Saturday 30 April 2011

The Fox revisited (yet again)

In my blogs I have charted the fall and rise of The Fox, Ysceifiog. This afternoon in glorious sunshine I pedalled over there as I had heard rumours of a beer festival. Sure enough the old place was decorated with flags and bunting for the occasion; as well a small stage was erected outside where some musicians were tuning up for their performance. The festival had started the night before; beers from around the nation were available, as well as lots of pies (over 100 were consumed on the first evening). My pint (not wedding ale) was just about as perfect as it is possible to brew.

Thursday 28 April 2011

The Town that climbs the mountain...

Cahirciveen is a small town in the far west of Ireland: next parish New York, they say in these parts. That is not entirely true as Newfoundland is the next closest part of north America, but really New York sounds so much better. The town of Cahirciveen has a population of around 1200 and consists mainly of a long high street with the houses painted in many different colours. The shops and businesses of the town serve an extensive rural and coastal area.

When I first visited the town in the 1980s Cahirciveen was said to have 50 public houses; most of the shops had a licence to serve drink on the Fair Days. The most famous of these pubs is the Anchor, found in the centre of the town:
The Anchor Bar, Cahirciveen.

The Anchor Bar, in those days, doubled as a fishing tackle shop and a late night debating chamber, where the affairs of the world were discussed around the owners back kitchen table. Today the Anchor Bar still serves a great pint of Guinness, but the famous owner of years ago, Pauline McGuire, now can only look at the drinkers from a portrait on the wall.


Pauline McGuire still at the Anchor Bar, Cahirciveen.

You AV to vote No, don't you?

There is only a week to go before the referendum on the Alternative Vote for Westminster elections. Apart from students and teachers of politics I have yet to meet anyone who has engaged with the debate, let alone understood it.

Smugly I have ignored the 'Yes' campaign, lazily adopting Boris Johnson's analysis of AV as 'bonkers'. So I felt it was about I tried to consider whether the Alternative Vote has any virtue at all. I turned to Nick Cohen's Spectator article on AV (http://nickcohen.net/2011/04/26/changing-my-mind-on-av/) in which he sets out his reasons for changing his mind, and deciding to join the 'Yes' camp instead. In the past I have admired the work of Cohen so I was prepared to be convinced. However the article contains hardly any convincing arguments in favour of ditching First Past the Post; Cohen's main points are that we might as well have it as coalitions would become more common anyway, and that MPs would have to work harder for the vote. Is that it?

Having thought about it for a little longer I can find NO reason for voting YES next Thursday. There my conscience is clear!

Wednesday 27 April 2011

An Irish wedding in an Irish castle.

Yesterday I went to the wedding of Michael and Irene in an Irish Castle. They had chosen a perfect venue, and the sublime Easter weather only added to their special day. They planned their bespoke wedding perfectly: members of the family performed musical items during the ceremony, and the reception ended around dawn with their family and friends still making 'home-made' music.
Ballyseede Castle (nothing seedy about it) is not a genuine medieval castle but rather  a Victorian folly. However the property itself has a long history being contested between native Irish chieftains and then later the Anglo-Irish aristocracy. It's role as a modern hotel seems far more appropriate!

The 'mock' castle and the period art work that covered the walls should not disguise the fact that this was a thoroughly modern wedding. It was one where people of all faiths (or none at all) met and celebrated with Michael and Irene none the wiser for each other's creed or denomination.
Ballyseede Castle near Tralee.
As they say in Wales: Llongyfarchiadau Michael ac Irene!

And finally, this Irish castle came with its very own Irish Wolfhound (called Arthur).

King Arthur.

Sunday 24 April 2011

Ireland after the bubble burst.

Yesterday I travelled across Ireland; I have been making a similar journey since the end of the 1980s. In that time I have seen the country change almost beyond recognition, but mainly in a good way. Until two or three years ago they called Ireland the 'Celtic Tiger'; now they are left to reflect on a massive international bailout of an almost bankrupt economy. So as I travelled across the country on a glorious April day I looked for signs of economic collapse. I did not have to look hard: part completed housing developments in every town and village, and in the larger cities closed factories and industrial areas showed the depth of the crisis.

