Lib Dem By-Election WIN!

Yes, you read that right.

The Liberal Democrats in Ceredigion today won a by-election in Aberystwyth. It will not have been highlighted on the major election blogs because it was not a unitary vacancy on the County Council. But a victory in the Rheidol Ward by-election for Aberystwyth Town Council is nevertheless a welcome thing.

The by-election was called when former Liberal Democrat Town Councillor Martin Shewring resigned from the party and from the Town Council recently but decided to stand in the ensuing by-election as an Independent.

Tonight, he lost as the Liberal Democrat candidate Wendy Morris-Twiddy, the daughter of former Aberystwyth Mayor Mona Morris, won the seat back for the Liberal Democrats.

The final vote:

Timothy Foster (Green Party) - 36
Samantha Jane Mackenzie-Grieve (Plaid Cymru) - 57
Wendy Elizabeth Morris-Twiddy (Welsh Liberal Democrats) - 135
Martin Shewring (Independent) - 108

Spoilt - 2

Majority - 28

Well done to Wendy and to the Liberal Democrat team in Aberystwyth - a sterling effort!

A Graduation of Aberystwyth Liberals

Yesterday was a lovely day. The afternoon was spent with Alyson on her birthday and a lovely meal in Aberaeron's Harbourmaster Hotel.

That followed the morning graduation ceremony in Aberystwyth's Great Hall where I sat on stage as Vice-Chair of Ceredigion County Council. It wasn't the first time that I've sat on the stage representing the local community but never have I known so many of those graduating in one ceremony as I did yesterday morning.

The Class of 2011

The author with graduates Tom Lister, Greg Foster
and Heather Lowe

Yesterday saw Amy Brown, Greg Foster, James Grove, Kevin Lennon, Tom Lister and Heather Lowe graduate from the Department of International Politics. They have all at one time or another been active with the Liberal Democrats in Ceredigion over recent years and I was absolutely chuffed to bits to see them graduate (and sitting on the stage, I actually saw their faces, which you don't see sitting in the congregation of students or family members!).

I then saw more liberals in Andy Cuthbert, John Wilson and Steffan John all receive their Masters from the Department and also Owain Phillips who I first met in a Lib Dem training session in Cardiff but who has now moved on to work for ITV Wales/S4C.

The ceremony can be seen here on the University's website - http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/graduation/video/2011/ceremony3/.

The Class of 2003 & 2006
There's fewer better sensations that seeing the Great Hall in Aberystwyth full of excited and nervous students with their proud as punch parents and family members watching on from the galleries.

I have sat through the experience as a student on two occasions in that same hall. In 2003, I graduated in Modern History and Politics, just 5 weeks after the sudden death of my father and in 2006 I received my Masters in Modern History. On that latter occasion, I was an Aberystwyth Town Councillor and I made what in hindsight now was the daft decision of appearing on stage as a Town Councillor in my gown on the same day as I received my Masters. It seemed like a novel and rare opportunity to find myself on both sides of the ceremony on the same day. I can't recall whether I was a student in the morning and local authority representative in the afternoon or vice versa but either way, it was too much!

But it has all made me appreciate how magical the day is for the students but also for the family members who have in most cases, travelled far to see the pinnacle of their child's academic achievements.

The Future
Good luck to those who graduated yesterday and indeed all of those who graduate this week and especially to those names above who I have come to know over recent years and who I feel an odd kind of political paternalistic pride towards.

The future my friends, is yours.

Goodbye Pantycelyn Halls of Residence?

I read with interest, this BBC News article a few days ago about the future of Aberystwyth University's Welsh language Hall of Residence, Pantycelyn.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post here about my formative experiences in Aberystwyth University, Pantycelyn Hall and the time that I spent there is one that I look back on with great fondness.

Be it the cleaners, the students or the staff, there was always a great community spirit in Pantycelyn in the 2 years that I lived there (2000-2002) and for me, it had an atmosphere and an identity that could not be replicated in any of the other Halls of Residence on campus.


