- Change need not be scary

- Change need not be scary

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Machynlleth Tesco

To save responding to Mr Glyn Davies blog post in detail and filling his comments field too much, I have posted my response in full here.

The blog I am responding too can be found here http://glyndaviesam.blogspot.com/2009/08/magic-of-machynlleth.html

Mr Davies, I wish for Tesco or any supermarket to arrive in Machynlleth as I believe that the area is in dire need of it.

1) Job's

As an incomer I moved here for family reason's and was fortunate enough to get a job in Newtown before arriving. At the time there were jobs available in Machynlleth, but preferred what was offered. Over time, I don't really think the job situation has improved and can be argued it has got worse. I believe the net effect of Tesco arriving will bring more jobs to the area, even if some are part time. However should the application fail, I have already said to my son that he will be better off moving elsewhere to increase his chances of getting a job. (If truth be told, I told him he will be better of moving to another country as the UK is dying.)

Now he may not want to work in Tesco, but what I am trying to get across is these jobs are very much needed. If the application fails, then the Welsh Assembly, EEC and UK Government need to be pressured to get some sort of major employer into the area. I know it has or was granted EEC funding, but at what cost per head for job created? But that is another debate.

2) Competition

As I have said I travel a lot throughout the UK. Guess what I do on the way back? Visit a town's supermarket to get the groceries and save money in the process. I do compare and the majority of cases do save, and better in my pocket than elsewhere. I have been told that the Machynlleth Co-op is the "most profitable in the area", and "covers losses made elsewhere". Personally I would prefer that money in my pocket than cover for any loses elsewhere. Increasing the competition in the town will drive down prices. To what effect to current shops? Very little, Co-op will suffer and less so the Spar. They are big enough organisations to fight back.

3) People

I don't fully subscribe to the idea that local businesses will suffer. The clock papershop will have a problem and maybe the bakers. The others are good or diverse enough to take stock, adapt and prosper. Tesco will over time increase the volume of people moving in Machynnleth (will deal with traffic issue later) and the challenge is for current shops to attract these people through the doors.

4) Traffic

Turn a negative into a positive. The increase in traffic volume will cause a problem but use this opportunity to get something in place. I don't like the clock junction and I do think traffic lights are the answer. Likewise the Dyfi bridge.

(Here is a question. Is the clock junction, like the Dyfi bridge a Welsh Assembly issue as it is on a major truck road?)

Use lights to control the bridge access. Of course, there is the ongoing problem with flooding, and being honest I cannot answer that at the moment aside from building a brand new route into the town.

Glyn, please use whatever influence you have to spread the message that the majority of those who reside in the area that Machynlleth Town Council administer do want this application approved. The 'no' camp are running a very good campaign and as often happens, the silent 'Yes' are slow to get things going.

I do think think that this application does have a problem of being rejected due to the mix of locals. Not something to be sneered at but rather rejoiced, cause I really have become fond of the area. I have often felt that there is a divide in the town and as an 'incomer' it does feel at times rather strange. It would appear that this divide is largely shown between the 'Yes' and 'No' camps. In the end I hope that it doesn't get any worse, people accept and respect the views of all incomers/hippies/bowlers/locals or whatever tag people are given.

At the end of the day, these same people have the same amount of voting power as their neighbour.

Social connection

As my world is fully connected you may find me on Facebook, Windows Live, Blogger, xBox & Twitter. All with the user name of 

Ali Nicoll

New job

As you may be aware, Raymond A Lamb were bought by Thermo Fisher Scientific during November 08. After worrying about whether I would be kept or not and knowing that Thermo only had one position open, I decided to put a few feelers out.

During November and early December, a number of companies spoke to me with nothing coming from it. In mid December Thermo interviewed me and followed it up with a kind offer to take on an area. I thanked them for the offer and was told that I would get the formal offer once certain details were sorted out.

About then a couple more companies enquired about me. One interviewed me the afternoon after Thermo had said the formal offer would be in the post by end of work the next day. (Roughly two weeks after the informal notification). This interview led to an job offer early the next week and it is this I have accepted.

So now I am winding down my Raymond A Lamb work load and getting it ready to hand it over. I hope that Thermo don’t have a dagger ready for me but I was offered a new challenge which is always welcomed. Knowing what area Thermo were going to offer I would probably get more money in the long term than what the new company offered, but a number of folk I spoke to said that I would be silly to turn this down.

So what have I accepted?

 

Dako – North West  

MS Office Groove & Palm TX sync

Looking for a software solution where I can sync Microsoft Office 07 Groove application to my Palm TX.

 

Suggestions?

 

Ali

BBC - Food - Recipes - Caramel banana shortbread

 

BBC - Food - Recipes - Caramel banana shortbread

Laptop power problem's

I have an old laptop which I have refurbished for my son (aged 9) and was working okay for some time.

However one day I started it and after a perod of time it it just shut down, as if it had run out of power.

At various times it would start okay or just be ine process of loading Windows before once again it shut down. No close down screen, just hard disk noise then blank screen

Thinking that the battery was needing replaced, bought a new one and it loaded as normal, worked okay for about 10 minutes but alas did what it again, shut down.

Looked into it a bit more and noticed that there is no mains light when connected to the mains but the small light at the top of the screen is on. If you pressed the base of the laptop at various points the mains light did come on whilst the small light disappeared. All of this is occuring when the laptop is switched off.

Now stuck as the laptop was working great before this started. No new hardware had been installed for about 2 weeks before all this happens (was a wifi card). No new software for some time and I know my son hasn't done anything as me or my wife sit with him when he is on.

If anyone has any advice please let me know.

Ali