In their desire to get us out of our cars, The South Wales Metrolink – an integrated heavy rail, light rail and bus-based public transport network – is being developed by the Welsh Government in south-east Wales around the hub of Cardiff Central Railway Station.
I don’t know how long this will take to complete, but even if it works like clockwork and you can get off a bus straight onto a train and vice versa, travelling by public transport has a flaw . . .the public!
Governments won’t persuade drivers out of their cars onto buses and trains while many of their fellow passengers are selfishly yapping on their phones or listening to music without ear buds.
A friend and his wife recently decided to travel to Cardiff by bus, using their OAP passes. It started badly when one of the passengers on the bus taking them into the bus station spent the whole journey relating her domestic troubles into her ‘phone . . . very loudly.
Then, sitting on the Cardiff bus, waiting for it to pull out, the driver suddenly turned up the in-bus radio(!) to an ear-splitting level.
Not wanting to endure this throughout the 45-minute journey, they got off the bus (telling the driver why they were doing so) and walked to the local railway station.
The next train to Cardiff had been cancelled, the one after that was delayed by 14 minutes and when it arrived, an on-board announcement explained the delay was due to “Railway police being called to remove brawling passengers!”
This was ten’o’clock in the morning!
When they were ready to return home, they noticed a bus to their town about to leave from a nearby stop, so boarded it, only to have their ears assailed by music from the phone of a young lad sat at the back, accompanied by an adult who made no attempt to suggest he might turn down the volume.
The Welsh Government’s Metro Link scheme will only be successful if journeys are as pleasant and comfortable for passengers as being in their own cars.  Can you see that happening?

Every week, I have the delightful opportunity to share a slice of my life with you, an experience that’s as colourful as it is challenging. It’s a privilege, truly!
However, I must confess that my esteemed newspaper editor occasionally keeps me on my toes. Just when I thought freedom of speech was at its peak, well, Mr Editor, I’m only kidding!
In a world where news is at our fingertips 24/7, one might wonder: why do we still pick up newspapers?
Perhaps it’s a matter of personal preference, but studies suggest we’re hardwired for gossip and drawn to negativity.
This raises an intriguing question: could our fascination with juicy tidbits be why so many of us struggle to keep secrets?
It certainly makes me reflect on my own collection of stories.
While I strive for authenticity, there’s always a dash of exaggeration for comedic flair. I trust you understand the need for a little embellishment now and then.
But don’t mistake my musings as complaints; I cherish the fact that people entrust me with their stories and experiences.
Each tale is a thread in the vibrant tapestry of our community, illuminating the lives around us. From heartwarming anecdotes to the occasional scandal, I relish the diversity of narratives that cross my desk.
So, here’s to continuing this journey together!
May our shared stories entertain, inform, and perhaps even spark a little laughter along the way. After all, it’s these moments that make our lives, and our newspapers, worth reading.

Watching the original “Star Trek” back in the day, viewers were intrigued by the hand-held ‘communicators’ Captain Kirk used to call for help when caught in a menacing situation.
For example, there was the time he was being chased by a man in a rubber monster suit around cardboard rocks on a cramped studio set representing a cramped alien planet.
Kirk and crew would say “Beam me up” into their communicators, their bodies would disintegrate into a zillion molecules and be whisked up to the Enterprise where each molecule would instantly re-assemble in perfect order.
I don’t recall there were any mishaps during this delicate process, creating a molecularly mixed-up mutant with Spock’s ears, Uhuru’s legs, Kirk’s ego and Chekov’s Russian accent . . .“Enemy wessel ahead!”
What once seemed fantastically futuristic is now the everyday.
Many of us own and can’t live without our ‘communicators’, aka smart phones.
True, they’re not capable of ‘beaming us up’ – but it’s only been around 60 years since Star Trek began, so who knows what the next 60 will bring?
Smart phones are much more than just ‘communicators’ and some recent experiences in restaurants lead me to believe 50% of smart phone users have them just to photograph their dinner.
This, to my weary bemusement, is now seen as normal behaviour that other diners are expected to tolerate.
Before the invention of the mobile phone, how would previous generations, who felt the necessity to photograph their fish’n’chips, have managed?
They’d have gone out to dinner with their Box Brownies, Nikons or Kodaks strung around their necks, like the paparazzi.
Then as each course arrived, the restaurant would have reverberated to the sound of cameras clicking and bulbs flashing every five minutes!
Today, people can instantly send photos of their meals to friends (why?), but, pre-mobile phones, once the roll of film had been used-up, it would have had to be sent off to TruPrint or Boots to be developed.
So they’d need to wait patiently until they could show their mates an 8 x 10 of what they’d had for dinner two weeks before!
It would have been as pointless then as it is now!

