The Trafalgar Cemetery, Gibraltar

Last week Julie and I were in Gibraltar. We walked right to the end of Main Street and stumbled across the Trafalgar cemetery. A quiet little piece of Britain in a bustling, loud modern urbanisation.

It may be over 200 years ago, but I still find the stories of each and every one of these heroes from our history, deeply moving. I shudder at young Mr Forster suffering with his injuries for two months before succumbing to them. His ship HMS Colussus, was third in Admiral Collingwood's line. It suffered more casualties than any other British ship of the line at Trafalgar. 46 killed and 160 wounded which includes Mr Forster. At just 20 years of age, that young man must have witnessed unimaginable horrors before spending two months in agony prior to his death. It may have seemed 'glorious' to those who survived, but for the victims?

Mr Norman's ship, HMS Mars was next in line to HMS Colussus. She lost 29 men and had 69 wounded. In total we lost 449 men killed and 1241 wounded, the French and Spanish fleets lost 4408 men killed and 2545 wounded.

The ultimate outcome of the victory was to secure the supremacy of the Royal Navy on the high seas for the next hundred years, and the end to any threat of invasion from France. It lead Napoleon to his Continental strategy, and possibly to his disastrous campaign against the Russians in 1812.

I believe we still owe them as high a debt of gratitude as our modern day heroes in Afghanistan. Time should not diminish their memory. So the next time you're in Trafalgar Square and you look up at Nelson, spare a quick thought for the fellows who didn't get to come back. Better still, if you're on the Costa del Sol, take a trip to Gibraltar and put some money in the collection box so their graves are kept in the manner that they deserve.


nick

Crossroads AGM

It was our AGM for Crossroads North Wales this morning. We had an excellent guest speaker in Dr Kevin Doughty of the University of York who enlightened us all about 'The Potential of Technologies to Support Carers'. It really was fascinating stuff.

I was also delighted to learn that the efforts of both staff and my fellow trustees ensured we provided 43,630 hours of care to 565 carers across North Wales last year. I shall never cease to be immensely proud of our staff who provide such a needed service.


nick

No excuse for this shoddy performance

If you work for a single organisation throughout your career and if you appreciate that as a result of that association, your mortgage got paid, your family got fed and in particular, that organisation took care of you when you weren’t well, then it’s not surprising that you care about it long after you go your separate ways.

That’s been the case for me, particularly as I receive my pension every month and I still have friends within the North Wales Police. I know that the vast majority of officers perform their role in a manner way in excess of what is expected. It isn’t pleasant therefore, to stand by and watch the image of that organisation often get tarnished by those who should know better. The antics of the former Chief Constable received enough publicity, as did officers thrashing their pet dogs on television. It all leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, but this deplorable story is just about as low as it gets.

I sincerely wish Mark Polin, the newly appointed Chief Constable, the very best of luck in his efforts. The citizens of North Wales deserve better.


nick

Montgomeryshire PPC launch

My thanks go to Assembly Members Joyce Watson & Alun Davies and County Councillors Sandra Davies & Neil Rogers, leaders of the Labour groups on Powys and Wrexham County Councils respectively, for attending my launch as Labour’s PPC for Montgomeryshire on Friday evening. Also to Chris Lloyd, PPC for Brecon & Radnorshire and the many CLP members who made the effort to come along to Plas Dolerw in Newtown and ensured we had a lively and interesting debate throughout the evening.


nick

Montgomeryshire PPC

It's my launch as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Montgomeryshire this evening. It marks the start of a busy weekend as we then have our own selection process to complete here in Clwyd South. I am sure my pre-event nerves are nothing compared to those of our short-listed candidates as they prepare for the final process. I wish them all well.


nick

Stick to the cricket please, TMS

While England are collapsing in a not too unfamiliar fashion in today’s one day international, I have been getting more and more concerned with matters going on in the Test Match Special commentary box lately. Last Sunday I was shocked to hear Tufnell liken Brett Lee to “a Panzer commander in a leather coat”. That must be because he’s got blond hair, so not much of a stereotyping there then Tuffers.

This afternoon whilst taking some junk to our local skip site, I heard Jonathan Agnew describing the head of the ECB’s stewards as having a “Germanic touch about her”. Strange comments indeed and as they say, not really cricket old chap.


nick

Assn Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham

I am delighted to have been appointed as Company Secretary for AVOW at our post AGM Executive meeting today. If I can measure up to just a fraction of my predecessor Marjorie Dykins who has been with AVOW since its inception, then I will be a happy fella.


nick

Here is the news and it's a self important pipsqueak reading it!

Terry Wogan has hit the nail squarely on its head with his observations on our current batch of newsreaders.

It never ceases to amaze me that Sky in particular, are under the deluded belief that what they think is a major news story will be given gravitas by whisking Kay Burley and Jeremy Thompson across the globe to present their coverage. Perhaps some, while sneeringly telling us about this MP who claimed expenses for a packet of biscuits, would like to consider telling us the size of their own over-inflated pay packets. These self appointed inquistadors consider their role to belittle their prey on live television, then later shock horror, reveal that public perception of politicians is at an all time low. D'ya think!!

I’m from the age of Gordon Honeycombe, Kenneth Kendall and Robert Dougall amongst others. We may have had to wait three hours between their bulletins, but I’ll wager they’d simply refuse to first name call the weather presenter in a manner most of us employ to enquire ‘What you having to drink mate?’ in our local. On tv it simply sounds smug, 'look at me, I'm all chummy with the weathergirl and our reporters'. And can I really be alone in thinking that when ITV's two newsreaders stand before the cameras like a pair of C&A window dummies, it somehow takes something away from their credibility for the following news broadcast?

Ah well, while it may be a sign of my metamorphosing into a grumpy old man, I'd still love to know what Reginald Bosanquet make of it all as he gazes down from the great news desk in the sky!

and finally, a windsurfing dog in California…………………


nick