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CARDIFF last night hit back at Bristol in the battle to move one of the BBC’s most popular programmes from the West Country to the Welsh capital.

Campaigners in Cardiff say they will battle hard to ensure the planned transfer of hospital drama Casualty goes ahead, after the decision to move the series’ production caused uproar across the Severn Bridge.

The announcement that Casualty was likely to move to Cardiff came as part of a strategy aimed at ending what has been seen as a London-centric bias within the BBC. In future, a significantly higher proportion of network programmes will be made in the UK’s nations and regions. Production of Crimewatch will definitely be coming to Wales.

But after senior BBC executive Jana Bennett added that the final decision was dependent on a detailed value-for-money appraisal, an enthusiastic campaign was launched in the west of England to ensure the programme stays there. Disparaging comments About Cardiff and Wales have been posted on some websites.

Now, promotional body Cardiff and Co is planning to hit back.

Last night Bill Savage, who chairs Cardiff and Co, said there was need for clarity in the BBC’s intentions.

“We were very pleased by the announcement, but the continuing uncertainty needs to be ended,” he said.

“The BBC should confirm a final decision about the transfer of Casualty to Cardiff as soon as possible. There has been some pretty vitriolic stuff about Wales, with the usual references to sheep and so on.

“Instead of such negativity, we want to promote a vision of Cardiff as the genuinely powerful media city it has become. If Cardiff is to retain its status as the UK’s second media city – a remarkable position for a city of its size to be in – it needs to develop a critical mass of programme making for the BBC network.

“There are already 400 people employed at the BBC Wales production unit near Cardiff, but at present the operation is not working at full capacity all the time.

“What we want to see is permanent and sustainable employment, including not just those involved directly in the series, but those extra members of the team who design and make sets, work as security guards etc.

“If Casualty is confirmed as coming to Cardiff, there will be the need to invest in high definition TV facilities at BBC Wales.

“That can’t happen until the final decision is taken.

“What shouldn’t be forgotten is that the transfer of Casualty to Cardiff is part of a general strategy to make more network programmes in Cardiff.

“Clearly, the already confirmed decision to bring Crimewatch here will increase the drama output because of the need to have crime reconstructions.

 

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Cardiff & Co has welcomed confirmation that the St David’s 2 development is likely to push the city into the top five of the UK’s best performing retail locations within a few years.

Research from Experian shows that this year Cardiff has climbed one place to 10th on 2007 and in its projections for the next decade, predicts that Cardiff will have climbed to eighth in the UK, well ahead of rivals such as Bristol, ranked 14th.

Over the next 10 years, Experian believe Cardiff will move ahead quickly with the opening of the St David’s 2 centre next year, giving the city a spot in the top five.

Bruno Rost of Experian is reported in the Western Mail saying:  “When you see a big scheme such as St David’s 2 coming through it is going to have a positive impact. It is difficult to predict precisely, but you could see Cardiff reaching sixth or even higher over the next few years as result of St David’s 2. However, over the long-term we believe it will stabilise and by 2018 it will be ranked eighth.”

This year Cardiff is immediately behind Bluewater in Kent which has a slightly higher total comparison spend of £1.55bn. The top location is London’s West End with a spend of £5.34bn, followed by Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

Based on the retail measure of total comparison the level in Cardiff is projected to reach £2.24bn by 2018, up by 47% on the 2008 level of £1.5bn.

The spending in Cardiff for 2008 is broken down to show residents of the city accounting for the vast majority (£1.45bn), workers (£57m) and tourists (£20m).

Cardiff & Co managing director Richard Thomas said the research underlined the capital’s growing UK reputation as a leading retail destination.

“Cardiff is punching above its weight and will continue to do so. However, the city’s retail offer doesn’t just rest with the fantastic development in St David’s 2.

“For example Queen Street has the second highest footfall of any location outside London, while the city centre’s Victorian arcades do so much to give it a unique feel. The city is surely the premier retail destination in the south west of Britain.”

