Patterson to be given top Powys job - without competition.

Jeremy Patterson, who was appointed to run the good ship, HMS Powys County Council when former Chief Executive, ex-sea captain Mark Kerr walked the plank last March, is going to be given the job on a full-time basis. He will start on a salary of £124,404. He will be given the job on a permanent contract without the job being advertised, and without facing any competition. The executive Board of the County Council have unanimously recommended this course of action to the next meeting of the Council, which takes place next week.

Jeremy Patterson is a very fortunate man, but I have to say that he's impressed me by his approachability, responsiveness and competence since taking over on a temporary basis 6 months ago. There are bound to be questions about making an appointment to a public sector job in Powys, paying such a massive salary, without advertisement or competition - but I do accept the Council's reasoning, and support the recommendation. Always better to appoint someone you know who can do the job, than take a risk on someone unknown.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this appointment is what it tells us about the proposed merger of the County Council and the Powys Local Health Board. A decision on this is expected next week. Appointing a Chief Executive to the Council, on a permanent basis, suggests to me that we cannot expect to see a merger any time soon. And quite right to. I'm not opposed to the principle of a merger of the Council and the Local Health Board, but its a decision that must be very carefully thought through.

Anyway, congratulations to Jeremy (assuming everything goes through next week, which it will ). I'm sure he will do a good job.

UPDATE - I now discover that this information was 'confidential'. I acquired the information from someone who had not realised. I will add that I see no reason why it should be confidential, and since it was sent out to all councillors, (around 100 people would have known) it was much the same thing as making it public! But I've decided not to publish confidential information on my blog. No point in withdrawing it now, but I will contact the local media, hoping they will not report on what is a very big Powys story until Wednesday, when the Council meeting is being held.

End of an era.

I sold 220 Beulah yearlings at a breeding sheep sale at Welshpool Livestock Market today. They were the last of my flock, which I've been selling in stages over the last year. I am no longer a sheep farmer - official. Its one of those moments in my life - like leaving school, hanging up my rugby boots and undergoing a vasectomy. I've always been a sheep farmer - until today.

It will have started when I was a toddler, feeding orphaned lambs that were being warmed in the bottom oven of our old Aga - with a baby's bottle. As soon as I could walk, I would have been carrying newly born lambs, as my father ushered their mother's out to pasture. And then later on, I would have been called on to help with a difficult birth because I would have had a boy's small hands. I remember these things. In my teens I became a contract shearer. At one stage I owned over 1,000 breeding ewes. Even when I became fully employed as a quangcrat, I always took three weeks off in March to oversee the lambing season. My most embarrassing moment was when stopped by police as taking a load of fat lambs to Llanidloes abattoir - not wearing trousers. The media coverage still comes up if you google me.

But over recent years, I've become too involved in other things. For years, I've told myself that I might return to become a sheep farmer when I retired form these other things. This is why I've kept the flock going until now. But I have finally accepted reality, and today marked the end of an era for me. The trade was good and they sold well. I suppose that I could perhaps buy another flock some day.

Plaid' heading two ways on nuclear generation policy

Plaid Cymru's policy in respect of nuclear power has become even more bizarre. It was already very strange in that party leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones supports a campaign to build a new nuclear reactor on Ynys Mon, while Plaid policy remains opposed, in principle, to the development of any new nuclear generation. Now another of Plaid's big guns, Presiding Officer of the Assembly, Lord Elis Thomas has joined Ieuan in backing the campaign for Wylfa 'B' to be given the go-ahead. He was opening a nuclear waste storage facility on the site of a former nuclear power station at Trawsfynnydd. In my opinion, Ieuan and Lord Elis Thomas are absolutely right. But it does make their party's position look ridiculous.

But one question about the new waste storage facility interests me. We're led to believe that the radioactive waste to be stored at this site, perhaps for 100 years, was left behind when the now redundant power station that was active at Trawsfynnydd until 1993 was closed. Will waste be brought in from other sites around the UK? And if so, how much and when? Present Government policy to dispose of radioactive waste is by deep burial - but since it may be anything up to 40 years until a site is identified and prepared, all waste will be stored above ground in centres such as the one officially opened today. Just asking.

