OCT 2010
Dean Holdsworth On the Crazy Gang and the future of football
The Psychology of Selling
The supermarkets’ secret tactics to make us part with our cash
Cool Motor Aston Martin DB5
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Hello
What’s Inside
Welcome to October’s MyValleys Magazine.
The Editor
In this month’s edition we get up close with the former Wimbledon FC crazy-gang member and current Newport County FC Manager, Dean Holdsworth, whereby we find out about some of the pranks the then famous Wimbledon FC players used to get up to, as well as his view on football today. Last month saw the start of our billboard advertising campaign. Keep your eyes peeled if you’re on Pontygwindy Road in Caerphilly for the two couch potatoes! We’re committed to making sure that more and more people pick up and read our magazine every month and our billboard campaign is a clear demonstration of how seriously we take this advertising lark. We want to make sure that each and every business who places an advert with us receives maximum return on investment.
Politics Cool Motor Fitness
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Easy and effective advertising to over 20,000 consumers in the South Wales valleys Editor: Ross Porter Designer: Oli Salisbury
If you’re a business that needs cost effective advertising, then we are your solution. Get in touch as it’s good to talk.
Contributors: Paul Corkery, Aleks Georgijev, Dave Jones, Claire Louise, David Niece, Charles Sinclair
With Halloween rapidly approaching, please don’t forget that this makes a great opportunity for a photo shoot for next month’s Reader’s Lives section. Get your cameras out, get snapped holding our mag, and email your photos to us at readers@myvalleysmagazine.co.uk to get featured. We’ll make you famous!
Tel: 0845 230 1937
This month’s edition is also packed with interesting articles from our resident boffin, Charles Sinclair and our resident professional bodybuilder (and former TV Gladiator), Aleks Georgijev to name but a few. So...kick back, relax (or even chillax if you prefer), and enjoy this month’s edition of MyValleys Magazine.
advertise@myvalleysmagazine.co.uk www.myvalleysmagazine.co.uk While every 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.
Travel Horoscopes Football Focus Dean Holdsworth Environment Dear Claire What’s On SEPT 2010
Ryder Cup
Past Issues
Hole-in-One Guide Inside
New Season
Predictions for the upcoming football season
How To Choose the right gym
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JULY 2010
Exclusive Interview
Ricky Tomlinson
On Wales, Football, and Life
Festival Guide Summer of Music Awaits
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. or for more info call us on 01633 262626 or visit us at Usk Way, Newport, NP20 2BX
As Cunning As A One-Eyed Rat The Editor
On a recent mission to my local supermarket, in my role as ‘Hunter-Gatherer’ for the Porter tribe, a strange sight greeted me at the end of the first aisle I came to. With my in-built bargain-detector fully operational, I was guided to an eye-catching and festive red cardboard box that had been cunningly positioned. Upon further inspection it was apparent that this magical box was to contain treasure in the form of luxury mince pies on a buy one, get one free temptation.
silk. This was a marketing stroke of genius and the advert did not require any text as the image said it all. The subconscious message contained the audacious admission that although they’ve got you hooked, it’s actually a nice, comfortable place to be. As cunning as a one-eyed rat. Is it just me, or have you walked into a supermarket to buy one item and end up with a trolley full? The big supermarkets have spent millions of pounds on extensive research into the behaviour of consumers and their shopping habits.
Although I am as partial to these little beauties as the next mince-pie-loving Homo Sapien, I made a conscious decision not to succumb to yet another clever marketing trick by the all powerful supermarket retailers. (I also thought that it’s far too early to start with the Christmas theme but that’s another story).
Tactics to get you to part with your cash include strategically positioning the in-store bakery or fresh fish and meat counter near to the entrance in order for you to get a delightful waft of fresh food to help you feel hungry during your trip around the store. Research has proven that if you feel hungry whilst food shopping, then you will buy more food - elementary my dear Watson!