Well, folks, I think I’ve reached my limit!
Christmas decorations are popping up in November like they’re auditioning for a holiday-themed reality show.
I mean, come on! I thought spotting Easter eggs for sale in Tesco on Boxing Day was pushing it, but this is next-level madness!
Seriously, we’ve barely finished scaring off the ghosts of Halloween, and here we are decking the halls like it’s a festive free-for-all.
Why not just throw all your decorations, Happy Birthdays, Easters, Halloweens, and Christmas cheer, into a giant holiday blender on January 1st and let it whirl for a year-round spectacle?
Talk about a year of celebrations!
Just the other day, I witnessed an elderly gentleman in Swansea attempting to channel his inner Santa.
Picture this: he’s perched precariously on a rickety ladder, one hand grasping a gigantic inflatable reindeer while the other desperately clings to the ladder for dear life.
Meanwhile, his wife, standing below in the pouring rain, is shouting directions like she’s guiding a ship through a storm: “Left a bit! Right a bit!”
What truly had me worried was the fact that they were both already drenched, and she was holding the plug for said inflatable reindeer!
One gust of that wild Welsh winter wind, and I swear Rudolph will take off for a joyride across the countryside.
So. keep your eyes peeled, folks, you never know when you might spot him soaring over a town near you!

People are funny. I’m not talking ‘funny’ as in ‘they make me laugh’ funny. I’m referring to people’s quirks when they inter-act (or very often don’t) with other people in a normal everyday conversation.
As tolerant as you are, I bet you’ve been annoyed by people whose behaviour made you promise to never spend another moment in their company.
A friend of mine recently asked me if I knew what a ‘Non-Reactor’ was.
I didn’t, but as soon as he explained what he meant, I knew exactly what he was talking about.
A veteran writer and long-time observer of human behaviour, he explained a ‘Non-Reactor’ is someone so wrapped up in themselves they’re incapable of reacting to anything you tell them with a polite “That’s very interesting” or “How awful for you!”
“Tell me more!” is, naturally, not in their vocabulary.
Instead, the second you stop talking, they jump in with a (usually unrelated) story of their own, giving the impression they haven’t absorbed what you’ve just told them.
Your words are like bullets bouncing off Superman’s chest.
And the ‘Non-Reactor’ maintains this throughout what is less a conversation than a contest on their part, to tell the most interesting story.
A funny example of a celebrity ‘Non-Reactor’ concerns Sir Christopher Lee.
A man not known for hiding his light under a bushel, shall we say…
Attending a weekend pro-am golf tournament, his ‘Non-Reaction’ to other people’s stories was to immediately relate them to his own career.
This annoyed all the other players, including Jimmy Tarbuck and Kenny Lynch, who tried to think up a story that Mr. Lee couldn’t possibly relate to himself.
On the Sunday morning, Jimmy and Kenny were having breakfast in the hotel when Kenny suddenly said, “I know how we can get him!”
As Mr. Lee joined them at the table, Kenny pretended to be engrossed in his newspaper and exclaimed, “Look at this, Tarby! They’ve found Adolf Hitler alive in the Bolivian jungle!”
Without missing a beat, Mr. Lee said: “I was asked to play Hitler in a film!”
Kenny and Tarby’s response is, sadly, not on record!

