Going up – sideways

Going up – sideways

I’ve often been asked about the plans for a space launch site in west Wales, using a “horizontal launch”, a term that most of us find hard to comprehend. After all, don’t rockets go “straight up”? Horizontal space launch refers to the concept of launching a spacecraft horizontally from an aircraft or a runway, as…

Putin needs a Plan B

Putin needs a Plan B

It’s been a while since I have written about the war in Ukraine because so little has changed strategically since the first few months of this conflict when three overarching facts pretty much drove everything – and still do. The first fact is that the war in Ukraine emerged entirely from Vladimir Putin’s head, and…

Ukraine – one Year on

Ukraine – one Year on

On Friday (24Feb), the world marked the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has been a devastating genocidal war aimed at destroying Ukrainian nationhood and culture. Over the past year, tens of thousands of Ukrainians, including countless innocent civilians, have died, while millions more have been displaced as refugees. Entire towns and cities…

Off Track Train Pricing

Off Track Train Pricing

Rail travel has been a staple of transportation for centuries, providing an efficient and eco-friendly way to travel long distances. However, in recent years, rail travel pricing has become increasingly complex and often futile, making it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions and frustrating many would-be travellers. One of the main issues with rail…

TikTok, Over and Out

TikTok, Over and Out

TikTok, is a popular social media app, and has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons recently. The app has been the subject of multiple investigations and controversies related to privacy and security concerns. As a result, many experts call for users to delete the app from their mobile phones to protect their personal…

The importance of digital inclusion for rural communities

Back in the 1990s I was running the business team at a company called CableTel South Wales, later to become NTL and now, Virgin Media. We were building the first fibre networks to deliver TV and Telephone services and of course this new “big thing” called “The Internet”. Even then we were concerned that this…

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Could more be done for Wales with the City Deal?

The City Deal is a Treasury driven stimulus for empowering local areas to drive growth by putting greater resources and financial freedoms into the hands of local leaders and it is gaining much attention in Wales. It has the potential to deliver an extra investment of circa £1billion and if used wisely might have a significant…

Whose Call is it Anyway?

Most days, around about 3.15 the phone rings. Sometimes it’s just quiet at the other end, other times it’s someone from a spurious call center business with a very official-sounding name like the “National Free Window Replacement Service”. Whoever it is, they never leave their number. If I dial 1471 to check on their calling…

Can Wales go all the way and win the Rugby World Cup?

Wales are one of rugby union’s greatest sides and will be quietly confident of their chances in this year’s Rugby World Cup. In their opening fixture, Warren Gatland’s men earned a convincing 54-9 victory over Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium but much tougher fixtures lie ahead. Wales will face England at Twickenham tomorrow while they…

It’s getting closer

With only around 4 hours to go until the RWC starts this evening in Twickenham, I must admit to getting really excited.I absolutely love this competition, the mix of brilliant skills, strength and speed along with the global spirit of camaraderie that exists in rugby, makes it a unique sporting event. This one though is…

Ken Owens’ future hangs in the balance

Welsh rugby union stars the Scarlets celebrated recently after a heart-stopping win over Italian rivals Treviso. The Pro12 in Llanelli on 20th September saw the Scarlets winning seven tries to nil, with Welsh internationals Gareth Davies and Liam Williams touching down twice. It was the first win for hosting team Scarlets since new coach Wayne…

Why Morning is Broken

“Well Good Morning Sir, and how are you today?” was pretty much the standard greeting from all the hotel staff during my stay in Boston and they said it in a way that made me think that they meant it. And how that contrasts with the perfunctory British greeting of “Morning”, well that is if  you…

Let the Lions Roar

With just over 12 hours to go before the 2013 British and Irish Lions squad is announced, there are probably some nervous players waiting to hear their fortune. For those living in hope but soon to be disappointed, there will always be the national tours. But they will never compare to being a Lion. To…

The Last Supper of 2012

The final family supper of 2012, to start: Baked Camembert with Apple and Chilli Chutney Followed by: Fillet steak with a Stilton sauce Sauté Potatoes Braised leeks Braised Beetroot and onions Mushrooms Wines to suit, making a fine end to 2012, I hope the world will be a much  happier and more peaceful place in the New Year of 2013….

Progress comes at a Price

Sometimes progress comes at a price. When the British armies of yesteryear replaced their Longbows with Crossbows their rate of fire fell from around 30 arrows a minute to one every minute. The range of course was improved, but the volume was significantly reduced. It was however seen as progress. Nowadays, the cost of progress…

What do I know about Rugby? Well: Congratulations are definitely in order

I had made 2 predictions for today’s rugby internationals: Wales to beat Australia by 5 points New Zealand to beat England by at least 30 points How wrong was that? How on earth could I have been so far away from the right results. After all, I do think I know a little about the…

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Broadband priorities, where we are going wrong

I live in Cardiff, so logically should welcome the recent announcements about making the city a leading performer in the broadband stakes. But in truth I don’t and the reason is simple: the Cable internet service I already have is really slick and I can’t but help feel that the public money being injected into…

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Nice one Blues

It was a good result tonight for the Blues against the Dragons, despite the fact that the overall quality and entertainment value of the match was low. Great too to see Jamie Roberts back in action, the half hour he played will aid the healing process just as much as all the physio has in…

Well done Warren

Warren Gatland’s appointment as the Coach to the 2013 British and Irish Lions was not unexpected and it is highly deserved. He is a thoroughly excellent coach, but also someone who can build and manage a team of coaches and staff to ensure success on the field. He now faces a great preparation period when…

3 S’s for Supper

You know the old story about the importance of 3 S’s when on holiday (sun, sand and sex) well I couldn’t quite expect them over my short break to Aberaeron last weekend (not much sun in October, no sand on the beaches and …. I can’t remember the other one!) but I managed to find…

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The Mad Mad road

This is Bridge Street, Lampeter, showing some road improvements. No doubt this costly work was done to improve the roads pavements and did not a lot to provide better management of parking. For some reason it appears necessary to plan wooden bollards on the pavement and also in the middle of a bespoke parking space….