Those of us who are old enough to remember those 1980 tobacco adverts for the swish looking ‘Silk Cut’ variety of cancer-sticks may well remember the classic advertising campaign. It featured a packet sat comfortably in the mouth of a Venus Flytrap, lined with sumptuous purple
Another little trick that is often used by these marketing wizards is to stock the more expensive items at eye level and on the right hand side of the aisle. It’s human nature to read from left to right, so our eyes naturally scan the shelves from left to right. The eye stops on the more
Ross Porter expensive items on the right, making shoppers more likely to purchase them. Our friendly retailers also locate commonly purchased items, such as milk and eggs, at the back of the store so that shoppers have to walk through the entire store to get to the items they came in for. Consumers tend to rely on the retailers to use tags and stickers to highlight sale items, but they also sneakily attach tags to non-sale items too that say things such as “everyday low price” to try and trick you into thinking you’re saving some more cash. The next time you are waiting in the check-out line, look out for the impulse items like batteries, chewing gum, chocolate bars, magazines and other frivolous products trying to milk your wallet even further. I am not saying to avoid these places, as I am as guilty as anyone for liking convenience, choice, and value however, by being aware of supermarketing ploys and developing a shopping strategy of your own, you can save time and money as well as avoid the urge to make impulse purchases. Happy shopping!
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Politics
Gordon: The Fat Engine The coalition Government has started cutting in earnest and (as I’ve previously stated) none of us will be isolated from the effects of these budget cuts in each part of our daily lives. It could impact the time spent sitting in A&E, to the condition of the roads you drive along to work, to the overfull wheelie bins lying stinking outside on your driveways. I saw some figures of interest this week relating to the actual gulf in pay that currently exists between the average private sector worker and those employed by the state to do the jobs mentioned above. On average those in state paid work receive £7,000 extra per year in pay and pension contributions than their private sector counterparts. Cumulatively it adds up to rather a lot. In Middlesborough the state employs 40 % of the workforce that’s a lot of 7000’s! Of course, unemployment costs the economy, but in the case of the public sector artificially boosting employment can also be expensive. New Labour saw China’s rise to dominate the manufacturing world and the subsequent effect that had on jobs in the UK. As a result, they needed to reduce unemployment by creating a lot of jobs in the state funded public sector. Typically across Britain the state employs workers in jobs ranging across all spectrums from social work to teaching, from local government to policing. These are crucial areas of our lives affecting each and every one of us daily. The problem was that
after the introduction of minimum wage, AND final salary linked pensions, AND statutory holiday pay, AND paternity pay, it costs rather more to employ all of these people than we actually raise in tax as a nation. What Labour did to plug this large gap between tax raised and wages paid was to borrow - a lot. Now we find ourselves with the largest budget deficit since the end of the second World War, along with massive national debts. It’s all well and good Bob Crow, the leader of the RMT union, standing up at his conference saying his members should fight pay freezes, pension cuts, and job losses. The harsh reality is that Gordon’s gravy train needs halting, pronto. There are in essence two choices. The public sector must be made to be more efficient and accountable for all the money it swallows, or taxes must be raised across the board to increase the money the treasury collects. Put yourself in the shoes of an average private sector boss running your own business. It’s not a great prospect hearing that your tax burden is going up to keep the swollen public sector pigs’ snouts immersed in the bottomless trough. I’m not for a second devaluing the hard work done by our police, nurses, or teachers. What I am stating though is that it’s high time that public sector budgets were exposed to the same levels of scrutiny faced by the private sector as they strive to survive. Private companies succeed by being competitive and resourceful and by constantly evolving as the economy of the country, and the world, evolves around them. I’m afraid that the public sector has never been scrutinised enough or held to
Charles Sinclair account for the borrowed money the previous administration dished out. Here are some examples of the glaring gap in what happens in the private and public sectors. In 2009, staff working for the NHS spent 50% more time off sick than their private sector counterparts. This cost the country £3 billion. Whilst Sharon Shoesmith is telling her tribunal in London how hard done by she is, it’s worth noting that across the board social workers took 12 days off sick last year through illness. The average across private sector staff is a mere 6.4 days. The average time off sick for the police was 10.2 days. No wonder there’s never one around when you need one. At the recent TUC conference a Chief Fire Officer from Merseyside brought the house down with his concise summary of the public sector. He stated that laziness was endemic throughout the public sector. In his area he slashed the number of fire-fighters under his charge from 1,500 to 850 without closing a single station or losing control of a single fire engine. Quite simply those that were not doing their job were sacked. We approach what looks like being another winter of discontent fuelled by striking workers refusing to acknowledge the crisis we are facing. My advice to them would be to start working smart and working properly and forget about non-stop deliveries from Gordon the fat engine. He’s gone from Downing Street and he’s burnt all the coal and sold all our Gold. Time to run more efficiently from now on or it’ll be an especially long, cold winter.