Pantylceyn Hall Opened in 1951



The plans now, as have been openly discussed for a few years, are to upgrade the facilities available for students in the University with the building of a 'new' Pantycelyn on the Clarach Road near the current student village, Pentre Jane Morgan. The costing for the development is estimated at between £40m and £45m, and could start as early as autumn 2012.

So, it opens up the distinct possibility, indeed probabilty, that having opened in 1951 and having housed Prince Charles for one term in 1969 before becoming a Welsh language designated hall in 1974, that this grand old building may soon be closing it's doors to student for the last time after 70 years.

There's talk that it may be converted into office space for University staff so it will likely remain an University asset. But if in the near future, it does indeed close down from serving as a Halls of Residence to primarily Welsh-based students, it will mark the end of a significant chapter in Welsh cultural history.

Vote Wagner to Win! (Chris Moyles Agrees!)

Anyone who has seen my Facebook or Twitter posts in recent weeks will know that I've not been afraid to say openly that I've been voting for Wagner in the X-Factor this season.

The response has unsurprisingly been a split of defiant support for my sentiments, and annoyed outrage from those who see Wagner's continued presence on our ITV1 screens as sacrilegious to modern music.

Today I heard from the self-styled saviour of Radio 1 Chris Moyles, that he had said the same.

My Run-ins with Mr Moyles
This tickled me it must be said because I've had a few run-ins with Mr Moyles over the years. The first was back in 2000 when he was the main act (alongside Comedy Dave) at a National Young Farmers Conference in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. He was late arriving at around midnight and all I can remember was this scrum of young people pressing me closer to the barriers at the front of the auditorium. It wasn't the most memorable of memories.

My second and more contentious run-in as many will know (particularly those who saw it happen in the flesh) was in Aberystwyth Students Union in 2004 when the Union was hosting the first Radio 1 University Quiz (the town being the home of Aled from the Chris Moyles team). Our team came joint second and I was tasked with answering the tie-breaker question live on stage with Moyles and Comedy Dave. I was doing well I felt, bantering with the infamous Moyles sense of humour and quick wit before he flattened me, saying that I reminded him of the 'Crazy Frog'. Having never been referred to in this way before, I had no repost. The hundreds gathered around in the 'Joint' lapped it up at my expense. It was a win for Moyles over Cole, fair and square. To rub it in, I bombed at the tie-breaker!

Wagner Brings Us Together!
So it shouldn't surprise many when I say that I'm not a Chris Moyles fan. I'm more of a Chris Evans (originally when he was on Radio 1 in the '90s and now on Radio 2) supporter but now, I find myself agreeing with Moyles for once.

Why do I support Wagner? It's because I want to rail against the system. A system that acts as a conveyer belt as it pumps out wannabe pop stars. Now don't get me wrong, these reality based programmes have unearthed some absolute gems over the past decade. Will Young and Leona Lewis are deserved superstars and they were 'found' in the reality format of recent years.

But the majority of the 'talent' that is unearthed, usually sinks away as quickly as it had risen. What happened to Michelle McManus (who I actually rather liked), Steve Brookstein and Leon Jackson for example? They all actually won the competition (and its predecessor) but have sunk without trace since.

What Moyles said today which I agreed with is how the judges (and the producers of the programme) are often keen in the first instance to promote the 'odd-balls' that will attract the ridicule and the high viewing figures but suddenly turn against them as they progress further and deeper into the competition 'proper'. The progress of Jedward last year caused a furore but eventually, they ran out of steam.

The Class of 2010
However, this year as this website article says, both Wagner and over on the Beeb on Strictly Come Dancing, Anne Widdiecombe are breaking new ground. For these 'joke' contestants to reach December would be unheard of. Suddenly, there's an actual chance that this time the public could see it through and vote one of these contestants through to the end. It's still unlikely of course but not impossible.