Modelling career off to a good start.

I must admit that I'd been dreading it. Not so much the actual doing of it. More the photograph that might appear in the County Times. I knew their photographer, Phil Blagg was salivating at the prospect of a photograph of me making my debut on the catwalk wearing nothing but speedos and flip flops. I was so worried about being compared with you-know-who that I'd rung the editor of the County Times and appealed to Nick Knight's good nature, begging him to ban such a photograph. Anyway it all turned out OK.

The occasion was a Marks and Spencer fashion show in Montgomery Town Hall. Lillian, who organised it had asked me if I would be a male model. I was enjoying a cappuccino in the sunshine outside the Castle Kitchen in Montgomery when she asked me, and feeling very relaxed having just knocked off the 'moderate' sudoku in the Telegraph in six minutes - so I said "yes". It was only when I turned up at M and S in Shrewsbury for the 'fitting' that I learned about the 'Beach wear'. Panic. I couldn't pull out. It was for a good cause. Grit my teeth time. Several tickets were sold on the 'beach wear' basis.

Phil Blagg turned up at the fashion show with camera primed and a vicious glint in his eye. He knew he'd got me over a barrel. But salvation was at hand. There'd been a cock-up. No beach wear. So relieved that I agreed to photo-op, which involved me posing like a Roman god surrounded by all the lady models. Mrs D said afterwards that she cringed. Phil went home, and I could proceed with the important business of my debut as a male model. Must admit that I was not happy that the other male model, Toby was built like one - handsome, tall and slim. Whatever, my turn came to face the catwalk wearing luxury moleskin trousers. Voyka had coached me in how to pose, spin and drop my hip. Great welcome, and then Phil blagg leapt out from behind a curtain to snap me in full pose. I'm dreading tomorrow's edition.

Lillian tells me that around £1000 was raised towards a defibrillator unit for Montgomery - so the stress was all worthwhile. PS - the welcome I received from the audience was such that I bought the moleskin trousers.

Redundant studios, and irrelevent debate

Around 11.00 this morning, I was in Newtown when my mobile sounded. It was the Conservative's Media Director asking me if I'd appear on Radio Cymru's Taro Post to talk about Gordon Brown's expected admission that Labour would cut public spending after the next election. Since I was around 50 yards from the studio at the time, I readily agreed. But when Taro Post rang me to confirm the interview, I was told that the studio was not acceptable. It would have to be a land line. This surprised me enough to prompt an inquiry as to why. It seems that because the other guests in a four party discussion were on landlines, being in a studio would give me an unfair advantage. Never happened to me before. I wonder whether this is a new policy by our all of our broadcasters, or is it just limited to Taro Post, limited to Radio Cymru, limited to Conservatives, or whether it was a one-off. The next time I'm on a land line when someone else is in the studio, I'll have some more questions to ask.

The discussion itself was a bit disappointing. Since the basis of the conversation was that Gordon Brown was going to say there would have to be cuts in public spending, I'd expected a measure of agreement about the way ahead. Didn't work out like that. There was much talk that reversing Conservative commitment to increase Inheritance Tax thresholds would help resolve the financial crisis - despite it being funded by a specific tax on non-doms, being programmed 'sometime in the first Conservative Parliament', and amounting to what is a comparative drop in the ocean of the debt we face. There was also talk of the 50p income tax rate for those earning over £150,00 pa, as if it would make a difference. There may be reasons to approve of this proposed rate (though I don't agree with them), but they are nothing to do with raising extra revenue. Past experience informs us that the new rate will raise virtually nothing at all. The approach of the Lib Dem spokesman was the oddest. All he seemed to care about was cutting the defence budget. National security has always been the first responsibility of government in my view. I was not at all surprised to learn later in the afternoon that Vince Cable has announced that the Lib Dems want to scrap the St Athan training academy project.

Still, its a start. At least reduction in spending was under discussion. Over the next few months there will be a lot more about where the now agreed cuts are going to fall. Could be lots of busy landlines, and a few redundant studios.

