20/07/2011 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines:

The fight for cheaper, faster internet access in the countryside

- pressure on providers to cut Also tonight:

Campaigners trying to save their church heckle the Archbishop of

The Archbishop offers parishioners an olive branch - they can buy

their church. So what future for Maerdy?

Good evening from the Royal Welsh Show. There's a very special

anniversary being celebrated here. Welsh Young Farmers Clubs have been

going for 75 years and there's no sign of them slowing up.

This is what being a member is all about. Joining in and having fun.

And a hero's welcome - Cecil Foster was one of Britain's most famous

sailors, now his hometown is Good evening. It's an issue that

affects people across rural Wales and, today, an announcement that

could see customers paying less for broadband. The telecom regulator

Ofcom has told BT to drop the price it charges other internet providers

to use its network. More from our Rural Affairs Correspondent Iolo ap

Dafydd. For four days of the year, if you

run a business in rural Wales, this is probably the best place to meet

and forge new contacts. But how can you expand your business if you're

based in an area which is more of a not-spot rather than a hot-spot in

terms of fast broadband connection? According to the UK's telecoms

regulator, Ofcom, 12 local authorities in mid, north and west

Wales are amongst the worst connected areas in Britain. An

example of how that leaves you at a disadvantage is Frances Volecker's

business. She's an architect and works from her home in Pantglas,

near Penygroes in Gwynedd. If you were a young person trying to set

up a business and you had these kind of problems, you could not do

it here. You cannot set up a business in a rural area which

relies on broadband connections to the rest of the world. You can't

compete with the towns. BT largely provides the internet

infrastructure which more than 400 other companies use and then charge

their own rates to customers. Ofcom has asked BT to drop the wholesale

price they charge those providers who service rural areas. It costs

more to provide the internet in rural areas and customers there can

end up paying more. What will happen will be that the wholesale

offer that BT will sell to the 400 plus service providers out there

will be flexible within rural areas. I think that is partly because they

have been cases where the rural areas have been charged more and BT

has never charged more in the rural area. BT were doing the big sell

today at the Show, explaining a new fast broadband scheme in Cornwall.

The telecoms regulator feels the onus is on them to start bringing

prices down. What we are doing by enforcing a charge control, in

forcing BT to put a price cut on the charge they charge their

wholesale customer companies such as Sky or Vodafone, that creates

greater competition. Milking time at Brynrhyd farm in Llanedi,

Carmarthenshire. Last year, Dawn Richards was at the Show, and

seized on a grant from the Welsh Government to improve a

frustratingly slow internet speed. Her farm now has a small satellite

dish and broadband has transformed the farm business as well as home

life. We use on a daily basis. My husband unit -- use it for silage

analysis and buys different things for the farm on it. Before, when we

had dial-up, which was impossible, because by the time you got to the

site you wanted, you were cut off. The UK Government has promised

almost �57 million to improve broadband in Wales. Currently

there's a bidding competition to see which company will take

advantage of public money and make our internet lives easier. BT are

one of the bidders. What customers want to know most is, can they have

better access at lower prices? This is becoming a big political

issue. There is a lot of political emphasis being put on this and the

financial and economic implications. We hear how much money the UK

government will put aside but the unofficial estimate is that there

will need to be around �200 million to roll out new generation super-

fast broadband right across the country. There are ongoing

negotiations to see how much and where that money comes from. There

is another issue as well which Ofcom alluded to there, that there

has got to be services for everyone in Wales, not just the 78 % of

broadband users in urban areas but also in the countryside. Mid-Wales,

North Wales and West Wales. They have got to have the same services.

Campaigners trying to save their church in the Rhondda have been

told they can buy it. The parishioners of All Saints in

Maerdy have been staging a sleep-in protest since its closure nearly

three weeks ago. Now, the Archbishop of Wales has offered to

sell them the building and agreed that two weddings, cancelled

because of the closure, can now take place. Dr Barry Morgan made

the concessions during a sometimes heated meeting at a neighbouring

church last night. I think all of this is getting out of hand.

Shouted down by parishioners of All Saints, the Archbishop of Wales

struggled to calm the protestors who want to prevent the closure of

their local church in Maerdy. we're asking for is a 12 months.