What makes it different this year is that a sceptical public have drawn blood and are keen to do so again. Their viral triumph last Christmas when they 'raged against the machine' to stop the X-Factor hijacking yet another festive No.1 showed that 'people power' could overcome the Simon Cowell machine.

It's a desire to speak up against the conformed nature of modern music. A desire to fight back against a decade of reality TV. A want to act individually and not as a flock of sheep.

It's a sense of purpose that I happily attach myself too. In his own way, Chris Moyles - yes even Chris Moyles, seems to have felt the same.

Deserved Winners?
Would it be fair for the likes of excellent singers like Matt, Rebecca or One Direction to be denied by a joke character such as a Wagner? Well, the people vote for they ultimately should decide. It's called democracy.

Real talent will find itself rising to the surface so those who may be spurned shouldn't worry - if they're good enough, they'll be found.

What this current insurrection may prove, is that this format may be on its final feet. I may well be wrong of course, but if a Wagner, now or in the near future were to manage to go all the way and win the X-Factor, then the programme really will have imploded on itself.

It's unlikely but then, odder things have happened.

Either way, I'm standing up against the system on this one. The likes of Simon Cowell need to realise that they can not determine our musical tastes. A short sharp shock to his smug system can only be a good thing.

A Poor No Show from Cheryl Gillan

I've not been impressed with Cheryl Gillan's performance as Secretary of State for Wales.

It's not because she's a Conservative. It's not because she represents an English constituency (she is Welsh in all fairness). It's just because, well...how can I put it diplomatically and tactfully....it's because I don't think she's very good at her job.

I wasn't a fan of Peter Hain either. Yet, despite the fireworks that have been lit by both Hain and Gillan since May, they're actually quite similar I feel. Their attitude and the way they communicate is so off-putting. It's the old 'ya-boo' politics speak that turns so many people off politics.

They epitomise all that is worse of the 'Punch and Judy' style of politics.

They both come across to me as being typical old war horses from a tribal age and they can't quite, indeed they probably don't even want to, act in a more measured, moderate way.

An Aberystwyth University Rebuff
Well, now they're at it again. Cheryl has today pulled out from giving the key note annual lecture at the Institute of Welsh Politics at Aberystwyth University. It's a prestigious speech to give and I was on hand to listen to Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams give it in recent years. It really is quite a thing to be asked to give this annual lecture.

But, because there was due to be a student protest at the event because of the London Coaltion Goverment's tuition fees plans, she has apparently pulled out on the advice of the police.

Hain has of course responded with vitriolic words such as 'a total disgrace', 'contempt', 'arrogant' and 'outrageous' .

Peter, a word of advice. Shut up.

The words I would use for Cheryl would be the following - 'disappointed', 'let-down', 'regretful', 'short-sighted', 'a missed opportunity' and 'own worst enemy'.

By pulling out of this engagement at the last minute, she has given more ammunition to those like Peter Hain who are waiting and willing for her to slip up. She really doesn't help herself. If she had the courage of her conviction, she'd see it through. Yes, the student protest turned nasty in London last week, but don't tar all students with the same brush.

This is yet another Cheryl Gillan political own-goal.

As for Peter Hain? Bloody hell, they're as bad as each other.

Aberystwyth University - Best Years of My Life

With some amazement and inredulity, I find myself looking back on what has been a rather remarkable 10 years of my life.

It was on this Freshers weekend, back in September 2000, that I arrived in Aberystwyth University as a green, naïve and shy young, just turned 18 year old. Looking back over the past decade, there is no doubt that I owe Aberystwyth and its University a great debt of gratitude for helping me to become the not so green, naïve and shy man that I am today.

Pantycelyn, Freshers Week - September 2000
Over the years, some memories dim with age, but some continue to shine brightly as seminal moments in your life.