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Aston Martin DB5 The Aston Martin DB5 is possibly one of the most iconic cars of the twentieth century. Famous for it’s numerous appearances in the Bond films, making its debut in Goldfinger in 1964, it has been propelled into British automotive history. Launched in September 1964, it replaced the DB4 and has become synonymous with style and luxury, with recessed headlights, sloping body lines, a stylish roof, and slim tail lamps. These all pull together to give an overall streamlined look that has become definitive of its era. It came with reclining seats, pile carpets, electric windows, and a fire extinguisher as standard, with the added option of air conditioning.
Both longer and heavier than the DB4, the engineers loaded the DB5 with a larger 4.0L engine (compared to the 3.7L of the DB4), a five-speed transmission, and three SU carburettors producing 282bhp that could generate superb (for its day) low-down grunt. Reaching speeds of up to 141mph, the DB5 could do 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds. Lacking power steering, handling the car requires pure brawn and utter concentration, a little talent, and a lot of bravery. The brakes are impressive and require full commitment along with a good old fashioned shove. The suspension does nothing to help the car round corners and the seats offer no support whatsoever.
Despite its racing background, the DB5 was a Grand Tourer and wasn’t built for speed. For less money, you could get the revolutionary Jaguar E-type that could easily leave the DB5 in its wake, but that wasn’t the point of the DB5. It was meant for enjoyment, style, and comfort - not for super fast speeds. The simple, tasteful décor inspired the same feeling of well being you would expect from a London’s gentleman’s club, and that was the appeal. Design is ultimately more important than performance in the DB5, and this is why we can so easily forgive its shortcomings.
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Fitness
Do It Properly!
Fitness tips from former Mr Wales This month I thought we’d take a look at exercise performance. There are many pitfalls you may encounter in your quest for your ideal physique: they can be psychological, nutritional, financial or performance related. Where weight training is concerned the two most common mistakes made seem to be the lack of intensity and loose form.
piles the weight on the bar, or chooses a huge pair of dumbbells and proceeds to swing or bounce the weight up and down like a kid with ADHD. Often I approach these people and advise them that maybe they should consider reducing the weight.
Now tighten that routine up, push yourself into uncharted territory, do it in a controlled, deliberate manner, and witness the fruits of your labour
Your body is a very resilient machine and it thrives on equilibrium - to get it to change is a tough task. It has to be forced past the point where it is comfortable and made to alter. If your goal is to add muscle, then it is no good doing the same workout week after week hoping for the best. You have to structure an incremental routine where you regularly add weight or repetitions but never at the expense of exercise form.
Most of the time this suggestion is met with agreement, but occasionally it is met with a look of disdain, of sheer arrogance as if I’m jealous of their empty achievements.
This is one of my pet hates! You have all seen him, the guy in the gym who
Momentum is the enemy in the war for gains, it builds ego not muscle
Aleks Georgijev and robs athletes of valuable muscular stimulation. When a weight is bounced or swung, a large proportion of the active range of motion, the bit where you have to work hardest, is lost. If it is true size and strength you are after then you must be in control of the lift through its whole movement. A good rule of thumb is to take 4 seconds to raise the weight and 4 seconds to lower it, always ensuring not to cheat by shortening the motion. This means all the way down to parallel in the squat, and touching your chest in the bench press. Now tighten that routine up, push yourself into uncharted territory, do it in a controlled, deliberate manner, and witness the fruits of your labour. The other obvious advantage of this method is the avoidance of injury. Now that can’t be a bad thing either. See you next month and remember, every workout is one step closer to your goal.
