Random Stuff!!

[Jerry]

Maybe it's time for the @Cardiff_Airport to Llandrindod Wells route to return!

When Llandrindod Wells had more flights than Cardiff

In the 1930s, people could catch a passenger flight to London, Cardiff, Birmingham and beyond.

t.co

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I think Loganair said that they would be unable to make the routes profitable even if Covid-19 hadn't taken place, partly because of the influence of the larger airlines at BRS, and Easyjet's announcement of increased frequency on the routes.

Which made no sense because they had already committed to operating CWL-GLA and CWL-EDI and only axed them when COVID-19 impacted severely across the UK aviation sector as a whole. If Loganair was really concerned about these routes' profitability why did they announce them in the first place?

easyJet were already operating up to 5 x daily to EDI and up to 4 x daily to GLA from BRS and had been for quite a while. A couple of months or so ago they increased EDI to 6 x daily on some days and GLA to 5 x daily on some days (from September), although with the COVID effects both routes are only operating a single daily at the moment with relatively light loads at that.

I suspect that these routes will not recover greatly this year - the BRS CEO says he expects overall airport passenger numbers to be below three millon in 2020, down from the near nine million of last year, and next year is only projected to be between 6.5 million and seven million, so it's unlikely that those extra easyJet EDI and GLA flights will be needed.

If that situation is replicated around most UK airports demand is going to be significantly down generally and Loganair, and other airlines, might well find a number of their routes struggling for a viable number of passengers though the coming winter and possibly into next summer.

 

[geoff]

What is strange about the Loganair decision, is that their aircraft on the route could only carry two thirds of a Dash8, even when fully loaded, the routes were never really given a chance to mature.

 

[Jerry]

What is strange about the Loganair decision, is that their aircraft on the route could only carry two thirds of a Dash8, even when fully loaded, the routes were never really given a chance to mature.

Personally I can understand for the summer but I'd have hoped that they'd have put flight's on sale for winter and then reviewed sales.
I think we'll just have to except that they don't want to fly to Cardiff and just hope that the airport can tempt Eastern to expand and base in time for summer 2021. And who knows maybe Loganair will have a change of heart!

 

[geoff]

I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, if they do not succeed on some of their new routes they may realise they missed an opportunity at CWL.

 

[Jerry]

A lot is going to depend on how quickly business travel picks up again and that could take a while.

 

[Jerry]

The Daily Telegraph has suggested that Wales are set to play a number of matches, including their re-fixed Six Nations game against Scotland, in London, three at Twickenham and one at West Ham’s London Stadium.

Georgia and Fiji in line to join Six Nations sides in eight-team tournament

Each country would be guaranteed three Tests with a final on December 5th

www.irishtimes.com

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The Daily Telegraph has suggested that Wales are set to play a number of matches, including their re-fixed Six Nations game against Scotland, in London, three at Twickenham and one at West Ham’s London Stadium.

Georgia and Fiji in line to join Six Nations sides in eight-team tournament

Each country would be guaranteed three Tests with a final on December 5th

www.irishtimes.com

So the proposal seems to be:

Finish 'last season's' Six Nations in the early autumn, then have what is really a sort of augmented Six Nations ending in December, and then the 'real' Six Nations in early 2021? Or will the 2021 Six Nations be abandoned?

 

[Jerry]

So the proposal seems to be:

Finish 'last season's' Six Nations in the early autumn, then have what is really a sort of augmented Six Nations ending in December, and then the 'real' Six Nations in early 2021? Or will the 2021 Six Nations be abandoned?

I can't see the six nations being abandoned. They need the money too much.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Plaid Cymru Senedd election 2021: Plaid looks at tax options as poverty targeted https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-53390301

Mr Price getting set up for an independent wales perhaps?

 

[Jerry]

Plaid Cymru Senedd election 2021: Plaid looks at tax options as poverty targeted https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-53390301

Mr Price getting set up for an independent wales perhaps?

That is Plaid Cymru goal yes. An independent Wales and preferably eventually back in the EU.
There was a debate about it in the Senedd last night it was predictedable with the unionists repeating a lot of too poor too small stuff and the motion for powers to hold a referendum if Wales wanted to being rejected. But it is interesting that Wales must have the only Parliament in the world that belittles it's country so happily and ferociously! Lol
It can be rewatched here if anyone wants to.

Home

The Senedd is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.

www.senedd.tv

In other news the M4 committee is suggesting a congestion charge to encourage people to use public transport but does acknowledge that public transport needs to be better!

Congestion charging necessary to solve problems on the M4

The commission was set up after the Welsh Government decided not to build the £1.4bn new M4 around Newport, known as the relief road

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[aviatorconcorde]

That is Plaid Cymru goal yes. An independent Wales and preferably eventually back in the EU.
There was a debate about it in the Senedd last night it was predictedable with the unionists repeating a lot of too poor too small stuff and the motion for powers to hold a referendum if Wales wanted to being rejected. But it is interesting that Wales must have the only Parliament in the world that belittles it's country so happily and ferociously! Lol
It can be rewatched here if anyone wants to.

Home

The Senedd is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.

www.senedd.tv

In other news the M4 committee is suggesting a congestion charge to encourage people to use public transport but does acknowledge that public transport needs to be better!

Congestion charging necessary to solve problems on the M4

The commission was set up after the Welsh Government decided not to build the £1.4bn new M4 around Newport, known as the relief road

www.walesonline.co.uk

I personally see an Independent wales as a high tax nation, with driving every high tax payer earner over the bridge to jobs in England. If it was to happen, I’d probably move to England too and I’m a proud Welshman who’s lived in Wales all my life. It cannot be a Socialist state where the government pays for everything, it simply won’t work. Another option would be to become a Tax haven but the EU won’t allow that.