I can very clearly remember one of those as I arrived at Pantycelyn Halls of Residence on the Friday of Freshers weekend (10 years ago yesterday). I was very much walking into the unknown. I'd been a competent, pleasant and agreeable pupil in Whitland primary and secondary schools but going to Aberystwyth, with no-one from my year joining me, meant that I had to socialise and make new friends like never before.

Pantycelyn was definitely the best place to do so. As a Welsh language hall of residence, it had an in-built community which you wouldn't find in a Penrbyn, Cwrt Mawr or Rosser. I arrived with only 3 others on that Friday - Griff, Huw and Carl (I ended up becoming best mates with Huw over the years). But it was on the Saturday that everyone else arrived in force - that's over 250 arriving in one day when the 4 of us had decided to arrive a day earlier! I can remember a group of us met up in Room 199 which was being shared by Griff and Dai and after a number of 'bonding' drinks of vodka and orange juice, we all made our way down into town for our first proper night out in University. As Pantycelyn students, one of the central stops is of course 'Yr Hen Llew Du (the Black Lion) on Bridge St and I recall that we all suddenly left en masse for the next pub whilst Huw was still in the toilets - I don't think we saw him again that night!

The Pantycelyn Freshers Week was always an entertaining one and I half heartedly threw myself into it. I knew I needed to extend myself to meet new friends but I limited myself to some of their activities and nights out and not all of them - it was my way of keeping in control of myself.

Pantycelyn Life
I had the great fortune of living in Pantycelyn for 2 years. Firstly in Room 130 with Owen Ashton (we got up to some larks!) and then in a single Room 210 opposite Huw's in my second year. By this time I'd become friends with 'the boys' - the gang from Pontardawe, Ystalyfera & Gwaen Cau Gurwen with whom I catch up with to this day, as often as possible in between our respective, busy lives.

It was as a group of us that we moved into St Arvans, No.14 Llanbadarn Road in our 3rd year. After 2 years in Halls, we wanted the experience of living in town and it was the best year of my time in University.

Whilst many residents of Pantycelyn were more than happy to remain within the walls of the community that existed there, my feet always itched to do more.

I had joined the Liberal Democrats for the first time in that first September of University 10 years ago but I didn't get active until I delivered a solitary round of leaflets around Pantycelyn during the 2001 General Election (no mean feat in a Hall that is generally regarded as having a high level of enthusiasm and activity for Plaid Cymru!). I was still finding my feet and for that first year my only objective was to survive.

Nevertheless, my first year was very much a 'Pantycelyn' year where my studies were mixed with a social scene that centred exclusively around the Halls in which I was a resident.

Playing Pool
The one 'exception' to this first year rule, was my pool playing exploits. I remember vividly as if it were yesterday the day that Damian, Dai and I were walking down Penglais Hill from Pantycelyn into town and walked past this pub that had a bizzare looking, orange baized pool table. It was enough to lure us in for a look and a few frames.

That pub of course was the 'Weston Vaults' - a pub that I've always regarded as being my 'local' in the town ever since.

Now I've always been handy with a pool cue. No Ronnie O'Sullivan I'll grant you, but not bad all the same. But it was on that first, mid-afternoon visit, that I was given the encouragement to do something with it. Dai, Damian and I were playing a few frames and I remember noticing a chap sitting alone at the bar came, watching us. It was slightly un-nerving. Suddenly, he came over and challenged me to a game. I was rather non-plussed by this challenge but took it on and gamely lost a best of 3 encounter to him, 2-1. It was enough for him to recommend me to join the local pool team! So I did! I drafted Huw in alongside me for company (and I must admit, he was just a tad better than me) and we had a wonderfully enjoyable season on the pool circuit playing for the Weston's 'B' team - the 'student' team. Ironically, the student 'B' team had been promoted the year before and the 'A' team of locals had been relegated. So we were playing in the 2nd division of the Aberystwyth Pool League that winter and finished a highly credible 5th out of 9 whilst the 'A' team failed to get promotion back out of the 3rd division!

