| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? 17:08 - Nov 12 with 6175 views | johnlangy |
While checking out the walesonline link in the 'Welsh Language' thread I noticed another article titled 'Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales?
I've commented, not favourably as you'd expect. Perhaps a few of you would also like to contribute.
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 09:43 - Nov 14 with 1199 views | johnlangy |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 21:42 - Nov 13 by Private_Partz |
I agree with most of that but our Council is inept for one very good reason. They don't want to rock the boat in the hope that they will be able to further their political careers. Also they don't want to rally against their own Party.
You refer to the fact tha Swansea was not chosen to house the Assembly. The council were actually asked, along with a few others, to come up with an alternative as City Hall in Cardiff was deemed a no go due to Russell Goodway asking too much to repair the building. Swansea spent a lot of money coming up with a plan that cost in the region of £4m. Despite no immediate alternative in Cardiff they still had it. They moved into Crickhowell House until a new build was completed at a cost of £104m plus furniture and fittings.
Our council should have resigned on mass from Welsh Labour and become Independant Labour as a result of that. Mike Hedges was Leader at the time. In all fairness he was not happy. We know this as a documentary filmed Peter Hain breaking news of the decision over the phone to him. He kept schtum however and now he is an AM in an 8000 majority constituency. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
That one decision alone cost Swansea dearly and our decline has accelerated since. Even SWEP published a headline on the front page with just one word 'WRONG'. [Post edited 13 Nov 2016 21:47]
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I hadn't heard of the Swansea plan costing £4 million. But, as it happens, the original budget in the first green/white paper (whichever comes first) was £3.75 million to convert City Hall in Cardiff because it was assumed that the WAG would be based there. Then Russell Goodway got involved. So instead of a piddling amount it's cost us another fortune, again spent in Cardiff.
I agree totally about the Council. Any council with balls would be screaming from the rooftops (or the EP front pages) about the investment injustice in this country. The ONLY explanation must be because we've got a Labour council and they're looking after themselves. | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 10:27 - Nov 14 with 1178 views | Private_Partz |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 09:43 - Nov 14 by johnlangy |
I hadn't heard of the Swansea plan costing £4 million. But, as it happens, the original budget in the first green/white paper (whichever comes first) was £3.75 million to convert City Hall in Cardiff because it was assumed that the WAG would be based there. Then Russell Goodway got involved. So instead of a piddling amount it's cost us another fortune, again spent in Cardiff.
I agree totally about the Council. Any council with balls would be screaming from the rooftops (or the EP front pages) about the investment injustice in this country. The ONLY explanation must be because we've got a Labour council and they're looking after themselves. |
There was very little cost John. WAG would have been given the Guidhall which had most of the IT links. The staff there, with a few exceptions would have moved to the Penllergaer offices which were leased to NPT at the time. The Authority was rich in office space as they had 3 HQs within its boundary. Namely Guidhall, County Hall and Penllergaer.There would have been fixtures and fittings costs but they were there for any of the options on the table.
I remember the campaign. The Authority were strangely publicly remote from the project even though working hand over fist behind the scenes with the enthusiasm of all those employees also involved in the project.
The public campaign was led by Kevin Johns. A song was even recorded and played on local radio stations. Needless to say BBC Cardiff did not touch it. I wonder what happened to that song.
I also remember a disgusting Wales On Sunday article whereby they came out completely in favour of Cardiff with the whole report giving out an 'us and them scenario'. Never touched the rag since. Is it still going? |  |
| You have mission in life to hold out your hand,
To help the other guy out,
Help your fellow man.
Stan Ridgway
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 11:07 - Nov 14 with 1166 views | johnlangy |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 10:27 - Nov 14 by Private_Partz |
There was very little cost John. WAG would have been given the Guidhall which had most of the IT links. The staff there, with a few exceptions would have moved to the Penllergaer offices which were leased to NPT at the time. The Authority was rich in office space as they had 3 HQs within its boundary. Namely Guidhall, County Hall and Penllergaer.There would have been fixtures and fittings costs but they were there for any of the options on the table.
