Friday, 25 April 2008

Apr 25 2008 by Our Correspondent, Western Mail

Face your accusers Bishop, and move on

SIR – I was quite sad to read Martin Shipton’s latest report on Bishop Carl Cooper (Western Mail, April 24).

This whole business has been a trial by media and local gossip. Who are these sources that Martin Shipton uses?

Are they the bishop’s cleaner or some church official? Are they political? Do the evangelicals in the Church in Wales want a bishop on the bench?

This whole charade needs to be resolved. Bishop Carl needs to get back to work. He needs to face his accusers (since they must exist).

Resignation is not an option. That will not only make him look guilty, but he will also be perceived as a liar.

Bishop Carl, face those who accuse you.

MICHAEL ALAN CRIDLAND

St Michael’s Theological College, Llandaff, Cardiff

Cadw stuck in past

SIR – With reference to the article, “Cadw stuck in the past” (Western Mail, April 19), f or many years I have suspected that the people involved with Cadw were elitist and stuck in the past.

This was confirmed a short while ago when I found myself in discussion with a gentleman who told me that Cadw was not interested in modern industrial buildings.

He said they were not interested historically and would not be worth saving.

“Nobody would use them and it would be an unwelcome drain on our resources,” said the man. These were his exact words and I would bet he is still involved with Cadw to this day.

Form an industrial section with its own funding, or kick out the present management and bring in some new blood before we lose any more buildings.

C MILLER

Pencoed

Not first Welsh win

SIR – I appreciated your supportive build-up to Joe Calzaghe’s fight, especially the pen sketches of past Welsh boxing icons.

What a contrast to BBC Wales who travelled to London to interview ‘Our ‘Enery’ Cooper’. Did he ever fight in America?

I think it is a great insult not to seek the views for a Welsh boxing great who did fight there, drawing one and losing the other most controversially.

If Joe Calzaghe goes to fight in America again, please BBC, don’t slight a Welshman by ignoring the great Colin Jones.

E O POWELL

Llanelli

Skylarks vs badgers

SIR – There used to be a number of skylarks in this area.

With the increase in badger numbers they have disappeared, as have lapwings and other ground nesting birds.

I hope the Welsh Assembly Government has the guts to go through with its badger cull, there are simply too many about. No doubt they are also killing off field mice, voles and shrews.

R THOMAS

Carmarthenshire

Born and bred locally

SIR – I have just read Martin Shipton’s story on Plaid’s being a “busted flush” in RCT.

Tylorstown’s Robert Bevan can’t have read my election address very well.

I’ve spent most of my working life teaching at Ferndale Comprehensive School, which in case he doesn’t know, includes Tylorstown in its catchment area.

I’ve also taught for shorter periods at junior or primary schools in Tylorstown itself, Penrhys and Pontygwaith.

Apart from two years in London, I’ve lived or worked all my life in Rhondda.

Where does his running mate, Mark Adams, come from? The lush heights of The Common, Pontypridd. What connections does he have with Tylorstown?

An unfortunate knee injury has kept me out of play for the past few days. However, all of my leaflets carry my full address and I’ve always been in the phone book – unlike some Labour councillors I have known!

GARETH D EVANS

Treorchy, Rhondda

We should run Wales

SIR – The English MPs who complain about how much it costs England to subsidise the Scots and the Welsh should realise that it is entirely due to maladministration by the Westminster government – and that the sooner Scotland and Wales run their own affairs the better.

Jack Straw, the Secretary of State for Justice, has said that the Welsh flag will be flown officially on St David’s Day and the Scottish flag on St Andrew’s Day.

I hope that one day the flag of St George can be flown on St George’s Day when the English have finished with thinking that they are still running an empire.

Gordon Brown said that a Union flag was necessary for the defence of this Island, but with our so-called special relationship with our America, is this really necessary?

What if the Americans had stayed neutral in the last war?

R T JONES

Penygroes, Gwynedd

Persistence of faith

SIR – In a recent lecture entitled, “Faith and the Media”, BBC director-general Mark Thompson seemed to put his finger on what a section of British society thinks as moribund – we are failing to recognise the importance of religion in the modern everyday lives of people.

Hopefully, our Prime Minister received a gentle reminder of its persistence in his recent visit to the USA, which coincided with the visit of another world leader.

BRENDAN O’LEARY

Godrergraig, Swansea

A boxing legend

SIR – I AM as proud as any Welshman of Joe Calzaghe’s amazing achievement which must place him top in British boxing history at any weight in the modern era.

It’s always debatable, whether boxers from different eras can be compared, especially those from the early 20th century.

In the past, world champions were actually champions of the world with one champion at each weight.

Nowadays we have multiple champions at each weight casting doubt on the validity of the title.

I agree with the Americans that a little Welshman named Jimmy Wilde was, pound for pound, the greatest fighting machine the world has ever seen.

So much so they placed him in their Hall of Fame.

Rarely over seven stone he is reputed to have fought more than 826 fights losing just four, beating two of these in return fights unanimously.

Wilde was the first Welshman to win a world title which he held from 1916 to 1923 at the end of his career (flyweight).

At seven stone he fought bantamweights, featherweights, lightweights and indeed virtually anyone who was brave enough or foolish enough to fight him.

My grandfather sparred with Wilde and said never again, he hits too hard – and he was light-welterweight.

So while celebrating Joe Calzaghe’s unique record, don’t forget Jimmy Wilde.

I believe he was the greatest fighter at any weight Wales or the UK has ever produced, and one of the greatest the world has ever seen.

He wasn’t called, “The ghost with the hammer in his hand” for nothing.

A true legend.

J MILLARD

Pontnewydd, Cwmbran

Livestock problems

SIR – I write to you in connection with the future of Newport livestock market and its effect on livestock farmers throughout South-East Wales.

I have had numerous worried farmers contacting the office regarding the closure of the market.

Their future options are even further narrowed by the bluetongue disease restrictions in place in Wales.

Newport fatstock market is held every Wednesday and is thriving.

It has a throughput of about 1,500 sheep and 200 cattle, yet planning issues have resulted in the possible development of the site in the future.

The auctioneers will have just six months to vacate the site if any planning proposal is accepted.

The question is, where to then? There was talk of developing a site at Raglan, not ideal for a farmer from Bridgend, or further west possibly, but better than nothing.

But this has been opposed and could be months, or even years, in coming to fruition.

So the farmer is left with no option at all in South-East Wales. Farmers were once told that the closure of the livestock markets at Bridgend and Cowbridge would mean a new site being developed at a central location. These plans also fell through.

With the talk of reducing food miles at a global level and the all-important carbon footprint, isn’t it time that people tried to think locally?

If we lose the local livestock markets and abattoirs, livestock will be transported further and for longer, and that is not in the farmer’s, consumer’s or the public’s best interest.

With increased fuel costs, new welfare in transport regulations and increased road tax for four-wheel-drives, the transport of animals either west to Carmarthen or Llandovery, north to Brecon or Abergavenny, or even east over the border may be out of the question for many livestock keepers, who are already feeling the bite of increased costs and disease restrictions.

If the bluetongue protected zone remains in place in South-East Wales for the foreseeable future, Abergavenny or England are the only options for these farmers.

SIAN DAVIES

County Executive Officer, Farmers’ Union of Wales