This meeting of the Parochial Church Council in Tylorstown last

night degenerated into a heated exchange. The Archbishop's

concession to sell them their church at a knock-down price

failing to lift their spirits. Church in Wales is able to offer it

for sale far below the market value to a charity. He said we could buy

the church and still have to worship there but we would have to

pay for everything. We would have to pay the costs of the vicar. It

would be our building but the land would never be ours. They've been

worshiping at All Saints in Maerdy since 1885, but this month that

came to an end. With a dwindling congregation and a mounting repair

bill, estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, All Saints was

earmarked for closure. Incensed by the move, parishioners have held a

sleep-in protest for nearly three weeks and have been seeking to

overturn that decision. After the meeting in Tylorstown last night,

campaigners invited the Archbishop to come and see their church for

himself. There he held an unscheduled evensong service and

reiterated the offer from the Church in Wales to the parishioners

- form a charity and buy the building. Once it was brought up

into an appropriate standard, then we could resume and they can

worship here, but it would not be a church in Wales building at that

juncture. Is this a signal of the way the Church in Wales is going to

go? This is where my mother got married. Though the Archbishop did

not grant the church a reprieve last night, he did overturn a

decision to cancel weddings scheduled for All Saints this

summer. That's come as a great relief for nurse Stephanie Rowe,

who'll be the fourth generation of excitement of being able to go

ahead with it in the church. It at the church I have always gone to

as a child. Back at the church, the campaigners are arranging for a

structural survey so they can find out just how much needs to be spent

on saving the building. He called it yesterday afternoon and his

first words were, there is no need to close this building. There is

nothing that cannot be fixed in this building. It will take many,

but we are more than prepared to sort out our finances.

campaigners say they can't see the point of the offer to sell them the

church. Any money spent on buying the building will actually reduce

the amount they have to spend on repairing it. For the time being,

the vigil goes on and this row continues.

The battle to succeed Ieuan Wyn Jones as Plaid Cymru leader will

begin in the New Year. The party says it wants a new leader in place

before next May's local elections. Mr Jones had already announced his

decision to stand down after a disappointing performance in the

Assembly elections. I do hope there is a contest

because party members really value having candidates coming before

them. I have done to leadership elections and the party members

need to know that they have had a vote in deciding the next leader

and the next leader needs to know that they have the support of the

party when they take over the position.

Small businesses employing fewer than ten people will be exempt from

a new carrier bag levy being introduced by the Welsh Government.

From October 1st, all retailers in Wales will be required to charge 5p

for every bag used as part of the environmental scheme.

The public services union Unison says it's disappointed that Wrexham

Council is considering whether to privatise its home care services as

part of efficiency measures. It says it would be the first local

authority in Wales to completely outsource the assistance it offers

to elderly and infirm people at their homes.

Wrexham Council says around 80% of its home care is provided by the

private sector and is consulting on transferring the remaining 20% that

it currently offers. It wants to concentrate its efforts on a scheme

which helps people regain their independence after suffering health

or welfare problems. But Unison says that could come at the expense

of other vulnerable people. The 20 % that we still provide at the

moment is absolutely vital. The private sector does have a contract

to provide 80 % of care, however, we are aware of many instances

where they do not fulfil those contracts and our carers have got

to pick up the pieces when the vulnerable in our communities are

abandoned by the private sector. Care Forum Wales says the private

sector is more than capable of providing excellent home care, but

agrees with the charity Age Cymru that the onus is on local

authorities to demand a good value and high quality service. That is

where councils need to be very careful in terms of who they are

commissioning, to make sure that in those tender processes, they are

aware that the services are going to be of a high quality and they

are satisfied with that. Also, companies need sustainable business

plans. We have seen the problems with residential homes recently.

Wrexham Council says it will offer alternative employment or voluntary

redundancy to the 50 staff who would be affected.

Still to come in the programme: The dream of a third Olympic medal

is still alive - David Davies could still qualify for London, despite

missing the World Championships. And Cecil Foster was a hero -

leading his ship-wrecked crew to safety. Nearly 90 years on, his

Welcome back to the Royal Welsh. You join me overlooking the main

ring, where earlier today thousands gathered to see the Welsh champion

cob being crowned. It's always a fiercely contested competition. The

Prince of Wales Cup is one of the most coveted trophies at the Royal

Welsh. This year's winner was Abergavenny Morning Queen. Her

owner, Jonathan Batt, from Abergavenny, is with me now. What

did the judges say put her ahead of the rest? She was a standing today.

She was full of substance and moved and cover the ground pretty well

today. It must have been very nerve-racking. It does play on the

nerves. We have been competing at the show for 25 years now.

Competing in the final line-up does play anew. How much is she worth

after all of this? She has won the biggest show of her career so to

put a price on it is hard to do. She will always stay in Abergavenny

now and she will have a home for life as we planned. The prize money

is not much but it is all about the prestige today. Yes, we have been

breeding and showing Welsh cobs for 25 years now. We have never won the

Cup. We have been reserved before but she has finally come through

Forest today. -- for us today. Join us again in a few minutes.

