busy

Why haven't I posted anything to this blog? Well, I've been in Cardiff and I am working on a bid to the Department of Work and Pensions for WCVA to do some work over the next 2 years. Watch this space.

La Dolce Vita

We decided on La Dolce Vita restaurant again, in Rhos on Sea. The Ty Gwyn in Betws y Coed was fully booked. The food was delicious, the restaurant was rather crowded.

Dydd Santes Dwynwen - yfory/ St Dwynwen's Day tomorrow

The following is in the Welsh language and says that we are going to celebrate St Dwynwen's day, which is the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine's Day.
Mi fydd h'n Dydd Santes Dwynwen yfory, felly mae Rosie a fi yn mynd allan heno i ddathlu efo pryd o fwyd. Mae'n well nos Sadwrn na nos Sul. Mi fydd ein merch, Jennie, yn aros dros nos efo' r teulu rownd y cornel. Dan ni ddim yn siŵr eto ble dan ni'n mynd i gael cinio, ond rhywle arbennig gobeithio.
Dan ni ddim yn dathlu Dydd San Ffolant achos mae'n brysur mewn tai bwyta ac ati, a roedd Santes Dwynwen Cymraes a doedd San Ffolant ddim. Mae'r ddau ohonynt yn dathlu cariad - cawsom noson rhamantus iawn, gobeithio.

Cabinet Office, London

I had a successful teleconference with the Cabinet Office and a number of people in London and Scotland today. The technology worked well, although some people's voices were a little quiet. I will return to what we were discussing in a later blog.
It was good to talk with George Thomson, chief executive of Volunteer Development Scotland, today. I first met him last year at the UK Volunteering Forum in Belfast. We may be able to link up socially and to catch up when we are both in London the week after next. Then we will be discussing volunteering and the Olympics in 2012.
A positive day!

Google search of this blog

There is now a google search facility for searching this blog at the top of the blog page.

Hens - eggs and pets

Keeping hens, that's what we've been considering. Maybe only two to four birds in an Eglu, which provides an attractive and modern home for them. The eglu is pretty secure against foxes too, though I am not sure about bears. But we don't have bears.
Also, we need pullets at point of lay. Pullets are hens which are under a year old - see, I'm learning! Anyone any ideas as to where to get them in North Wales? We don't need pretty hens, we need productive ones.
No cocks wanted. They would rub our neighbours up the wrong way.

Fibrespeed in North Wales

The Fibrespeed project has brought mega-fast cable broadband to business parks in North Wales through funding by the Welsh Assembly Government. However, we need to move to Fibrespeed Phase 2, bringing similar to communities and homes and wider business locations. This can be done via masts and cordless connections to Fibrespeed. The meeting I went to this afternoon is looking strategically at the needs and investigating suitable funding or investment by internet service providers (ISPs).
It will happen.

Long live President Obama!

The Bush era is over and a new regime is in place. Expectations are running very very high and Obama cannot possibly maintain such popularity in the long term. But for now, the world looks forward to a new age.

Then again, there are people who will be sad to see the end of the George Bush presidency, like some of the more traditional members of my American family. I trust that Obama will convince them of his worth.

Long live President Obama!

I wonder if the UK might ever become a US State. Maybe it is already and nobody mentioned it. If we had to select between the European Union and the USA, which way would you go?

Family history

I am enthralled by family history research and have gone back to 1505 with my English adoptive maternal family. They were mainly yeomen and, later, gentlemen farmers in Suffolk. However, I have spent some time over the last few evenings looking at the 1911 census for England which has recently gone online. Brilliant! My friends with Welsh ancestry will have to wait a little longer but it will be worth it.

