The arrogance of some politicians...

Posted by North Wales Weekly News team on May 29, 2008 4:22 PM

By Mari Jones, Reporter

Today I went to the launch of a genuinely fascinating new exhibition at Llandudno Museum, which to me is a largely undiscovered gem in the town.

I know people from far and wide have worked tirelessly on this exhibition which features extremely rare objects dating from the last Ice Age to the early 20th century. They have been brought together for the first time, and Jill Cook, head of the Prehistoric Collection at the British Museum, was on hand to show round the Welsh Assembly's heritage minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas.

This delightful lady, who is a world expert in her field, has spent 14 years studying these bones which were found in a cave on the Great Orme, and through her work has become a huge supporter of Llandudno Museum.

Many dignitaries were invited and we all waited patiently for the arrival of said minister, who was running late. Mr Thomas eventually arrived and we all stood expectantly as he was led into the gallery were the exhibition is being held. As Jill explained the significance of the bones, what do you think the minister did?

You'd think that with such a position as his, he'd look at least slightly interested and make a few intelligent remarks. But no, our eminent politician did not even look up from his Blackberry as he continuously texted somebody. This went on for at least a minute and I and many others in the room were mortified. It was jaw-droppingly rude behaviour, he didn't even bother to apologise.

God help us here in Wales if people of his calibre hold such lofty positions - this man is also in charge of tourism in Wales! Llandudno Museum, and most definitely Jill Cook, did not deserve such a blatant show of arrogance.

He went on to say a few well-rehearsed complimentary remarks, but it was all a little too late. The damage had been done.

Anyway, you can read about the exhibition and just how significant and important it is in next week's Weekly News. Rhodri Glyn Thomas would do well to check it out too...

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Weekly News video: Rhyl Flats windfarm up close

Posted by North Wales Weekly News team on May 29, 2008 9:54 AM

LOVE them or loathe them, windfarms are here to stay on the North Wales coastline.
North Wales Weekly News reporter Shelley Coyle braved the choppy seas to chart the development of the new Rhyl Flats windfarm last week. Once the project is completed in July 2009, Rhyl Flats will generate 90mw each year - that’s enough energy to power 61,000 homes in the UK.
So are these windfarms a blight on the natural landscape and detrimental to tourism? Or a visually inspiring reminder of the way in which Wales is leading the way in working to limit climate change?
Post a comment and tell us what you think.

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The big drugs test debate

Posted by North Wales Weekly News team on May 14, 2008 2:40 PM

By Judith Phillips, Reporter

NORTH Wales Police has invested in a sophisticated piece of equipment which can detect whether or not people have been in contact with controlled drugs like heroin or cocaine and used it for the first time last weekend at Llandudno's Broadway Boulevard nightclub.

It seems 170 people there for a relaxed night out agreed to be tested by allowing officers to take swabs from the palm of their hands which were then fed into the machine for a reading.
Of those tested, 45 were told the test showed slight traces of drugs on their hands which could have come from them being in contact with contaminated door handles, glasses, or paper money. However, three tests showed higher levels of drug contamination and those people agreed to allow police to search them, but no illegal substances were found, and there were no arrests.

The operation provoked quite a heated debate in the Weekly News office with the oldest member of staff (me!) arguing that it was a perfectly reasonable one to undertake in an effort to stamp out drug taking or pushing in pubs and clubs which may lead to anti-social behaviour. But my younger colleagues (none of whom are drug users!) felt it was a serious infringement of civil liberties which smacks of a nanny state trying to control the lives of individuals.

Their view is borne out by human rights group Privacy International which expressed shock at a policy which they said they wouldn't be surprised to find operating in countries like Russia and China, but has no place in the UK.

In France they have just introduced routine breathalyser testing for people leaving late night premises in the hope of cutting down on the rising number of fatalities caused by drink driving - so why shouldn't the same apply to people who take drugs which can also impair reaction times?