For that year, Tuesday night was 'pool' night. My pool playing exploits gradually declined as the years went on and other activities took more of my time but in that first yet, as a rare outlet to Pantycelyn living, it was immeasureably good fun and I met a great gang of mates along the way. The memories of beating the owner of the Fountain in Trefechan on his pool table and with his own pool cue will live long in the memory as will the 1-3 comeback to win 4-3 away to the Academy! The names Ed, Chad, Maggs, Trystan, Rob et al will always remind me of a happy period in my life.

Spreading the Wings...
Liberal Democrats (Part I)
It was in my second year that I began to find the confidence to truly expand my social horizons. Initially, it was becoming active in the Liberal Democrats that got me going. I recall making the decision in the first week of term in 2001 to go to a meeting of the re-launched student group. I remember looking at the e-mail list and noticing that there were 30-40 recipients of the e-mail with the details to that first meeting. I naïvely presumed therefore that there'd be 30-40 odd people at that meeting! It was only on walking into the Varsity and walking up to the balcony there that I was greeted with the slightly less spectacular sight of 8-10 members. Of course the irony is that Andrew Falconer, who was the first student group President, had a much more worldy knowledge of how many to expect at a political gathering of students and he in contrast, was delighted with the turnout!

During that year, there was a group of 4-5 of us who were active within the group - Andrew, Stuart, Richard, Griff and myself. Suddenly, I started going to constituency dinners (my first being a Lord Geraint Howells dinner in the Marine Hotel that autumn) and to external conferences (Manchester and Llandudno in the spring of '02). As a result of becoming politically active, I got involved in Union politics and stood in the spring of '02 in the annual Students Union elections. I was elected unopposed to the non-sabbatical position of Environmental Officer.

As a result of being a student in the excellent International Politics Department in the University, I had the opportunity to go on its 'Parliamentary Placement' scheme in the summer of '02 at the end of my second year. 5 weeks in the Welsh Assembly working as an intern for the Liberal Democrats opened doors of opportunity for me by getting me involved with the party at a higher level and as a result, on advice from our then Welsh Chief Executive Chris Lines, I stood as a Lib Dem Youth and Students representative on the Welsh Lib Dem Executive Committee and the Welsh Lib Dem Campaigns Committee the following year, 2003.

What was greatly fortunate though was that I had come to University town where the liberal tradition was strong. Between 1874-1966 and again between 1974-1992, it was A Liberal / Liberal Democrat MP that had been in residence. So the opportunites for me as a liberal were instantly much greater for me here than they may have been in other University towns.

Final Year Madness
As against the normal way of things, my busiest and most active year of University was actually my final year. Amidst the undergradutate studies and dissertation work that was of paramount importance, my growing self-confidence led me to get involved with more activities. In 2002-03, I was now the Secretary of the student Liberal Democrat branch, I was a non-sabbatical member of the Student Union Executive and I also became Treasurer of the History Society.

History Society
The latter development was very much a 'coup' led by myself and good history student friend Caroline. We'd both decided that the current history society was rather bland and un-inspiring and took it over in the annual elections as Treasurer and President respectively to liven it up somewhat. Our weekly 'History' socials became a highlight of my week as we sought to make history more 'fun' and we made many good new friends from across the departmental spectrum that year (although the departmental chiefs may not have been so amused!).

Union Politics
I was an active Environmental Officer and decided to make 'Environmental Week' in the spring of '03 actually that. In years gone by, it was merely a 'day' of promoting environmental awareness around the University but I wanted to make more of it. I launched an 'Environmental Sub-Committee' of willing enthusiasts to help me in my task and was rather delighted when the vast majority of those who showed an interest happened to be women! Again, we had some great nights out as a group and in total there must have been about a dozen or so of us who had gotten to know each other. The week itself was a real success and at the end of it, on April 1st of all days, I announced my resignation from the Guild Executive after what had been a productive and enjoyable year to allow my replacement Martin Kohring to take over earlier than planned and also to allow me to concentrate my efforts on concluding my dissertation (yes, I was still studying despite all of this!).

