MAY 2010
Wales’ Top Coastal Holidays
SUMMER’S HERE! Get the BBQ ready?
UP CLOSE WITH “MR.NICE”
Exclusive interview with Howard Marks
FREE MAe.G..
take m rs! I’m you
Hello
What’s Inside
Welcome to May’s edition of My Valleys Magazine. If you’ve not heard of us before, then no need to worry as this is the first edition to run off the press, but be sure of one thing...you’ll be seeing plenty of us in the future so keep your eye out for the magazine each and every month. The whole point of this snazzy magazine is to provide a tailored publication that is of both interest and use to our fellow valley dwellers here in our lovely South Wales. The sun is shining as I type; how long will it last I wouldn’t like to bet. We’ve been busy little so and so’s putting together this month’s edition of My Valleys Magazine and I think you’ll find it an interesting read. With features including an interview with a man who was once the most wanted person on the planet, a few words from the world of surf, some interesting food for thought regarding the general election, and a guide to some fab places to stay in this country. There really is a little something for everyone. If your business would like to get noticed by over 20,000 potential customers each month, then get in touch and we’ll send you a Media Pack. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at our cost effective advertising rates. Thanks for taking the time out to read our first edition and I hope you find it interesting. Best wishes
COOL MOTOR TOP HOLIDAYS BUSINESS GREAT GADGET
Easy and effective advertising to over 20,000 consumers in the South Wales valleys
TRAVEL SURF’S UP
Editor: Ross Porter Designer: Oli Salisbury Advertising Manager: Paul Fuller
RECIPE CORNER HEALTH
Contributors:
Paul Corkery, Howie Hughes, David Jones, Nikki McLaughlin, Oli Salisbury, Charles Sinclair, Stephen Theaker
“MR NICE” INTERVIEW
Tel: 0845 230 1937 advertise@myvalleysmagazine.co.uk www.myvalleysmagazine.co.uk
OBJECT OF DESIRE
MyValleys Magazine is a trading name of Draig Personnel Ltd. Registered in England and Wales: No. 4668506. VAT Registration: No. 801 3642 69. Registered office: The Octagon, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly, CF83 3ED.
FOOTBALL FOCUS
While evey care has been taken to ensure that the data contained in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any cause. MyValleys Magazine does not officially endorse any advertising materials included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system in any form without the prior permission of the publisher.
AUSTRALIA SHARK SWIMMING CURRENT AFFAIRS MARKETING
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Cool motor This month’s cool car is the legendary and sexy VW Karmann Ghia. The VW Karmann Ghia was born through the desire of W.Karmann GmbH to produce a sports bodied car upon a reliable and tested chassis. The plan and body designs were approved by VW in 1954 and the first models went on show at European Motor Shows in 1955. The design work was carried out by Luigi Segre of Ghia in Turin to whom Karmann had turned to in view of the popularity of the Italian design studios at that time. The car continued in series production from 1955 to 1974 undergoing, in typical VW fashion, many year by year improvements. There were a total of 444,300 of these sexy little motors produced before production sadly ended in 1974.
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Tel: 0845 230 1937
Wales’ top coastal holidays for 2010... The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hooray! It’s nearly time to brush down your bucket and spade and venture off in search of a relaxing beach holiday once again. This year, why not take to the beaches of Wales as we’ve dug out some fab suggestions that won’t break the bank.
WHERE? Tresaith, Penbryn, Ceredigion. One of the most spectacular sights at Tresaith is the cascade of the river Saith over the cliff tops down onto the beach. Tresaith is one of the locations most favoured by visitors to Ceredigion. It is almost a picture-book seaside village and offers a wonderful sandy beach and a tranquil atomosphere.
WHERE TO STAY? The Penrallt, Aberporth. Set within its own peaceful 42 acres, The Penrallt is an impressive Edwardian Mansion overlooking the beautiful Aberporth Bay in West Wales. With it’s quirky little features and a beautiful settings, The Penrallt an ideal base to explore and experience one of Wales’ best kept secrets.
WHERE? Barmouth, Gwynedd. Where the mountains meet the sea! There’s all the fun of the fair at this traditional seaside town set on the mouth of the stunning Mawddach estuary. The kids will love the amusement arcades on the seafront, donkey rides on the beach or even hire a bike from Birmingham Garage. ISIS Cafe on the harbour is well worth a visit and a walk across the famous Barmouth Bridge is a must to take in the breath-taking views of the Mawddach estuary. There’s something here for everyone.