We are staying in a house that can't be sold, opposite these houses that cant be built.
However the impression given by the half built houses should not disguise the fact that Ireland has changed fundamentally in the recent decades. This is certainly not a case of back to the 80s; it is, rather, a painful process of economic readjustment. The impressive Dublin Airport, the Dublin sky-line, the mile after mile (or km after km) of new roads, the hard-working migrants, and the sense of prosperity still enjoyed by the many Irish people show that the present economic difficulties are going to be relatively short-lived.

Friday 22 April 2011

The Perfect Summer of 1911.

2011 is proving to be an interesting year: the so-called Arab Spring has witnessed hundreds of thousands of people on the march for freedom. There is a smell of revolution in the air, and discontent with the political class is not confined to north Africa and the Arab Peninsular.

It was similar in 1911. The trade unions were challenging the power of the government with mass strikes; there was a constitutional crisis over the right of the aristocracy to rule in the House of Lords; and the Suffragette movement was at the height of its, at times, violent campaign to gain the vote for women; and Ireland was descending into civil war.

The weather was sublime:  week after week that summer the country baked in record temperatures. This glorious Easter has made me think that perhaps one hundred years on there may be several parallels worth examining

I will read again 'The Perfect Summer: Dancing into Shadow in 1911' by Juliet Nicolson. It is a marvellous month by month account of that pre war summer that many were later to describe as 'golden'. Nicolson makes us realise that it was anything but 'golden'.

Then, as today, people were struggling for basic political freedoms.

Cycling sunsets.

It might just be me, but I love bikes. Earlier this evening I cycled only a few miles from Caerwys looking for a spot where I might capture the sunset (part of this glorious Easter) through a bicycle wheel. The place I chose was a field above Tremeirchion, on the Offa's Dyke path. I propped my favourite Graham Weigh bike against a gorse bush and took these photographs whilst lying on the grass:




Tuesday 19 April 2011

Eastertide sunset.

It is hard to remember more perfect Easter weather than we have had this week. The temperatures are some 10 degrees above the seasonal average; the clear blue skies have have led to some stunning sunsets. Earlier this evening I motored a few miles from Caerwys to take this photograph;

Eastertide sunset on the Clwydians.

A choir in crisis.

Cor Mebion Caerwys held their AGM yesterday evening at St.Michael's Church in an atmosphere of gloom and doom. The membership of the choir has fallen to just 27, and this is not spread evenly across the voice groups; there is a shortage of tenors. The report of the departing musical director recognised the fine sound the choir makes, but criticised the inconsistent attendance at rehearsals and concerts.

It would be a great shame for the town if the choir disappeared. However it is increasingly difficult to persuade people to give the commitment that is required to be part of a successful choir. A large male voice choir is part rooted in the chapels and part in the 'militaristic' fashion of uniform and collective discipline. Neither of these are fashionable in the modern age of the individual.

That does not mean that choirs in general are going to disappear, far from it. But the choirs of the future will be less formal, more inventive, and younger (based around schools and colleges perhaps). For those who have spent their lives around the traditional Welsh male voice choir the future does not appear to be bright.

Sunday 17 April 2011

50 miles on the bike.

Traditionally on the Sunday before Easter the North Wales and Chester Cycle Touring Club run a 'Spring Tourist Trial'. The distance is always 50 miles. I have taken part on numerous occasions, but today was perhaps the best. Well over 100 cyclists took part, with groups going out at 5 minute intervals to avoid congestion. The route is from Kinnerton in Flintshire to Overton near Wrexham; it takes in many of the best lanes, crossing the Dee at Farndon and Holt. A beautiful lunch is provided at Overton. There are two target times to complete the ride, either in 4 or 5 hours. Last year I managed to squeeze inside 4 hours (that included lunch). This time I missed by 6 minutes despite almost time trialling my way over the last few miles. Still, I got my certificate with the 5 hour group. It was a wonderful event in perfect weather conditions.

