Anger over slow broadband speed in N.Wales
WA CONWY cake artiste has bagged herself a job as part of a team making a milestone creation for a stage and screen phenomenon.
Hayley Roberts, 26, is decorated herself, with several gold medals for her confectionery.
The fourth-year Coleg Llandrillo student, who works at Bodnant Welsh Food Centre, won two gold awards at the Cake International show at the NEC in Birmingham and a Best in Show for her mermaid and Roald Dahl themed designs.
On the back of her success, she has now been asked to be part of a team tasked with making a commemora commemorative cake for the Rocky Ho Horror Picture Show. “I’m part of a coll collaboration for CakeCa International at the NEC in Birmingham,”B she s said.
“Forty cake artists have been invited to make a s showpiece to c celebrate 40 yearsy of The RockyRo Horror PicturePic show.” TheTh piece will be show shown during the Cake In International show in N November and it ELSH MPs have blasted the standards of broadband coverage in North Wales and warned that the market is letting people down.
Anglesey Labour MP Albert Owen warned that farmers are struggling to submit their tax returns online and the UK is becoming “two nations” when it comes to telecommunications.
Mr Owen claimed mobile and broadband companies were let “off the hook” in the last parliament. Describing the way in which people in outlying parts of the country can take a financial hit, he said: “Let us remember that peripheral areas pay more for their petrol, diesel, utilities, gas and electricity. They pay more for goods in many ways, and the wages are often lower than in other parts of the United Kingdom.”
Aberconwy Conservative MP Guto Bebb claimed that Wales had “nine of the 20 worst performing constituencies in the country” when it came to broadband access.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate, Mr Owen said: “We need to ensure superfast broadband throughout the UK quickly. I want to see BT and the Welsh Government working with the UK Government and the European Union to ensure that we have the funds to make that happen.”
Ceredigion Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams said: “Ceredigion ranks 646th out of the 650 constituencies for internet speed. Superfast broadband is available to 12% of my constituency.
“The critical issue for me is businesses and the development of a rural economy. Reliable internet access has been identified by 94% of small businesses as essential.
“Two weeks ago, the Gomer Press, a historic printing firm in will be just another string to the talented cake maker’s bow.
Her gold medal-winning creation was a little different, incorporating characters from Roald Dahl classics into her hexagonal labour of love.
She said: “I made plaques to go on the side featuring Roald Dahl’s books - Fantastic Mr Fox, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, George’s Marvellous Medicine, The BFG, The Giraffe and The Witches.
“The plaques are inset into the cake, a technique called bas relief, which stands out well.
“On the top is Matilda with her books, all Roald Dahl’s one - in all that cake took me about 40 hours.
“There was a lot of work in that, but it was smaller.
“I loved Roald Dahl’s books as a child - you often see cakes with Peter Rabbit and other children’s books, but you never see Dahl ones.”
The former Ysgol Aberconwy pupil also won Best in Class and two gold medals at Cake Cymru for her mermaid creation - but it’s truly a labour of love for her.
“I was delighted when it was announced as Best in Show by the judges,” she said.
“It took me a long time to make it - probably around 50 hours of work.
“Just the eyelashes on the mermaid took me two hours, while her tail took me five hours.
“I just love doing cake designs.” Llandysul, approached me with its genuine concerns that the speeds it is receiving with BT are harming its business.”
Digital economy minister Ed Vaizey defended the UK Government’s record on broadband and insisted it was reaching people in Mr Owen’s Anglesey constituency.
He said: “Precisely no premises in his constituency were due to get commercial superfast broadband from BT or any of the rivals who often say that they could do the job better because such investment was not economic.
“However, 93% of his constituents will get superfast broadband under the scheme. This is what we are up against – when superfast broadband is delivered to opposition members, they do not want to give us any credit.”