Some big news and Race for Life

We're working on a very big story for tomorrow's paper. Can't say too much at this stage but I can tell you that it is a major news story that will tie in with one of the biggest issues in Welsh news at this time. Look out for it.

While I'm teasing we're also working on something pretty special for Monday, which will set off alarm bells in certain circles.

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Schools under threat

TODAY we report on the first leaks on the controversial plans to reorganise schools in Cardiff.
We have discovered that two schools are under threat: namely Radyr Comp and Cantonian High.
This is obviously quite disturbing news for parents and staff.
We thought long and hard before publishing the story. After all it is just one of many options at this stage.
But we have been told the information by two separate sources who are close the committee.
We are also aware that the subject is now starting to be talked about outside of the close-knit committee who have been formulating the plans.

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Joined the good people of Marie Curie Cancer Care last night for a reception at the Senedd.

They want support to ramp up fundraising ideas in South Wales and are looking for the paper to involved.

They have some exciting ideas and it will be good to be a part of it.

Bill Jenkins, the Quadrant chief exec, is leading the new drive and along with Lorraine Barrett, the Penarth AM, is doing a splendid job in spreading the message.

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ncp campaign update

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Our campaign to give the people of Cardiff the chance to tell car park giants NCP exactly what they think of their pricing strategy is gathering pace.

I took a walk around Cardiff city centre this lunch time to feel the temperature on the issue.

The arcades, in particular, are supporting the campaign with posters on almost every shop and petitions on the counter.

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Make your mind up

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I was presented with two stories this morning for the Echo front page.
Both were important, both affected hundreds of families and both have serious implications for our area of South Wales.
Story 1 was the fact that three major South Wales employees have announced they are axing in the region of 250 workers, including the relocation of a well-known employer to Eastern Europe.
Story 2 was the absolutely shocking increase in car parking fees being introduced in Cardiff. Customers and shoppers have branded them 'obscene'.

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101

I admit I was a bit sceptical about 101, the non-emergency number for Cardiff, when it was first introduced.

Would the public really latch onto it? Would they grasp the difference and know the difference or would they continue to dial 999?

My feeling was that the mass of the public would continue to call police when a crime had taken place, whatever the scale of that offence. So if it was children messing about in the street, causing a nuisance, it would still be the police taking the call.

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Race for Life

Today the Echo pays tribute to the more than 8,000 women who took part in the city's Race for Life and made it the biggest in the UK.

In what was a massive production job, the Echo has printed the name of every single runner and included up to a 100 pictures from yesterday's event in a 16-page pull-out in today's paper.

The Echo's photographer Peter Bolter did a sterling job in capturing the special atmosphere that this event generates and there are some great pictures in today's paper, which will at some stage this afternoon make it onto our website http://icwales.co.uk/photosales.

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Trains summit

I was up in Trefforest this afternoon for a summit with Arriva, local politicians, police and community groups to discuss the Echo-backed campaign to highlight the growing problem of anti-social behaviour on the Valleys train line.

The Echo is never slow in criticising Arriva, particularly over its service failings, but in this case I think they have been incredibly brave in coming forward to highlight this issue. After all it could cost them through lost takings.

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