The first ever meeting of the cabinet in Wales attracted a clutch of cabinet ministers to Newport.
It was great to welcome them.
The culture Secretary of State Ben Bradshaw was joined by the Assembly Heritage Minister Alun Fred Jones to inspect the progress on next year's Ryder Cup venue in Newport West.
When I was first elected in 1987 this land was occupied by three farms. One of the farmers was very troublesome. Although he was just one farmer he filled about 5% of my working life.
Even when all other farmers were making money, he was not. He was assailed with every possible tribulation. Low flying aircraft caused his cows to abort. Dioxins from a distant chemical plant were poisoning his cow. The River Usk was eroding his land. He could never gets his cow suckler subsidy forms in on time. Plus a dozen other complaints that I have long forgotten.
Then the land employed half a dozen people and cost the country a fortune in subsidies for producing unwanted food. Now it employs 600 to 1,000 people and it is a paradise of man made beauty. Next year it will be the city's pride as the attention of the Golf World will be focused on the Celtic Manor. The resort's managing director Russell Phillips showed us around.
He surprised us with the news that the billionaires owner of the Celtic Manor does not play golf. But Terry Matthews has lavished many £millions on creating the best 5 star hotel in Wales and one of the world's best golf courses.
Ben Bradshaw was surprised at the arrangements for fitting 45,000 spectators a day into what was until recently a semi-rural backwater. He caught the enthusiasm and said, 'This is really going to be your Olympics.'
Don't encourage him, KayTie.
It's not because you are a Tory Richard that you are not welcome here. Many of my correspondents are. It's because you confuse schoolyard insults for debate. To answer you means getting down to your level.
Many sites are exchanges of brainless foul abuse. Try them. On this one we have our standards.
Posted by: Paul Flynn | July 26, 2009 at 09:12 PM
"Hell, despite being an EDUCATED ethnic, I'll even vote BNP if it meant getting rid of the likes of Kay Tie & Paul Flynn."
Why would voting BNP get rid of me?
Posted by: Kay Tie | July 26, 2009 at 04:39 PM
I must agree the Celtic Manor is the jewel in the crown for Newport. I often drive along that road because its so beautiful here are few pictures I took the other day:
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j280/Tucker672/29062009628.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j280/Tucker672/29062009627.jpg
Posted by: Grant Tucker | July 24, 2009 at 08:15 PM
Indeed, as Tom Paine said:
'To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead'
Posted by: Adam J | July 24, 2009 at 08:11 PM
Two puerile postings from someone named 'Richard'. This site is the reserved for conversation between intelligent people. You are not qualified to contribute Richard, so you have been zapped.
Posted by: Paul Flynn | July 24, 2009 at 06:02 PM
"Perhaps one day you will realise that being left of centre does not mean everyone agrees on everything"
Splitter!
Posted by: Kay Tie | July 24, 2009 at 12:00 PM
So what are you saying KayTie, that patrick raised concerns because he is a socialist, or that Paul has praised the resort because he is not.
Perhaps one day you will realise that being left of centre does not mean everyone agrees on everything, it was after all one of the greatest strengths of the old labour party and one of the greatest criticisms by the right wing drones that conference was a hotbed of argument and disagreement.
New Labour's lurch to the right and its seizure of Tory ground, policies and attitudes was marked by a stifling of argument and dissent and the now familiar happy harmonious and rather pointless mockery of
conference was brought into being.
Posted by: HuwOS | July 24, 2009 at 11:15 AM
I work near the Celtic Manor, and can vouch that there's a fair bit of wildlife around there - the rabbits and woodpeckers are lovely.
Posted by: DG | July 24, 2009 at 10:58 AM
What on Earth has the water usage of a golf course in Wales got to do with the water usage of villages in other countries? It's not as if the golf course is using up the water that the villages could have had instead. You might have noticed it does tend to rain a bit in Wales and consequently water is bountiful there.
Socialists are so keen to find fault with things that aren't wrong. Is it any wonder that when they get their claws on power that they unleash a wave of sanctimonious Puritanism? In olden days the pursed-lipped whiners were complaining about cross-strapped yellow garters. Today it's about people playing golf.
Posted by: Kay Tie | July 24, 2009 at 10:32 AM
It is not often that you see 'man-made beauty' and 'Newport' in the same sentence - Fair play they have done an excellent job at Celtic Manor
Posted by: Penddu | July 24, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Ben Bradshaw raised the problems of the use of chemicals yesterday, Patrick, and the leeching of them. As a former agricultural minister he is knowlegdable about pollution. It's a fair point. But golf courses, especially developing ones, are subject to stringent controls - far more than the previous farmers had. They did they share of polluting.
The new lakes on the sites are part of a complex drainage system. They are very attractive and nature takes over very rapidly. They become part of the landscape and, I hope, a habitat for wildlife. No fox hunts over this vast tract of land.
There is a planned Sustrans cycle route trough the Golf Courses. They will be a shield of willows to ensure that cyclists are not hit by golf balls. Willows are a traditional part of the levels on the other side of the hill.
Posted by: Paul Flynn | July 24, 2009 at 08:00 AM
"Now it employs 600 to 1,000 people and it is a paradise of man made beauty"
Man made beauty including plastic flowers ,herbicides,chemical fertilizers, pesticides and wastes enough water each year for about 50 Thousand Third World villages to flourish.
Posted by: patrick | July 24, 2009 at 07:18 AM