 

The Wales World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein kicks off an autumn programme putting Cardiff on the map as an international sporting venue. The capital of Wales, already designated a European City of Sport for 2009, will host international football, rugby, eventing and rallying. 
World Cup football is first up, with Wales taking on the unaccustomed role of Goliath to tiny Liechtenstein on Saturday 10 October. Cardiff Blues entertain Gloucester in the second round of the Heineken Cup on 19th October, before the stage is cleared for the  four-match  Invesco Perpetual international rugby union series. Wales, Grand Slam champions in the Six Nations series, will test themselves against Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
On 30 November, just 24 hours after Australia leave the pitch the Millennium Stadium will host Eventing for the first time, with some of the world’s top riders competing for the £100,000 first prize. This is the launch of the International Cup, with Express Eventing bringing all three disciplines – dressage, show jumping and cross country – together under one roof on a single day.
The autumn international programme reaches a rousing crescendo as few days later when Wales Rally GB arrives at the Millennium Stadium on 6 December. The rally is the British and final round of the 15-round FIA World Rally Championship.
The Welsh capital was awarded the title of European City of Sport following a two day visit by judges from the European Capitals of Sport Association. The judges were shown around the city by members of Sport.Cardiff, inspecting sporting facilities across the city and the wide range of programmes on offer. The title means the city now ranks as a major centre for sporting excellence and good practice, with Cardiff representing the UK in a European-wide network of premier sporting cities. As part of its term as 2009 European City of Sport UK, Cardiff will host the UK School Games.

Cardiff has two of the brightest stars in UK entertainment to switch on this year’s Christmas lights in the Civic Centre on Wednesday November 12 (from 5.30pm) when Wales’ own Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon, Nessa and Bryn  in the award-winning Gavin and Stacey drop in from nearby Barry to kick off the city’s Christmas celebrations.

 

In addition to illuminating the city for Christmas and the official start of Christmas shopping, the event also marks the beginning of the bmibaby Cardiff Winter Wonderland, one of the most popular attractions the city has seen, back for its eighth year and looking to attract over 50,000 people to the ice rink in front of City Hall over a cool 53 days. The festive site features an open air skating rink, the Ice Café Bar and the Admiral Eye, the attraction’s seasonal big wheel, sponsored this year by one the city’s loyal supporting businesses.

Actress and writer Ruth Jones was voted Best Female Comedy Newcomer at the 2007 British Comedy Awards. A product of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), Ruth is best known as a co-writer of the multi-award winning hit TV comedy Gavin and Stacey, and she is also known for her comedy performances in Little Britain and cult hit Nighty Night. She is also on our screens in the BBC costume drama Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and has a chat show, Ruth Jones’ Sunday Brunch on BBC Radio Wales.
Fellow RWCMD student Rob Brydon is also ever-present on British tv screens, as actor, comedian and impressionist. He is most famous for his role as Keith Barret in the BBC comedy Marion and Geoff and its spin-off The Keith Barret Show, as well as the host of panel quiz Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive.

 

They perfromed together while at school in Porthcawl, and they have a Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special on our screens this Christmas. Ruth and Rob will be joined on stage by Only Men Aloud, winners of the recent hit show Last Choir Standing, and for the little ones there will be characters from the CBeebies Live show.

Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture said: “Ruth and Rob are two of the most popular stars in the UK, Only Men Aloud are big news at the moment, and CBeebies have a massive following, so we are extremely pleased to have them all here in November to launch another sparkling season of winter festivities.”

 

The city centre lights will be switched on simultaneously with a display on the front of Cardiff Castle, a unique set of lights depicting artwork by young people from 22 youth clubs across Cardiff. The artwork, undertaken as part of the Portrait of a Nation project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, was inspired by Cardiff's heritage. A light from the display will be featured later this year in Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture 2008 closing celebrations.
 
Cardiff’s Christmas festivities also include the switching on of the Christmas lights on the waterfront of Cardiff Bay on November 15; the traditional Calennig New Year’s Eve celebrations (with free live music stage; the Admiral family fireshow; and Admiral free buses); fabulous Christmas shopping opportunities in the city with extra Park & Ride facilities (www.cardiff.gov.uk/parkandride) supported by Admiral, and much, much more.

Find out more about Christmas in Cardiff here.

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A lucky couple have enjoyed a weekend break in Cardiff after entering a prize draw last year. During a stay in Cardiff in 2007 David and Connie Crofts from Kidderminster completed a survey about their visit, and their form was the first one picked out at random from the questionnaires returned to Cardiff Council’s tourism department last year.

Mr and Mrs Crofts were delighted to hear they’d won a return visit to the city, including accommodation in the Big Sleep hotel and tickets to Cardiff Castle and the Great British Cheese Festival.

The Council’s Tourism Development and Visitor Services department manages the Cardiff Visitor Survey, which is distributed through the Tourist Information Centre and several hotels and attractions in the city. Katie Coles, Sales and Marketing Manager of the Big Sleep hotel, says the hotel was very pleased to welcome Mr and Mrs Crofts.