WHERE TO STAY? Abergafren Beach Lodge, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd. Exclusive, tranquil, luxurious and literally a stone’s throw away from the beautiful Portmerion village. Sit on your balcony and you can almost dip your toe into the water. You’d be pushed to find a better place than here if a romantic getaway is on the cards. It has one bedroom and is kitted out to a very high standard. Truly splendid.
HOW MUCH? £395 to £795 per week depending upon time of year. www.abergafrenlodge.com Tel: 01341 280985
WHERE? Tenby, Pembrokeshire. Tenby is one of Wales’ most famous and prettiest holiday resorts. Tenby has 3 Blue flag beaches. Pinch yourself when visiting the harbour to remind yourself that you’re not actually in a postcard. Regular boat trips run from Tenby harbour to Caldey Island when the tide is in and the views are truly magnificent.
WHERE TO STAY? Elm Grove Country House. Tenby. This elegant, family run, Georgian Country House, is set among 20 acres of lawns, gardens and fields is just a few miles from some of Pembrokeshire’s best beaches and attractions. Enjoy the cosy and traditional atmosphere of the lounge or enjoy a drink in the bar. In the grounds there is a croquet lawn, grass tennis court, children’s play area and games room. Well worth a visit.
HOW MUCH?
HOW MUCH?
Single rooms starting at £40 per person www.elmgrovecountryhouse.co.uk Tel: 01834 871255
Single rooms starting at £75 per person www.thepenrallt.co.uk Tel: 01239 810227
A bedroom at the Elm Grove Country House
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Stephen Theaker business correspondent
WHAT CLASS OF TAXPAYER ARE YOU? The recent budget has created two new classes of taxpayer. We already had basic-rate and higher-rate taxpayers, but now we have super-higher-rate taxpayers who will pay 50% tax on income above £150,000, and caughtin-the-middle taxpayers, who will pay 60% tax on income between £100,000 and £112,950! As the area of taxation becomes ever more complicated, the need for professional advice increases, and if any of the following top tips apply to you, then take advice as soon as possible. Take a look at our top tips on the right. For advice and guidance on all aspects of tax advice, please contact Steve Theaker, Senior Partner on 01873 852124
1 Check how much you and your family earn each year. If you’re not all in the same taxpayer class there may be something you can do to redistribute the family income to reduce the taxman’s share
2 The nil rate band for inheritance tax has been frozen for 5 years at £325,000. If your estates is above this you need to make sure your will is tax-efficient and consider other strategies
3 If you are likely to spend more than £50,000 on kit for your trade, the increase in the Annual Investment Allowance could be good news
4 Pension planning for high earners is more complicated than ever before
5 Trust income needs to be reviewed to
make sure you are not paying too much tax
6 Green cars – more tax benefits are available for these
7 Stamp duty land tax – if you’ve not
been on the property ladder before you have two years to get there and benefit from the exemption on houses up to £250,000
8 Capital gains tax relief for entrepreneurs has been doubled
Gadget of the month Frosty Ice Tankard With Summer BBQ’s on the way, we thought that this month’s gadget must be one that will provide hours of fun without losing the all-important practicality! How can you drink beer and be without one of these super cool Frozen Ice Tankards? After all as those famous Australian purveyors of a certain lager tell us “Well, you wouldn’t want a warm beer!” These Frozen Tankards are perfect for keeping your beer cold for longer especially on those hot summer days, just keep a couple ready in the freezer to call upon when needed and you’ll never need to worry about warm beer again.
These Tankards have a double walled design with some water ‘inside’ the Tankard, when this is put in the freezer it freezes and the ice keeps your drinks colder for much longer. These are perfect for bringing out at Summer BBQ’s and parties to ensure your guests always have a nice cold drink. Available for £4.95 at www.gadgets.co.uk We always support sensible drinking. Do not use a straw or slurp as that’s just rude!
Sold to AIM WALES
the general public who take to the air any more, with our lively, restless and extremely vocal little darlings.
Anyone who has travelled with young children aboard an aeroplane, whether it be a short, medium or long haul flight, will appreciate the joys of holidaying in the UK. I think the new trendy and somewhat Americanised term for this is taking a “staycation”. How cool am I? Having twice endured long haul flights with our young offspring in tow last year we decided this year not to punish
Although I must admit a sense of relief and a tad of smugness when we last boarded a plane to find our children stunned into silence by the noise and performance of the toddler sat opposite our little tribe. You’d think the airlines would build their planes with sound proof booths for families with these little noise generators. We thought it was better all round this year to pack our things into the car, not disimilar to Clarke Griswald’s trip to “Wally World” in the 1990’s, and head off to a camp site in Mid Wales for a weekend of camping. The facilities at the site were great and the weather was actually dry for a change.
