Ryder Cup rapture

 

Tiger Woods is ensconced in my constituency tonight in the Celtic Manor. So are all the other members of European and American Ryder Cup teams.

It’s thrilling to have Newport as the Golf Capital of the world for this week. The preparations have been lavish and brilliantly undertaken. Local billionaire  SirTerry Matthews is rightly proud of attracting the Ryder Cup here.  He has spent a vast sum of his own money on the event without any hope of a financial return. It’s a labour of love from a man who was born in the Lydia Beynon hospital that is now the Manor House heart of the Celtic Manor Resort.

South Wales has not always been fortunate with its perceived image. One visiting American journalist asked the Canadian head of a cable company how receptive South Wales was to new firms. She had three questions. Do the neighbours burn your house down if you don’t speak Welsh? Is there a lot of pollution from the coal pits and steelworks? Is social life dull because the pubs and cinemas are shut on Sundays?   

The Canadian businessman was aghast. “Where do you get this shit from? Is this what they think of Wales in America?’ ‘No’, the journalist answered, ‘this is what they told me about Wales when I was in London yesterday.’

Even hopelessly wrong and outdated images persist. But things are improving. In Warsaw two years ago I had a pleasant surprise. I was introduced to the Polish Foreign Secretary at the top table of a post-conference meal. When I told him my constituency was in Newport, he became animated.’ He explained to the other guests at the table that ‘Newport is a beautiful place. You must go there.’ This is not the usual view of the city, but he was speaking the truth.

A month earlier he had attended a meeting of all EU foreign secretaries held in the Celtic Manor on a beautiful July day. They dined in the magnificent surroundings of Newport’s stately home of Tredegar House. The Foreign Secretary witnessed the beautiful best of our city. He was well disposed towards us.

Those who ask what Newport will gain from this week should understand the immense power of perception. Images from the Celtic Manor will be seen by more than a billion viewers throughout the planet. After the Olympics and the World Football Cup, the Ryder Cup has the biggest television audience of any world event. The viewers will see quality, style and superb sporting skills in a beautiful setting. They will associate them with the location of Newport. The city’s image will be splendidly enhanced. Benefits will flow from that.

Congratulations  Sir Terry Matthews. Thanks to your vision and generosity, the Newport Ryder Cup is already a magnificent success before a ball has been hit.

 

Comments

[Stuart]

But you won't know it if you watch BBC news. They refer to this place Celtic Manor, Wales. Never Newport. Add to that that the US team flew into Cardiff and you'd think Celtic Manor is a part of the capital!

[Sandpits Man]

It relies on the coverage featuring some of the locality. I hope the local authorities have been active in encouraging the BBC to get out and shoot some wider, local features to add context to the course. If so, it will be great for the locality.

[DG]

Doesn't really matter where the folk *think* they are, as long as they come back and tell their friends