I hadn’t planned on writing this, but you know how it is, you learn of 300 ‘refugees’ coming to a place where you’ve sunk a few pints, and then you discover a previously unknown publishing empire in the same town . . . well, it becomes difficult to turn down the opportunity.
Maybe I should explain that ‘Sosban’ is the nickname for Llanelli, after the local anthem, Sosban Fach, which was always sung at Stradey Park, the old home of Llanelli RFC, and after which the Stradey Park Hotel is named. This being the destination for those 300 ‘refugees’.
And yes, I was there at Stradey Park on the great day in 1972 when the Scarlets beat the All Blacks 9 – 3. A few of us travelled down from Harlech, stayed at the Ivy Bush in Carmarthen. I got utterly rat-arsed that night.
Happy days!
I suppose I should conclude this intro by explaining that the indigenes of ‘Sosban’, with their unique accent, are called ‘Turks’. I have no idea why. Does anybody know?
The assumption that some of these ‘refugees’ will be Turks or Turkish Kurds explains the title of this little offering. Clever, innit?
◊
BREAKING THE NEWS . . . OR PART OF IT
Here’s a BBC account from May 25. Yesterday, the BBC also ran the story of the couple who’d planned to marry at the venue. Can’t find anything on the ITV website.
Then, yesterday, came the report below in Llais y Sais, by Branwen Jones, telling that a ‘network’ had been set up to help the “asylum seekers“. Before even reading the piece I knew what it was about – Leftists exploiting illegal immigrants to attack the working class and decent, concerned locals.
Which is how it works nowadays.
Since the Left gave up on the working class, and aligned itself with many of the biggest corporations and some of the richest men on the planet, the formerly downtrodden victims of capitalism have become ‘racists’, ‘transphobes’, ‘Islamophobes’, etc.
Not that the working class has changed. It’s just that the Left and its brainwashed followers now march to the sound of the Globalists’ drum. They don’t understand where they’re marching to, but then, the modern Left is about theatrics not socialist theory.
As the reports make clear, locals were understandably concerned by these reports of 300 or more unvetted migrants being brought into their community, and so a public meeting was held on Sunday night at the Selwyn Samuel Centre. The biggest public meeting seen in Llanelli for some years.
This report comes from In Your Area.
The BBC was invited to attend, but did not show. If anybody from the Beeb had turned up they would have heard ex-cop Steve Williams lay into the council for not informing local people about the plan, let alone consulting them. (Genuine Turk accent.)
Tonight people of Llanelli held a meeting regarding @StradyHotel & being used to house illegal migrants.
Steve Williams ex police officer told the politicians exactly what he thought of them for hiding this from the people for 4 weeks@DaveAtherton20 @Sargon_of_Akkad @StanVoWales pic.twitter.com/xhGt2QLCRY— Voice Of Wales (@VoWalesOfficial) May 28, 2023
A name you’ll see mentioned in the piece about the ‘network’ is Steve Kelshaw. Local Leftist who’s been involved with refugees in the past. (I omit the quotes because the Syrians Kelshaw was working with may have been genuine refugees.)
After reading the piece in yesterday’s ‘paper I went online to see what else I could turn up. And blow me! there was an online version of the same piece, but from last Saturday, and with a different headline; this one saying, “community unites to support asylum seekers“.
Which as we know is absolute bollocks!
For as you’ve read, the “local community” turned up in their hundreds, at the Selwyn Samuel Centre, to show how pissed off they are with the whole farrago.
But the online version was written before the public meeting. And obviously, after that meeting, there was no hope of sustaining the claim made in the original headline. So “community” had to become “network“.
Working back, the earliest report I can find is by Dylan Davies in the Cambrian News, last Wednesday, and timed at 2:50pm. Closely followed by Lucy John at WalesOnline at 18:28 of the same day. (Updated on Friday.)
The Cambrian News report is basically the one followed by the others. Except that the CN piece quoted a council spokesperson saying:
“The proposal and engagement by Clearsprings (the Home Office private housing provider) has been disappointing, giving the council no confidence that they understand the local or national context they intend to work within”.
The other reports neglected to mention the role of controversial Clearsprings.
Local journalist Robert Lloyd tells us the BBC was invited to the public meeting but did not turn up. Lloyd seems to work as an In Your Area stringer for Retch, which owns Llais y Sais and its online version, WalesOnline.
But why has he got it in for the BBC?
Because Tuesday’s Wales at Six opened with, “Some local people are protesting . . . “. Then it covered the cancelled wedding . . . . But later, it reported, ” . . . on Sunday around 400 people attended a public meeting . . . “.
But that was 6:30pm on the 30th. Lloyd’s tweet is timed at 7:10am that day. Had earlier BBC versions not mentioned the public meeting?
Anyway, let’s not get bogged down in what may be personal. We can reasonably assume that Branwen Jones of Llais y Sais got her version of the story from stringer Robert Lloyd. But if so, why didn’t she mention the public meeting?
All very confusing. But then I got to wondering who else might have been pushing the story with their own interpretation.
◊
THE SOSBANWIDE WEB
My search of the interweb was now taking me up some blind alleys, but then I found another report from May 26, and from the Llanelli Standard.
