The world’s best cyclists lined up in Newtown for the start of the third stage of the Tour of Britain to Swansea.
In my footage of the start of the race, the Harp you can hear playing in the background from the main stage is played by Ellie Jones aged 10, a local girl and a relative of mine – she did really well!
2 Comments | 
business, leisure, newtown, sport, Tourism | Tagged: cycing, ellie jones, Tour of Britain | 
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Posted by russellgeorge
On September 13th the world’s best cyclists will be lining up in Newtown for the start of the third stage of the Tour of Britain to Swansea. This is a real big day for Newtown and Montgomeryshire.
Newtown Town Council has organized a Fun Day to celebrate the start of the Welsh stage.
I don’t think the race has ever started from Newtown before, and the cycling race is returning to Wales for the first time since 2004. Olympians Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy and Welshman Geraint Thomas, who wore the White Jersey for Best Young Rider during this year’s Tour de France, taking part.
All credit must go to Mayor Joy Jones who has been working really hard organizing the Fun day to be held on Sunday 12th September. Joy has managed to attract loads of funding from various organizations and business’s, so many thanks to the sponsors also.
The fun day will start at 10am and go on until 4pm, activities will be taking place including a children’s entertainer, marching band, bucking bronco, a fun fair. There will also be a Singing in the Park event from 4pm to 7pm with a free hog roast on offer.
There will also be a golden ticket picnic for children aged from three to 10-years of age Newtown Town Council has 100 tickets to give away to children who live within a 10-mile radius of the town. Last I heard tickets are still available, you can get them from Mayor Joy Jones, contact her at – joy.jones399@btinternet.com
This is really good news for Montgomeryshire, the country’s best known and most viewed cycling event starting here in Newtown. The event will also attract loads of visitors to the area which I hope will be helpful to the local shops!
The Welsh leg of the tour is 150 kilometres in length and will start from Newtown at 10.15am with the route heading south on the A483.
Thanks again to the sponsors supporting Newtown Town Council and to Town Counillors Joy, Phil and Vicky for all their time and commitment to the Fun day.
2 Comments | business, councillors, leisure, newtown, recreation, retail, sport, Tourism | Tagged: Bradley Wiggins Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Tour of Britain, Welsh stage | Permalink
Posted by russellgeorge
Pleased to take part in the official opening of the new walking and cycling path that opened within my ward the other week. The new path follows the river seven from Trehafen side of Newtown and connects by a new footbridge.
The need for a new path had first been discussed in a community meeting 18 months ago, I then took up the issue with council staff and it was agreed that a grant be applied for from for the Safe Routes in Communities Transport scheme.
The new section of Riverside Path is a real opportunity for residents of Trehafren & Vaynor to cycle into Newtown, if you want to cycle further you can now cycle all the way to Abermule. Several additional links have also been built into the estates along the route.
I would also like to give the new Clean Energy Centre a plug which has just opened in Newtown behind office express. If you live and work around Newtown, fed up with Newtown traffic, but feel a push bike is too much like hard work, what about trying an Electric bike! Jeremy Thorp who has just opened the new centre says it’s the transport of the future, and I agree. Jeremy would be happy to let you try one out, also ask him about the 50% off the cost if you buy through the cycle-to-work scheme.
We have also been able to attract a further £196,000 to continue the route out towards Vaynor and the college this year. Will keep you updated on progress.
Opening the path is Mayor Joy Jones, me to the left and Jeremy back right
Leave a Comment » | leisure, newtown, recreation, shopping, sport | Tagged: Abermule, Clean Energy Centre, cycle to work, Cycling Path, Jeremy Thorp, Mayor Joy Jones, Trehafen | Permalink
Posted by russellgeorge
Part of the team that took part in the litter pick
Keep Wales Tidy has just released the results of their latest inspection of the standards of cleanliness of Powys streets. The latest inspection revealed no litter at all or predominantly free of litter. Tidy town funding is used to support local community groups with activities such as litter picking days, area clean ups, clearing of overgrown areas etc.
I started to get involved in this scheme in Newtown this year. Last month I was part of a team that spent a morning collecting litter on the Vaynor estate, and this Saturday I organized a litter pick and clean up on the Trehafren estate.
Other than the rain (which started half way though this Saturday’s litter pick) I have enjoyed being involved in this project; it gives a real sense of achievement and encourages community spirit. I have also been really pleased with the amount of people that turned out at the events we have organized.
I have also been concerned that fly tipping was becoming a problem in some areas, so we had organized a skip for the day that was freely available to all residents to make use off – On both occasions the skip was full within just a few hours.
Interestingly, in advertizing the scheme, one resident text me – “Regarding your recent mailshot about tidy and litter pick, surely this is what taxes are paid for!?” My own view is that the person that text me missed the point. This is about people pulling together to make our communities better places to live, not just expecting authorities and others to do everything for us. We are increasingly becoming a selfish society, looking for people to blame and not wanting to take responsibility ourselves. I would be interested to know what other people’s views are.
Leave a Comment » | council tax, environment, leisure, newtown | Tagged: tidy wales, trehafren, vaynor | Permalink
Posted by russellgeorge
I always prefer to write a blog post that brings good news! After years of talk, Newtown will soon have a skate park. A group of us have been campaigning for funding for a skate park for some time.
All being well, the new skate park should be open in the Autumn. It’s going to be built on the land at the entrance to Trehafren fields behind the police station. I think this is a good location as it is fairly central and not located too close to residential properties.
The whole project was put out to tender. Often the Council puts a tender together and looks for companies to submit their ideas and price, but on this occasion companies have been told how much they have to spend, and they have to bring forward creative bids.
