Dear member
We have had two “very different” events. On March 17th we linked with Cymmrodorion at a lecture at The Institute of Engineering when Professor Dick Shannon discussed the life and times of Sir George Cornewall Lewis who was an eminent politician in the era of Gladstone and Disraeli.
Last Wednesday we had a social event at the Wine Tun - "An evening with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley".
Both events were well attended and demonstrate, yet again, that the Welsh community in London is a broad church which supports and caters for a wide and diverse audience. Both are valuable since they allow us to get together and widen both our circle of contacts and (at least for Cymmrodorion) our understanding of our heritage.
My thanks to friends at Cymmrodorion for the excellence of their programme and to Helen Wakeman-Jones for the excellence of her organisation of our social evening. Sadly I missed it: I was “lost in Lisbon” staring at a computer screen. I know where I would have preferred to be….
Cymmrodorion’s future programme includes both an event in Cardiff on April 14th, jointly with the Institute of Welsh Affairs, to discuss Broadcasting in Wales and their next London event is at The Royal Academy of Engineering, 3 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1 (between The Mall and Pall Mall) on 12th May when the lecture is by Dr Rhiannon Mason on “National Museums and nation building in the context of Wales and Britain”.
Our next agreed date is July 14th – a summer reception, but we are looking to fix another dinner in early June. More details later.
Since I last wrote I have been digesting two disturbing statistics. One was an unemployment briefing in March on unemployment in Wales and the UK and the other the final table in the 6 nations.
In the former there, are of course, all sorts of measures but for these purposes the figures are based on International Labour Organisation definitions. (The International Labour Organisation (ILO) unemployment rate is the number of ILO unemployed persons as a percentage of the economically active population aged 16 and over. It includes those who are out of work and want a job, have actively sought work in the last four weeks and are available to start work in the next two weeks; plus those who are out of work, have found a job and are waiting to start in the next two weeks. It is derived from a household survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics each quarter and is the primary measure of unemployment).
In the period November 2009 to January 2010 the number of ILO unemployed in Wales was 133,000, up 23,000 over the previous year. This equates to an average of 9.2% but this masks a male ILO rate of 11% compared to 7.2% for women. So where does that place us? Highest (or worst) of the 4 UK nations (England 7.8%; Scotland 7.6%; N Ireland 6.3% - UK average 7.8%) and 9th out of 12 for the 12 UK nations and regions (West Midlands and the North East each at 9.5%).
As to rugby we were, again, fourth out of 6.
If you read the press in Wales there appears to be far more comment and analysis of the latter (rugby) than the former (the economy) and perhaps a sense that it will be easier to address. After all we have been “first” twice in the rugby tables since 2005: when could we claim that for employment?
It takes us back to the focus all political parties in Wales now have or claim to have on supporting and encouraging the private sector. Who presents the most convincing argument will get my vote.
I think my other litmus test will be the response of the main political parties to Arts and Culture – valuable in their own right but, in the context of a small country like Wales, a critical part of that which can define us in the wider world. This is a time when we need to celebrate our many great companies/artists and use them, with others, as a praetorian guard in presenting a confident and successful Wales to the world.
This is a devolved power. Scotland has taken this issue so seriously that it is in the portfolio of the First Minister along with International, Europe and External Affairs which gives the signal that they see it is a crucial element in economic development and international positioning. Do we understand sufficiently the importance of a dynamic contemporary culture and focus sufficiently on the contribution that the creative industries (and sport) make directly to the economy?
There are a number of events which are noted below and (in more detail) in the news section
· The Institute of Welsh Affairs has launched a news online magazine clickonwales.org which includes news analysis; a platform for essays and debates as well as National Assembly monitoring and much more. For more information contact Kirsty Davies, Deputy Director of the IWA, 029 2066 0820 kirstydavies@iwa.org.uk.
- March 31st at 19.45 in the Purcell Room at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Ieuan Jones harpist and his colleagues in the Debussy Ensemble have a wonderful programme including a world premiere. I was fortunate to attend one of Ieuan’s concerts last autumn and he was simply sensational.
- Artes Mundi (to June 6th at the National Museum Wales, Cardiff). It is a constant delight to know that the UK’s richest visual arts prize is centred in Cardiff – a cause for celebration especially when it draws visitors and ambassadors from around the world to Cardiff. The prize provides a platform for international artists yet to make a big name for themselves in the UK and this year, nearly 500 were nominated from 80 countries. The work of eight artists competing for the prize are on display at the National Museum until 6th June with the winner being announced on 19th May.
- 19th April at 18.30 – the latest Cardiff Ambassadors event in London will see the launch of the UK Competitiveness Index 2010 by Professor Rob Huggins of UWIC in the IoD Pall Mall. The event will run from 1830hrs to 2030hrs and will include a networking drinks reception as well as the launch of the Index followed by a Q&A and a light buffet. The Index will be covered in the FT on the 19th and is likely to generate coverage in other outlets throughout the week. All welcome but as spaces will be limited contact ai-lin.valentine@cardiffandco.com
27th April The Institute of Directors Wales are holding an “evening before” Celtic networking dinner at 116 Pall Mall (The IoD Annual Convention is on the 28th at the Royal Albert Hall). For details contact Debbie Trotman Tel: +44 (0)29 20389990 Email: iod.wales@iod.com.
12th June at 14.30 in the Reardon Smith Theatre National Museum Wales, Cardiff the British Antarctic Monument Trust hosts three speakers in an event which marks the departure of Captain Scott’s Terra Nova expedition from Cardiff in June 1910. Full details and booking form in the news section.
The driving force behind this event is one of our members Roderick Rhys Jones who, as a young(er) man, served as a surveyor with the British Antarctic Survey at Halley Station where he joined a dog sledge and tractor mapping and geological expedition to the Heimfrontfjella where tragically three companions were lost in a crevasse accident. He formed the British Antarctic Monument Trust to create a memorial for these and some thirty other British men and women who have lost their lives in Antarctica in the pursuit of science since the British established its first permanent base at Port Lockroy in 1943.- The London Welsh centre continues to have an active programme (see www.londonwelsh.org ) with a film night on April 9th whilst London Welsh rugby, despite a defeat on Saturday, still have everything to play for with the next home match against Nottingham on April 3rd
Returning to my theme of culture and sport I was delighted to see that my friends at Wales Millennium Centre have responded to the excitement of rugby internationals by creating a match day package of lunch; post match light meal drinks AND travel to the ground by water taxi. Culture, alcohol, rugby and a green transport plan – it shows the spirit of enterprise is alive and kicking in the Bay! If you want a different experience for the Wales v S Africa match on 5th June contact Barnaby Hibbert at barnaby.hibbert@wmc.org.uk.
Please continue to send me information on events which will/may be of interest to members – I will do my best to include.
Robert