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Ross Porter Myself, my wife and the children really enjoyed the adventure of camping, although I think she missed the frisk at the airport if I’m honest! I can strongly recommend a “staycation” this year to anyone who fancies a change from losing their toiletries, drinking baby milk and removing their shoes and belt in front of total strangers at the airport. Wales is a truly stunning country, so get out there, book yourselves in somewhere and explore our extraordinary catalogue of showstopping scenery.
SURF’S UP
Summer Spawns New Wave of Surfers Surfing has traditionally been viewed as deviant past-time. A way for hippy’s and people who don’t want to conform to grab their surfboard, shorts, wax and stick two fingers up at society. Sadly, this glamorous Californian stereotype doesn’t work so well in the harsh reality of the British climate. Instead, a surf trip in the UK consists more of 5mm thick neoprene than sun-kissed abs, and replacing bikini-clad girls lining the beach your only spectator is a 70-year-old retired farmer walking his dog - and that’s if you’re lucky. Still, there is a hardcore sub-culture of surfers who turn up at frozen beach car parks all over the UK, only to get their kit off in the subzero conditions, attempt to squeeze in to rubber suits, boots and
gloves, and then think it’s a good idea to jump into a frigid ocean - all in the name of catching the big winter swells. To most people this might seem like their idea of hell. However, walk down Fistral Beach in Newquay on an August afternoon and you may be forgiven for thinking that everyone seems to know how to surf. Actually, forget Newquay, just walking down Cardiff high-street last sunny Easter weekend, I would have lost count with the number of flip-flops, bleach blonde hair and boardshords that I saw. No longer is surfing a way for dopesmoking drop-outs to waste their time whilst the rest of us earn an honest wage. It is a big business, a bonafide sport - hell, surfing is mainstream!
Oli Salisbury Just look at the many surf schools that pop-up everywhere. Everyone wants to learn to surf on their one-week of the year where they ditch work and maybe, just maybe, get some sunshine. I mean, what else would you do on your summer holiday when Bowls and French Cricket has lost it’s allure? Just you wait though, when December throws up the biggest waves of the year, it will still be the same small group of guys and girls freezing their bits off in your local beach car park, jumping in an icy ocean, all in search of their ultimate ride.
Get your business noticed in next month’s edition www.myvalleysmagazine.co.uk
Tel: 0845 230 1937
Recipe Corner
Asparagus soup with asparagus tips
Ingredients: 50g/2oz butter 2 shallots chopped 2 sprigs fresh thyme 450g/1lb asparagus, stalks roughly chopped 125ml/4½fl oz white wine 450ml/16fl oz chicken stock (or vegetable stock) 50ml/2fl oz double cream Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method: 1. Heat a pan until hot and add the butter, shallots and thyme and cook for two minutes. 2. Add the asparagus stalks and cook for one minute. 3. Add the white wine, bring to the boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. 4. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the asparagus is just tender. 5. Remove from the heat and blend with a hand blender or place into a food processor (allow to cool for 3-4 minutes) and blend until smooth. 6. Return the soup to the pan over a medium heat and add the cream. Stir well and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Occupational Health
with Nikki McLaughlin
Physiotherapy saves businesses money and reduces time off work! Occupational Physiotherapy is a profession which sees human movement as an integral component to the health and well-being of individuals during work and leisure. Occupational Physiotherapists diagnose musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and maximise movement potential through health awareness, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. MSDs include problems such as low back pain, joint injuries and repetitive injuries and in 2008/09 the Health and safety executive (HSE) reported an “estimated 538,000 people in Britain who worked last year, were suffering with a musculoskeletal complaint” and state that equates to 63% of workers reporting a new work related MSD. The most common injuries associated with MSDs are lower back pain. However, there are many MSDs and they can affect every type of business. HSE in 2008/09 reported a staggering 9.3 million days were lost through work related MSDs. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development that accounts to £692 per employee. On average, each person suffering from work related MSDs took an estimated 17.2 days off - how much would this cost your business per year? The true cause for the MSDs is not clear however, strong links have been associated with and reported more commonly in workforces that involve:
Heavy manual labour Manual handling in constricted areas Repetitive tasks Sitting at a workstation for a long period of time Driving long distances Operating heavy equipment Pushing or pulling loads that require excessive force Working when physically overtired Stretching, twisting and reaching
Baseline Physiotherapists have provided a functional role in working with individuals who are experiencing problems associated with MSDs and helping them either to remain at work or return to work successfully. Many
small businesses and organisations are now implementing a physiotherapy service as the cost of healthcare is counteracted by a prompt return to work resulting in sufficient savings made on sick pay, retraining, employing replacement staff and other costs associated with sickness and absence. In a case study presented by HSE it demonstrated that the implementation of a physiotherapy service saved a grocery production company £10,307 alone on one employee because it provided them with prompt, specialist Physiotherapy treatment (£2,625) at the start of his period off work.