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Egypt
Travel
Luxury in the middle-east? To acclimatise myself to the hot weather that faces me throughout my 5 month sabbatical, I thought I would start my trip with a 2 week holiday somewhere warm. “I would like to go somewhere 5 star, hot, plenty of nightlife, all inclusive, and costing around a grand” was the instruction I gave to my friendly local travel agent. “I know just the place”, he said, “Hilton Hotel in TABA Egypt. But you do know that its close to the Israel border.” Not knowing the history of the area I asked him to confirm that there was a number of other hotels close by, and didn’t think to ask if it was safe (you don’t normally have to ask that when booking a holiday). “Oh yes, loads” he replied. The flight was around 6hrs, and for the first 5hrs I hadn’t looked out of the window. Then, for the last hour when I had a peek, what I saw can only be described as unending desert! Amongst this desert was a tiny, tiny building - otherwise known as TABA International airport! I got off the plane and was hit by a heat not dissimilar to sticking your
head into a fan oven set at 60 degrees. Alas, the hot part of the deal was fulfilled.
David Niece
Onto a dodgy bus we boarded, and drove through the desert passing nothing, until we arrived at the Hilton TABA.
Once checked in, I paid about £10 for 1hr internet access and Google’d the hotel. Apparently it was bombed in 2004. How much worse can this get, I thought.
TABA, we were told, is a city. In reality, it is a tiny little place with a population of 300 people - all police and army. When we arrived at the hotel, the bus stopped and a dozen security guards started checking the under the bus. “What are they doing”, I asked. “Checking the vehicle for bombs” came the reply from the friendly tour operator! “When the bus has been checked, all your luggage including hand luggage will have to go through the scanner, and then you will have to go through a metal detector” he said, smiling. A few seconds later I had a text, it was from my father and stuck in capital letters: “I HAVE LOOKED ON GOOGLE EARTH AND YOUR HOTEL IS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE”. “NO SHIT”, I replied, in the same capitals. He then went on to reassure me that earlier that day, a number of missiles had landed 10kms from my hotel in
eilat Israel.
I endured the hotel for another 12 days, reading a number of excellent books, watching BBC news 24, and on the 13th day I decided to do some snorkelling. About 20kms away from the hotel on the boat, I saw in the distance the most beautiful looking village. “What’s that?” I asked one of the divers. “That’s TABA Heights”, he said, “a group of lovely 5 star hotels, lovely food, loads of entertainment; the place to stay”. My blood boiled as I remembered my friendly travel agent offering me a place in TABA Heights. I turned it down, it must have been so much more expensive I thought to myself. When I got home, I found a piece of paper, it said “Hilton TABA, £1070; TABA Heights, £1130”. I nearly died. For an extra £60 I would have had a dream holiday! You live, you learn, and you certainly get what you pay for!
Disability Can Do is an organisation which has been set up in Caerphilly to help adults who have a physical disability and/or a sensory impairment and their carers. There are lots of exciting things happening over the next two months. th
From the 6 September 2010 until 1st October 2010 we are joining onto the council’s mobile library service to answer your questions!
New website
Road show We are going on a road show and coming to a community building
NEAR YOU!
We have just launched our brand new user friendly website. There will be a live web chat where you are able to ask one of the team a question, which are concerning you and then they will be able to give their advice to you about that certain topic or question
25th - 30th October 2010 is our Awareness Roadshow across the Borough. Look below to see when we’ll be descending on your area. th
Monday 25 Oct 10-12 Cefn Forest Community Centre 2-4 Moriah Baptist Chapel, Risca th
Tuesday 26 Oct 10-12 Newbridge Tabernacle Church 2-4 Abertysswg Community Centre th
Wednesday 27 Oct 10-12 Cefn Hengoed Youth Centre 2-4 Maesycwmmer OAP Hall th
Drop in for a chat and pick up some freebies. Log onto the council website to see where and when we will be in your area or contact us.
