Snow Notes

This terrific picture of the UK from space was released by NASA yesterday and is in almost every paper today.

It gives a sense that we're all in this together. Its a bit different from 1982 when it took me a week to get back to University in London after the Christmas break, only to find that there wasn't any snow at all in London.

More of the white stuff to come too, allegedly.

Snow Notes

This is a pretty typical scene on any of the minor roads in Ebbw Vale today, the best part of a week after the snow came down. Many people have still been unable to get their cars out of estates and onto the main roads.

The general complaint is that Blaenau Gwent council have not gritted any minor roads, nor have they provided salt/grit so that people can do it themselves.

There's now even a Facebook group called 'Salt Our Streets Now in Blaenau Gwent' from whence this photo was borrowed.

Ava's Diary

Ava on Christmas morning with her desk
Originally uploaded by Martin Veale

Ava on Christmas morning with her desk. There's a bunch of other photos over on my Flickr site - there's a link in the right hand column.

New Year Notes

New Year’s greetings from a slightly snowy Pontypridd.

We have had nothing like the snow that Ebbw Vale and Merthyr have had, but last night’s dusting was enough to get today’s Pontypridd vs. Ebbw Vale game postponed.

The 2000s were a tumultuous time for me; becoming a husband and father, and relocating to Pontypridd have all been enormous changes.

Work wise, my appointment as a non-executive at South Wales Probation Trust has been very rewarding, and further changes are afoot with an application to establish an all-Wales Trust currently under consideration by MoJ Ministers.

The one unchanging thing through the past decade has been the day job. Whilst it’s changed from the National Assembly for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government, it’s still the same civil service. I joined on its establishment on 1 April 1999, so I’ve been in the organisation for over 10 years, my longest stint in one organisation, albeit doing a range of different jobs. Perhaps 2010 may be the time when this changes too.