We'll be toasting happy birthday to the Young Farmers Club. See you

the Young Farmers Club. See you Herr evidence have to gel three

innocent men. Eight ex-police officers deny conspiracy to the

pervert the course of justice. Police are hunting a 28-year-old

man who absconded from Prescoed open prison in Monmouthshire. Gavin

Williams who has links to South Wales was convicted of grievous

bodily harm in 2009. He's thought to be dangerous and members of the

public are asked not to approach him and contact the police.

The Airbus plant at Broughton in Flintshire has had a huge boost

after American Airlines placed an order for 260 A3-20 passenger jets.

The wings for the planes are made at the North Wales site.

Sport: Wales' two top distance swimmers

are preparing for a showdown next year to decide who will represent

Great Britain at the Olympics. Today, Tom Allen from Flintshire

missed his chance to guarantee selection in the 10 kilometre open

water race after finishing outside the top ten at the World

Championships. That result has thrown a lifeline to Beijing

medallist David Davies who now has another chance to qualify for

London 2012. Two Welsh Olympic careers hung in

the balance as today's race got underway. 19-year-old Tom Allen

knew a top ten finish would guarantee him a place at the London

Olympics, at the expense of Welsh great David Davies, who'd chosen to

miss the World Championships because of fatigue. In the end,

Allen could only finish 26th. He'll now have to try again next year,

where he'll need to beat his friend and countryman if he wants to swim

the open water in 2012. Back in Cardiff, Davies spent a nervous

night waiting for others to decide his future plans. I have not

thought about it too much. Last night, I realised it was a big deal.

I was waiting for the firm to go. I have got a massive incentive.

Davies is one of Wales' greatest modern day Olympians, winning a

bronze in the pool in 2004, and then a silver in the 10 kilometre

open water in Beijing. But since then, he's struggled for form,

which he now puts down to excessive training. In a bid to turn things

around, he returned to his mentor and childhood coach who thinks he

deserves today's slice of good fortune. Good things happen to

those who wait. He has had to wait and see what happened. It has all

come through. He is very encouraged. Great Britain's open water

selection will now be decided in May with Davies and Tom Allen both

hoping they will win a place in the Olympic team.

Glamorgan not playing Essex. The Welsh county were put into bat and

at the moment they are up 182 for four.

Football: Bangor City lost 10-0 away last

night against HJK Helsinki in the second leg of the Champions League

second qualifying round. Bangor were 2-0 down at half-time before

the floodgates opened. Over the two legs, they lost 13-0 on aggregate.

Cardiff City are expected to sign two players. Scotland striker Kenny

Miller is set for a medical while Slovan Bratislava say their 20-

year-old midfielder Filip Kiss is about to join the club. Tonight,

the Bluebirds play Celtic in a friendly. The Wales midfielder Joe

Ledley is to return to the club where he started his career.

The name Cecil Foster might not mean much to us these days, but in

the 1920s, he was one of Britain's most famous sailors. 88 years ago,

he led his shipwrecked crew to safety after their vessel sank in

the Indian Ocean 1700 miles from shore. Over the years, his exploits

have been forgotten. But now, people in his home town of Barry in

the Vale of Glamorgan have restored his damaged grave in memory of

their local hero. August 1923. 34 merchant seamen

return to British shores. It was a homecoming like no other. The men

had survived 23 days on lifeboats in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

They had little food and no navigation equipment. This is the

man credited with saving their lives. Master Mariner Cecil Foster.

In June 1923, his merchant ship the Trevessa encountered high storms

after leaving Australia. As the ship began to sink, he ordered an

evacuation. The initial Lovering the boats and getting them underway

and so by evening was incredible. - - and surviving. The ship's anchor

very quickly. When the Trevessa sank, she was

1700 miles from shore. But Cecil Foster had been cast adrift on a

lifeboat during WWI after being torpedoed by German u-boats and

knew what to expect. He took control of the crew and led them to

dry land after 23 days at sea. He was hailed as a hero. The cameras

were there to greet the men. The King and the Queen invited them to

Buckingham Palace. He was a national figure at the time.

But Cecil Foster was a modest man and uncomfortable in the limelight.

He died in 1930, and it seems his fame died with him. Over the years,

even his gravestone began to decay. But after a recent call to arms,

admirers in his hometown of Barry have put their hands in their

pockets and raised �1,000 to restore the monument. It's their

way of reminding the community of a long-forgotten hero of the seven

seas. He may not be a household name anymore, but here at least the

exploits of Cecil Foster will always be remembered.

Over again to the Royal Welsh Show and Ross.

Thanks, Lucy. We're in the cattle sheds, where many young farmers get

their animals ready for competition. Young farmers clubs in Wales this

year are celebrating their 75th anniversary. And Cemlyn Davies has

been finding out what it's all about.