Hard Sell.

A Conservative Parliamentary candidate was walking along High Street in Newtown, Montgomeryshire this morning, when he was accosted by what can only be described as a high pressure salesman, seeking to persuade unsuspecting passers by to switch to Swalec to supply gas and electricity. The conversation went something like this;

High Pressure Salesman - "Who supplies you with your gas and electricity?"

Parliamentary Candidate - "Er, um, Manweb."

HPS - "Do you know who owns Manweb?"

PC - "Er, um, Scottish Power."

HPS - "And who owns Scottish Power?"

PC - "Er, um. I don't know. Does it matter?"

HPS - "Its owned by the Spanish" - delivered in a tone that suggested that any clear thinking British person would leap back in disgust, and immediately sign on the dotted line of Swalec's transfer form.

PC - "Don't you think your attitude is a bit narrow minded?"

HPS - "We should not be allowing profits to go to a foreign country".

Must admit that I'd had enough, and walked off. The last time I stopped to speak with a stall on the side of a street in Newtown was about 20 yards around the corner at the entrance to Bear Lanes a few months ago. It was a BNP stall. Just thought I'd mention it.

Labour running into Reality Wall

Lord Mandelson has today made Gordon Brown appear as a mere bystander on the battlefield that is British politics. He was even prepared to tell blatant untruths about what the Prime Minister has said, as he wrought major change in Government policy. He's been telling Nick Robinson that Gordon Brown has never portrayed the next election as "Tory cuts" versus "Labour investment". This is not true. I've heard him say it myself - more than once. Nick even informs us here of two such occasions. Things have reached such a state that when our Prime Minister is being treated with such casual contempt by one of his own Ministers, it doesn't even make it onto the news.

Most significant from the Prime Minister's standpoint (and ours) is that he is being forced to completely change his policy. Lets hope Lord Mandelson bothered to tell him that he was changing it. The new mantra is that Labour policy is now to be 'wise spending' rather than 'big spending'. Must say I rather approve of this. Its what we've been advising the Prime Minister to do for years. All Labour have left to hit the Conservatives with now is what I think of as their 'Crewe and Nantwich' approach - trying to portray the Conservatives as wielding the public spending axe with glee and relish and zeal, while Labour would do the same thing with heavy hearts and pained expressions. Did you see Ben Bradshaw and Frank Dobson on Newsnight. Paxman did well to keep a straight face. Adam Price tried the same sort of approach at the Plaid Cymru Conference last weekend. Boys, its not going to work. The British (including the Welsh) voters are not that daft. This is fodder for your more tribal supporters, not serious policy.

But what's important is that we are getting there - inching towards the honest debate that we need about what awaits us after the election. I still don't believe that voters are yet fully engaged with the scale of the debt problem. I hear various calculations from inside the civil service, and from economists that there may have to be reductions in departmental budgets exceeding 20%. This is on a scale that we have never seen before. Governments (including the Assembly Government) are going to have to take a radically different approach to what they do. It cannot be done by an across the board approach.

But what about the detail. Scrapping ID Cards is obvious. Trident will have to be looked at. Scrapping quangos, including regional government in England is inevitable. I can see other areas of massive public spending where reductions will be inevitable - but as a mere candidate, venturing onto this dangerous territory is above my pay grade. And then there's the impact on our attitude to the European Union, as the costs of membership become increasingly resented. Its going to be an election campaign like we have never seen before. And a landscape of unprecedented challenge after it.

Adam Price best ignored.

I take more than a passing interest in Plaid Cymru. In part, its because I calculate that if my party are to feature in a governing coalition in the National Assembly for Wales in the foreseeable future, there would have to be some arrangement between our two parties. Its simple logistics - unless there's some political revolution of course! So imagine how disappointed I was to read this report of Adam Price's speech at the Plaid Conference this weekend. The Western Mail's David Williamson rang me for a chat about it as well.