As I sit down to write this week’s column, I feel an overwhelming urge to reflect on Remembrance Sunday, a day that resonates deeply for countless individuals across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
This solemn occasion serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women during the two World Wars and subsequent conflicts, a tribute to courage and resilience that transcends generations.
Some time back, I delved into the significance of the poppy, a symbol that carries profound meaning.
To my surprise, I learned that it was inspired by the haunting lines of the World War One poem ‘In Flanders Fields’.
The opening lines evoke a powerful image of vibrant red poppies flourishing amidst the devastated landscapes of soldiers’ graves in Flanders, a region in Belgium that bore witness to unimaginable loss.
These delicate flowers, emerging from the churned earth, stand as a testament to life persisting in the face of death a poignant reminder that even amidst despair, hope can blossom.
Remembrance Sunday is not just a date on the calendar; it is a sacred moment to honour those who have given their all for our freedoms.
It invites us to pause and reflect on the heavy price paid for our choices and the liberty to express our thoughts.
It is a day to acknowledge that our voices, including mine (with the editor’s approval, of course!), are the result of countless sacrifices made by brave souls who believed in a future where freedom reigns.
As we gather to remember, let us carry forward the legacy of those who served, ensuring that their stories and sacrifices are never forgotten.
This day, and the symbol of the poppy, implore us to honour their memory with gratitude and resolve.

I’m no fan of the plastic Halloween skulls and rubber spiders the shops start displaying the day after Whit Monday.
However, I am an advocate for and promoter of Welsh talent!
So when a pal mentioned he’d put time and effort into writing a spooky children’s book (published in time for Halloween), I was only too pleased to bring it to your attention.
Aimed at readers aged from 9 to 15, “Joni Jones And The Ghost Train” was written by TV director and cameraman turned author Paul Leyshon and follows 11-year-old Joni Jones exactly a year after his older brother Cai (12) went missing on Halloween.
After discovering a ghost train, Joni believes it could be the key to the mystery of Cai’s disappearance and when Joni and his friends bravely board the spooky train it takes them to a parallel supernatural world haunted by plague ghosts from 1666 London, ghost pirates from 1780s Cornwall and World War Two fighter pilot ghosts battling over Swansea Bay.
The portal to them all is an old Welsh disused railway cutting, somewhere on the Aber to Carmarthen line.
Paul says, “Having spent decades wandering around fascinating historical sites for a living and bringing intriguing historical stories to life on the small screen, I had the idea of weaving that wealth of work into a fictional, paranormal, time-travelling story for kids.
“I remember the calendars of old Loughor and Gorseinon hanging in the house, and Gorseinon station always featured.
“As a boy I became obsessed with where the old station used to be, and how the old track ran up the Lliw river toward the direction of Gowerton, where it was replaced by a path in the woods.
“This stayed in my head, and a ghost train travelling down an old Beeching cutting became the inspiration for my book!”
It sounds like a cracker of a tale to me. Which makes it an ideal stocking filler for young readers with vivid imaginations this Christmas!
“Joni Jones And The Ghost Train” by PD Leyshon is published by PD Leyshon Publications and is available as an ebook.
You can find out more about Paul Leyshon on his website – https://www.paulleyshon.com

This week, I’ve been graced with the honour of speaking at a prestigious business event.
I can already hear the applause ringing in my ears as I strut across the floor, exuding confidence and wisdom.
But wait! There’s a catch – a Halloween theme!
Yes, you heard that right.
Picture this: a room full of business moguls dressed as everything from vampires to spaghetti monsters, and there I am, the lone wolf without a costume.
What a delightful pickle!
So, for the past week, I’ve been locked in a battle of wits with myself, pondering the perfect costume.
Should I go as a classic ghost, draping myself in a sheet?
Let’s be honest, nobody wants to be the guy who shows up looking like a laundry accident.
Or perhaps I could channel my inner superhero? But then, I’d have to remember that I’m not actually saving the world, just trying to save face.
Every time I think I’ve got it figured out, I imagine the cringe-worthy moment when I walk into the venue and someone says, “Nice costume! Are you a lost office supply?”
The stakes are high, folks!
As I scour the internet for ideas, I stumble upon a plethora of ridiculous options, like dressing as a walking spreadsheet or a giant coffee cup.
While the thought of wearing a caffeine-fuelled costume is amusing, I fear I might blend in too well with the morning crowd.
In the end, I’m left with a dilemma: do I embrace the absurdity of the occasion and risk becoming the punchline of the event?
Or do I play it safe and let my personality shine?
Either way, I’m determined to make this Halloween business event one for the books, if only I can figure out what I’m going to wear!