Brain, Skill, and Chance: the final

An excellent final of brain, skill, and chance took place in the Caerwys Town Hall last night. It was reassuring to see a familiar name winning the competition: Piccadilly B (there is no Piccadilly A). That brings to an end this years series of games. Thirty teams took part, with six in each. The competition itself has been running for over 30 years. Here is a photograph of the winners:

The world famous Pic B team.

Thomas Jones and the Ordination of 1811

Yesterday Flintshire Historical Society held a joint lecture with their Denbighshire equivalents in the Welsh Presbyterian Chapel, Trefnant. The lecture marked the bi-centenary of the ordination of Thomas Jones in 1811. This might not sound too enthralling, but actually it was very interesting. In reality the 1811 ordination marks the start of the formal breakaway of the Calvinistic Methodists from the Church of England; an event that would shape the religious and political development of Wales for the next century and more, for good and ill. In fact Thomas Jones is usually given as being from Denbigh, whereas in fact he was brought up and lived most of his life in Penucha Caerwys. I might add that the man sitting next to me in the lecture was holding Thomas Jones' gallstones in a Tupperware box, just thought I might mention that.

Thomas Jones of Denbigh (but really Caerwys), possibly without gallstones.

Caerwys litter pick.

Yesterday the good people of Caerwys met in the Square and set off to pick up all the litter they could find around the town. It was organised by the mayor, Mr Philip Parry. Although there was not huge amounts of litter the photograph does show enough filled bags to make the exercise worthwhile. I was with a small party litter picking near the old peoples' sheltered housing; here we came across evidence indicating the drug problem in the town is worse than we thought - two packets of viagra (used).

Bags of litter collected from around the town.

Thursday 14 April 2011

Sex and politics.

Tonight I gave a talk to the Trefnant Women's Institute on the title: 'Sex and Politics'. It made a change from flower arranging, they told me. I traced the history of politics and sex from Gladstone (with his rescue missions of the ladies of the night), to Asquith and Venetia Stanley, to Lloyd George and many women, but principally Frances Stephenson, then to Profumo, Major, Clinton, Boothby, and many others. I tried to answer the question as to whether there was a link between politics (at the highest level) and sex. There is no obvious answer; yet I quoted Bill Clinton, who when asked why he had an liaison with Monica Lewinsky, replied 'because I could'.

The WI is an excellent organisation and the Trefnant branch were great fun. As I waited to start the branch dealt with their routine business; to conclude the chairwoman read out a comic little poem that blamed men for their ills. The poem mentioned MENtal illness, MENopause, and HIStorectomy. I tried to apologise on behalf of all men.

Monday 11 April 2011

Assembly election question time.

  
The BBC crew and Betsan Powys get ready for question time at Wrexham.
Earlier this evening I went to the BBC question time event to mark to start of the Assembly election campaign. It was hosted by the excellent Betsan Powys. The questions and answers were all fairly predictable, but the debate did show some very strong feelings. However it proved to me that devolution is still in its infancy here in Wales. The audience (and to an extent the politicians) seem to confuse the powers held by the Assembly and those  by the Westminster government. The best example being the questions relating to economic policy and in particular how the Assembly will create jobs. In fact the Assembly has very limited economic powers and it is the Westminster government that controls the great economic levers of taxation and general fiscal policy. Of course what happens in London strongly influences how one views the Welsh parties; the Liberal Democrat on the panel tried to distance himself from the Clegg policy on university fees, but it remains to be seen whether the voters will recognise such niceties.

Sunday 10 April 2011

They say it won't last...

April days don't get much better than this one. A perfectly blue sky and temperatures well into the 20s; it is hard to imagine those frozen days just prior to Christmas. The air is also very clear and invigorating. This photograph shows my 'fixie' resting on lane not far from Caerwys.