538,000 people in Britain who worked last year, were suffering with a musculoskeletal complaint So if you would be interested to find out how Baseline Physiotherapy occupational health service could benefit and save your business/organisation money and would be interested in attending a FREE seminar please contact us on enquiries@baselinephysiotherapy.co.uk
*All statistics and cost implications associated with work related illnesses were obtained from the HSE website www.hse.gov.uk and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development www.cipd.co.uk
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He was once Britain’s most wanted man, linked with MI6, IRA and the Mafia...
Up Close with “Mr Nice” Born in 1945 in Kenfig Hill, a small Welsh coal-mining village near Bridgend, Howard Marks attended Oxford University where he earned a degree in Nuclear Physics and post graduate qualifications in Philosophy. Howard Marks has worked with the British Secret Service and has been connected with the Mafia, the IRA, MI6 and the CIA. During the mid 1980s, Howard Marks had forty-three aliases, eighty-nine phone lines, and twenty five companies trading throughout the world. Bars, recording studios, offshore banks: all were money-laundering vehicles serving the core activity: dope dealing. Marks began to deal during a postgraduate philosophy course at Oxford and was soon moving large quantities of hashish into Europe and America in the equipment of touring rock bands. The academic life began to lose its allure. At the height of his career, he was smuggling consignments of up to thirty tons from Pakistan and Thailand to America and Canada and had contact with organisations as diverse as the CIA, MI6, the IRA, and the Mafia. After many years and a world-wide operation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, he was busted and sentenced to twenty five years in prison at the United States Federal Penitentiary, Terre Haute, Indiana, the site of America’s only Federal Death Row. He was released on parole in April 1995 after serving seven years of his sentence. In 1996 he released his autobiography, “Mr. Nice”, which remains an international best seller in several languages and was the best selling non-fiction book of 1997. During 1997, he performed his first live shows, which discussed his life as a marijuana smuggler and his views on drug use and legalisation. The shows received excellent reviews throughout the national press, and his now legendary one-man comedy show, An Audience with Mr Nice, continues to sell-out at venues throughout Britain and Europe. Howard Marks wrote a monthly column for Loaded for five years and has written features for the Observer, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Time Out, GQ, and the Guardian. My Valleys Magazine roving reporters caught up with Howard and managed to ask him a few questions.
How would you describe yourself as a person? Helpful, arrogant, and irritable. What is your favourite memory of being an Oxford University student? Shagging blue stockings and smoking dope. What was the craziest situation you found yourself in during your time as an international smuggler? I once had an Irish passport in the name of Peter Hughes. The first time I used it, I flew from Dublin to Brussels. On arrival, the Belgian immigration officer took my passport, looked at it, and said “Howard?”. I thought how the f**k did he know who I was. I felt convinced I had been rumbled. Actually, he was merely thinking of Howard Hughes who was in the news at the time. I was safe. What was the most dangerous situation? My first day at a maximum security federal prison. What was life like during your seven year stretch in the United States Federal Penitentiary, Terre Haute, Indiana? It was OK. There are many worse things that could happen to someone than being banged up for a few years. Do you think that prison is a deterrent? Prison is no deterrent unless accompanied by a very high detection rate. What would you change if you were the Prime Minister of the UK? I would legalise all recreational drugs and prostitution. I would also ensure that no one needs to sleep on the streets, and insist that Wales becomes independent of America. What do you love the most about Wales? Its natural beauty and the accommodating humour and enthusiastic warmth of the several hundred communities dwelling in the valleys. I also like the incongruous juxtaposition of these beauty spots with the almost fossilised remnants of the various industries that invaded and raped these once lusciously green pastures, whether they are resuscitated pit-shafts, tamed slag heaps, or blast furnaces. However, far more important to me recently are the areas of mythology and magic stemming from Merlin, Arthurian legend, and the Mabinogion. Merlin (the royal leader portrayed by Geoffrey of Monmouth not the absurd Harry Potter character depicted in various adaptations of Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur) abandoned his throne, went into the wilderness, eschewed the trappings of material comfort, resisted temptation, and gained spiritual insight which he expressed in terms of the archetypes of our land, culture, and people. We should have an enormous statue of him rising from the Severn between the two bridges? If you’d like to find out where and when you can see one of Howard’s Live Shows, or to order your copy of one his books, then log onto his website at www.howardmarks.co.uk
Object of desire Manufacturer: Trinity Model: Euphoria 168 Engine: Caterpillar 3512b 2x 2250hp Length: 168ft Beam Length: 28ft Maximum Speed: 18.7 knots at full power Cruise Speed: 17.5 knots Fuel Capacity: 16,100 US gallons Fresh Water Capacity: 2,600 US gallons Built in the Trinity shipyard in Mississippi, this beast is surely to make a statement at any marina! It includes 5 Staterooms and 5 Crew Cabins and has an impressive capacity for those essential water toys. It even comes with it’s own 21ft Tender in it’s garage. Yours for just $39.9 Million.