Independence isn’t impossible for Wales, no country is too small, but if we can make a success and enjoy the same quality of life as we have now is another matter. Otherwise, we’ll end up like a country like Albania. We need vast improvements in transport infrastructure and a massive shift away from a public sector reliant workforce If it is to work. That includes building the M4 relief road, building a North to South Wales high speed line and electrifying all our current lines.

But, the same arguments for leaving the EU also apply to Wales leaving the UK. I think most Welsh nationalists are simply just anti English and will stop at nothing to get Independence. Much like many people who voted Brexit hated immigrants, the same argument applies!

 

[Jerry]

I personally see an Independent wales as a high tax nation, with driving every high tax payer earner over the bridge to jobs in England. If it was to happen,

Obviously tax policy depends on the government in charge but I don't see Wales necessarily being a high tax state. I could see some sort of sliding scale like Scotland maybe or possibly a higher flat rate for all like Denmark or Estonia or Iceland have. My personal opinion is that I don't mind paying extra if it provides good public services and a comfortable retirement.
As for people leaving then that would be there choice and obviously what rights they have in England would be up to the English government but personally I'd like to see something like the Common Travel Area with Ireland put in place.

We need vast improvements in transport infrastructure and a massive shift away from a public sector reliant workforce If it is to work. That includes building the M4 relief road, building a North to South Wales high speed line and electrifying all our current lines.

Well that's one of the arguments for why we need to be independent so we can invest in the infrastructure and have the ability to do it ourselves because Westminster doesn't seem to be interested in developing Wales as a country because in reality it doesn't see Wales as a country.

But, the same arguments for leaving the EU also apply to Wales leaving the UK. I think most Welsh nationalists are simply just anti English and will stop at nothing to get Independence. Much like many people who voted Brexit hated immigrants, the same argument applies!

Although on paper the arguments look similar the context is wholly different.
For a start you have to look at the 2 unions. The EU is a collective of sovereign nations who have chosen to pool their sovereignty together for their common good. The UK isn't that especially Wales 'union' with England, it wasn't by choice, Wales was conquered, occupied, colonised, annexed and assimilated. We can argue about the reasons for Brexit till the cows come home but Welsh independence is wanting Wales to be a sovereign nation state, to join the international community with a seat at the United Nations and maybe rejoin the EU and be a member in it's own right. It's about being a normal country. Independence is normal.
As for anti Englishness I've no doubt there pro indy supporter's who are and I've no doubt that there are unionists who are anti Welsh but the bulk of pro indy supporter's are anti Westminster because we feel that it's holding Wales back.
I can only speak for myself but I want an independent Wales that is open to the world and has a cooperative relationship through trade, freedom of movement and defence cooperation with England and Ireland and Scotland and the EU and the rest of the world and a Wales where the decisions and powers to make our daily lives better are made in Cardiff and other parts of Wales.
As a country we need to have confidence in our ability as a people to manage our own affairs and not have someone else do it.
Plus I do think a passport with a big dragon on it would look pretty cool!

 

[Jerry]

Well it appears that the Cambrian bar and restaurant above the flying club on the south side has closed down.
View attachment 16983

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Well it appears that the Cambrian bar and restaurant above the flying club on the south side has closed down.
View attachment 16983

how strange! Haven’t been for years but thought it was always popular.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

*Update*
Firstly, Nigel at the Cambrian would like to thank each and every customer that has been to the club this last 13 years, your loyalty has allowed it become what it is today.
We have recently had to announce the closure of the club as you know it.
The Coronavirus has affected the Cambrian, as it has most small businesses and we have naturally had to close temporarily. We have spent the time keeping busy with refurbishing and trying to accommodate a reopen in the normal sense.
With abiding to necessary government guidelines, we have realised we will not be able to safely reopen for meals and to accommodate the amount of customers that we are used to.
We can not ensure the safety of customer or staff so have made the difficult decision to streamline the business and return to its original use as a private club. We have made provisions for a small amount of memberships to our most regular bar customers to ensure we can maintain safe numbers of customers at one point.
We are very sad to announce that our restaurant is closed and that meals will cease until further notice.
We hope that in future we will be able to reopen the kitchen, open the doors and resume normality, as many businesses do.
We will continually re-assess the membership numbers as we go on so we can ensure the numbers of people are safe and manageable.
We will be phasing in our re-opening early August and we will be starting a new Facebook, which we will post to the local community site. Please keep an eye out as we will post regularly about membership openings on the page.

Again, we would like to thank you all for your continuing support and kind comments about your experiences at the club, and it really is with a heavy heart we have had to make these changes. We wish you all well and stay safe.

 

[Jerry]

Well at least it's not closing completely.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Mark Drakesford announced if he’s re elected he’ll be cutting his second term short.
I think whoever the next First Minister is, they’ll likely be more pro business, which should be useful for the airport.

 

[Jerry]

Mark Drakesford announced if he’s re elected he’ll be cutting his second term short.
I think whoever the next First Minister is, they’ll likely be more pro business, which should be useful for the airport.

Vaughan Gethin I believe is considered to be the most likeliest to replace him but whether it's as FM will depend on the election. Personally I'd like to see Adam Price as FM but I can only see that happening if there's a coalition.
As for a pro business FM personally I'd like to see one who encourages Welsh businesses to grow and invest in them.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Vaughan Gethin I believe is considered to be the most likeliest to replace him but whether it's as FM will depend on the election. Personally I'd like to see Adam Price as FM but I can only see that happening if there's a coalition.
As for a pro business FM personally I'd like to see one who encourages Welsh businesses to grow and invest in them.

vaughan being a lot younger, may bring some more energy and drive to the job. despite my dislike for Labour, I wouldn’t be against giving him a shot as FM.