Glyndwr University and recession conference

I have just had a fascinating day in Wrexham at Prifysgol Glyndwr University on 'Facing the Recession' . The speakers were from the University, the Bank of England, the Welsh Assembly Government, a bank and a private sector company. The audience was mainly private sector, but John Gallanders, from the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham (AVOW) was there in the morning and I was there for the day from WCVA. I think John was called away at lunch time. In the afternoon I was able to make some points about the crucial roles of the voluntary or third sector, such as in tackling mental health issues, including depression, in times of recession. There are also opportunities to increase levels of volunteering amongst company staff who are on part time working. This can assist in maintaining and developing social capital, as can developing a variety of models of business structure such as social enterprises and cooperatives. A stimulating day - and back to the office at Morfa Hall, Rhyl tomorrow. I must find out how to do a Welsh 'to bach' on a 'w'. There should be one on the 'w' in the university name. Will anyone leave a comment telling me how to do it - and on other letters which need it too. Os dach chi'n medru, diolch yn fawr.

late again

It is late and I am still up. Does everybody do this? There is so much to do and I keep going until later than I want and then I need to just sit down and chill for an hour or more before going to bed - and then I find there are sheets to change which delays for another 15 minutes. Nobody's fault. Life...

Broadway Tower

I have changed my signature photo to one of Broadway Tower. This is near the former Toc H centre at Dor Knap, where I spent my first residential weekend with a group of inspiring people many years ago.

RAF bomber pilot and crew killed

Now I know this is bizarre, but this is the bomber, shot down by a German fighter ace over the Netherlands, which had been flown by my Uncle Peter in the second world war when he was a Flying Officer in the RAF. I came across this by a random online search some years ago. Note the Nazi soldier guarding the wreckage. Unfortunately, Uncle Peter and the crew were all killed. Many years later I visited his war grave in Holland.
I find this a little unsettling.

This blog

I have no idea at all who is likely to find this blog interesting apart from a few family and friends and a colleague or two, and even that may be wishful thinking. I enjoy writing it, so that counts I guess. If you have views on a) how I can improve this blog and/or b) what you like about this blog then please leave a comment. That may guide me for the future.

work - back again and staff appointments to make

I am back at work in a cold office. I think the heating must have been off over Christmas and New Year because there is a definite chill in the air in this building, even at lunch time. The radiators are struggling to cope, bless them.
I am beginning to sort out the staff appointments for the WCVA administration role for the GwirVol youth volunteering work. We will be dealing with grant-making and promoting youth volunteering beyond the Millenium Volunteers scheme which we already run in Wales. I am pleased that the more senior post will be at senior practitioner level. It is likely that I will line manage the person.

adjusting to work times

How on earth am I going to adjust to normal working hours? We have been going to bed at 2.00am and getting up at 10.00am. All change tomorrow, well, later today.

Linda Pepper, MBE

Royal honours time again. I forgot to mention that the retired chief officer of the Powys Association of Vountary Organisations (PAVO), Linda Pepper, received an MBE in the New Year honours. This is well deserved.

Chris Jackson, OBE, DL

Chris Jackson, OBE, DL has contributed to education (through chairing the board of Llandrillo College) and to tourism (as the Administrative Director of the Welsh Mountain Zoo) and particularly to the profits of numerous Spanish wine producers. He is our next door neighbour, as was his late dear wife, Sue. He runs a mad and loving dog called Barty, who is great friends with our daughter Jennie in particular.
Chris has also just become a Deputy Lieutenant of Clwyd. This county no longer exists, except as a preserved county for ceremonial occasions. No comment.
Basically, he is a good friend and neighbour, except when he checks our bottle recycling bin to ensure we are drinking wine of a suitable quality. Cheek!

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda/Happy New Year

We are now well into 2009, so a happy new year to one and all from North Wales. We had just a sprinkling of snow this morning but it has all but disappeared, leaving just the frosty grass and blue skies, as has been the case for the last few days.

We saw in the freezing cold new year next door at Chris Jackson's with another couple and Chris' new special friend, Beti. We had a palatable Indian takeaway and copious amounts of wine in good company, as always. I think I will blog a separate entry on Chris as I have mentioned him so much recently.

Rosie and Jennie are at the pantomime. Jennie is in two performances today and Rosie is chaperoning at the matinee only. Jennie has thoroughly enjoyed being a dwarf in Snow White but it does tie us to home for a long stretch. I think this may be the last year she does it anyway - we shall see.

Yesterday I began to be conscious of going back to work on Monday 5 January and started to think about what needs doing there. I must keep off that, at least until Sunday.