Football Focus Football…Business or pleasure? with Paul Corkrey It seems a million years ago now, when football was all about having a good time with your mates, enjoying a game on a Saturday afternoon, with two teams giving it their all. Yes, we still have a good laugh with our mates but these days football is big business and winning is all that matters. Cardiff City, Southend United, Portsmouth and Crystal Palace are just four clubs out of many in serious financial peril; all facing possible extinction. Sadly it is the way things are these days and football fans are more worried about their clubs’ bills than any possible transfer targets. It really is a sorry state of affairs. Chester City Football Club has just been put into liquidation and it has lost its place on the football ladder. Over 100 years of history lost, all down to financial mismanagement by one owner after another. Their Supporters Trust is now working hard to resurrect the club and start back at the bottom of the football pyramid. It will be a long road back but will their fans start enjoying themselves again? A new start, debt free, building a team, creating a phoenix club from the ashes. It could be a blessing in disguise for the Chester fans and they may well rekindle the good times on the long road back to the Football League. Their fans will certainly enjoy visiting clubs at grass root level, it is so much friendlier at that
level and they can enjoy watching their team progress. This time though, lessons have to be learnt and if they do return to league football in the future, things have to be done differently.
Cardiff City, Southend Utd, Portsmouth and Crystal Palace are just four clubs out of many in serious financial peril There is still time for the clubs in difficulty to address their problems but they have to change their mentality and learn to “cut your coat to suit your cloth.” It will not be easy and difficult decisions will have to be made, but in my opinion, it is the only way that the current league system will be preserved…the alternative is more clubs folding.
10 th % o is ff ad w ve ith rt
Howie’s Big Down Under
Howie Hughes
Our Man In Oz Caught In “Super Storm”
We’ve all heard the fisherman’s tale exaggerated, detailed and always way bigger than reality. In a similar fashion, reports were relayed with a twist of poetic licence and an inaccuracy one have come to expect from the media here in Western Australia.
A mate of mine had called for a yarn having just finished a training course he’d attended.
For me, a boy from North Wales, rather strangely none of this seemed to be as bad as it was portrayed. Having spent 28 years living all over the North Wales coast, I have memories of our coastline copping a severe bashing from the elements. Now they were proper storms – gale force winds, rain and severe flooding, thunder, lightning combines with the scorn of an Irish Sea breaching coastline defences at will!
Having spent 28 years living all over the North Wales coast, I have memories of our coastline copping a severe bashing from the elements
I know that this storm in Perth, whilst extreme, was not as bad the media portrayed it. I know this as I happened to be right in the eye of the storm when she hit, right in the spot to receive the severest of lashings. Nevertheless, this storm was a spectacular weather event – huge hail stones the size of golf balls falling from the skies at 180 km/h, torrential rain turning roads into knee deep gushing rivers, an inner city landslide, and commercial building roofs giving way from the deluge above. There was also the fierce force of the wind that was to follow the hail storm, forcing trees to hang on for dear life or give way only to crash on to road sides, buildings and cars. I heard someone describe the storm as the closest thing they could imagine to the movie “Judgement Day” and that never before had they experienced such ferocity by the elements. The breaking news reported on the giant hail stone storm some as big as tennis or cricket balls, others were like the old Wilson Pro Staff Golf Balls. For me though the one thing that did stand out as “severe” and indicated an unknown quantity and danger was the cloud formation I witnessed during the second storm that followed the hail storm. It was just approaching 3.45pm on Monday the 22nd of March and I’d just answered a call on my mobile in my office.
