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Victorian town slur by ITV presenter



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Published Date:
29 February 2008
SHOCKING claims that could damage the image of Powys' county town have been made by an ITV television presenter.
Last night's episode of Great Welsh Roads, saw presenter Mike Parker, 41, travel through Llandrindod Wells and onto other towns in Powys.

It was while visiting the town during last year's Victorian Festival in August that he said on camera: "Why
don't they go the whole hog and introduce cholera in the town's water supply or send the kids up the chimneys?"

ITV's programme synopsis added insult to injury, claiming: "Llandrindod Wells' Victorian past seems to be the only key on offer to the town's future."

The comments have been blasted by irate county councillor Gary Price, who said that if Mr Parker re-visited the town, he would see an area undergoing great regeneration in preparation for a promising future.

He said: "These comments are shocking. They could damage the image of the county town of

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Powys. I really don't think that Mr Parker has seen enough of the town to offer a full and fair judgement.

"If he came to speak to me or anyone else from the town it would be clear to him that we are an area that is not relying on the past for the future.

"We are soon to be welcoming a new out-of-town development for the emergency services, while last year £2.5million was spent on updating older buildings.

"The Victorian Festival is a time of celebration of our past, yes, and it attracts tourists from far and wide, but we are a town on the up."

Councillor Derek Law, Mayor of Llandrindod Wells, supported Cllr Price's views, he said: "I would depricate any suggestion that we have nothing to offer, we have plenty to offer.

"Yes as far as the Victorian past is concerned it is very acceptable and very popular and it brings alot of people in. But we also happen to have alot of wonderful parks. How many towns are there in Britain where the green truly comes into the town?"

We also have the lake which people come from far and wide to see, from Wales and beyond. As well as our beautiful neighbouring countryside", he added.

Cllr Price also stressed that he was worried Mr Parker's comments about cholera could give some people ideas.

"What kind of comments are these? To say this could be dangerous. Imagine if someone listened to him and upset the watercourse. And as for saying that about our youth, I'm speechless.

"I grew up in Llandrindod Wells and know that while every town has a few bad eggs, the youth here are good people."

*What do you think? Is Mike Parker right? Add your comments below, or write to 11c Broad Street, Welshpool, SY21 7LE. Email news@countytimes.co.uk



The full article contains 480 words and appears in County Times Gazette newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 29 February 2008 8:52 AM
  • Source: County Times Gazette
  • Location: Welshpool, Powys
 
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"grumpy youth",

Llandrindod 29/02/2008 20:50:54
I personally agree with Mike Parkers comments , along with my family, friends and colleagues. This town offers nothing at all for people who aren't over the age of 70.
Apart from one measly attempt at a night club there is nothing here for us young people. When one of our local buisness men offered us a bowling alley and many other things in one building the people of the town turned it down because they were afraid of the noise, there are only elderly people in the council so no young people's views are being heard. If it was not for my job I would of left town along time ago along with most of my friends. There is nothing to keep us here, along with settens possibly closing down it brings little hope of anyone staying in town.
We have in place a conservation order, this means we are not allowed double glazing along with sky dishes on the front's of our house's. Although this seems quite a nice idea I feel the only reason this is in place is beacuse the councilors want us to keep up the victorian image. There is no hope of us ever moving into the 21st century, the sooner we do that and drop the 'retirement village' image the better for the town. We do not want to wreck the town or cause havoc but to have somewhere to shop, somewhere to go out, something to do on the weekends, a job!!

The only thing this place has to offer is it's scenery and the dreaded victorian week...
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,

29/02/2008 20:51:55
Comment Reported Unsuitable By User
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Eddy B,

Powys 01/03/2008 10:44:17
I don't think the people of Llandrindod Wells need worry about the personal views of Mike Parker. It is generally known that Mike Parker has a chip on his shoulder. He's only a West Midlander who has settled in West Wales and gone to extraordinary lengths to ingratiate himself with extremist Welsh nationalists. To this end, it serves his purpose to deride anything that he thinks smacks of Englishness. People like him therefore would like to censor a great deal from Welsh history. With regard to Llandrindod Wells, it is a fact that the town arose as a spa town during the Victorian period and it is therefore sensible and estimable that the people of Llandrindod Wells honour these beginnings of their town. The suggestion that to honour the positive aspects of the town's Victorian's heritage is flawed unless negative aspects are included as well, such as sending children up chimneys, is typical of Mike Parker's inverted & extremist mindset. He may hope that the extremist minority will think better of him for such comments but in the end they will never fully accept him because at the end of the day they will always consider him yet another English Midlander. Get over it, Mr. Parker, Wales had a Victorian era and during that period many great things happened in Wales and they WILL be honoured - whether it serves your personal ambitions or not!
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Oh the joy of Llandrindod Wells....,

Powys 03/03/2008 13:29:14
I'm afraid I also have to agree with mr "Grumpy Youth". Having moved to Llandrindod when I was aged 6 with my family, I was somewhat unaware of the joys of Llandrindod Wells, as were the other members of my family. I am sure that the potential is there, but currently, the town is an uneventful dreary place. Ask anyone under the age of 30 and I am sure they would agree. I currently work near the area, and also commute outside Powys. When I return for the weekends there is little that Llandrindod offers, since the majority of intelligent people escape at 18 it becomes a fairly depressing place for the under 25s. Forgive me if I am expressing an individually bitter view, but I am sure that this is a widespread opinion. Powys County Council needs to think about attracting young vibrant people to the town instead of driving them away.
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landodlip,

llandod 03/03/2008 16:31:48
First of all lets say what a poor piece of journalism by Andrew Morris,worthy of a tabloid, to use what was obviously intended as a piece of whimsy by Mike Parker was used as a sub heading is nothing more than sensationalism.
However mike Parker also made dubious comments about newtown,so hes not just having a go at llandod.
on the theme of llandods victorian heritage, of course it is necessary for it to have its place although the town council are obsessed with 'it',it seems to me.
In the last ten years llandod has lost 450 jobs in manufacturing,ok so tesco might produce 150,but there are still a high amount of unemployed,the highest in powys! that both the town council and powys cc should be focusing on to enable the towns future.
Who really benefits from the victorian festival or the tourist season?
A small select band of hoteliers and shop keepers,thats who.
Does the revenue from the tourist season reach everyone in the town? Of course not it stays in the hands of the business people.
As for the youth of the town,well they have a lot more facilities available to them compared to my teens and early twenties during the late 1980's and 90's.
But i do have sympathy with them because without the investment in jobs then llandod will continue to struggle.thats why any young person with anything about them goes to university and rarely returns.
and whats more i quite enjoy the programme 'welsh roads'.
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Anna-Mary,

04/03/2008 18:25:32
I don't know how someone like Llandodlip can question Andrew Morris as a reporter when they quite clearly don't know what an apostrophe or a capital letter is for! It wasn't sensationalist, that's what he said, and I for one think he shouldn't have said it.
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landodlip,

llandod 05/03/2008 16:20:03
i'm not doubting what was said,but how it was intended!
a piece of whimsy,to perhaps a whimsical idea of a future based on the past.
Andrew Morris' piece was a muck raking piece of journalism,in my opinion.
apologies for my speed of typing,but its not me thats being questioned,it is mike parker some of his views i endorse and Andrew morris who's journalism was poor.
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