So what do you think, dear readers? Am I an old dinosaur with her head buried in the sand for believing there is a place for random drug testing to try to help eradicate this scourge? Or are my colleagues in the right, and it is a blow to human rights?

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Coffee mornings and council meetings

Posted by North Wales Weekly News team on May 13, 2008 12:37 PM

By Steve Stratford, Deputy Editor

"Drop the Carpathian Mountains story!"; "Move that BNP story further up the paper!"; "Fewer words on Rowen open garden day!"; "How much do you want on the Vision Support unit?"

Working on the Weekly News is like chasing a moveable feast - stories are changing constantly, both in their length and the angle we take on them. It's one of the many advantages of working on a weekly publication, that we can consider our options more, try and go for the alternatives more often, and provide something a little different to the more instant news services such as daily papers, TV news and the internet.

Some people might not think writing about open garden days, coffee mornings or schoolkids collecting bottletops for charity is very thrilling, and to be perfectly frank it's not. But the truth is, the people we write it about and for appreciate that we bother, that we show an interest, because I firmly believe it is the smaller, more trivial news that interests Weekly News readers the most. What's happening on the corner of Marston Road in Rhos-on-Sea is of far more interest to the people who live in that area than whatever's going on in Gloddaeth Street in Llandudno or Beach Road in Old Colwyn. So we're proud of reporting on the smaller things that go on in our communities, because that is where real people are doing real things. All the political slanging matches that go on at Bodlondeb can't replace a lovely human interest story, or an article about a group of children doing something worthwhile.

But we never take our eye off the bigger issues, those that affect each and every one of us whether we like it or not. Issues such as NHS service provision, local council business and those eternal, infernal roadworks on the A55 - they're often not about people, but about policies that have a direct effect on us all. And the Weekly News is proud to be covering all bases.

So yes, of course it's more thrilling to write about a bus having its roof torn off at Colwyn Bay prom day, but we never forget that all those community fun days, coffee mornings, open days and whist drives mean something to those people involved, and it is important the Weekly News tries to strike a fair balance between the two types of reporting.

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Weekly News video: Colwyn Bay Prom Day

Posted by North Wales Weekly News team on May 7, 2008 11:17 AM

Experience all the enjoyment of Colwyn Bay Prom Day thanks to Steve Lewis' excellent video from the event.

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Weekly News video: Bus is trapped under bridge at Colwyn Bay

Posted by North Wales Weekly News team on May 7, 2008 11:13 AM

A bus - taking part in the Colwyn Bay Prom Day - managed to get itself trapped under a bridge on Monday and the North Wales Weekly News was on the scene quickly to capture some video footage.
Video by Steve Lewis, report by Paul Scott.

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Weekly News video: Llandudno's Victorian Extravaganza

Posted by North Wales Weekly News team on May 7, 2008 11:10 AM

Steve Lewis captures all the fun and festivities at Llandudno's Victorian Extravaganza.

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Conwy election results service success

Posted by North Wales Weekly News team on May 7, 2008 9:45 AM

By Steve Stratford, Deputy News Editor

Well, the votes have been counted and the results announced. The dust has settled, the tears and champagne have run dry, and we can now look back to assess what has come out of last week's local elections.

But one thing is sure - the Weekly News' live online results service went down a treat with our loyal readers! Between 9am on Friday, May 2 (when the counting commenced at Venue Cymru) to close of play over the Bank Holiday weekend, the Weekly News site scored around 10,000 hits, far and away the most traffic we've ever had in that period of time.

We put a lot of hard work into making sure we gave the best live results service for the Conwy election. We had a man at the count phoning each result through as they were announced, and a team of reporters in the office uploading the results and getting reactions from candidates where necessary - and this went for Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Ynys Mon as well as Conwy, so we were very busy bunnies last Friday!

And it paid off - 10,000 hits is a massive achievement for us, and we're justly proud of what we did. I hope you were pleased with it too.

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