I remember the campaign. The Authority were strangely publicly remote from the project even though working hand over fist behind the scenes with the enthusiasm of all those employees also involved in the project.
The public campaign was led by Kevin Johns. A song was even recorded and played on local radio stations. Needless to say BBC Cardiff did not touch it. I wonder what happened to that song.
I also remember a disgusting Wales On Sunday article whereby they came out completely in favour of Cardiff with the whole report giving out an 'us and them scenario'. Never touched the rag since. Is it still going? |
I seem to remember the Wales On Sunday being a decent paper when first published. Wasn't it a broadsheet initially ?
Then it was changed a few times into the Cardiff Comic it now is.
I just started to add another part to my post then realised I was talking about the centralisation of neurosurgery in Cardiff. Some things just stick in the mind | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 11:20 - Nov 14 with 1161 views | Private_Partz |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 11:07 - Nov 14 by johnlangy |
I seem to remember the Wales On Sunday being a decent paper when first published. Wasn't it a broadsheet initially ?
Then it was changed a few times into the Cardiff Comic it now is.
I just started to add another part to my post then realised I was talking about the centralisation of neurosurgery in Cardiff. Some things just stick in the mind |
Health investment is a very contentious point as it no doubt brings massive benefits. The problem I have is when it is all going to Cardiff when it is geographically so difficult to get to for most of Wales due to our crap transport infastructure. Also many of the services on offer can be mimicked in Bristol. Hence you have two major centres of exoertise situated ridiculously close to each other.
That argument was long lost though with WAG's the drive to make all things Cardiff. | |
| You have mission in life to hold out your hand,
To help the other guy out,
Help your fellow man.
Stan Ridgway
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 12:29 - Nov 14 with 1135 views | Private_Partz |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 15:39 - Nov 13 by 1983 |
Never had a problem with Cardiff being our capital its not exactly up there with Paris,London,Berlin,Madrid..etc and when you talk to anyone out of western Europe nobody has ever heard of Wales until to you mention Tom Jones,Gareth Bale,Ryan Giggs...
Swansea was always an industrial town and is still in the process of get rid of that hangover that will not happen in my life time, got more of a problem with the Welsh Assembly and its short sightedness and lack of drive where they won't spent real money outside of the capital |
It is only a regional Capital which tends to get lost on our 'national' media and WAG. My problem is historically it is completely undeserving of the title. It has played virtually no part in Wales' ancient history. We don't have a great claim but at least we have been a port since Viking times and don't have a folly for a castle. There are far more serving causes however.
The investment there is having a massive effect on our city centre. Apparently M and S now want to close 30 Stores. LDC are reporting in the Mail (yes I know The Mail) that either 1 or both of our Swansea stores could be up for grabs.
Personally I think the company would be mad to close either of our stores but you never know. It could be things are going to get a whole lot worse in the City centre as people pile up the m4 to shop in the 'metropolis'. | |
| You have mission in life to hold out your hand,
To help the other guy out,
Help your fellow man.
Stan Ridgway
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 15:24 - Nov 14 with 1093 views | perchrockjack |
Yes.Be good to have a tiny isolated village with a "cathedral" as capital. Just the thing for a winter break.
FFS | |
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 17:41 - Nov 14 with 1066 views | johnlangy |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 15:24 - Nov 14 by perchrockjack |
Yes.Be good to have a tiny isolated village with a "cathedral" as capital. Just the thing for a winter break.
FFS |
Pardon ? | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 17:51 - Nov 14 with 1062 views | johnlangy |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 11:20 - Nov 14 by Private_Partz |
Health investment is a very contentious point as it no doubt brings massive benefits. The problem I have is when it is all going to Cardiff when it is geographically so difficult to get to for most of Wales due to our crap transport infastructure. Also many of the services on offer can be mimicked in Bristol. Hence you have two major centres of exoertise situated ridiculously close to each other.
That argument was long lost though with WAG's the drive to make all things Cardiff. |
The geographically difficult access aspect is even more contentious when you realise that the majority of patients requiring neurosurgery treatment were being treated at Morriston when there were two centres. This was because most of the accidents which caused the neuro type injury happened in West Wales (farming accidents plus road accidents on those narrow country roads).
