Welsh Country - Issue88 - May - Jun 19

Music
Coming Home To You
Michael Ball
After two joint albums with Alfie
Boe it’s taken Michael Ball four
years to record this solo album. But
it’s been worth the wait, because
for the first time he presents a
handful of self-penned tracks,
including title track ‘Home To You’, which is already a classic
with its easy-rolling, country-tinged rhythm. You’ll also enjoy
the classics from the 1960s to the present day.
Changeable Heart
Ruth Notman & Sam Kelly
This pair have joined forces to
record a dynamic duo album that
will get the folk scene very excited
this year. Kelly scooped the 2016
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ‘Horizon’
title for best emerging talent. Ruth
plays piano and accordion whilst Kelly plays guitar, tenor
guitar and electric tenor guitar. This pair are very much the
dream team.
Piano
Sir Karl Jenkins
The most performed living
composer is celebrating his 75th
birthday and this album has Karl
for the first time at the keyboard
performing original piano versions
of his best-loved works as well as
two new compositions. His amazing career spans the worlds
of classical, jazz, TV and film music but this album is enjoyable
as it is back to his origins of where it all started.
Dreams About Falling
Jamie Freeman
Jamie Freeman is a respected guy
within the Americana music scene
since he released his debut record
in 2011. This album is out on 17th
May and is remarkably honest as
he tackles subjects of parental
expectations, childhood potential and the fear of falling short
of those inspirations. This is an album well worth listening too.
Save His Calm
Mike Vass
He was named Composer of the Year
at the 2012 Scots Trad Music Awards,
and this release is his first album of
self-penned songs. Two years to
complete but an important project
for him as it’s drawn from key events
from his life over the last few years. He’s a fine fiddler and multiinstrumentalist
and also nominated for Instrumentalist of the
Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2018.
Grumpy
Old Geezer
Where Would Councils
Be Without Car
Parking Cash?
grumpy old geezer
It’s not the first time
I’ve had a rant about car
parking charges and it’s
certainly a topic that gets
my Beloved Editor (BE) blowing a gasket. But I shall be
brave and blame her for raising my blood pressure again
on this ongoing subject of car parking charges. My BE sent
me some figures she’d asked for from Ceredigion County
Council and it is only fair of me to share them with you.
In 2017/18 Ceredigion County Council's car park income
was £874,996.23, ex VAT and for 2018/19 with 3 weeks
still to run, that income stands at £898,747.03 ex VAT.
Only £327,794.69 of that was spent on maintenance of car
parks, the remainder went into the overall Council budget
pot. Of course you’ll all know that Ceredigion isn’t alone
in their quest for car park cash as all 22 Welsh Councils
are on the same band wagon treating their car parks as a
very generous cash–cow. Luckily my BE had kept figures
she’d requested for car parking charges in 2013/14 which
totalled £287,000 but now these figures have topped
over £900k. That’s some increase isn’t it? Of course
the whacking £600k hike can be explained by Councils
deciding to milk the cash cow further by increasing car
parking fees. Add to that the fact that many bus services in
Ceredigion are declining when in rural Wales a car is vital
for people to get to work, go shopping, ferry children and
care for elderly parents etc.
When tackled on car park charges, Councils always say
the Government has cut our budget, we’ve to save money
where we can. Well I’ve a suggestion for them, if that’s the
case, why not abolish free car parking for council office
workers and make them pay an hourly or daily fee just like
most of us that go to work have to do. Why should council
workers be allowed to park at their place of work for
free? Cardigan shop owners have been fighting a fruitless
battle to get the Council to agree to a couple of hour’s
free parking for shoppers and they’d also like the perk of
free parking as the council workers do. I still maintain that
council workers should have their free parking taken as
a Benefits in Kind by Mr Tax Man, but as yet that’s not
happened.
I am perturbed how Councils across Wales cannot see
how car parking charges relate hugely to the slow tortuous
death of our High Streets. Encouraging people and
our visitors to shop locally is how our High Streets can
blossom again. This situation is too important for Councils
to ignore, but I’m sure they’ll not listen.
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