The conversation was brief but his last before being cut off was “Howie you won’t believe what’s going on up here with the weather and coming your way…”
Thinking my mobile phone signal had dropped out I decided to go downstairs into the ground floor car park for a quick cigarette and to call him back. My phone rang again – my mate in a panic! He’d just spoken to his partner who was hysterical. She was parked on a roadside, in the back seat cowering over and protecting their 3 month old daughter and 4 year old boy, with front and rear windows of her car destroyed and hail stones now entering the car! This exact moment a realisation and fear for my own wife and two children safety became a reality. They too could be in a similar situation – possibly worse! It was at this time normally she’d be picking up our daughter from pre-school. Frantically I dialled her mobile – no connection, then our home number – no answer, then he mothers’ house – no answer, then mobile again – no bloody connection! Not home, not at her mothers’, not on her mobile...
Ten minutes later having jumped in my car and driven through a half mile stretch of road that was now knee deep in water, I was gridlocked on a packed freeway side by side with others who had made the decision to try and get home. My mobile rang. “Maria”. Thank God. “Where are you? Are the kids ok? Why didn’t you answer the bloody phone? What’s the point of having a mobile if you don’t answer it?” I blurted. They were all ok – in the local shopping centre getting some shopping when the storm hit and had taken shelter there. Half an hour later we were all back safely in our home and that’s when the second weather front rolled in over the horizon. I spotted it immediately over our back fence that faces North towards where the ocean lies. Once only have I seen anything similar. In 1997 I’d lived and worked in the North of New Jersey, USA. I coached football for a living and had just finished a coaching session when I noticed a change in brightness of daylight, light started to disappear followed by a feeling that the whole atmosphere around us was highly charged. Looking to the skies the cloud formation above and heading our way like I’d never seen before. The only word I can think of to best describe what I saw in the sky was ‘danger’ Imagine taking a white pencil, drawing a thin white line across the sky, add blue to the area below the dividing line. Above take an old paint brush and smear the darkest unmixed black, greys and white in a tumbling rolling mass of extreme cloud formation and colour. For me, a giant hail storm, gale force winds and belting rain I can handle, but being face to face with an approaching severe weather cell and cloud formation, churning a barrelling mass of darkness and energy in its path is something I’ll never forget!
Our Reporter In The Water
David Jones
Working with the White Shark Trust
I have been incredibly lucky to spend a few months in the company of one of the last truly wild apex predators on earth. Unlike many of the worlds creatures at the top of the food chain Great White Sharks cannot be contained within wildlife parks, aquariums, game reserves or do they adhere to international boundaries. They represent the essence of evolutionary perfection having remained relatively unchanged for over 200 million years. Growing to over 6 meters and two tons it mainly feeds on seals, fish, dolphins, whales and other sharks. Great Whites live in almost all coastal and offshore waters ranging in temperature from 12 to 24 °C with greater concentrations off the coasts of South Africa, California, Australia the north-eastern US, Mexico’s Guadalupe, New Zealand and the Mediterranean. There have been a number of tabloid reports of White Sharks in British waters but as yet none of these “sightings” have been confirmed by experts. The closet confirmed record was La Rochelle in France. Sensationalist reports aside, one of the densest known populations is found around Dyer Island in South Africa where I headed to spend some time helping the White Shark Trust with their research. ‘Shark Alley’ is where most of the work carried out by the Trust takes place and I spent many a day bobbing around on the 6 metre research boat, and yes, when you do see a 4 metre plus White Shark for the first time you do say “we are going to need a bigger boat!” However, that’s where the links to Jaws ended as I discovered first hand that while this amazing species is powerful and sleek it is also curious, cautious, beautiful, intelligent and even at times playful. The Trust have carried out the longest known study of a white shark population and identified over 1,000 individual sharks using their pioneering Dorsal ID technique. Much like dolphins and whales each white shark can be identified by a unique dorsal fin. They have also been involved in a number of
One tagged shark swam a distance of over 12,000 miles diving to depths over 1,000 metres. Maybe a trip to Welsh waters is not out of the question!
tagging projects trying to gain an insight into a creature that so little is known about. No one has witnessed a white shark mating and no definite breading or birthing areas have been identified. One individual nicknamed Nicole (after the actress Nicole Kidman) swam from her tagged site off Dyer Island to Australia and back covering a distance of over 12,000 miles and diving to depths over 1,000 metres. Researchers suggest she used the sun and stars to navigate there in an almost perfectly straight line. Maybe a trip to Welsh waters is not out of the question! One thing that is known about these amazing animals is that we are not on their feeding list and with an average of only 3 deaths worldwide per year you are far more likely to be killed by a coconut falling on your head.