At the time it was reported in the EP that, when the committee were given the criteria to base their judgement on they were told to ignore the access aspect. So the fact that clinicians wanted to be able to treat patients within a two hour time window for the best clinical outcome was ignored as far as I could see. | | | |
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 18:35 - Nov 14 with 1039 views | clloy2 |
Some great points made by many posters. Just wonder how long we will have to wait for someone with some balls from our locality be it WAG member, senior council official or Westminster MP to come out and finally stand up for Swansea and question the mantra that it's not acceptable that Wales becomes a one city state and for money to be well spent it has to be spent in Cardiff. Still as you most of you rightly say, when the good folk of Swansea happily vote in Labour time and time again, then if we can't help ourselves then no one will. | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 18:39 - Nov 14 with 1034 views | johnlangy |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 18:35 - Nov 14 by clloy2 |
Some great points made by many posters. Just wonder how long we will have to wait for someone with some balls from our locality be it WAG member, senior council official or Westminster MP to come out and finally stand up for Swansea and question the mantra that it's not acceptable that Wales becomes a one city state and for money to be well spent it has to be spent in Cardiff. Still as you most of you rightly say, when the good folk of Swansea happily vote in Labour time and time again, then if we can't help ourselves then no one will. |
Sad but true. Turkeys/Christmas and all that. | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 19:58 - Nov 14 with 1020 views | Brynmill_Jack |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 18:39 - Nov 14 by johnlangy |
Sad but true. Turkeys/Christmas and all that. |
I'd love to see some dirty deals surfacing. Unfortunately wikileaks pay no attention to a small countries and faceless berk politicians |  |
| Each time I go to Bedd - au........................ |
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 20:00 - Nov 14 with 1019 views | GB11 |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 17:26 - Nov 12 by Whiterockin |
If Swansea had all the money pumped in that Cardiff has, it would be a far better city. Still not the capitol but a far better city. |
If Merthyr had the budget of New York it would be better than Newport.
YADA YADA YADA.
And to hear the people of swansea of all people bitch and moan about funding.
I'm from Merthyr. Come and have a look around here if you want to see what an unfunded area looks like.
I separate sport from real life. I am not a child you see. I enjoy visits to swansea. [Post edited 14 Nov 2016 20:01]
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 20:13 - Nov 14 with 1010 views | Brynmill_Jack |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 20:00 - Nov 14 by GB11 |
If Merthyr had the budget of New York it would be better than Newport.
YADA YADA YADA.
And to hear the people of swansea of all people bitch and moan about funding.
I'm from Merthyr. Come and have a look around here if you want to see what an unfunded area looks like.
I separate sport from real life. I am not a child you see. I enjoy visits to swansea. [Post edited 14 Nov 2016 20:01]
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I'm full of sympathy with the underfunding of the valleys and the fact that after contributing vastly to the British Empire . The fact they've been left to rot after giving all their natural resources for the benefit of the country is a national disgrace.
Don't you feel Cardiff is being overfunded at Merthyr's/the Valley's expense ??? Or are you happy to be blinded by the bullsh*t?? | |
| Each time I go to Bedd - au........................ |
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 20:26 - Nov 14 with 995 views | Private_Partz |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 20:13 - Nov 14 by Brynmill_Jack |
I'm full of sympathy with the underfunding of the valleys and the fact that after contributing vastly to the British Empire . The fact they've been left to rot after giving all their natural resources for the benefit of the country is a national disgrace.
Don't you feel Cardiff is being overfunded at Merthyr's/the Valley's expense ??? Or are you happy to be blinded by the bullsh*t?? |
I would not bother mate. This guy is such a big Cardiff City supporter he is happy to see his home town shafted.
Odd he mentions footy when it has hardly been touched in this thread. | |
| You have mission in life to hold out your hand,
To help the other guy out,
Help your fellow man.