I cannot fathom the strategy at all. At the very time when I would have expected Plaid to seek to influence Conservative policy (in that we have a decent chance of soon becoming the British Government) Adam seems intend on fostering enmity. How on earth does he think that will help Wales? I suppose he thinks it might help Plaid Cymru. And what possible grounds does he have for his assertion that we represent a 'regressive right' as opposed to his 'progressive left'. Just empty rhetoric. Its probably his response to the reductions in public spending that will be needed to restore the broken economy that Labour will leave behind. Perhaps he's one of the few in Britain who agree with the current Prime Minister that there's a choice between 'Tory cuts' and 'Labour investment'. Let him read this excellent article by Frank Field in today's Telegraph. Or is Frank Field dismissed as another of the 'regressive right'? And I have no idea from where Adam Price has conjured up the idea that David Cameron is to launch a 'war on the poor'. The clothes he seeks to drape upon the Tories are a very poor fit. It can only be the economically illiterate that fail to see that its those who have wrecked the British finances who are responsible for what must be done to repair the damage.

I was also surprised by the highly personal nature of the attack on Nick Bourne, Leader of the Conservative Group in the National Assembly. Two years ago Plaid Cymru agreed a 'programme for Government' with the Conservatives, (led by the very same Nick Bourne) and the Lib Dems (led by Mike German). The 'Rainbow Coalition' would have come to pass, if the Lib Dems had not deserted Mike at the crucial moment. It was Adam Price who negotiated on behalf of Plaid Cymru. It seems that he would have been very unreliable to work with.

Normally, when my team is attacked, the hackles rise in anger, presaging vigorous retaliation. But I just feel a sense of sadness and disappointment. I thought Adam Price was a rather more astute politician. The aspect of this sort of attack that does anger me is the underlying assumption that Plaid Cymru and 'the left' have some sort of monopoly on a love of Wales and appreciation of what makes Wales special. In the crucible of the conference hall at Llandudno, it may be that the delegates managed to delude themselves about this. But despite the best efforts of Adam to will it otherwise, there is love of Wales on the right of politics as well. I do hope that Nick Bourne and his team in the National Assembly resist the temptation - and join me in a dismissive, sorrowful shrug of the shoulders, and move on quickly to something more constructive. Something which benefits Wales.

Our 5 days in Stresa

Back home. Been visiting the small town of Stresa in North Italy. Wow. Expected Lake Maggiore to be an attractive spot. It's spectacular. No, its better than that. One of my (and many others) favorite view in Wales is across the water from Lake Vyrnwy Hotel in Montgomeryshire. Imagine multiplying by a factor of 20 - times number and height of mountains - times expanse of water - times number of gasps of admiration. And it was warm as well. Oddly, there were very few birds about - despite there being so much wooded area that we were told that European Bears live and sit in the woods there.

Only reason that I'd heard of Stresa was because a highly significant conference was held there in 1935, following Hitler's declaration earlier that year of his intent to re-arm Germany. The French Prime Minister, Pierre Laval, Britain's Ramsey Macdonald and Benito Mussolini met and formed The Stresa Front to resist the resurgent Geman dictator. But Britain then did a separate deal with Hitler without involving her new partners, which led Mussolini to stick two fingers up to the agreement and invade Abyssinia - a decision which eventually led to Il Duce hanging upside down from a lamp post full of bullet holes. The Conference took place on Isola Bella, an island off Stresa which is the most enchanting place, complete with palace and a very special garden - the main reason we were in Italy. There was another room in the palace, where Napoleon and Josephine slept when they were in town. There are three islands in Lake Maggiore - Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori. We did the gardens in the first two, and took a romantic dinner on the third, where Hemingway liked to go to write. A separate post about a Ceder tree on Pescatori will feature this weekend - the most amazing thing we saw on the whole trip.

Didn't do much touring. But did take the cable car to the top of Monte Matterone, a climb of around 3.000 ft. Stunning. It was too misty to see Monte Rosa, the second highest peak in the Alps - over the border in Switzerland. Couldn't see Interlaken either. That's also just over the border, and is where Wilberforce spent as much time as he could spare, attracted there because of its great beauty. Which informs you that I've been reading William Hague's biography of the great man. Also read Ian Rankin's latest,'The Complaints', and 'City of the Sun' by David Levien, which I didn't like much. Have not read a single newspaper for five days. I wonder if anything's happened.