02920 880774
Volunteering Most of our work is carried out by volunteers. If you have a few hours to spare every week and would like to help us then please get in touch.
info@disabilitycando.org.uk
Thursday 28 Oct 10-12 Senghenydd Community Centre 2-4 Caerphilly Visitor Centre th
Friday 29 Oct 10-12 Phillipstown Community House 2-4 Rhymney Community & Day Centre th
Saturday 30 10-3 Pierhead buildings, Ystrad Mynach
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The Community Foundation in Wales Y Sefydliad Cymunedol yng Nghymru
Horoscopes Aries This month will be a hectic juggling act of both your work and personal life. Whilst you may feel that the progress you are making in work isn’t reflective of the effort you’re putting in, all will be smoothed out by the middle of the month.
Taurus Romantically, this month will bring confusion and disputes, but your strong eagerness to bring peace and harmony will help ease the tension towards the end of the month. New relationships are on the horizon for some, whilst the chance to focus on an existing relationships for the rest of you.
Gemini
Leo
The coming month will be one of intriguing surprises throughout all aspects of your life and will help you out of the recent dead-end situations you have been in. New encounters will promote new opportunities that will motivate you and spark your passion.
Cancer
The focus of this month should be to make sure all your finances are in order. Help and support is at hand and though it will take you by surprise it will be prompt. Any romantic relationships will become less communicative and more passionate with deep and indescribable feelings.
Virgo
The month of October is all about new experiences and opportunities and you should spend your time investing your energy in to this. New cultural experiences are there for the taking and you have the opportunity to expand your horizons through travel, adventure and learning.
Your confidence takes a boost this month with the appearance of The New Moon. Make sure you communicate with others well, and are honest at all times and your reputation will take a leap in the right direction. For those of you looking for a new job, opportunities will arise this month that are there for the taking.
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Libra Any home, family or financial concerns that you have had will be cleared up this month. An annual cycle of spiritual renewal will occur until the 22nd of the month that will urge you to clear up projects and pathways in your life that you feel are no longer of any long term benefit to you.
Scorpio Making connections and networking will be effortless to you this month and will result in personal popularity. Throughout the month, your focus will be on setting personal goals, although your initial laid back attitude will make way for an increase in your motivation towards the end of the month.
Sagittarius
Aquarius
Your career is high on the list this month and it is time to show what you are capable of if you want to make the most of the opportunities presented to you. It is also a good time to learn new skills that will benefit you in the future.
Capricorn
Pisces
This month will be a good month for developing your studies and communication skills as your ambitions become clear in your mind. Good news or some other source of inspiration motivates you to broaden your horizons and explore new areas of interest.
Tiger LiLy
Your passion for life will be ignited this month which will encourage you to put more energy and focus into work projects and any other career related activities that present themselves. Support will be apparent and it is a good time to push for that promotion.
This month will be all about looking towards the future and you will have the urge to break free of the mundane and routine in order to find new challenges and opportunities. Changes in your career or social life are imminent and will inject a new lease of life that you crave.
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Wales...