Stan Ridgway
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 20:56 - Nov 14 with 981 views | nice_to_michu |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 18:39 - Nov 14 by johnlangy |
Sad but true. Turkeys/Christmas and all that. |
What do you mean by that?
Assembly candidates are chosen by their local constituency parties, which are of course made up of local members.
Local members outside the South-East are not going to purposely vote in a "pro-Cardiff" candidate for election. That wouldn't make sense. |  | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 21:54 - Nov 14 with 953 views | Private_Partz |
74% of WOL readers support Phil's s view. What a surprise considering virtually all those reading are in Cardiff anyway.
Phil need not worry. Investing in Cardiff rather than the rest of Wales has be going on for years. Nothing radical about that.
You could not make it up. His pleas for more investment will not fall on deaf ears either.
Makes me puke. Self serving tossers Iike Phil Bale are given a platform like this in the Cardiff based and biased media. [Post edited 14 Nov 2016 21:58]
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| You have mission in life to hold out your hand,
To help the other guy out,
Help your fellow man.
Stan Ridgway
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 22:07 - Nov 14 with 942 views | clloy2 |
That guys head is so far up his arse it's incredible. The arrogance of the man just typifies what's wrong with Wales and the WAG at the moment. Radical new plan, is he having a laugh. The only bloody plan that you could call radical would be stop investing huge sums of money into Cardiff and let the rest of Wales catch up. Wouldn't it be nice if this got the response it deserved from our council leader and politicians. Our council should be dragging the WAG ministers down the Kingsley and politely ask them why Cardiff should get more when this place resembles a third world country | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 22:18 - Nov 14 with 933 views | SnakePlissken |
Speaking as a Cardiff born and bread lad, id be more than happy to see that hideous looking assembly building and it's useless occupants moved to Swansea. I also think you should be getting your fair share of sporting events, for instance, the Welsh rugby team are playing Japan Saturday, and with you being away to everton are you? Then they could have played the Wales Japan game at the liberty. Welsh football friendlies should go your way also. With your football team doing so well over recent times and the ospreys the most successful Welsh rugby region, id say you've earned the right to host more Welsh sporting events. Also, am I right in thinking there is a substantial amount of funding coming your way? I'm sure I read something about an indoor arena and regeneration of Swansea centre. I hope it's true and I hope it comes off along with that tidal lagoon thing. Swansea does have lots of potential. I think your cities time will come...if that lagoon, arena etc gets build then surely that will kick-start more projects around swansea. Certainly hope that ice arena gets built. Would love to see a rivalry with the devil's and a swansea based ice hockey team | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 07:17 - Nov 15 with 896 views | Private_Partz |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 22:18 - Nov 14 by SnakePlissken |
Speaking as a Cardiff born and bread lad, id be more than happy to see that hideous looking assembly building and it's useless occupants moved to Swansea. I also think you should be getting your fair share of sporting events, for instance, the Welsh rugby team are playing Japan Saturday, and with you being away to everton are you? Then they could have played the Wales Japan game at the liberty. Welsh football friendlies should go your way also. With your football team doing so well over recent times and the ospreys the most successful Welsh rugby region, id say you've earned the right to host more Welsh sporting events. Also, am I right in thinking there is a substantial amount of funding coming your way? I'm sure I read something about an indoor arena and regeneration of Swansea centre. I hope it's true and I hope it comes off along with that tidal lagoon thing. Swansea does have lots of potential. I think your cities time will come...if that lagoon, arena etc gets build then surely that will kick-start more projects around swansea. Certainly hope that ice arena gets built. Would love to see a rivalry with the devil's and a swansea based ice hockey team |
Thanks for the input. I know there are more fair minded people like you in Cardiff. I also know there is a groundswell of opinion that is saying enough is enough. This is due to building on green field sites and traffic jams as a result of over investment in the Cardiff bubble.
You are right. Plans have been drawn up for City centre regeneration but Swansea is the city of artists impressions. Lovely visions but no ability or financial clout to bring them to fruition. This is mainly due to Council that does nor want to make waves within its Party and WAG that has no interest in anything further away than their doorstep. | |
| You have mission in life to hold out your hand,
To help the other guy out,
Help your fellow man.