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Why Teamwork is the most Beautiful Game in town.

There was real footballing beauty in the way that Barçelona beat Manchester United in the Champions League Final last night. But of greater value in my eyes were what Barça stand for, their ethos, values and their beliefs. Because that is what makes them such a powerful team. Some observations: They are owned by their…

3 reasons to not accept the proposals on Paternity leave

The Coalition Government’s proposals for increases to maternity and paternity leave should be resisted. Whilst they are honourable in principle and maybe useful in terms of bonding and developmetn, they are not acceptable for the following reasons: It is immoral to place a cost burden on business owners. This extra leave from work is not…

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It’s Over. I’ve got my money back, but at what cost?

I’ve recently posted 2posts about a bit of a run-in I’ve been having with Ladbrokes. They wanted to charge me for not using the credit I had deposited on my account, so after a bit of effort I’m now delighted to report that the money is now back in my possession. When I called them tonight it…

If you’re planning great Customer Service you better read this.

Here’s an entertaining email I received from an online betting company this week: (as usual I won’t name them and have tried to hide their name where possible). My thoughts are in Red, my comment is at the end. Important Account Information This has been sent to all customers as it contains important account information….

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The Sadness of S4C

It has to be sad when any organisation suffers an upheaval that results in the loss of its Chief Executive,  but recent months and years at S4C have not shown real success so change was probably inevitable. Sure: the digital age has increased competition, but the Authority seem to be ignoring the fact there are…

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Ryan Jones is back

The Welsh team performance was not great last night against Samoa, but the Welsh Captain, Ryan Jones, certainly put in a man of the match performance that was really pleasing. In September I wrote that Wales needed him and suggested that he should stick to playing No 8. Since then – was he listening I…

Duvet Day Flu Pandemic

In an attempt to break the monopoly held by pigs, I’m proposing that the current Swine Flu Pandemic be countered with a new epidemic, which could mature into a Pandemic, if we get the right values behind the programme Image via Wikipedia. Duvet Day Flu will hit individuals in different ways, but some triggers might…

ID Card Madness

Image by Danny McL via Flickr The cost of an identity card has been forecast at £60 and was  launched today with an introductory offer of £30 off (or is that BOGOF for couples?). Famous for its law-abiding citizens, Manchester will be the test bed for this week’s laughable Government policy. How long it will last…

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If Givers Gain then Mohd Rafie is about to gain “big time”

I’ve spent months developing the Junction 31 website, some of it taking me into uncharted territory, but generally supported by the thousands of developers working on open-source applications. But there was one thing that I could not fix: my “Alan’s Views” blog layout. Whatever I did, it always seemed to align itself off the page…

Did you see her?

On Britain’s got Talent…. did you see her? You know: the one the crowd took an instant dislike to and the judges had rejected almost as soon as she walked on the stage. OK, she wasn’t the greatest `Looker`, her dress was pretty frumpy and she was probably pigeonholed by most people there as a…

NOCCI, not Gnocchi

I like my food, so when I heard there was a meeting of NOCCI I was keen to go, thinking intially that it was an evening of Italian food.  How wrong could I be.  NOCCI in Aberystwtyth last night, was a meeting of about 25 people involved in the creative and cultural industries in mid…

G20 & Networking

They’ve got it right: in times of crisis it’s good to talk and in times of real crisis face to face talking is the only way to get things resolved.  But let’s face it: how well networked are these G20 guys and gals? How often do they talk? Do they swap notes or build bonds…

What a Great Question!

I’ve had 2 really standout, one to one networking meetings this week with individuals who really want to work on a different plane. They reinforced my views that networking is the best way of growing a business. For clarity: I run an online business network called Junction 31 and have positioned that network to complement…

Y Ffon Cymraeg

I’m delighted to be helping CSG Telecom launch their new telephone system with Welsh language support. It’s happening on Monday at the WMC in Cardiff. Why would they do that? As legislation in regards to the use of the Welsh language is under way, this is a great piece of timing by CSG what are…

Nice bit of marketing

The Welsh rugby team were beaten well last night, but there was a great piece of marketing by their main sponsors, Brains and Co, brewers in Cardiff which has to go down as a victory. For those not aware of advertising regulation in France: it is unacceptable for a sport to be supported by booze….

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Martyn Williams

Not only is Martyn Williams a great flanker, possibly the best No 7 in the world at the moment, but he is also a really nice guy. I had the pleasure to meet him recently at a small reception in Cardiff and was really impressed with his sense of fun as much as his brilliant…

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London Welsh Club

Sad news from London today that the London Welsh Club in Gray’s Inn Road is in deep trouble financially and may not last. I’ve got such happy memories of the club, from a little lad who used to go there for Urdd all the way to heavy and late nights “socialising” in my twenties. Changes…

Only in Britain

Stephen Fry tells a great tale about the difference between English and American by using the phrase “Only in America”. There it implies inspirational activity and comes with a fair polish of pride. On the other hand “only in Britain” seems to me to have a pretty negative meaning. You can almost hear the body…