Football Focus
Will we ever qualify for a major tournament? Wales are currently ranked 84th in the world, which in itself is pretty unacceptable, but it is also a major reason why we never qualify for a major tournament. A point system is used, with points being awarded based on the results of FIFA-recognised international matches. Under the existing system, rankings are based on a team’s
performance over the last four years, with more recent results and more significant matches being more heavily weighted to help reflect the current competitive state of a team. The significance of the ranking system as far as Wales are concerned becomes apparent when the draws are made for major tournaments. Wales are currently a “pot 4” team which means they are bound to be drawn against three stronger teams in every draw, and therefore always stand little chance of qualifying. The way recent results have gone there are fears that Wales could even slip further to a “pot 5” team. The good news is that Wales can climb the rankings and improve their chances...with a run of good results it is quite possible to once again reach the ranking achieved in 1993 when Wales were a “pot 2” ranked team as they reached the giddy heights of ranking 27th in the world. The 2012 European Championship campaign has started badly with a 1-0 reverse against Montenegro which saw the end of the John Toshack era. He resigned as manager, a role that has been awarded to
B B B
ROWN’S UTCHERS LACKWOOD
Paul Corkrey Bryan Flynn on a temporary basis for the next to vital games at home to Bulgaria, and away to Switzerland during the second week of October. These results will determine Flynn’s future and also the fortunes of the Welsh National team. England are in the same group as Wales and it is important that Wales are in a good position before the next two fixtures in the new year. So what does the future hold? We can hold our heads high with the progress of the under 21 team that Flynn guided during these last few years. Twice they have been top of their group before falling at the final hurdle. Aaron Ramsey, Joe Ledley, Jack Collison, and Gareth Bale are just a few of the rising stars of Welsh football that could see history being made through a future major tournament qualification. Will we ever see Wales qualify? Who knows - but if they can do it in the next tournament, Welsh fans can start saving for the trip of a lifetime...the 2014 World Cup finals are being held in Brazil! Join the FSF for free and make a difference www.fsf.org.uk
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Dean Holdsworth
We catch up with Newport County’s promotion winning manager From your football career to date and through your playing days, who was the hardest footballer that you have ever played with? I would probably say that the hardest, toughest and nastiest person who I came across was Martin Keown - he was a very, very good defender. The aggression and the will to win definitely made him a tough player to play against. Of course, there was also Razor Ruddock! Then there was the other side of football, the class players. For example, John Scales, who was my team mate, was probably the best defender I remember. To play against him every day made you raise your game. He was one of them players who you just had to be at the top of your game to beat in training, so it would make you a better player during the week. Obviously you were involved in Wimbledon and the Crazy Gang days, have you got any funny stories from that? Yeah, I suppose the fact that there were 20 odd guys who all lived their lives together and enjoyed it. It was almost like an 18 - 30 holiday and then going to football at the end of the week. Having said that, we worked extremely hard, we got ourselves in a very fit condition for football on Saturdays, and then we went out and enjoyed ourselves after. There were loads and loads of pranks all the time. We used to walk into the restaurant of the hotel and someone would ask the chef if he’d mind if we had a roll - he’d think it was bread and then everyone would just start rolling around on the floor. Just silly, stupid, kid things but, made team spirit really what it was. If you said your soup was smelly, you’d get someone to smell it then dunk their face in the soup - those
sort of things! You just learned by experience. If you got caught out you were in trouble.
and there’s a bit of banter and we just talk about the good old days and the funny things that we did.
You still in touch with any of the boys from those days?
With regards to the goals you scored, which would you say was the best goal you scored and why?
Yeah, we have a reunion when we can, sort of every six months we’ll get together in a restaurant in London. We all get together round a table,
My best goal, blimey! I used to practice coming in from the left and bending the ball in the top corner,
I thi to h plac we r foot
Up Close but it was scoring against Man United and Liverpool, those sort of great occasions that meant a lot. I just liked scoring goals. There were some scruffy ones, but my mindset was that I would be in the right place to be scoring goals, so it was always about poaching and being that little bit cleverer in front of people. With Newport gone up into the next level, what’s your prediction on how you will do in your first season in this new league? I think we are an unknown quantity in the league we’ve gone into. So far we’ve given a very, very good account of ourselves, but we’re still finding out about certain individual players and how big the difference is between the two divisions - let me tell you, it’s a really a big difference in
ink that we’re going have to go to a deeper ce of discontent before realise that British tball is suffering quality, so I’m pleased where we are. If we continue and can be around the top ten at Christmas, I’d be real chuffed. With regards to the boys on a matchday, how do you motivate them? Is it similar to the way you were motivated years ago? Yeah, we have the big ghetto blaster and some motivational music. What sort of music do you play? All sorts. We have Man In The Mirror. You know it might seem a bit mad but we love a bit of Michael Jackson! We also have Mr Brightside by The Killers, Alive and Kicking, Simple Minds - you know, those sorts of things. There’s motivational speeches, and for away games we watch the DVD of the goals. Lots of stuff like that which I have picked up over the
years. Motivation is not just communicating verbally, but visually as well, so as you see there are a lot of things around the place. My players are scoring goals and they’re happy players.
of players. I think that the small number of world class players we have are at the end of forty-odd or fifty games a season, and it’s tough to then go and compete on the international scene.