“We’ve given out the Council’s survey for a number of years because we know how important it is to get good quality feedback from visitors so that we offer the best possible experience, and we were delighted to offer a room for the Crofts’ prize weekend.”

Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs Crofts made the most of their return visit to Cardiff.  “Last time we were here we spent most of our time in the Bay, which we’d seen on Torchwood, so it was lovely to come back and enjoy the Castle and the city centre this time,” said Mrs Crofts.

“We’ve told all our friends what a great place Cardiff is for a short break, and I’m sure we’ll be back before too long.”

 

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Cardiff is one of the top places to do business in the UK, according to research by real estate adviser Cushman & Wakefield. The UK Cities Monitor ranks Cardiff at ninth in the top 15 business-friendly cities in the UK, up one place since last year and  above the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool and Belfast.

The monitor surveys senior company executives on their perception of 21 factors, such as transport links, staff resources, office accommodation and quality of life, in 15 of the country’s largest cities.

London tops the list, followed by Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol. Cardiff is:

-  Number 2 in the UK for value-for-money office space, behind Leeds.

-  Number 2 for quality of life for employees, with Edinburgh rated best.

-  Number 2 for freedom from pollution, with Edinburgh again leading the table.

-  Number 3 among those cities which can expect the biggest influx of companies over the next five years with London and Manchester heading the table.

Richard Thomas, managing director of Cardiff & Co, said: “This report clearly shows that Cardiff is heading in the right direction and is punching its weight on the UK scene.

“It’s important that we compare ourselves on a regular basis with top UK cities such as Edinburgh, Leeds, Glasgow and Manchester and it’s very pleasing that our capital is more than holding its own despite intense competition.” Mr Thomas described Cardiff’s move up the rankings as “extremely positive”.

He went on: “The huge new St David’s 2 retail development will make the heart of the city centre bigger and will propel Cardiff into the top five UK retail destinations.

“Other developments likely to improve Cardiff’s competitiveness include the widening of the M4 between Cardiff and Newport, significant investment by the Welsh Assembly Government in some of our key railway stations and Cardiff council’s development of the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay.

“All of these improvements will have a positive impact on perceptions of Cardiff as a destination in which to invest, work, study, live and play.

“And this promise for the future is reflected in the fact the report ranks Cardiff in the top three cities for business expansion over the next five years.

“The challenge will be to continue the city’s progress and ensure that as many people as possible are made aware of Cardiff’s transformation. In that respect, we can all help by championing the city and making positive comparisons with our competitors.”

 

Organisers of the Great British Cheese Festival in its new home of Cardiff Castle, were so impressed with the venue that they are already making plans for next year’s festival to take place in the Welsh capital on the weekend of September 26-27.

Autumn brought the best weekend of the summer, as over 7,000 cheese lovers from the UK and beyond gathered under clear blue skies in the grounds of the 2,000 year old Cardiff Castle for the annual cheesefest. The event’s founder and an advisor on this year’s festival is Juliet Harbutt, the First Lady of Cheese, who has been reflecting on a highly successful weekend. Juliet said: “This has been one of the best festivals we’ve had. Cardiff Castle has a real wow factor as a venue, and there’s been a terrific atmosphere here all weekend.”

Juliet is a renowned cheese maker herself, and on Friday evening she won the Best Goat’s Cheese category in the British Cheese Awards for her Farleigh Wallop, a partnership with ex-Blur guitarist Alex James. The Awards were staged for the first time in Cardiff’s famous Millennium Stadium which overlooks the castle.

The Supreme Champion was Barkham Blue by cheese makers Sandy and Andy Rose of Two Hoots in Barkham, Wokingham, who also won Best Blue, and Best English. This was Sandy’s first visit to Cardiff, and she said: “I think Cardiff Castle provides the best surroundings the festival has seen, and the logistics have been first rate. The city centre is compact enough for us to walk from our hotel onto site through the parklands of the castle. We want to come back and visit when we’re not so busy, and really look forward to returning for next year’s festival."

 

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Cardiff and various organisations promoting the City are getting behind talented choir Only Men Aloud as it competes on the BBC’s Last Choir Standing competition.  But support comes through votes from the public and the Cardiff-based choir faces a strong challenge in the Semi Final on Saturday and they need Cardiff’s votes if they’re to stay in the competition!

Hot on the heels of celebrating other forms of music and culture at the successful Eisteddfod, Cardiff Council is supporting the talented Only Men Aloud choir in the BBC Last Choir Standing Competition on Saturday night.