The lane from Caerwys to Babell.

The next photo is just about the bike:

About the bike: a fixed wheel means that in theory you can pedal backwards.

I have one tiny gripe about the way we Brits respond to this sublime weather and I blame the weather men and women. Each forecast I have seen over the last few days has said - more or less - 'nice day in prospect but enjoy it as it won't last'. Of course it won't last; we live in a climate dominated by the great Atlantic ocean and our weather is naturally variable.

This kind of weather pessimism spreads to the ordinary folk: in the garden centre earlier (lots of people there as the weather was fine) I heard friends meet each other with the usual observation of it being sunny and warm, but then predictably one said: 'they say it won't last'.

Thursday 7 April 2011

Cor Mebion Caerwys go to Ruthin.

This evening Cor Mebion Caerwys performed at Capel Batharfarn in Ruthin. The whole evening was quite magical.

The promotion poster: modesty forbids me mentioning the soloist.

Capal Bartharfan is architecturally very significant. The following photograph fails to do the building justice, but it gives an idea of this wonderful example of 19th century methodist chapel building.

An intimate chapel but with the upper tier full it would seat at least 300.

The upper tier of the chapel is now sadly closed due to fire regulations; but one could at least imagine a full chapel hosting a Cymanfa Ganu with the four part harmony.

It was a privilege to sing in this beautiful old building; some of the money raised will go to improve parts of the vestry. As for Cor Meibion Caerwys the future is rather uncertain. Our Musical Director Elizabeth Hughes is leaving after 5 years service. It is also much more difficult to get men to join choirs, especially with the commitment that is often required. In addition, Cor Meibion Caerwys has a surfeit of Basses and Baratones! We need tenor voices urgently if the choir is to continue.

Cor Meibion Caerwys at Capal Barthafarn: the future of the choir is uncertain.


There is something very special and very Welsh about a male voice choir. In the setting of this remarkable chapel in Ruthin we all experienced a memorable evening.

Tuesday 5 April 2011

The way to go: Labour in 2015

Since becoming leader of the party last Ed Miliband has not had it easy. I discovered in writing my previous blog that no Labour leader had become Prime Minister after an election defeat which took them out of power. There is, however, no reason  why Labour should not win in 2015 (or sooner if the coalition government collapses).

To achieve this victory Labour, to my mind, must take the following course of action. They must stop talking about the deficit. The coalition will always have the upper hand here; Labour's policy of deficit reduction over a slightly longer period is hardly inspiring and simply prolongs the agony. In addition, if by, say 2014, there is real progress towards deficit reduction (the banks back in private hands and so on) then the coalition will reap the benefits. The deficit has to go.

Labour should adjust their focus elsewhere. There are plenty of soft targets where the coalition are vulnerable.  Cameron and Clegg talk like liberals, but no one takes them seriously when they introduce policies on fairness and equality. Andrew Neil's 'Posh and Posher' programme should be the starting point for Labour's policy. Tax the rich! Why should low income families pay for the mistakes of rich bankers? Boldness here would pay rich dividends in terms of votes. Similarly, the pay differential between those at the top and those at the bottom is obscene. We must become a more equal society; Labour can champion this aim.

The coalition health reforms are madness and Labour should benefit from easy pickings here.

Labour should also break free from the traditional methods of measuring success. Economic growth is not everything; in this country we work longer than most of our European neighbours. Work-life balance, happiness, contentment, whatever one wishes to call it, might be a fertile ground for Labour to explore. We should work less and the 24/7 economy slowed down a little. Why not seek a working week of say 34 hours? It can be done. I will whisper this idea...reinvent the 'big society' idea as it is inherently socialist...sshhhh!

Finally, in the area of foreign policy Labour must question the wisdom of Britain's role in so called 'peace-keeping' missions. In an age of cut-backs the country cannot afford open ended commitments.

This is my contribution to the debate. My main point is that Labour MUST move away from confronting the coalition on the deficit as that could prove disastrous in 2015.