Visiting other countries spreads understanding - and I understand a lot more about Italy than I did a week ago, and what leads to the election of a man like Berlusconi. Much of the property around Maggiore is owned by a rich Italian family. The Borromeos have been rich for many hundreds of years, and are much involved in business, in culture, in politics and in religion - with links to several Popes over the centuries. These activities are intertwined. Appropriately, Berlusconi has a house near Stresa. When the head of the Borromeo family is staying in his palace on Isola Bella, his flag is raised, just as it is when HMH is in residence. And the locals refer to him as ' The Prince'. And we all thought it was a republic. No matter what it is, you should make a visit to Stresa if you can.

Hope and Optimism. Hallelujah!

I've always found debate involving different ideas to be stimulating - within limits that is. The basis of good politics is disagreement over philosophy and ideas. So it will come as no surprise for you to learn that I'm fascinated by extremes in human behaviour. And I can think of no greater gap between extremes than the 'comments' thread on Guido Fawkes' blog, and the Mayor of Newtown's Civic Service, which I attended this morning. Where Guido's readers see nothing but ill when they reflect on the merits of politicians, today's preacher saw goodness and love.

The service was held at the Hope Community Church in Newtown. I've always referred to it as the 'Pentecostal Church'. I've been there before to meetings and to visit the attached residential home. But today was the first time I've been to a service. I was seriously impressed. Lots of young people, clearly enjoying themselves. The service was constructed around a sense of optimism that's a bit alien to me. I admit to having within me that streak of the dark pessimism that is typically Welsh - and without which the late Sir Kyffin Williams wouldn't have been a great artist.

Anyway back to the extremes. The sermon (or it could been the address) was given by Alan Hewitt. I've never heard anything like it. In praise of public servants!! Honestly. For twenty minutes he spoke about me and my kind (not personally of course) in the most generous of terms. When he finished, I felt pretty good about myself - all the Mayor's official guests did. It probably made us want to go out and do some more good. What really impressed me was that with each new statement in praise of politicians, there were audible murmurings of assent from the regular churchgoers. Cllr. Richard White was positively bursting with pride by the end - a truly joyous sight to behold, and which inspired him to make a very good speech later.

But it would take me a while to get used to it. To me, applause in church a bit shocking. And all the arm waving by the congregation while singing, and the shouts of 'Hallelujah' etc. during the sermon shocked me as well. But when I think about it, why on earth not? There's no law against having a good time in church. And there were some fantastic ideas. I've seen big screens in the pub where the punters can all watch the Premiership, but never three big screens in church where I could read the words of the hymns, without having to resort to my reading glasses! At one stage I felt as though I was in the cinema.

The whole occasion was worship through a prism of optimism - revolutionary for me. I'm too 'conservative' to change my way of worshiping. But watching huge numbers of young people joining in an optimistic vision of humanity through worship of Jesus Christ tells me that the Hope Community Church has got something very right indeed. Oh and I must add my thanks and best wishes to Joy Jones, Mayor of Newtown and husband Roy, a Berriew man.

Cameron doing a great job.

They're completely wrong, these armchair politicians who keep telling me that David Cameron must become more ...... well, I'm not really sure. As far as I can make out its 'more like we used to be'. You remember - when we were miles behind in the polls. Today I was told that David should promise to pull out of the European Union, should promise tax cuts for the 'middle classes', should cut off benefits for scroungers and send all the immigrants home. I should add that I didn't ask which party these people normally support. I just pointed out, ever so sensitively, that most opinion polls have had us at around 15% ahead in the polls throughout 2009, after almost twenty years of trailing miles behind the Labour Party. And on balance, I prefer it that way.