When you do see a 4+ metre White Shark for the first time, you do say “We are going to need a bigger boat!” The whole experience of not only working with one the most perfectly designed species on the planet but also with some amazing people was a dream come true. White sharks are the only species of shark to ‘spy hop’ or stick their heads out of the water to look at the world above theirs, and one of only a few that breach clear of the water. Hanging off the back of the boat within a few feet of spy hopping sharks and seeing them breach hunting seals off the coast of South Africa is one trip I will never forget. For more information on the White Shark Trust check out www.whitesharktrust.org
Tel: 02920 867950
Mobile: 07903 431342
www.homechoicewales.co.uk
Current Affairs
Voter Apathy? As a country we have been under the guidance of the New Labour project for last 13 years (unlucky for some). It can be said that their initial decade was a good period of economic growth for many, and these good times undoubtedly provided the incumbent Chancellor with massive tax revenues and low social security costs due to the low unemployment. What happened to all that money? It is clear from the fact there's nothing left under the bed that this administration spent huge amounts of money on the NHS and education. We also now know, thanks to the recent Iraq enquiry, that Gordon didn't spend quite so much on essential military investment despite fighting on 2 fronts simultaneously but that's another story. The necessary questions to be asked by any undecided voter are have the last 13 years of Labour tax and spend produced quantifiable improvements that your average voter can relate to? Are the waiting lists down at the hospital? Is the local school worthy of envy from our European contemporaries? Do your bins get emptied before they mutate into giant tips and begin making their own way to the municipal dump? Labour and their spin would have you believe that their spending has resulted in improvements across the board. The problem is that it takes more than just receipts to prove so, otherwise we'd have had no truck with all those naughty expense claims would we? I have a horrible feeling that most of the money went on tier after tier of middle NHS managers and swollen committees and protected Public sector pensions. I fear the reality is that our drug distribution relies upon the lottery of postcode not need. It appears the hospitals are still desperately short of nurses and cleaners and have pay as you park car parks that fleece visiting relatives. Hardly a glowing success. Where else can we look for the improvements Gordon keeps letting us know he's precipitated? Our immigration policies and border control has been so badly managed this government have done more to recruit support for the BNP than Nick Griffin ever could have dreamt of. We have a Police force so weighed down with forms and equality and ethnic issues that they are scared to do their job. I could go on and on... It is frankly astonishing to me that despite the current economic position and despite the Labour
with Charles Sinclair lobbying scandals etc. that the Conservatives are not odds on for the outright victory we might have expected only 6 months ago. Labour have achieved the unlikely result that they've been so hopelessly bad and pointless that they've fuelled voter apathy to never before seen levels quite so close to a General Election. Previously poor Governments have been eagerly punished at the first available opportunity. This current lot have driven the average person a country mile away from politics for fear of guilt by association.
I have a horrible feeling that most of the money went on tier after tier of middle NHS managers and swollen committees The problem is what is the alternative to Gordon? David Cameron and his Hello! magazine family may seem like the natural heir to Blair but perhaps that’s the bit people don't like? We don't care about what his wife wears or whether or not he dresses down on occasion. What do they stand for? Who are the Tories? I'd challenge Spitting Image to create a recognisable cast from the current Shadow cabinet. They simply don't have the firepower to suggest a feasible alternative to Labour. Surely, in these times it would be best to favour experience, as Tony Blair bleated in a pseudoamerican whine to his former constituents just the other day. Wasn't it this experienced skipper that lost the paddle before we ended up this creek in the first place? The electorate need to forget the spin and the former heroes and the Tories Saatchi advert campaign and what the first wives are wearing. They should look at the harsh cold facts. Outside my window I can see my rubbish bin - it's not been emptied for a fortnight and it reeks. These are the things that will influence me come election day. I’m ready to let somebody else have a go. They can’t be any worse, surely?
