall have witnessed other people at the beach doing what?: A
Trying to put on a wetsuit back to front
Q51
05/06/25 - 10% of people in Cornwall don’t like eating this…: A
The pasty! (Can you even believe it..?)
Q52
04/06/25 - The chough is a symbol of Cornwall. But 4% of people thought what should be the national animal of Cornwall?: A
The grey seal. Incidentally, 8% would nominate the Cornish Piskie...
Q53
03/06/25 - What proportion of people said they had turkey for their last Christmas dinner?: A
55% (22% were having beef and 14% vegetarian.)
Q54
02/06/25 - 14% say this is Cornish tradition/day they look forward to the most...: A
St Piran’s Day (of course!)
Q55
30/05/25 - 1 in 5 of us have done this in the last month... what?: A
20% said the last time they went to the cinema was within the last month.
Q56
29/05/25 - On a typical weekend, what is the most common activity people will do on a Sunday?: A
Go for a walk (56%)
Q57
28/05/25 - What types of TV are people most likely to say they would watch on their own rather than with other people?: A
Fictional crime dramas (31%)
Q58
27/05/25 - According to over a quarter of us, it would take this amount of money to leave Cornwall…: A
28% said that if they were offered £1 million - but could never return to Cornwall - they would take it.
Q59
23/05/25 - Over 40% of people say they don't use this any more.: A
42% prefer card and contactless payments. They rarely carry cash and don't miss it.
Q60
22/05/25 - What topic do Cornish residents think most divides opinion amongst people living in Cornwall?: A
Second homes and holiday lets (72%)
Q61
21/05/25 - 4% of people said this is the best condiment to make a portion of chips taste best.: A
Gravy! (38% said salt'n'vinegar is all that's needed.)
Q62
20/05/25 - Preferred takeaway supper is..?: A
Fish 'n' chips (25%)
Q63
19/05/25 - This has happened to 40% of us in Cornwall... what?: A
Being mugged by a seagull for our lunch/pasty/ice cream/chips!