Liberal Democrats (Part II)
I also needed time to concentrate on the up-coming Welsh Assembly elections. By the end of my final year as an undergraduate, I was by now well emersed in liberal politics. A member of Welsh Lib Dem committees and one of the active leaders in the student group, we now had an election to fight and John Davies was our new but willing candidate.

In fact, my role during the month of April itself was to telephone canvass voters from across the Mid & West Wales region. That was 40 hours a week telehpone canvassing for 4 weeks. I was being paid to do so but still, it was quite an exercise. I did so out of our regional organiser Anders Hanson's flat in Penmorfa, North Road. But I also had a 12,000 word History dissertation to write.

So for that one crazy month, my routine which I will never forget, revolved around me getting up and leaving Llanbadarn Road and making my way up to the National Library after 8am to spend each morning there until lunchtime, researching for my dissertation. Then by 1pm, I'd be stationed in Anders' flat, ready for a day of telephone canvassing. I finished at 9pm (with a small break to watch Countdown in between!) and would go the office on North Parade to give Anders my daily data. A month later, we had an excellent result in Ceredigion in which we reduced a Plaid majority from over 10,000 down to 4,500.

I also managed to score a First in my dissertation with a 70% score on my way to an eventual high 2:1 degree. The key to that was choosing a dissertation topic for which I enjoyed doing the researching and groundwork. Of course, politics was involved and I still take great pleasure in my work revolving around the 1963 Conservative leadership crisis.

MA & Beyond...
Despite the sudden death of my father which I blogged about here, I returned to Aberystwyth to study my Masters in History in the fall of '04 and was now Chair of the student Liberal Democrat group. I was also on the Steering and Elections Committee in the Student Union and was nominated as one of 4 delegates to attend the annual NUS Conference in Blackpool's Winter Gardens in the spring of '04 (in the politically amusing company of Tory (losing Colchester 2010 candidate) Will Quince, future Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins and enthusiastic environmental activist Lydia Bulmer).

Having by now attended numerous Welsh and Federal Liberal Democrat conferences, my first visit to a 5 day autumn conference in Brighton '03 opened the doors up to my future as Chris Lines sought my views on standing to be a new Constituency Organiser for the Ceredigion Liberal Democrats. The following spring, it came to pass and from there I decided to stand for local government and was elected at the same time (a 'veritable double-whammy' as Charles Kennedy called it in a hand-written letter he sent to me after the event) to both Aberystwyth Town Council and Ceredigion County Council as a Cardigan County Councillor, in June '04. Working on the wonderful 2005 election win for Mark Williams, his stupendous re-election 5 years later and my working for him and being a Councillor and also Mayor of Cardigan in my own right in between, all flowed from there.

What If?
So I really have an unbelievable debt of gratitude towards Aberystwyth University.

Indeed, I sometimes wonder what may have been had I have decided to take up one of my other UCAS options. My reserve choice was the University of Glamorgan. What would've become of me had I have gone there? Would I have become politically active locally and had the opportunity to intern in Cardiff Bay? Would my confidence levels have increased there as much as they did in Aberystwyth?

I'll never know of course. But what I do know is that where I am now and all that I have achieved during the past 10 years must be dedicated to the decision to study in Aberystwyth University in the first place.

Good Luck to the Class of 2010
So, in mulling over in this written format, what has been an incredible period in my life (and the scarcely believable fact that 10 years has flown by so quickly), there is only two more things left for me to do. To raise a glass of gratitude to my old alumni and to wish the best of luck to all those who are this very weekend, making that great jump into unchartered waters that I made myself, 10 years ago.

Thank you Aberystwyth University and good luck to the Freshers of 2010 - you made a sound choice to come to Aberystwyth. That decision changed my life around for the good and I hope it does the same to you.