BLOGGING ABOUT

THE COUNTY - The decision by the County board to stand shoulder to shoulder with fans on the poxy terraces of the Lewes Dripping Pan may seem likely a folsy gesture. But it is well meant. Can anyone imagine the directors of a rugby club doing the same? The nearest we got to it was on the poxy terraces of Eugene Cross Park when Tony Brown and Dai Watkins were barred from entering the ground. Inside the Ebbw PA was taking the michael out of the Black and Amber Army. Fortunately, the Port won the game 32-22 and the Ebbw fans had a tantrum around the all too painfully sympathetic BBC commentary box.

GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER'S GRAVE - Last week to my amazement I stood in front of my great great great grandfather's grave in Llanfihangel ar arth in Carmarthenshire. He died aged 90 in 1885. I showed my daughter. It is the only time I will see it probably. Unfortunately I did not have any flowers. I did not expect to see it.

PULL IT DOWN - Everywhere around the bus station and the precinct of shops are markings on the pavement. On Queensway hoardings are being erected. The demolition of this crime pit cannot come soon enough.

MOUTHWASH - "I use mouthwash, sometimes I floss, I have got a family and I drink cups of tea". Kate Nash's latest single. Brilliant, mundanity.

PERCEPTION OF CRIME - a caller to Radio Five Live said today, surveys show the person most likely to feel safe from crime is the most likely to experience it or suffer from it (the young male under 25) and the person who feels most at risk is least likely to experience crime or suffer from it (the middle aged to elderly woman).

FEERING STREET - Nestled underneath George Street Bridge. A one sided terrace of 1920's properties of Corporation Road, presumably the other side of the street was demolished when the Bridge was constructed in the early 1960's. The view of the underside of the Bridge is partly obscured by a copse of trees near the road running below the bridge connecting Feering Street to Corporation Road (aug 10 2007).

BALTICA / WESTGATE HOTEL - No doubt the correspondence will appear in the press shortly, so let's pre-empt it. The entrance to the Westgate has been a mosh pit for some time. Some of the windows along Stow Hill have been boarded up. The night club Baltica is no more and according to the Property Argus is available for lease. Perhaps historically Newport's most significant building could be sold on as a night club. Would it not be fitting to find some way of returning it to the City? (aug 10 2007)

FAVOURITE FLAVOURS - Coffee, fresh orange and chocolate. Bacon and tomato.

PHILBLUEBLACKS - Legend of Gwlad rugby messageboard. Inveterate Cardiffian with no time for pisspoor Celtic Rugby competitions. He finds plenty to take issue with from high pitched west Walians with their rose tinted views of regional rugby and valley herberts complaining of M4 corridor betrayal. Most of the threads are pointless and/or ill tempered, sometimes though they are entertaining. BlueBlacks has kept the faith, that Cardiff are a big club in the failing world of Celtic rugby and that their future is better served by linking up with our English cousins with whom Cardiff and Swansea shared a wonderful breakaway season. In providing this view he is a friend of all those of us who want to see Welsh clubs have control over their own destiny, play at the highest level and attract (aswell as develop) the best players. Many Newportonians share this pragmatic view of the rugby world that could only derive from our common outlook. Instead of appeasing the valley hordes we should restore the great club names of Welsh rugby back to true prominence and provide them with an environment in which they can flourish.

SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP - Poland win the title but only thanks to twelve points from a Norwegian, Rune Holta. He has switched allegiance on two occasions between Norway and Poland but is a Norwegian. He makes no idea to be Polish or claim Poland as his home. He does not even have a Polish grandparent, Shane! But the speedway authorities allow it. He had no idea when they were playing the Polish national anthem at the start of the meeting. But of course Norway are not even in top 20 speedway nations so Rune's only chance of glory lies in claiming he is Polish.

KATE NASH - The most downloaded song on the internet is 'Foundations' by Kate Nash. She is from Harrow in North London, it is sung in pure Norf Laandan, a simple tale of "Oh my god, you got sick on my trainers, i only bought them yesterday" sort of love. Glorious.

BAGS FOR LIFE - We now have at least a dozen bags for life bought at M&S. Each time we go shopping we buy a new one. Self defeating and not helpful to the environment. M&S also offer a free replacement if you tear or rip your old one. But do not have the self discipline to remember to carry the bag for life with me at all times.

TRAIN TO READING - I needed to book tickets to Reading for a business trip recently. The open return tickets for the trip were £84, if you selected specific trips there and back they were £70. A message on the screen said 'single tickets may be cheaper'. So I had a look. Yes they were - £58 - one at £24, the other at £34 but only on specific trains. Intrigued I had a look at single tickets between Newport and Swindon - they were £4 back and forth (£8 in all). Single tickets from Swindon to Reading on the same trains were £10 one way and £19 the other - end result for four tickets £37. I felt a sense of achievement at this but the system left me bewildered. Gone are the days when you can turn up and pay a reasonable fare for a long distance train journey. The internet allows for a sophisticated but highly complicated advance ticketing system. In my simple example on the same train from Newport to Reading you could travel with a return ticket for £70, two singles for £58 or four singles (as I did) for £37!   