But I don't like to just dismiss what people say to me. I think about what they say. But even after consideration, I really cannot see any justification for criticising David Cameron's strategy - particularly after a week when he's handled the fallout from the deplorable decision to release the Locherbie bomber so well. David has been clear and unequivocal, while the Prime Minister has been at his clumsy disingenuous worst. Even Janet Daley in tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph agrees. Could it be that the Telegraph, my regular read, has decided to end its war on the Conservatives. I do hope so. Earlier today, Mrs D suggested I should think about taking the Guardian instead. That was a suggestion that I didn't consider. Whatever, I rather prefer being ahead in the polls, and think David Cameron is doing a great job.

Montgomeryshire's most impressive.

Impressive or what? These two magnificent examples of horseflesh took first and second in the 'decorated heavy horses' class at Llanfair Caereinion Show today. The Show itself is impressive as well. Grown to be the biggest summer show in Montgomeryshire. I've always had a special affection for Llanfair Show since the organisers honoured me some years ago by asking me to be President - performing the duties that Dr Tony Evans is doing in this photograph.

Competition is the basis of most of the activity at these local shows, and I've been much involved in it over the years. It all began with the 'onion from seed' classes. For three years in the early 80s, I was obsessed. Won three 'Best in show' cups with my Robinson's Improved. Then it was on to the Dahlia and Chrysanthemum classes, which meant our garden looked like a building site bedecked with various structures designed to protect the potential prize blooms from being ravaged by the weather, slugs and earwigs. Finally it was the flower arranging phase, where Mrs D and I really went head to head in public. It produced the unforgettable headline in the Montgomeryshire County Times 'Wife beats hubby in flower tent at Berriew Show'.

There was extra stiff competition on the field today - six politicians putting themselves about. There were what we can refer to as the three Llanfair Show 'regulars, Lib Dem AM Mick Bates and Ukip candidate, David Rowlands who both live near the town plus myself. And this year we had three extra. New MEP representing the BNP, Nick Griffin, who also lives nearby, Plaid candidate, Heledd Fychan (whom I didn't actually see) and Lib Dem MP, Lembit Opik, who is turning up everywhere at the moment. Anyone would think there was an election on the horizon!

In praise of 'Chunky Thighs'

Now that I've agreed to make my debut as a 'charity' catwalk model, I'm taking rather more note of body shape. Perhaps unusually, I've never been attracted to the look of these long legged Amazons, with thighs like cricket stumps. Give me the 'chunky' thigh any day. (I should add here that Mrs D's body shape is the perfect happy medium). Anyway, we now learn that those of us blessed with a pair of 'chunkies' have a lower risk of heart disease and premature death. It seems that we will live longer.

This useless bit of information (useless because we can't do much about it) has emerged from a study carried out at Copenhagen University Hospital. Lead author of the Report, Professor Berit Heitmann says that people with very thin thighs could have as much as double chance of developing heart disease, and dying early. So if anyone sniggers, or I hear anyone whispering 'thunder thighs' as I take my first tentative steps on the catwalk in Montgomery Town Hall on the 15th Sept, I shall hold my head up high, knowing that I will have the last laugh - unless the Grim Reaper finds some other means of claiming me first!

Wind turbine farmers deserve an answer.

I need to begin this post by declaring my scepticism about whether onshore wind farms are worthwhile. I do not believe that the energy benefit justifies the damage inflicted on our landscapes. That posted, I have to accept that the Assembly Government has decided to ignore my opinion, and others who share it. They published planning guidance which indicated to developers that permission would be granted in 7 designated areas of Wales. In Carno, a group of farmers entered into a collective, in order to do exactly what the Government asked them to do. They formed a company named Tir Gwynt and submitted a planning application to erect a few turbines on their farms almost two years ago. This has cost them a considerable sum of money. It looks increasingly as if they may have been hung out to dry.

The main issue is transporting the turbine components. The current position is thus. Because Powys County council has received 14 planning applications for wind farms, its been decided that none of them will be dealt with until a 'transport plan' is agreed. In principle - entirely sensible. But Tir Gwynt is not as the other wind farms. It already has an agreement to connect to the National Grid. It could go ahead now if given permission. All but one of the other 14 applications submitted would not have a connection until 2016 at the earliest - and that's not certain. And they have all been submitted by large international businesses, who will be in no rush to have a decision. This seems both ridiculous, and unfair. Its not as if the turbines cannot be transported. Several wind farms have already been constructed. It makes no sense to group Tir Gwynt with all the others.