Recovery or Recession? To quote the Desk Seargeant in the 1980’s series, Hill Street Blues, “Be careful out there”. Words of wisdom in such tough times that appear to have been an unwelcome visitor to the economy for such a long time now. Although times continue to be hard in the world of business, I think the media thrive on talking us all into a downward spiral and avoid printing the success stories than remain out there as they simply don’t sell papers. It’s either the recession or which footballer has been having a bit of rumpy-pumpy with his mate’s wife; they are the topics that appear to be selling. Experts say that the businesses that invest in their marketing during a recession will be well positioned when the market recovers. I have to agree with this and recommend that business owners don’t go with their gut-feeling or advice from those grey suited accountants to cut back on their spending on marketing as this will be their bloodline to recovery. You’ve probably noticed that there are a lot less leaflets dropping through your door these days? Some of your business’ competitors may have reduced their marketing campaigns; so this is an ideal opportunity to get your message across to win new customers. I would suggest that you take the time out to re-evaluate your brand and assess your corporate image before launching into campaigns to try and seize upon these opportunities. Firstly, look at your logo. If a logo is not important for a business to succeed, they why do the likes of Asda, McDonalds, Nike etc spend so much on developing theirs? If you’re having printing done, don’t make the mistake of thinking that all printing is the same. The flyers your
sister’s boyfriend’s mate’s brother can knock up on his computer are not the same as those professionally printed. Lots of businesses also make the mistake of not paying for professional design of printed material. If you don’t invest in professional design at the outset, you may well find yourself with lots of printed items that are as effective as a chocolate fireguard. If you’ve not got a website for your business, then it’s time to stop burying your head in the sand! Your website is your shop window that can be viewed 24 hours a day, 365 days a week. Be careful not to get stung by the flashy citybased web designers and try to avoid the one-man band brigade who will design you the site from their bedroom. Websites do not have to cost the earth, but they must be built in a manner which will make them friendly to the allimportant search engines and visitors to your site.
If you don’t invest in professional design at the outset, you may well find yourself with lots of printed items that are as effective as a chocolate fireguard You don’t have to spend large sums to market your business properly. Focus on small changes in the way in which you do things as this can have a big effect on your business. Whatever you do, do it well and keep plugging away relentlessly until the good times are here again. Oh...and be careful out there!
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What’s occurring?
Event Guide / May 2010
Browning Books Blaenavon - Exhibition An eclectic mix of artworks including drawing, painting, photography, prints and sculpture presented by Blaenavon Art and Artist Association, featuring many local artists. Look out for visiting authors! The Ultimate Elvis - The Met, Mitre Street, Abertillery Ricky Rivers’ live band. This tribute covers the full spectrum of Elvis’ career and will be popular amongst the South Wales Elvis fan base. The Gruffalo live on stage - Blackwood Miners Institute Based upon the award winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Following it’s sell-out success in the West End last Christmas - it’s coming to Blackwood! Tues 4th May and weds 5th May. Box Office: 01495 227206. Merthyr Tydfil Farmers Market You will find fresh quality products that are grown, reared or made within a 50 miles radius. Many of the foods you’ll find here are ‘True Taste of Wales’ award winners. Friday 7th May. Caerphilly Farmers Market A farmers market selling a range of produce at the Twyn Community Centre. Saturday 8th May.
Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Gelligaer Road, Nelson 17th Century Olympics. Free family fun day of traditions sports demonstrations, competitions and activities for all. Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May. Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Gelligaer Road, Nelson Napoleonic Re-enactment. Spring Bank Holiday Sunday 30th Monday 31st May. Great fun for all the family. Caerphilly Male Voice Choir in Concert, Caerphilly Castle Thursday 6th May. 7pm-11.30pm. £8 Tickets in advance. Box Office: 02920 860054. Global Village, Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery Brecon Road, Merthyr Tydfil Celebrating the diversity of Merthyr Tydfil with various workshops and performances. Venue telephone number 01685 723112. UK Guns n’ Roses Concert, Newbridge Rugby Club, Newbridge Excellent tribute band, live on stage. Saturday 22nd May. Tickets are £12.00 and are available from the rugby club. Strictly a ticket only event Call 01495 243 247.
PLEASE NOTE: We’ve listed the above events in good faith but cannot accept responsibility for innacuracies, changes to the event or cancellations. Please check with the organisers before attendind any event. To advertise your community event contact us on advertise@myvalleysmagazine.co.uk. Please send your event details in a format similar to those above. On occasion we list events without the organisers knowing so please be kind to us and tell them that you read about their event in My Valleys Magazine.