Each company bidding has consulted with young people from Newtown either by using Facebook, or by meeting groups to listen to their suggestions. I have always believed it’s not Councillors or council staff that should decide the design; it’s the people that will use it. The selection process will take place over the next few weeks, and the successful bidder will start work soon.
I was amongst a number of Councillors that was involved in securing the funding for the skate park. Being a Councillor often brings difficult and challenging issues, but it’s all worth it when you get a positive result.
If you are interested in knowing more or being involved in the skate park, please leave a comment.
See the County Times Story
1 Comment | leisure, newtown, recreation, Skate Park, sport | Tagged: skate park, trehafren | Permalink
Posted by russellgeorge
Montgomeryshire people will be aware of the withdrawal of many Tourist Information Centres throughout the County. The Welsh Assembly Government has announced a £16 million plan to create four tourism centres across the country last month. The money is from a European Regional Development Fund and will be used to develop centres or hubs to encourage more sustainable tourism centred on Wales. However, the Assembly Government has decided to ignore Mid Wales in the distribution of this important tourism funding.
It is welcome news to the areas of Wales that have benefited, but yet again, Mid Wales has been forgotten about. A recent report by Cardiff Business School for Visit Wales shows that tourism is of greater importance to the Welsh Economy than previously thought and Montgomeryshire has huge tourist appeal, we have beautiful unspoilt countryside and we should be taking full advantage of this.
Our Tourism Centres have been closed across Montgomeryshire in recent years and these new centres should have been equally distributed across the Country in order that the centres will attract more visitors to every corner of Wales including Montgomeryshire!
Two years ago, I remember two reasons being given for the closure of TIC’s in towns across Montgomeryshire. One was no money and the other was people go online now and don’t use centres!
Tourism is a vital sector of the economy in our area and it’s a shame the WAG are not serious in supporting this sector in Mid Wales.
I also read today that the BBC have reported, following a freedom of information request, that more than £400,000 was spent by the Welsh Assembly Government on external public relations firms in just one year. This seems to be excessive to me, especially when Ministers already employ staff to do this work.
3 Comments | leisure, Tourism, welsh assembly | Tagged: beautiful unspoilt countryside, Mid Wales, public relations, Tourist Information Centres | Permalink
Posted by russellgeorge
We are now into day two of the election campaign. As the news broke yesterday, I was out campaigning in Broad Street, Newtown with Glyn Davies the Conservative candidate, who I very much hope will be elected as the next MP for Montgomeryshire one month today.
However, my blog post is not on election news, but on good news for Newtown.
The five Newtown County Councillors, Peter Harris, Frank Torrens, Richard White, Bob Mills and myself have been working together to secure funding for a number of Newtown projects, and we have recently had conformation of funding for three of our top priorities.
A skatepark is just one of the options that a panel of young people will consider
I’m most excited about the funding for the Skate Park myself. A young persons group will be set up. Youth service staff have been investigating various options to put to Newtown’s youth including different options for a skate park, an Adizone, which is an outdoor gym sponsored by Adidas, and a multi-use games area. I have asked a member of the youth staff to attend a community meeting in my ward on 28th April at 6.30pm at Trehafren meeting hall and all are welcome.
What is important to me is that the locations of these facilities are in appropriate places and are good value for money. I’m keen that what is selected is not just a fad and that the facilities will be used for many years to come.
The largest sum of money, £812,000, has been set aside for improvements 
at Theatre Hafren, they can now make improvements to there facilities and I’m excited about the proposals which will now be drawn up. I am fully expecting the theatres management team (which I sit on) to use this sum to leverage further match funding.
£397,000 has been earmarked for improvements at Maldwyn Leisure Centre – £230,000 for the replacement of the synthetic pitch, £87,000 for the athletic facilities and £80,000 for replacement of tiling at the pool.
Although this funding is welcomed, we have further work to do. Our top priority has always been the refurbishment of the Market Hall. I believe we must have investment in the commercial centre of Newtown and especially since the loss of big names such as Woolworth’s and Curry’s. What better way to do this than a total refurbishment of the hall for the benefit of small and new start up business with further facilities such as tourist information centre to make this a focal and centre point in Newtown to be proud of.
Leave a Comment » | business, leisure, recreation, shopping, sport, youth services | Tagged: adizone, curry's, frank torrens, glyn davies, maldwyn leisure centre, montgomeryshire, peter harris, richard white, skate park, theatre hafren, tourist information centre, woolworth's | Permalink
Posted by russellgeorge
I would like to offer my congratulations to Devika and Muralee Tharan, who recently opened the area’s first ten-pin bowling alley, uStrike. I went along on Friday night with a few friends. I had seen it described as a ‘four-lane state-of-the-art bowling alley’ and I would say that’s what it is! Really well furnished, no expense spared and professional service.
A recurring comment I heard while campaigning was that our county council isn’t doing enough in the way of children and youth facilities in Newtown.
My answer to that was rather than the focusing on council providing further facilities, our council should be encouraging and supporting local entrepreneurs.
The council is pretty strapped for cash and unfortunately leisure and recreation facilities are always going to be pushed to the bottom of the list when money is short. It is great news that the town has now got this facility. I don’t know Devika and Muralee Tharan, but they have obviously taken a risk in this venture and I just hope that the all those who have called for more facilities will support this business.
I came last in our match so will definately be going back again to improve my technique!
For more information, visit www.ustrike.co.uk or call 01686 622688 for bookings.
1 Comment | leisure, powys county council, recreation | Tagged: 01686 622688, alley, bowling, bowling alley, Devika and Muralee Tharan, devika tharan, entrepreneurs, muralee tharan, newtown, ten pin bowling, ustrike, www.ustrike.co.uk | Permalink
Posted by russellgeorge
