Thursday, April 26, 2007

This week I'll be mainly appearing on.....

Last week I appeared on Siaradog.tv, an internet only 'chat-show' of sorts (aimed at 16 year olds judging by the set and the 'humour') to talk about blogging in Welsh and my little internet business jobs-cymraeg.com.

Sanddef has invited me to be a part of a another online show called Blogger TV on 18 Doughty Street, a political website by Iain Dale. I'm aware of both websites, but I must admit I don't visit them very often as it mainly concentrates on Uk politics, but as Iain's doing a "special Welsh elections programme", then I should make the effort to blog about it and include something political on this blog to justify taking any part!

One of the main talking points about this election is the expected turnout. Of course, turnout is low for elections at any level throughout the Uk, but as this is only the 3rd election ever for the National Assembly, it's going to be pretty embarassing for the politicians from all the parties. It's widely held that one of the reasons that turnout is so low at the Assembly elections is that it's given so little coverage in the London based press. As the fast majority of Wales' population only read newspapers from outside Wales (the only so-called National newspaper of Wales also belongs to Trinity Mirror), it only leaves the BBC and ITV as the main source of information about the institution. BUT, many people in north east and south east Wales turn their masts to England.

Many people in Wales still don't know what powers the Assembly have (maybe this explaines why the BNP leaflet I received yesterday states they want to curb immigration into Wales!)

Plaid Cymru tend to get a larger percentage of the vote in the Assembly elections than Westminster ones, not because people vote differently, but as a Welsh party they find it easier to mobilize and motivate their supporters to vote. Once again Labour are worried that a no-show from their voters is going to harm them more than people choosing to vote for a different party (although I hope plenty do exchange votes).

A lot has been written on blogs and message boards recently about the absence of posters and signs in people's gardens etc as an indicator of another poor turnout. I must admit that I've seen very little, a few Labour, Tories and Lib Dem ones' in Cardiff North, some Pliad Cymru and Tories in Cardiff West, and the very few I've seen in Caerffili have all been Labour, where there are usually quite a bit of Plaid ones (and I don't think that's down to the organised vandalism of over 30 Plaid signs in Ceredigion). I have seen a couple of Plaid and Labour ones in Islwyn - Maybe everyones campaigning through blogs these days!

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Brigyn &the Pilgrims: Caerffili, 27.4.07

I've organised the following gig

Brigyn
Pilgrims
at the Goodrich Hotel, Caerffili
27.4.07
8:00pm
£4

Brigyn2

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Thursday, April 12, 2007

2nd response from Amazon

On the same day as an article appears in Golwg re my little tiff with Amazon, the company finally send me positive response, following their previous not so positive one:
     Dear Rhys Wynne,
Firstly please accept our apologies for the delay in resolving this issue for you
and thank you for your patience.

Having advised our Management team of the issue you have encountered, we have
reviewed our policy regarding the receipt of cheque's written in Cymraeg, and are
pleased to advise you we are more than happy to accept cheque's from our customers
written in Cymraeg.

We do sincerely apologise for your original cheque being returned to you and would
ask you to resend the cheque to us and we will fulfill your order.

Due to this inconvenience we will certainly refund you for any postage costs
incurred for returning the cheque to us.

Your cheque should be made payable to Amazon EU S.A.R.L and sent to the following
address:

Amazon.co.uk
Customer Accounts
1-9 The Grove
Slough
Berkshire SL1 1QP
United Kingdom

Please contact us on the below link to advise us of any postage costs incurred.

Thank you for choosing Amazon.co.uk and we look forward to your future custom.

Warmest regards

Paul S.
Customer Service
Amazon.co.uk
I'd have thought they'd offer me a bit more than the price of a stamp for my distress, but hey you don't make $100' s millions by being generous. I'm not sure whether I'll use them again though.


Update 13.4.07

God knows if Amazon read this blog, but following posting the above comments yesterday, I've now received this e-mail. Fair play to them.

Dear Rhys Wynne,

Further to my previous correspondence with regards to
the processing of order by cheque payment, our
Management team have concluded their review of your issue and they
have agreed to provide a good will gesture to the value of GBP22.93.
This goodwill gesture will be in the form of a promotional
certificate which can be redeemed towards your next purchase with
Amazon.co.uk.

Please accept this goodwill gesture as an apology for
the inconvenience of having to forward us the cheque
payment again, and thus delaying the dispatch of the item to you.

Thank you for your understanding and patience with
regards to this matter.


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Thursday, April 05, 2007

A message from Amazon to Wales

On the same weekend that I received the good news that Amazon is bringing 1,200 jobs to Wales (is there any sense in giving £9 million 'grant' to a company that made between $370 and $510 million profit?), I was sent back a cheque from the company with the following (very polite) message:
Dear Customer,

Please find enclosed your cheque for £22.93 as the words are written in Welsh. Sorry to ask but could you please amend and return to us so we may proceed with your order, as the bank may not be able to read it.

Kind regards
Billing Dept.
A very odd and old fashioned attitude I must say. I've been posting cheques in Welsh to BT for years without any problems. I've e-mailed my local AM (Rhodri Morgan), Alun Pugh and Andrew Davies ac well as the company itself, which has responded, just to confirm that yes, cheques have to be in English only. Not a very good way to endear themselves to the Welsh public!

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