Councillor and Deputy Leader Judith Woodman said  “The Cardiff Choir Only Men Aloud has demonstrated class throughout the Saturday night competition. As a young choir who respect the tradition of male voice singing they have taken it to another creative sphere . As they face the more traditional Male Voice Choirs  from other parts of the UK we are supporting our boys on Saturday night .”

Richard Thomas Managing Director of Cardiff & Co, the organisation set up to promote Cardiff said: “The media coverage for Cardiff generated as a result of Only Men Aloud has been prominent and is in line with the cultural depth of Cardiff as a City but it also adds popularity to what is seen as old stereotypes. ”

Mr Thomas added, “As we enter into the latter stages of the competition, the air time for each choir increases as does the amount of time spent filming in their home city.  So there’s a huge opportunity here for Cardiff to be shown positively on Saturday night TV.  But it will only happen if the choir makes it through on Saturday night.  So our message to readers would be please vote for Only Men Aloud and by doing so, help promote our wonderful city”

The Choir is facing strong competition but is highly acclaimed by the judges on the BBC Programme. Leni Hatcher who has recently moved back to Cardiff and is in her early 20’s said: “Cardiff was recently described as the “epitome of cool” by renowned travel guide, Lonely Planet. This Choir has demonstrated why this is the case every Saturday for weeks. I will be voting “

Last Choir Standing is broadcast on BBC One at 6.30pm and 8.20pm on Saturday 23rd August. 

Cardiff has been chosen to represent the UK as a European City of Sport for 2009. As part of its term Cardiff will host the UK School Games. The title means the city now ranks as a major centre for sporting excellence and good practice, with Cardiff representing the UK in a European-wide network of premier sporting cities. The Welsh capital was awarded the title following a two-day visit by judges from the European Capitals of Sport Association (ACES). The five main objectives of ACES are enjoyment in exercise, willingness to achieve, sense of community, learning fair play and improvement of health. All the judges felt these objectives were all met by the city and the Sport.Cardiff team. ACES president, Gianfrancesco Luptelli, said: "The inspection team from ACES were impressed by Cardiff's commitment to sport for all through extensive sports development schemes and inclusion pricing policy to attract maximum usage from your citizens.

"The development work going on in schools to promote health, fitness and sports for young people is also something your city can be proud of. Most of all we were impressed by the commitment, enthusiasm and passion shown by all the staff involved in the delivery of your sports services - without them nothing can be achieved. We also noted the considerable amount of capital expenditure that the council and its partners have invested in the city and are delighted that further investments are planned in the future."

Visitors to Cardiff can gain an insight into the city’s history through the eyes of young people at a new exhibition.
When We Were Young, which opens in The Old Library, in The Hayes, on 5 July, looks at how children and young people’s experiences of work, school, leisure and their home and family life in Cardiff have changed over the years. The exhibition includes stories, photos and mementos including school books and favourite toys and games.
When We Were Young is the last in a series of temporary exhibitions developed by Cardiff Council’s Museum Project Team. The new museum’s first permanent gallery is due to open in The Old Library in 2010.

The Welsh landscape will come under the spotlight at National Museum Cardiff from 3 July 2008, with four new galleries dedicated to celebrating art in Wales.
All four galleries have a particular focus on the art of Wales and landscape painting, and all of these elements come together in the Welsh Landscape Gallery, a spectacular space which explores how artists have responded to the changing inspirational land of Wales for over more than 300 years.

Oliver Faircloguh, Keeper of Art at National Museum Cardiff said, “These new galleries must and will satisfy the needs of the entire range of the Museum’s visitors. Our outstanding collection of works by Welsh artists is inspirational. This is a huge step forward for National Museum Cardiff in the way in which we interpret our collections.”
 
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales operates seven national museums across Wales. These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Waterfront Museum, Swansea, National Wool Museum, Drefach and the National Slate Museum, Llanberis. Entry to all sites is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Cardiff has been named as one of the top 10 cities in Europe alongside Paris and London in an influential financial publication. Wales' capital was ranked seventh in the top 50 cities in Europe in the fDI's 2008 Cities of the Future shortlist, which is published by the Financial Times, beating Barcelona, Geneva and Madrid. Cardiff was also ranked seventh in terms of attracting foreign inward investment among the top 25 cities in Europe and second in Europe's small cities just behind Edinburgh and ahead of Tallinn and Oxford. The city was judged on a number of categories including its ability to attract business, compete on the global stage and its quality of life.