This Guest Blog was requested by WeAreCardiff and appeared on their blog on August 27th 2010 Yes, I am still, frequently, asked the question by uncomprehending friends “why do you live in Cardiff?”. As a south Londoner (political history here), I migrated here via the very beautiful countryside of north Warwickshire. My work as a [...]
Archive for the ‘Wales and the Welsh’ Category
Why we live in Cardiff: guest blog
Posted: August 27, 2010 by peterdcox in Cardiff, Cardiff Council, Cricket (especially GCCC), Planning, Wales and the Welsh0
A personal view – looking forward to Cardiff 2020
Posted: July 30, 2010 by peterdcox in Cardiff, Cardiff Council, Planning, Victorian Society, Wales and the WelshThis is a longer version of the article published by MyCardiff He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery. Harold Wilson, Prime Minister for a total of seven years and 279 days The city is embarking – again, after an abortive start on Plan [...]
BBC to give Cardiff’s planning woes a very public airing
Posted: March 19, 2010 by peterdcox in Cardiff Council, Media, Planning, Wales Assembly Government, Wales and the WelshTags: Cardiff, Local Development Plan, Rodney Berman, Housing, BBC Wales
Ok, so planning’s not sexy. But it is important and I frequently bore on about it: lately the focus has been dodgy Cardiff Council planning decisions (again) and its Deposit Local Development Plan. The BBC has taken on a big task to make these subjects fit for human consumption with a 30 minutes long Week [...]
Cardiff’s Local Development Plan: dead in the water?
Posted: September 2, 2009 by peterdcox in Cardiff Council, Wales Assembly Government, Wales and the WelshTags: Cardiff, Cardiff Civic Society, Cardiff Council, CCS, Deposit LDP, LDP, Mark Newey, Planning, WAG, Wales Assembly Government
Cardiff is in the final stages of deciding the shape of the city for the next 15-20 years seeking approval of its “Deposit Local Development Plan”. The next stage in the process is supposed to be consideration of the LDP by a WAG appointed Inspector to judge its soundness. Into the arena steps WAG planner [...]
Victorian Society in Cardiff goes afloat
Posted: August 29, 2009 by peterdcox in Victorian Society, Wales and the WelshTags: Brecon Canal, Victorian Society
Like lots of such organisations, The Victorian Society in Cardiff is a bit hid under a bushel. There’s a very English centric website but nothing for Wales – so news of events depends on emails and circulars. This one is particularly interesting and they seem to welcome ‘outsiders’. A talk on Canals at Theatr Brycheiniog, [...]
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama plans – that’s more like it!
Posted: July 6, 2008 by peterdcox in Wales and the WelshThe heritage, listed Bute Parks are being subjected to pressures from all fronts: if it isn’t the big money lure of sporting events, it’s a local authority that thinks status and political short-termism is more important that what we leave for our children. One of the organisations that borders Bute Park itself is the RWCMD with a building of extreme ugliness albeit linking to a sensitive restoration of the stables that nestle into the edges of the Castle’s back door. Now – Shock Horror! – they want to cover what little space there is on the site with more buildings and even – Horror on Horrors! – ask the Council for a bit of the Park to cover in concrete!
Residents get the chance to meet Eisteddfod bosses
Posted: June 28, 2008 by peterdcox in Wales and the WelshIt’s all happening here in the first week in August, you know, Wales’ premier cultural event The Eisteddfod. Not that you’d know if you lived within 100 metres of the big tent and all that it brings because the Eisteddfod and Cardiff Council have been decidedly coy about meeting the locals – let alone engaging [...]
Just last week the – increasingly inane – Breaksfast Show on BBC 1 TV was headlining the story about older people being given free admission to swimming pools. At 6.41 am I emailed the show pointing out 1) the story only related to England and 2) Wales had been doing it for years: “I don’t [...]
Leaders in short supply for the public sector
Posted: July 1, 2002 by peterdcox in Wales and the WelshTags: Management
Here’s an article that both confirms my worst impressions and suggests that we have a lot of work to do: Good Money Thrown at Bad, Simon Caulkin, Observer 22 July 2002. We work a lot in the public sector especially in the arts and the fire services (strange pairing I know but it works for [...]
