Latest News

News June 2014

Published on 30 June 2014  | Download | back to previous

Last month we invited Peter Phillips to write the TCRM News. We had a lots of positive comments on his thoughts (only one actually, and I think I recognised the voice).
 
Nevertheless a new perspective on TCRM's history is of some interest but it did kick off some thoughts about communities, what do I mean I hear you shout in anticipation, will it be greatest revelation since Total, FCUK and UPS considered sponsoring the England Football Team or possibly since IFL (email me if you do not know what IFL is, it will change your life) announced it is statistically more likely to be bitten by Luis Suárez than a Great White Shark!
 
The biggest community we deal with is the "Elvis" community, there are tens of thousands of fans from all over the UK and many from overseas all brought together by this crazy idea of a festival in Porthcawl. Communities are strong, communities survive and prosper and sometimes it feels that this is disappearing from our lives at a pace.
 
We like to think TCRM belongs to a community of businesses trying to make the best of a difficult environment and I was discussing this idea with the good people of a very popular Bridgend business, Ella Riley. Freya and Steve are based in Nolton Street, Bridgend and they are part a the small but growing business community in the newly refurbished street. We were discussing how Bridgend is not well known for anything of a positive nature, we agreed it would be good to be known as the town with the biggest....., the council with the smallest......., the area with the best....... etc. In the past Bridgend had one of the biggest model and hobbies shows in the country which put Bridgend put on the map. I am not intending this to be a dig at anyone but we do need to get Bridgend on the map again for the right reasons. Hay has it's book festival, Brecon the Jazz Festival, Porthcawl the Elvis Festival perhaps Bridgend will get a toffee festival or even a bullet for my valentine concert in Newbridge Fields. Cardiff such a vibrant place to be compared to Bridgend it no wonder the Cardiff is more popular?
 
"Per ardua ad astra" or even "If you build it, they will come", a sort of go get attitude is needed and if anyone talks about costs we seem to have just spent £50,000 on a golf tournament in Porthcawl so there are public funds available.
 
PS
 
Toffee lovers and indeed anyone with a healthy interest in Sweets and Chocolates (and the Mrs!) will know the Ella Riley story but in case you do not visit http://is.gd/eVyJub.
 
As a foot note I want to rant on about weather forecasts. Why is it we are not in "most of the country", when "most of the country" has got sun and high temperatures we are freezing and wet!  If there is a 25% chance of Sun why don't they toss a coin, the odds are 50%, somewhat better. Why do they bother telling us the weather now, they are 100% accurate but surely we can just look out the window!
 
As Paxman said, "more of the same, I don't know what all the fuss is about."
 
Time for a lie down.