Stan Ridgway
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 10:51 - Nov 15 with 859 views | johnlangy |
Do any of you read the Jac O' The North blog by any chance ? Well worth it.
On the particular subject of Cardiff swallowing ever growing amounts of investment, at the expense of the rest of Wales, check out his latest subject 'Circuit of Wales Revisited'.
Very interesting stuff. | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 20:35 - Nov 15 with 812 views | Private_Partz |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 10:51 - Nov 15 by johnlangy |
Do any of you read the Jac O' The North blog by any chance ? Well worth it.
On the particular subject of Cardiff swallowing ever growing amounts of investment, at the expense of the rest of Wales, check out his latest subject 'Circuit of Wales Revisited'.
Very interesting stuff. |
Just read that. I now view the Circuit of Wales differently. Even though it is on the extremities of the Cardiff Metro it does not fit in with WAG's agenda as it moves the traffic in the wrong direction. Out if the metropolis rather than into it. The suggestion is that WAG are not just indifferent to non Cardiff projects but will actually try to scupper them with the help of the Cardiff based media whenever possible.
I think he highlights the cronieism in Welsh Labour, the conflicts of interest behind the Metro project and the very unhealthy situation within our 'national' media'. He dishes out deserved criticsm of BBC Cardiff, WOL, and the 'Wasting Mule'. Love that description :-)
I suspect I am politically poles apart from Jack O the North but it is encoraging to see we have someone as eloquent and tuned into the arguments we have been espousing on here for ages.
Edit: I have just read the comments there. The poster highlighting the parts of the metro plan that are either duplicating existing, will involve demolishing houses and links that can not be made with one single train / tram. The suggestion being that this is just a forerunner to get funding then only the parts essential to the city of Cardiff will actually be completed.
Also Jac is working on his next blog. 'Cardiff, the Capital of corruption'.
Seems we are not alone;-) [Post edited 15 Nov 2016 22:12]
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| You have mission in life to hold out your hand,
To help the other guy out,
Help your fellow man.
Stan Ridgway
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 21:17 - Nov 15 with 799 views | perchrockjack |
An ice hockey franchise costs big money.
Don't see much of that in swansea | |
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| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 09:07 - Nov 16 with 746 views | johnlangy |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 20:35 - Nov 15 by Private_Partz |
Just read that. I now view the Circuit of Wales differently. Even though it is on the extremities of the Cardiff Metro it does not fit in with WAG's agenda as it moves the traffic in the wrong direction. Out if the metropolis rather than into it. The suggestion is that WAG are not just indifferent to non Cardiff projects but will actually try to scupper them with the help of the Cardiff based media whenever possible.
I think he highlights the cronieism in Welsh Labour, the conflicts of interest behind the Metro project and the very unhealthy situation within our 'national' media'. He dishes out deserved criticsm of BBC Cardiff, WOL, and the 'Wasting Mule'. Love that description :-)
I suspect I am politically poles apart from Jack O the North but it is encoraging to see we have someone as eloquent and tuned into the arguments we have been espousing on here for ages.
Edit: I have just read the comments there. The poster highlighting the parts of the metro plan that are either duplicating existing, will involve demolishing houses and links that can not be made with one single train / tram. The suggestion being that this is just a forerunner to get funding then only the parts essential to the city of Cardiff will actually be completed.
Also Jac is working on his next blog. 'Cardiff, the Capital of corruption'.
Seems we are not alone;-) [Post edited 15 Nov 2016 22:12]
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While waiting for the 'Cardiff, the Capital of Corruption' expose you could spend an enjoyable time reading 'Cardiff Bay, Corruption Bay' which is 4 pages down to the right of the Circuit of Wales piece. | | | |
| Is Cardiff a good capital city for Wales? on 13:27 - Nov 16 with 712 views | PTBaglanJack |
Are there any figures anywhere comparing the "Public" (ie WAG/Westminster) money invested in Cardiff vs Swansea?
Not including council money, as that is down to Swansea & Cardiff! | | | |
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