Tories in Llandudno

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 6:27 PM | add or read comments (0)

A dozen hardy Conservatives turned out in a gale to 'demonstrate' outside Llandudno hospital.
The wind was so strong that makeshift placards were being blown away while AMs, MP, would-be MP, and councillors could barely stand up.
They argued, through the howling wind, that acute cardiac and breast cancer services at the hospital remained at risk.
Her normally carefully coiffured hair in a seaside wind tunnel, shadow Welsh secretary shouted at a few assembled media types: "You can see we are pretty serious about this hospital...mind the ambulance!"
The picture opportunity was over in minutes, an ITV Wales crew complete with satellite truck decided it was too windy to film.
I sought an interview inside in the warm after beng clattered with an errant placard sign.
Clwyd West AM Darren 'Windy' Millar insisted this was no political stunt.
"The people of Llandudno are being ignored, the 17,000 who signed the petition, the 1,500 who marched through the streets."

Lib Dems in Llandudno

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 10:59 AM | add or read comments (3)

UPDATE: Sunday: Former Welsh Lib Dem leader Lembit Opik appeared to almost lament his surprise decision to stand down from the role last autumn.
Entering a debate on the party's constitution, he told delegates: "In the old days I had 25 minutes and you had to give me a standing ovation.
"I had five minutes for the financial appeal and we didn't even have any buckets for the collection."

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Labour in Llandudno 2

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 8:10 AM | add or read comments (1)

Not all the talking and debate at Welsh Labour's conference went on inside the Venue Cymru hall in Llandudno...

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• llandudno

Labour in Llandudno

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 2:56 PM | add or read comments (1)

Political conferences can drag. So in the interests of fun, Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert accepted the challange of a quiz with a Colwyn Bay sixth former in front of a gaggle of media types and a couple of cameramen..
The aim, we were told, was to demonstrate how well the education system is working in Wales, and how smart your average Labour AM is too.
Vicente Solera-Deuchar from Eirias High School in Colwyn Bay is studying four A-levels on course for a place reading politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University.
The five round quiz at Labour's conference ended 4-4 and honours even.
Can you answer the questions? They are all taken from the National Curriculum. Expand the article for the answers below.
Round 1: (Vicente) In most parts of the world, how many times a day does sea level rise?
(Jeff) What broken down in the body releases energy?
Round 2: True or false, three is a factor of 10?
Short version, three boys buy witces wigs for Hallowe'en, one at £9.25, another £15.75 and the third pays £25.50. No pen and paper now, what did they spend in total?
Round 3: Pirate Long John Silver is a character in which book by Robert Lous Stevenson?
True or false, soft rock is eroded more slowly than hard rock?
Round 4: What was Pocahontas' first name?
What is the superlative of 'good'?
Round 5: What type of artist was Salvador Dali?
Which planet is closest to Earth?
* The AM's mental arthimetic let him down in Round 2, while the 17-year-old didn't know Pocahontas' first name. (Neither did I)

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Best of enemies

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 8:42 AM | add or read comments (0)

Plaid Cymru may be Labour's partners in the Assembly Government but, hey, there's no love lost when there's an election in the air.
Hence the pre-Labour party conference stunt calculated to get under the skin of their opponents in May's battle for council seats.
Some in Plaid aspire to represent the values of those trade unions whose collective financial muscle is so valuable to Labour for whom donations is now such a sensitive subject.
Happy Valentine's Day.

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Rhodri aims for 70 - and out

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 3:06 PM | add or read comments (0)

Rhodri Morgan blew out the candles on a bright red cake to celebrate eight years as First Minister .
He declined a slice of the sweet, sticky confectionary preferring to wait for some un-buttered bara brith to comply with his strict, virtually fat-free, diet, since heart trouble last summer.
But now eight inches slimmer round his waist, he declared his aim to step down as First Minister around his 70th birthday, on September 29, next year.

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Who are yer?

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 11:17 AM | add or read comments (0)

I was indebted to Daily Post reader and former schoolmaster Alan Peers who sent this photograph in for the paper's Flashback feature.
It shows the Gwynedd Junior School, Flint, triumphant cup and shield winners from 1965-66.
No prizes for identifying the fine figure of a footballer third from left in the back row.
Where are they now?

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• football
• gwynedd school

Rugby madness

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 2:17 PM | add or read comments (0)

Fevers continue to rise over Wales' Twickenham delight and that 29-16 rugby Six Nations win over England.
First Minister Rhodri Morgan reached new heights of enthusiasm a few minutes ago in Assembly question time, claiming that news of the victory had reached heaven.
Mr Morgan said that it prompted Lazarus to record the sporting triumph on his blog, in which he said: "As come-backs go, this must rate within the top two of all time."
When I find the link, I'll post it here.
Meanwhile, Lib Dem blogger Peter Black was posting on rugby bragging rights here.
North Wales' Plaid AM Janet Ryder, patron of the Welsh Rugby League, was claiming credit for the win because coach Shaun Edwards once plied his trade in the other code.

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