SEASON TICKETS - Sid Weighell, former President of the National Union of Railwaymen is not remembered for much but he did have a brief period of prominence in the 1970's particularly in the era of pay restraint and clashes with the Government. A comment of his came to mind when news was released of a 10 per cent increase in Dragons season tickets. Weighell once said "10 per cent of nothing is b*gger all".

NEWPORT'S SECOND LANGUAGE - Without doubt, it's Polish at the moment, never mind Welsh. Let's hope we see a bit more in the way of Polish culture developing in the city. A Polish restaurant or cafe would be great (unless there is one already). I went in one once near Clapham Common Station - it was pretty meagre fayre but interesting , lots of potato based dishes including blinis, beetroot, sausages, dumplings.

NEW PLATFORM - It is great to have the new platform up and running at Newport station. Well done to all concerned. However, the signage states "way out to town centre" rather "city centre". Network Rail has obviously overlooked our city status.

ST. GABRIEL'S - The congregation disperse after Mass on Sunday morning. My daughter and I walk towards them. The first young man has an earring, wearing denim, now smoking a cigarette. East European, probably a young Pole. Followed by the jaunty stride of a middle aged Irish woman on her way back to the other side of Chepstow Road.

SPIDERMAN 3 - At Cineworld in Spytty on Sunday for the 11am showing. The cinema was packed, we had to sit in the third row at the front. We never sit there and we gazed up at the screen. The film has been panned by critics but the enthusiasm of the audience was undimmed. Toby McGuire and Kirsten Dunst, under seige in NY from a giant sandman and black slime. Great effects and, despite the critics, wonderful escapism. Isn't that what cinema is for?

PETER BEADLE - In Crook and Blight waiting for an appointment, met the County manager still shell shocked from Saturday. I thanked him for restoring pride in Newport's football. The place could be 'huge' for football, he said, he is hopeful that next season the County will be stronger than this year and up with the best in Conference South. He said he had many happy memories of this season. It was one game too far, after ten games in a month and the players were 'knackered' but he has every right to be proud. At the minute his value on the Newport stock exchange is roughly 10 Turners.

WELSH BEFORE ENGLISH? - The Welsh announcements come before the English. This is well, slightly annoying. Everyone can speak English, less than 20 per cent speak Welsh and barely a quarter of that in the Port. Shouldn't it be the other way around, English before Welsh. Recently Matthew Parris the journalist was travelling to the Hay Festival and changed trains at Newport to go onward to Hereford. He missed his train not understanding the announcement and had to wait half an hour for the next one. As he waited the only non-English language he heard was what sounded like Polish. 

SPIN - Spinning an apple in the kitchen as I make my daughter a fruit salad. Who is the greatest bowler of all time Shane Warne or Mutiah Muralitharan? Pass fruit to my daughter, end of query.  

DULL - A question from an inquisitive member of the public to a member of staff at Newport railway station (April 29). He was interested in the ongoing work at Platform 4 at the station "Is it for the new service from Ebbw Vale?" was the question. "I dunno" came the response "they keep changing their story". "They" is presumably a reference to Network Rail who are carrying out the work. No, the work is for London-bound high speed trains to increase the capacity elsewhere on the station for other stopping services. There was a story about it in the paper on Saturday.

MANDY LANGLEY - Who the hell is she? Another pisspoor Argus columnist with no personality whinging about how long it takes her to drive to work. Why not get a proper job then.

NIGEL OWENS IS A CHEAT? Surely not, but this West Walian with a high pitched voice gave some highly dubious decisions in favour of the Hairspays in their 'do or die fixture' with the Leinster second XV on April 27 including one that ultimately decided the match in  favour of the aforementioned conglomerate. The Magners League must be the only competition with biased officials running the line. No wonder it is useless.

WOMAN IN CONVERSATION ON A MOBILE PHONE (23/04) - "Guess who phoned me today?....Your wife..So you told her, then? That you want to be with me...Yeah, yeah I will phone you later."

EVERYDAY WORDS - Obviously, absolutely, no problem, at the end of the day, no worries, to be honest, the thing is, you know.

COUNTY SONGS - Been to the County twice recently. It's difficult as a Black and Amber-ite to get used to the unfamiliar surroundings but the games have been good and the atmosphere is special. Its great to hear the words "Newport" being uttered without the regional rugby thought police being required to attend. Its pleasing to note "C'mon the Port" transfer quite readily between Spytty and Rodney Parade. Then there are the chants and songs "Newwpoooort" is a chant shared by both teams but other than that the County terraces have a fantastic array of songs "Give us a C...C..give us an O etc" ending in chants of "County! County!", "Peter Beadle's Amber Army", "La la la, la la la, hey Newport County" (to the tune of Hey Jude!"), "Oh when the Port, oh when the Port, oh when the Port go steaming in, I wanna be in that number when the Port go steaming in", "County till I die, I'm County till I die, I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm County till I die". There are many others including anti-Cardiff and anti-English numbers. But those included the chants from the terraces reflect the identity of our City like no other - rough-hewn, dogged, not afraid of authority, determined, generous of spirit, fighters and ultimately winners (losing many a battle along the way).

