A room full of vague expressions lit up the chamber when a failure in the microphone and headset equipment left many county councillors not knowing what was going on.

'What did he say?' 'I can't hear?' 'This is ridiculous', echoed councillors.

In 2004 the Welsh Assembly Government offered long serving councillors 'golden goodbyes' to encourage more diversity of candidates, however, the average age of councillors in Wales is 61-years-old, while 40 per cent of councillors are over 65.

Perhaps with the forthcoming elections we will see some new blood making decisions on what ultimately affects nobody else but us.

Then again, perhaps the equipment failure was just a tactical ploy by planning applicants so they could get the bid approved on the basis that nobody knew what was going on.

Or could it have been a cunning plan to allow slumbering councillors to sleep through the debate?

***

THE fantastic rises in our water charges are enough to get me hot under the collar.
Add to that this week's news that Severn Trent face a £35.8 million fine for providing false information and it makes my blood boil quicker than a kettle of their water.
Severn Trent has admitted misreporting leakage levels in 2001 and 2002.
Water watchdog Ofwat's chief executive couldn't have put it more succinctly: "Severn Trent Water's behaviour was unacceptable."
The water firm says it will cut our water bills for the next two years, but ultimately as users and water bill payers we'll all no doubt foot the bill one way or another!

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IT never ceases to amaze me how some of our stories get around the world.

Our tale about some pubs claiming the smoking ban has hit their trade, struck a chord with a reader from Chicago.

He wrote this week: "It's Dave (Parry) in Chicago, I completely agree, it's the pubs that should be allowed to choose whether they allow smoking or not.

"We had a similar ban passed in Illinois this January, and it is killing the pub trade here too.

The most dangerous aspect of the ban in our area (Homewood, Illinois) is that people who used to walk up the the local pubs in town now drive 10 minutes over the border to go to the pubs in Indiana."

It may seem a bit strange, that an old fellow who puffs on his pipe should back the ban, but I do actually.

***

WELL I'm glad that the police are going to clamp down on bad parking in Welshpool... about time too I say.

I don't see why they really need to bother with an "educational period" as they nicely put it.

We all know if we've parked badly or illegally and we're not children.
I cannot understand why people park right outside the Spar shop in Welshpool when there's a perfectly good car park just a few feet away.
The lazy blighters deserve a ticket not a warning. Book them I say!

***

I SEE that Sian Lloyd's much awaited book comes out this week.
I have to say I don't think I'll be reading "A Funny Kind of Love".

Rather interestingly she said on TV the other day that there was nothing in the book former fiance MP Lembit Opik could object to or find embarrassing as that was not her intention. Pull the other one Sian!

Anyway, if there's anyone I feel sorry for in all this it is her new husband. I'm not sure I'd be wanting my new bride to still be harping on about an old romance!