My scepticism means that I'm not calling for the granting of planning permission. I'm just think that the farmers deserve a decision. Its unreasonable for these local farmers to have been led up the garden path, only to find that no-one will even answer the door. They are just left, waiting and festering - with their hard earned money tied up. And all the time, the authorities find new ways to avoid coming to a decision. Tir Gwynt should be disaggregated from all the other wind farms and decided on its own merits - soon.

Laura Ashley drawing back the blinds.

Went to a book reading at Unit 40 on the Mochdre Industrial Estate in Newtown yesterday. Unit 40 is otherwise known as Texplan, or the Mid Wales headquarters of Laura Ashley, the fashion and furnishings manufacturing and retailing company. The book is titled simply 'Laura Ashley' and has been written by Martin Wood, himself a designer of textiles, interiors and gardens, as well as an author. The book tells the story of a remarkable woman, an extraordinary partnership, and the creation of a business and brand that spread across the world from its base amongst the uplands of Montgomeryshire. Its a lovely coffee table book, full of quotes and first hand accounts from Laura Ashley's friends, family and colleagues. On page 89, our only granddaughter, Ffion's other taid, John Griffiths from Carno is quoted as recalling "I even had to strain lumpy dye through ladies nylons" - describing the dye mixing process of the early days.

It was an event that pleased me for two reasons. Firstly, because it was an enjoyable do for me to attend. The story of Laura and Bernard Ashley has run alongside my own adult life in Montgomeryshire. The couple arrived from London at a time when local employment opportunities were so weak that most of my classmates at Llanfair Caereinion School had no option but to leave the area in search of a job. The business expanded during the periods when I was Chairman of the Local Planning Authority and the Montgomeryshire District Council - and expanded even more during the period when I chaired the Development Board for Rural Wales. I was a genuine 'goon' as Bernard Ashley referred to anyone involved in public bodies. Didn't offend me at all. Must admit my own approach to authority makes me rather proud to be have been referred to as a 'goon' by BA.

The second reason yesterday's event gave pleasure was that, for me, it signified that Laura Ashley Ltd wants to re-engage with the local media and the wider community - to draw back the blinds again. For many years, most media coverage of the company has been very negative, focusing always on the company's difficulties. Unsurprisingly, every call from the media must have been dreaded - and to a large extent the shutters came down. Its been easy to forget just how important to Newtown the company remains. Laura Ashley is a brand which will forever be associated with Newtown (and Carno) alongside that of Robert Owen and Pryce Pryce-Jones. There are probably around 400 jobs in total at Texplan, and the distribution and mail order units. Laura Ashley really matters to Montgomeryshire, and we should make more effort to show our appreciation.

The people not doing what Gordon wants.

Our Governments are never as influential as they would have us believe. Sometimes 'decisions' are no more than calculations of what's highly likely to happen anyway. Sometimes they are no more than simply following orders - passing on the decisions of the European Union. And sometimes decisions by Government are undone because the people refuse to do what they are 'supposed' to do. That's what seems to be happening with spending in the UK. I don't mean Government spending, which has rocketed into the unknown, but that of all the individual citizens. For the first time since records began in 1993, households paid back more than they borrowed in July - to the tune of £635 million. Unlike our Prime Minister, the people have decided that spending huge amounts of money that they do not have is not a sensible idea.

Much of this reduction in debt is the result of reduced mortgage lending, driven in part by reduced risk taking by lenders, and in part by a desire of borrowers to pay back some of their debts. All this will be unwelcome news to the Prime Minister because the impact of the people's prudence will be to reduce demand, undermining the strategy that has underpinned the Government's approach to limiting the impact of the recession. The downside of this reduction in debt is that it may feed through into a slower recovery and greater unemployment. But people respond to how they feel - and this is not always in accordance with Government expectations. Its how I feel myself.