If you could select any player in the world to have at Newport County, who would it be?
So do you think professional footballers now are paid too much money, and do you think they lose their passion when the earn so much?
If it could be anyone, at this moment it would be Paul Scholes. I’d say he’s still playing at the top of his game, with the benefit of using his experience. Do you think that the influence of foreign players in the Premier League has been beneficial to football? Certainly not for the national teams, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. I’m English, and it’s definitely been detrimental to the progress of English players. They’ve taken their eye of the ball a few years back, and I think that the imported talent is now overtaking the fact that English youngsters coming through are struggling. With regards to the World Cup, if we can’t compete with the players we’ve got now, then I’m worried about the future. Would you say less Robbie Fowlers coming through these days? I think that we’re going to have to go to a deeper place of discontent before we realise that British football is suffering. I’m amazed at the struggle we’ve had due to the fatigue
The power of the England badge, for me, hasn’t carried the same weight as it did a few years back. I played for England once and I wasn’t thinking about anything else - it was all about playing and winning. It used to be enjoyable playing for your country, and it has got to be the best part of your life. It became painful this summer watching - we were actually scared to play. The player’s confidence was low and we needed some leaders out there. Sadly, no-one rose to the challenge. What advice would you give any young and up and coming footballers looking to get into the game professionally? Practice hard and practice well. Make sure what you’re doing is the right thing, so that you never have any regrets that you could’ve done a little bit more. There’s a lot of people out there that want to take your place it’s hard getting there, and it’s hard staying there - but you have to remain dedicated to yourself and continue believing in your own ability.
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Reporter In The Water
Environment
Help Protect Welsh Waters After a few editions highlighting some of the negative things going on in our seas (over-fishing, balloon releases, and marine litter), I thought it was about time to get back on a more positive footing.
from our hectic and seemingly non-stop lives on land.
Dave Jones
Welsh seas are not only home to internationally important species of birds, seals, and dolphins, but also an array of stunningly colourful animals not often seen unless donning a scuba tank and some rather thick neoprene.
levels and give our children a chance to enjoy them.
I consider myself to be incredibly lucky to have witnessed just a tiny amount of what the ocean can offer us. A Whale Shark season in the Thailand, a Humpback Whale season in the South Pacific, a trip helping to tag Great Whites. I’ve been within touching distance of a Blue Marlin catching fish, been what seemed too close to a Killer Whale while sitting on a surfboard in New Zealand, dived on the Rainbow Warrior, Great Barrier Reef, and kicked off a Giant Moray Eel that seemed intent on either biting or mating with me!
To help protect our seas the new Marine and Coastal Access Act will allow a network of areas in the sea to be protected. These Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) will offer better protection and help us manage the sea in a more sustainable way.
increases as the benefits of reserves spill out into the surrounding waters.
Having your rib cage vibrate and your regulator rattle around in your mouth while a Humpback sings to attract a mate is unforgettable, but equally memorable is what the seas off our coastline have to offer. The diving, surfing, fishing, kayaking, coasteering, and wildlife watching in Wales can be amazing, whilst just lying on the beach watching the waves can be a priceless get away
Wherever Marine Reserves have been set up around the world there is an increase in the amount and diversity of plants and animals within them. Fishing outside reserves also
To get involved in the process of creating MCZs and helping protect the creatures in Wales check out the Welsh Assembly Government’s site tinyurl.com/2agkl4y or log onto www.mcsuk.org.
After years of being exploited, the We may only have one chance to plants and animals that inhabit our influence how we protect our seas so seas need protection. Somewhere get involved! they can recover from damaging and disturbing human activities that has resulted in too much being Tel: 01443 812746 Mob: 07792 732581 removed from or dumped into the UPVC Doors & Windows sea.
