Jarman’s Jottings

SO now we have it. There will be no new prison built in the county, according to the Labour council.

They described the prospect of a new prison being built in any of the three locations they identified, which includes Hirwaun, as “pure myth and fiction”.

Why then did they put any sites forward to the Ministry of Justice that could accommodate a prison? The Ministry of Justice told all councils in Wales and England that “there was no legal obligation for local authorities to respond to the department’s request, it was supplied voluntarily”.

So no myth or fiction there then – they needn’t have identified any sites. Also RCT was the only Welsh council to do so.

Thanks to a good bit of investigative journalism by MediaWales we all know what could have been. For the record, the first that opposition councillors knew about the identity of the three sites was when we read it on WalesOnline last Friday despite asking for it when the story first broke. Hardly the hallmark of open, transparent government.

There is nothing like a good intergenerational event to lift your spirits and I have attended two in as many weeks.

The first was as guests of Ysbyty Cwmcynon when Caegarw School Junior Choir performed their St David’s Day Concert in the auditorium.

Parents, grandparents, governors, patients and visitors supported the children and were overjoyed to hear the 90-strong choir sing their hearts out. They really raised the roof when they sang Made in Wales and there wasn’t a dry eye to be seen.

The second was last Friday in Mountain Ash Day Centre as the guests of the Over-50s Bingo Club, when Caegarw’s 60-strong Infant Choir sang. The large audience was multi-generational – one lady was 97 years young, the youngest child was five. The children were outstanding as was the audience. Thanks to the staff also. When they sang Made in Wales tears flowed with emotion.

Each child had an Easter egg from the organisers as a thank-you for their performance. What a lovely gesture.