Newcastle Emlyn and Adpar / Castell Newydd Emlyn ac Adpar

The 30 minute film commissioned as part of the Heart of the Dragon Festival this summer was premiered on Wednesday November 28th 2007 at the Emlyn Arms.

Many of the guests were photographed as they entered. Their photographs can be viewed below.

“Apologies to anyone I photographed but their pic doesn’t appear. The lighting was very poor and I had to rely on slow exposures, which meant that some were blurred.” - Jeremy Clulow

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A YouTube preview of the film will soon be available along with details of how you can buy it on DVD.

Here are a few other pictures of the event.

Plaid Member of Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (which includes Newcastle Emlyn) Adam Price has won the British Computer Society’s first award for the best Parliamentary website.

Adam’s bilingual website was selected as overall winner and considered to be “an outstanding example” of the very best incorporation of the three qualities:

• Design
• Engagement
• Accessibility

Judging of all MP websites was undertaken by BCS President Professor Nigel Shadbolt and key political journalists including Quentin Letts of the Daily Mail, Patrick Wintour of the Guardian, Michael Kallenbach of UK Press Gazette and - to ensure broad appeal to all ages - Matthew Darroch Thompson (aka Webster) of The Oldie Magazine.

Click to visit website

Because accessibility is vital in engaging people with disabilities, all sites were also appraised by AbilityNet, the national charity that helps disabled adults and children use computers and the internet by adapting and adjusting their technology.

In response to the award Adam commented:

“I am delighted to have won this. I am very proud that the efforts we have made to ensure that I am accessible to my constituents have been recognised. In today’s digital age people want to be able to raise their concerns in many different ways. We have two full time offices that anyone can just pop in or phone and the next step was to allow people to use the internet. It has been a fantastic way of interacting with people and has really helped me tackle some of the major issues in Carmarthenshire.”

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See also item on CCTV in Newcastle Emlyn.

Anyone who has seen the film Hot Fuzz will remember the small fictional town of Sandford in Gloucestershire to which police sergeant Nicholas Angel is exiled by the Metropolitan Police force because he is just too good at his job and shows up his colleagues.

Sandford has a Neighborhood Watch Association (NWA) which through it’s CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) system manned by volunteers, holds the town in its claustrophobic grip, viewing everything outside its comfort zone of white, middle aged and middle class with suspicion and hostility.

Sergeant Angel eventually discovers that anyone seen as threatening the rural status quo is being systematically liquidated for what the NWA sees as “the greater good”. The film ends in an exhilerating Hollywood style shootout. (Contains strong language).

Cut to the UK. We have more CCTV cameras (5 million) per head of population (60 million) than any other nation. We have 1% of the World’s population, but 20% of its video cameras and are the most “observed” country in the World.

Cut to Newcastle Emlyn West Wales, population 1,000 where the Town Council is keen to see the installation of 9 CCTV cameras costing £19,000 in order to observe the comings and goings of it’s inhabitants (although the TC would argue, just the unruly ones). Is this a legitimate response to an increase in vandalism and unruly behaviour, or simply overkill given the nature of the problem? Are there local police crime statistics to support the CCTV proposal?

The main dilemma regarding the use of CCTV is explained by Jonathan Bamford, assistant commissioner at the Information Commissioner’s Office:

“It is clear that use of CCTV enjoys a lot of public support and can have benefits such as helping with the detection of crime, however, it can be extremely intrusive, putting law abiding people under surveillance. It is essential that the public is confident that CCTV is being used responsibly and for a proper purpose.”

Some CCTV operators have even begun to include audio in their CCTV use. Some local authorities have begun fitting speakers beside cameras so that operators can admonish wrongdoers observed on camera in real-time.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned that CCTV must not be used to record conversations. The Commissioner has proposed a new Code of Practice on the use of CCTV to replace the current code adopted in 2000.

I hope that a similar consultation has been taking place in Newcastle Emlyn amongst shopkeepers and residents about the Town Council’s push for CCTV. A public meeting was held on Friday October 12th about the proposals but it was poorly attended, with less than 10 of the 100 town businesses represented and under 30 people, which includes the whole 10 person Town Council. Absence from that meeting however doesn’t imply consent. A proper survey of opinion should be carried out and the results made public. The enthusiasm of a few people for the surveillance society and the silence of the majority cannot be the basis for the installation of cameras in the town.

Those who see technology as the answer to social problems and who wish to covertly observe the lives of the vast majority of non-rowdy, sober and law-abiding citizens must demonstrate an overwhelming case before being allowed to impose their solutions on the rest of us. They must also explain in detail who will have access to recordings or live broadcasts of the comings and goings of towns people. Will everyone having access to the system be Criminal Records Bureau checked? Who will own the recordings? Wireless video systems such as the one being proposed are also vulnerable to their wireless signal being intercepted by hackers working from laptop computers.

It is up to the CCTV enthusiasts to demonstrate that the electronic surveillance approach is vital to keep law and order on Newcastle Emlyn High Street from the Bridge Street to Emlyn Square (for that is the only area of the town which would be covered by the CCTV) and that the thousands of pounds going into the project couldn’t more effectively be spent on other crime prevention measures.

Have your say below and let’s have the debate first, followed by the decision, rather than vice-versa.

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The Planning Committee of Carmarthenshire County council have followed the recommendation of their planning department and refused planning permission for a further 3 wind turbines on the 1000ft Moelfra Hill site, two and a half miles south of Newcastle Emlyn.

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Jeremy Clulow gets the ball rolling…

The “Heart of the Dragon” Festival this summer was a huge success. The people who made it a reality worked their butts off for two years - first of all developing the concept, then obtaining grant funding and then organizing the weekend of activities and festivities. We are all in their debt for showing true community spirit and commitment to their home town, especially in the face of negativity and skepticism from many people, including the majority of Town Councillors.

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Published locally is a book aimed at giving dog owners (and potential owners) a clear insight into the best ways to care for their canine companions. Ann Fawcett, proprietor of Rhydlewis Kennels, has gained extensive knowledge about these animals and their behaviour over many years of living and working with them. Her book - Wild Dogs at Heart: A revealing look at pet dogs and their care - is a comprehensive guide based on her experience.

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