Author Topic: Points to Ponder  (Read 214088 times)

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Offline Ian

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #735 on: August 22, 2018, 05:53:57 pm »
It's not just Llandudno hotels;  few in London are staffed by many native English.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #736 on: August 22, 2018, 08:12:28 pm »
It's not just Llandudno hotels;  few in London are staffed by many native English.

Agreed, but I am surprised by the 75% mentioned for llandudno, however it does bring up the validity of the " North Wales Tourism and Hospitality Centre of Excellence" proposal, just sabre rattling, PR or jobs for the boys.   

Thinking of a new profile pic.


Offline SteveH

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #737 on: September 13, 2018, 12:06:41 pm »
Do we blame the EU or ourselves ?

Spanish slate to be used on ex-council estate in shadow of second largest slate quarry in world
Critics dismayed but CCG blames European regulations for why it is bringing in the slate rather than using local Welsh alternative.

"In recent years 90% of the natural slate used for roofing in Europe originates from Spain with about four million tons produced annually.
Despite the cost of transporting the material from Spain the slate is often half the price of Welsh slate."


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/spanish-slate-used-ex-council-15142637

Offline DaveR

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #738 on: September 14, 2018, 10:54:48 am »
Do we blame the EU or ourselves ?

Spanish slate to be used on ex-council estate in shadow of second largest slate quarry in world
Critics dismayed but CCG blames European regulations for why it is bringing in the slate rather than using local Welsh alternative.

"In recent years 90% of the natural slate used for roofing in Europe originates from Spain with about four million tons produced annually.
Despite the cost of transporting the material from Spain the slate is often half the price of Welsh slate."


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/spanish-slate-used-ex-council-15142637

Why don't they wait until 11.01pm on the 29th March 2019 and then they can use Welsh Slate?

Offline Ian

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #739 on: September 16, 2018, 01:08:48 pm »
Friends of ours are from Looe, where the annual music festival was nearly cancelled. They needed £40,000 to stage it, and with only two weeks to and led by a couple of 'amazing' councillors, the community has raised the money.  Perhaps this should be a lesson for some councillors round here:

http://looesavestheday.co.uk/
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #740 on: September 19, 2018, 02:26:23 pm »
I have always been cynical over the distribution of WG grants to private companies, especially tourism grants, for restaurants and hotels, and this DP article does not inspire confidence.

 Welsh Government considering whether grant funding to mansion developers can be recouped after hotels close.

"Some of the sites closed for a rebrand to be carried out but concerns have been raised that the Knighton Hotel in Knighton and The Radnorshire Arms Hotel in Presteigne, Powys, have remained shut with no sign of work taking place.

In previous years the couple received grant funding under the Tourism Investment Support Scheme ( grants which are understood to be £75,000 for the Knighton and £170,000 for the Radnorshire.) and now the Welsh Government is looking into whether some of that funding should be recouped."

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/welsh-government-considering-whether-grant-14896011

Maybe the government has woken up.

Paul and Rowena Williams, who are undertaking the £20 million restoration of the nearby Glynllifon mansion into a luxury hotel , agreed to buy Plas Brereton and Plas Ty Coch sites in February.
They placed a deposit on the properties and have carried out significant clearance work - with ambitious proposals for a hotel, holiday lodges and apartments.

But the deadline to complete on the deal was midnight on Tuesday and the seller has today confirmed the outstanding balance had not been paid.      https://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/caernarfon-mansion-estate-deal-collapses-15171689

Offline SteveH

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #741 on: September 21, 2018, 04:58:04 pm »
The plot thickens............

Mansion developers insist they will be 'fully vindicated' as police 'assess information' about former hotels
Council officials and police have met over the Mid-Wales hotels sold by Paul and Rowena Williams.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/mansion-developers-insist-fully-vindicated-14955240

For a further view point, the latest news from Jac. not a fan of the DP  ... https://jacothenorth.net/blog/

Offline SteveH

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #742 on: September 26, 2018, 11:32:37 am »
Maybe it is the generation gap.. after reading the headline, my thoughts were, of course it should be banned, however I was surprised at the comments, for letting them "get on with it". I am going by the image, perhaps the photo is to realistic, and I am just being an old f**t

Parents aren't happy that Poundland is selling this 'knife' to kids for Halloween
The glow-in-the-dark item has be ?en criticised for looking too realistic     ref DP

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/parents-arent-happy-poundland-selling-15198784


Offline born2run

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #743 on: September 26, 2018, 11:53:47 am »
Why is it any different to a toy gun which kids have been playing with for years? probably you even played with one yourself, doubt it's ever gave you a thirst for going out and doing a mass shooting?