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER - is a poet. By nature I am not a fan of old style country and western with its songs about ghost towns in the depression, crop failures and dying horses but there are some new country singers who use the music for very personal testimonies. Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin Carpenter - you listen to their voices and their songs. "He thinks he'll keep her", "Passionate Kisses", "You win again". Personal songs, beautifully written and delivered. About women mostly. "For years she's lived on her own, In a corner of the city, Twice a year she gets back home, Playing catch-up with the family, She tells her folks what they need to know
Her mother says she's much too thin, Her sisters ask about her beau, Her dad inquires, how's business been...She gave her heart away one time, and says that she hasn't seen it since, Love's a puzzle in her mind; the pieces match, but don't quite fit; hey...And these days run thick or thin, It never rains, or else it's pouring
All her single friends are men, She thinks married girls are so damn boring" (Middle Ground)

EASTERN VALLEY FOLK - I work in Pooler. Mention Newport to a local and cue all sorts of anti-Newport sentiments and misinformation. They will come to eat their words over the next few years. But as someone said to me the other day "Newport is getting worse, the other night one friend was stabbed and another was involved in a fight". As if all the perpretrators of the crimes were townies as opposed to the valley herberts who make this their playground on a Friday and Saturday night. We are own worst enemies as some Newportonians spend their time agreeing with the sentiments or slag the place off themselves. But what is there to do in Pontypool after dark, maybe have a few pints in the George and listen to a few out of tune karaoke demons, wrestle with a butch lady in the Greyhound, a game of doms in the Con Club and then head for the bright lights of our City of course.

43 - Sinusitis, blocked ears, too many hours on my clock at work and much unfinished business. Reasons to be cheerful part 3.

BRANDON FLOWERS - is a poet. The Killers are unique. "Somebody Told Me", "When We Were Young" , "Mr Brightside". Brightside is right up there with my all time favouries. Extraordinary. I think I know what its about.

ELECTION LITERATURE - we have never had so much election literature. Labour must be in trouble. I don't mind getting stuff off the Tories even if I object to being told that David Cameron leaves a smaller carbon imprint around than the rest of us. Lie. Or material off the English Democrats who are making the valid if silly point that Newport should be in England. No its shouldn't. I do object to receiving information from Plaid Cymru. They are a disgrace and have nothing to offer the people of Newport except endless Welsh Language Acts and the nationalisation of sheep. Perhaps one day they will say whether they are in favour of an independent Wales - after all that is why they were set up! Above all, I do not want anything from the Lib Dems. We have not forgotten Thorpe, Pantsdown, Oaten and Opik and his cheeky girl. Or the years of beards and sandals and CND. They have all lived their dream of a liberal Britain but the country does not want it. Liberalism, that is. They want to achieve everything but are not prepared to say how they will pay for it - all their pisspoor aims of a ganga-smoking democracy will mean that taxes will go through the proverbial roof.  

EARLY MORNING BUSES - are so quiet. No chavs, scallies or schoolkids with music coming out of every orifice. And the same people travel on the bus everyday.

LITTER - Every time Newport Wastesavers pick up our recycling they leave a small trail of plastic on the road behind them. This is picked up by the Council roadsweeper and is not recycled. 

RED ELASTIC BANDS - Every day the postman drops red elastic bands outside our door or on the drive. Everyday I pick up at least two bands he has left behind. Over the year this would make it in excess of 600 elastic bands. Are the red elastic bands standard issue and if so are two bands deposited outside each house in Newport for example (that's 600 x 50,000). Hmm! This is beginning to sound a tad obsessive.

HOW ABOUT THIS FOR A CHILDREN'S STORY? - Socks have characters and personalities of their own. They twiddle and converse with one another at the end of our legs. By day they are known variously as Terry Toe, George Supersock, Sockman, Bobbie Bluesock, Simon Sportsock etc. but by night when they are tucked away in sock drawers or laundry baskets they make the pilgramage or journey back home. They gather on the window sills and head for Sock world - another planet in our solar system. The following day they return as if nothing has happened. Some of them don't return they lose thread, get snagged by birds or planes and that's why sometimes we cannot find one or other of our socks.

DAVID SYLVIAN - is a poet and a shaman. He has written some of the most amazing songs of the last twenty years. "Ghosts", "Orpheus", "Brilliant Trees", "Forbidden Colours" and yet it is surprising how few people have heard his music. "When you come to me, I'll question myself again, Is this grip on life still my own, When every step I take, Leads me so far away, Every thought should bring me closer home."