A hard question to ask.

The General Medical Council is recommending that all doctors should ask dying patients and their relatives about their willingness to donate organs after death. I really do not know how such a recommendation could be phrased. Its possible to imagine that sometimes it would be appropriate to raise the issue. But in other cases, it would be impossible to approach the subject without being just about as insensitive as its possible to be. No doubt Dr. Sharon Burton, senior policy advisor to the GMC is right when she says that the more the issue is raised, the more organs will be donated, and the more lives saved. But at what price to civilised behaviour?

I do not know what to think about this with any certainty. And neither does Dr. Tony Callard, Chairman of the British Medical Council's Ethics Committee. In the same Telegraph article, (I cannot find the link) he's quoted as saying he is keen to see a rise in organ donations without causing additional distress to patients. I think we could all sign up to that, but it doesn't tell us whether he agrees with Br Burton's proposition or not. These ethical questions are so difficult.

Leadership and Courage - or not!

Gordon Brown has been found out. He's been indicating to the US that he thought the evil Lockerbie bomber should not have been released, while he and his Government have been making it clear to the Libyans that this terrorist should not be left to die in a British jail. It was bad enough that he should have been released. But I dread to think what the US political leadership will think of Gordon Brown and his Government now - or what political and economic damage it will do to the trans-Atlantic relationship. And even now, when the duplicity has been exposed, the Prime Minister of Britain is not prepared to express an opinion on the matter. How's that for leadership and courage.

Who's The Greatest.

Mohammed Ali was a lovely boxer, blessed with exceptional skill, speed and resilience. I was a big, big fan. I remember, as a young lad, rising in the middle of the night to listen to his totally unexpected demolition of Sonny Liston on the radio in the middle of the night, when he first became a world star. He was probably the best boxer of my lifetime. But I've never thought that Ali (or Clay as he was when he beat Liston) was the greatest sportsman ever. But this raises the question about who the greatest is. Personally, I think Usain Bolt has a very good claim.

When I search back through my sporting memories, I cannot recall any other occasion when I have been as amazed by sporting performance. Today, the Telegraph seems to be suggesting that Kenensia Bekele is Bolt's equivalent. I've heard others suggest that Tiger Woods and Roger Federer may be. All these are wonderful sportsmen. But for me, the greatest is Usain Bolt.

Power Cuts will be Labour's Failure

Until about six years ago, I was opposed to the development of new nuclear power generating capacity in Britain. And then I realised that my opposition was akin to the thinking of King Canute. Ironically, it was consideration of how to dispose of radioactive waste that led me to change my mind. We still have no firm proposals to dispose of the waste, but the study of the issue opened my eyes to the inevitable.

I was Chairman of the National Assembly's 'Environment Planning and Countryside Committee' at the time, and we were in discussion with the body established by the Westminster Government to examine the issue. The eventual conclusion was deep burial in a location where the locals would have been sufficiently 'compensated' to accept it. It was thought that it may take up to 40 years to find such a location, and that in the meantime, the waste would be stored temporarily above ground. Seemed to me that this was no answer at all. But during consideration of the issue, I learned a bit about the 'energy gap' that makes the lead story in today's Telegraph. As well as changing my attitude to nuclear power, it led me to support the construction of the LNG facilities at Milford Haven (in my constituency) and the associated pipeline.

What we are faced with (and comparatively soon) are power cuts. This has not happened since early 70s, when we were subject to the three-day week. For at least a decade, we have seen procrastination by Government on an epically irresponsible scale. Instead of tackling the contentious issue of nuclear power, or investing big in tidal and carbon capture research, the Labour Government has faffed around with onshore wind power, pretending to 'be doing something'. Regrettably, we now need real urgency (which brings with it an inevitable temptation to cut corners), and investment in keeping existing power stations operating longer than they should be. Because of our growing dependence on gas, we need to make huge investment in storage capacity, to try to limit our vulnerability to foreign powers which may see an apportunity to apply political pressure. Yet another poisoned baton to be handed over to the next government.