The Royal Welsh Show meets the X factor. A special talent

competition takes place. It is just one of the activity is that the

Young Farmers have arranged at the Showground. One event guaranteed to

pulling the crowds is the tide of war competition. This is what being

a member of the Young Farmers is all about. Competing, joining in

and being prepared to make a fool of yourself. It is just the

atmosphere and making great friends. It is the -- it is building

relationships. I was a member for a while when I was 14 and I have now

rejoined. I am glad to get back into it. The movement is

celebrating its 75th anniversary. This couple were members back in

the 1960s. Drama competitions, entertainment competitions. We went

on quite a few trips. We went to Blackpool. This is where many of

the Young Farmers come to enjoy themselves. The young people's

villages celebrating a special birthday. It is 21 years since it

first opened and much has changed since 1990. The crowds have grown

from only a few hundred to 5,000 now. There is 24 hour security and

the Big Top was only introduced last year. Originally, it started

on the back of a farm trailer. This is what we have got at the moment.

As the movement and the end people's movement -- and BNP

Bosnich both celebrate their birthdays, things are still on the

at 4 ft Young Farmers. I'm joined now by a group of young

farmers' members. Some have been tug-of-warring this week and

showing their animals. Sara Downes, you've been a member for 15 years.

You're Member of the Year. For people who know nothing about it,

what do you do in YFC? The young farmers' movement is the prime

organisation for people in rural Wales. It gives people are so many

opportunities to learn new skills and socialise. I have learned more

through being a member of the Young Farmers than I ever did in any

formal education. The Young Farmers have given the endless

opportunities throughout the time I have been a member. This is your

last year. It is. I am no longer a young farmer. I will be a joining

the ranks of people like Nigel Owens. I have only got a few months

left of enjoying being a young farmer. Hopefully I will be able to

give something back to the current members by being an advisory member.

We may recognise you as an international rugby referee, but to

what the President of the Young Farmers' Clubs in Wales. I believe

you were a member yourself. Yes. I joined when I was 16. They asked me

last year if I would be the President. It is a good opportunity

to put something back into a movement I owe so much to. It is

not all about what you see here today. There are other

opportunities in public speaking, acting, entertainment. I would not

be able to stand here and speak to you not as nervous as I usually

would be if it was not for the Young Farmers. It is great to put

something back in. Thank you very much.

There's been new award at this year's Royal Welsh. The Brynle

Williams award in honour of the popular AM and passionate farmer

who died last year. Aled Llyr Thomas from Aberystwyth is the

first ever winner of a grant given to promising young farmers.

Politicians from all parties were there alongside Mr Williams' widow

Mary, who made the presentation. Just time to tell you today's

attendance figure. 65,280 people have come to the Show today. That's

3,000 fewer than the same day last year.

Now, I was fooled by some early sunshine today. It didn't last long,

but the rain has held off. Derek, are we going to have a scorcher for

are we going to have a scorcher for the final day?

No chance. We have been very lucky with the weather. One or two light

showers. Otherwise, it has been cloudy and dry. Temperatures a

little bit on the core side but the wind has been lighter than

yesterday. Ideal conditions for the animals and also for a spot of hot-

air ballooning. I bet they have got a great view from up there. There

has been some rain in the south early on today, but for the North

and the Cardigan Bay coast, it has been lovely with lots of sunshine.

Mixed fortunes today. It is a similar story tomorrow. Some places

dry, but not everywhere. There will be at some scattered heavy showers.

If you are coming tomorrow, or bring a packed the match just in

case. - -- poor bring a Mac just in case. Lowest temperatures tonight

down to seven Celsius in rural spots. Tomorrow's chart shows high-

pressure between Iceland and Ireland. That will trigger a few

heavy showers. Tomorrow will not be as nice as today in the north, much

cloudier and some rain in the morning. It should be brighter in

the south-west with some sunshine. During the day, a few showers. It

could be heavy with a small risk of thunder. Some places will miss them

and stay dry. Top temperatures between 15 and 19 Celsius with

light winds. Tomorrow night, most of the showers will die away to

leave many places try but a few showers will continue. On Friday,

fewer showers, some sunshine and some clout. It is looking fairly

promising for the weekend. That is the latest forecasts. You can get

highlights from today's show on BBC Two wares at 7:30pm. We will be

Tonight's headlines: The Prime Minister has admitted that in

hindsight, he wouldn't have employed former News of the World

editor, Andy Coulson. David Cameron said he's extremely sorry for the

furore caused by his decision to hire him. With hindsight, I would

not have offered him the job and I expect he would not have taken it.

But you do not make decisions in hindsight, you make them in the