Offline SteveH

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #744 on: September 26, 2018, 01:10:58 pm »
Why is it any different to a toy gun which kids have been playing with for years? probably you even played with one yourself, doubt it's ever gave you a thirst for going out and doing a mass shooting?

I did have toy guns, but the typical cowboy guns of the time, it did cross my mind that the armed police of today, are put in the position of hesitating, when confronted with "weapons", I believe toys, today, especially weapons, should look like toys, although some manufacturers are making them out of brightly coloured  plastic, I still see them on police programmes  painted black, which is going to end in tears.                         

I promise I don't want to spoil their fun..............   8)

Offline Ian

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #745 on: September 26, 2018, 01:42:19 pm »
The DP talks about the UK being in the midst of a 'knife crisis', but it isn't. London might be, and possibly some parts of big cities but it's absurd to over sensationalise the story that way.

Personally, I'm not sure I'd give a young child a fake knife like that but I do remember as a youngster having a retractable blade plastic knife for a while. 
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline squigglev2

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #746 on: September 27, 2018, 06:53:07 pm »
The DP talks about the UK being in the midst of a 'knife crisis', but it isn't. London might be, and possibly some parts of big cities but it's absurd to over sensationalise the story that way.

Personally, I'm not sure I'd give a young child a fake knife like that but I do remember as a youngster having a retractable blade plastic knife for a while.
We had real ones in my childhood and a brother got injured using one - not the knife itself but a bit of bark off a tree and next thing, he was in the old (or does it still exist) Caerenarfon eye hopspital but maybe something like that could have happened anyway with (I suppose) "adventurous kids" climbing trees.

I think I had a knife in my JYB years and do now have a smaller (Sportsman model) Swiss army knife, often on my desk,  but sometimes in my pocket - its a handy device to open a package, from opening a package, to boring a hole for a screw to filing (I do little folk finger playing on guitar) but filing a finger nail...

But it's a tool to me and maybe (I do remember once thinking of carrying one for "protection" down rural lanes but decided that was insane - yes, I've walked Conwy/CB/LL to Pydew very late and you can wonder about meeting a possible stranger en route....) always has been.

But that's me.  I don;t understand the London (and maybe other city) culture.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #747 on: November 08, 2018, 05:06:32 pm »
This was nice to read, a private company, financing it's own business, and not a mention of any grants. 

"A Welsh pâté manufacturer has secured a £400,000 finance package from HSBC UK to install a new product development kitchen and expand its range of pâtés and vegan dishes.

Patchwork Pâté, a family-run business based in Ruthin, has used HSBC UK funding to purchase the equipment needed to introduce vegetarian, vegan and reduced-calorie pâtés to its collection, alongside five bespoke Welsh meat pâtés."

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/welsh-pt-maker-secures-400k-15388741

Offline SteveH

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #748 on: November 13, 2018, 12:20:30 pm »
I am sure you can imagine my first thoughts on this article  >:(  (Is this a local tax payers problem etc )............ I have reflected on various other schemes, the national, helping smokers to stop comes to mind, so I would be interested to hear other views.......

Electric bikes 'may combat child obesity in Conwy county'
Electric bikes could hold the key to helping overweight children get fit, leisure staff in Conwy county claim.
They have reported "significant improvements" in a scheme to boost the health of obese adults, attracted to e-bikes by the battery-operated motor.

Conwy's cabinet is being asked to match-fund £5,000 to buy five child-size e-bikes for use across the county.

Officers said nearly one in three Conwy children is overweight or obese, one of the highest rates in Wales.
Conwy's junior cycling project - which worked with more than 500 youngsters last year - is looking to get even more children active, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A report to be considered by council leaders on Tuesday said: "Having run a pilot project on a smaller scale within a local school using traditional bicycles, the evidence was clear that e-bikes can help those with weight management difficulties to engage in sport."

E-bikes could tempt overweight children to experience the outdoors by making it easier to ride up hills, while cutting the time they spent on video games and social media, the report added.
The hope is that such youngsters would eventually take up regular cycling without the need for motorised assistance.

The council's grants review group has recommended the cabinet back the project, saying the leisure development team would not be able to afford the junior e-bikes without the extra funding.   Ref BBC

Offline mull

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Re: Points to Ponder
« Reply #749 on: November 13, 2018, 05:46:37 pm »
The lunatics have taken over the asylum.

Don't worry it is your money they are spending.

Just the same up here in Scotland.