Awards Night

Yesterday was all about awards. Spent two hours, with others, arguing about who should win ITV Wales annual political awards. Decisions were made, and we all just hope that none of the winners completely screw up before the black tie announcement dinner on December 9th. And then it was over to Cardiff City Hall for another black tie do - the Wales Care Awards 2008.

City Hall was full. Most of the women were wearing black strappy frocks - clearly the current fashion. Not a red frock in sight. No-one read my post on this subject of three days ago. But the stage was resplendent. Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services beamed as only Mrs Gwenda Thomas can for a solid hour. She really looked as if she enjoyed every minute. As did BBC newscaster, Sian Lloyd who compered the event. Sian looked to be enjoying herself as well. Before you ask, Gwenda was in powder blue, and Sian was in white. The evening started quite splendidly with ex-rugby playing mezzo soprano Clare Williams.

I was there on the European Care Group table. I chair the company's Wales Advisory Board. We sponsored the Craig Thomas Award for the individual who has made an outstanding contribution to social care. Winner was Mutali Nyoni, Chair of the Care Council for Wales. The focus of Mutali's work is social care, housing, gender, domestic violence and a campaigner on 'Make Poverty History'.

Two other awards of local 'Montgomeryshire' interest. Winner of the 'Catering in Care' Award was Wendy Fine, who retired from Maes-Y-Wennol in Llanidloes earlier in the day. That's what I call ending a career on a high. I hope to arrange for local media to cover this story next week. And the winner of the 'Leadership and Management' Award was Nick Oulton, who has managed The Rhallt at Welshpool since 1999. He's a special man. He has suffered from a form of Parkinson's disease for about 20 years, and has just carried on. He's even learned to write with his left hand. Hope to arrange some press for this as well. I left at ten thirty-ish, and felt that I'd spent the evening with hundreds of special people. Everyone looked set fair for an evening on the dance floor. Carriages were at one, which is about when I arrived back home in mid Wales - too knackered to blog it then.