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Dear Claire...
dearclaire@myvalleysmagazine.co.uk
Dear Claire, I haven’t had any children of my own. I wanted children from a young age but then when I reached 33 I decided that I didn’t really like kids having struggled to get on with my nephew and nieces. I am currently seeing someone who’s much older than me and she is desperate to have children. I want to make her so happy by giving her what she wants, but I’m worried about what I will be like around them, I really don’t know. I don’t want to lose her. Mark. Mark, your own children are very different from other people’s children. It’s impossible to put into words what it feels like. It changes your view of the world forever and gives your life a sense of purpose that words cannot describe. I can’t make the decision for
you though and I think you’re better off talking to your partner about this as opposed to writing in to me! Claire x Dear Claire, I have this problem where I find myself asking perilously under-qualified people for advice. What’s your advice? Yours desperately, Charles. Dear Charles, my advice to you is to source new suppliers of advice! Claire x Dear Claire, my boyfriend has recently lost his job and is finding it difficult to find another one. Money is slowly running out and he is worried but he keeps taking it out on me and whilst this is
upsetting at the best of times, I am 27 weeks pregnant and can’t cope. I’m being shouted at, insulted, blamed for everything and arguments are just awful. I don’t have to do very much wrong and the abuse starts. I love him very much but this is making me sad now. What can I do? Susan Susan, this is an awful situation to find yourself in. Losing a job / income is always a tough time for anyone to cope with, however, he should not be treating you like this. You need to sit down and try and work out a plan of how you can both help him to get back into work. You also need to tell him your feelings about the way he is treating you. Arguing will not solve anything. I really hope it works out for you. Good luck. Claire x
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Oh...What’s Occurring Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. Event times: Please contact venue. Tel: 01792 411570. This ten day festival has an abundance of musical and visual displays, from orchestral concerts to contemporary dance and community projects so there’s something for everyone. Taking place at five different city venues. OCT
OCT
08 17
Big Splash - Spectacular Fire Finale. Event times: 8pm 9pm. Tel: 01633 656679. Located at The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre, Big Splash is an amazing show for all ages. The grand finale is a theatrical display of fire, fireworks and fire breathing dragons. OCT
09
What’s On
Cardiff Half Marathon 2010. Event Times: 8.50am - finish. Tel: 0845 3084001. The Cardiff half marathon is fast gaining a reputation as an exciting challenge for the autumn, and it’s popularity is growing just as quickly. The route is perfectly planned to take you past beautiful scenery and historic buildings, and as it is flat and fast, it will allow you to push yourself to your limit. OCT
17
Halloween Fun Llanwrda. Event times: 11am - 5pm. Tel: 01558 650177. Come and join in with the spooky underground tours this halloween at the Dolaucothi Gold Mines. This creepy and eerie children’s trail is guaranteed entertainment for the kids. OCT
23
Craft Demonstrations. Event Times: 10.30am 5pm. Tel: 01291 689346. If you have ever thought about learning a new skill then Abbey Mill, Tinten is the place for you. Members of the Wye Valley Craft Association will be at the Angiddy Room at Abbey Mill, Tintern, demonstrating their skills in their chosen craft for all to see. OCT
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Hunt the Bat Tenby. Event times: 11am4.30pm. Tel: 01834 842279. Come and join us in Tudor Merchants House, Quay Hill, Tenby’s oldest house, for some spooky halloween fun. Find the bats hiding around the house and win a creepy prize. OCT
OCT
25 31
Live Music Now Newport. Event times: 7.30pm - late. Tel: 01633 656757. Celebrating 20 years of Live Music Now, created by Yehudi Menuhin aiming to bring music to disadvantaged members of the community. With performances from both former and current musicians of the LMN scheme, Mavron String Quartet, plus much more. OCT
29
(Please note: The dates and times of events could change at any time. Please contact the venue directly for confirmation.)
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Awesome Autumn! Llandeilo. Event times: 12pm - 4pm. Tel: 01558 824512. Awesome Autumn! is an event taking place this autumn half term that celebrates the new season with spellbinding fun for all the family. Booking not needed. OCT
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