It’s basically a shorter version of the other ‘support network’ reports.
I must confess, I’d never heard of the Llanelli Standard. Perhaps most people west of the Llwchwr have never heard of it either. But the website says: “The Llanelli Standard is the new newspaper for Llanelli, by people from Llanelli and based in Llanelli. The Llanelli Standard is managed by Red Brand Media”.
So, it’s obviously, er, Llanelli.
But it does seem to have crossed that mighty torrent to launch the Swansea Standard. I just hope that it’s “a newspaper for Swansea, by people from Swansea and based in Swansea”.
Last thing we want is Turks writing Jack news!
The empire is completed with the Carmarthenshire Standard and the West Wales Chronicle. It was in the Chronicle that we read of Steve Kelshaw’s work with Syrian refugees.
The ‘About’ page of the Llanelli Standard is good for a few laughs. Not least this claim, for I would suggest otherwise.
The West Wales Chronicle and the Llanelli Standard are both politically neutral
And as evidence I would present the headline we read earlier suggesting that the community around the Stradey Park Hotel was preparing a carpet of fragrant blooms to welcome the Sons of the Prophet who will surely appear.
Unless of course they’re representatives of Albanian drugs gangs, or others of an entrepreneurial bent.
The ‘About’ page also says, “The Llanelli Standard is published by Red Brand Media and owned by CETMA”. So who are they?
Let’s start here, with the website for Red Brand Media. Is there a clue to political leaning in the name? And here’s the Companies House entry. Where we learn that the controlling interest is Cetma Ltd.
From the website we learn that Cetma is funded by the self-styled ‘Welsh Government’, linked bodies, and the Lottery, which works closely with the ‘Welsh Government’.
Turning to the Companies House entry, the ‘accounts’ (actually, unaudited financial statement) tell us very little. Though I was intrigued by the three directors.
There’s Keith Elwyn Evans-Hurley, who in other entries prefixes his name with ‘Lord’. There’s David Jonathan Williams. And then there’s 83-year-old Eunydd Ashley Brynmor Thomas.
Interesting character, our Eunydd.
He was the Labour councillor for Llwynhendy on Carmarthenshire county council. But, in 2004, he took advantage of a scheme by the Notional Assembly for Wales to retire, and trousered a golden handshake of at least £16,000.
Everybody waved him good-bye and off he rode into a golden sunset. But bugger me! if he wasn’t back in 2008 standing as an Independent. He came bottom of the poll.
People are reluctant to vote for the undead, even in Llwynhendy.
Fellow candidate Meilyr Bowen Hughes, of Plaid Cymru, said: “It’s a loophole that should have plugged by the Welsh Assembly Government.” He added he was “very unhappy” with explanations given to him why that had not happened.
That’s enough distractions. What I’ve tried to do with these detours is open a few eyes as to how a story makes it into the national news.
◊
THE BIT AT THE END
Given that the council knew of the plan for three to four weeks before it eventually broke it’s reasonable to assume that the council was the source of the story.
There is massive public outrage over the plan, and over the council hiding it from the public for so long. But this element of the story is either being ignored, or massaged to push the line taken by Llais y Sais and others – the burghers of Llanelli offering up their wives and daughters to comfort the eagerly-awaited ‘asylum seekers’.
Yesterday’s piece in Llais y Sais focused entirely on the Leftist support network with no mention of the public meeting. This is not balanced journalism.
Clearly, the media emphasis has shifted from protest to ‘support network’, with some wanting us to believe there are no protestors. Or that the few there are can be dismissed with the usual slanders.
Which would be bullshit. But they may be getting away with it! And that should make you wonder how much of what you are told in the ‘Welsh’ media is bullshit.
Because everything put out by the media in Wales must meet certain criteria. And so to help you – well, you know me! – here they are. But remember! they’ll be inferred or alluded to, rather than stated outright:
- Reporting must adhere to the Unionist line. Supporting devolution is allowed but nothing going any further.
- The Woke-Left diktats must be obeyed. Men can have babies; ‘refugees’ are all genuine, and must be welcomed; White people are usually racist.
- The biggest threat to humankind is the ‘climate catastrophe’.
Basically, the Globalist agenda. Understand that and you’ll make far more sense of the bilge coming out of Cardiff every day.
And I’ll leave you with something else to think about. As our local press declines it is being increasingly replaced by political activists funded directly or, more usually, indirectly, by the ‘Welsh Government’ in ‘community journalism’.
But all done in the interests of “maintaining a healthy local democracy“.
More bullshit.
♦ end ♦
Proof of it was ever needed that tourists/visitors to Eryri are evolving into an even more repulsive variant of the entitled, selfish mostly urban yob. Residents in the Park report abuse by these sub-humans over the long overdue policy of carting away vehicles parked dangerously and or illegally. One of the many benefits of unrestrained access?
Surprised that in her little sermon Leanne failed to mention the need for Llanelli to embrace the Nation of Sanctuary orthodoxy. Instead she stuck to her special subject – misogyny! I remain to fathom how she can honestly defend women when she has contrived to back the strident militancy of trans activists. This flexibility of posture suggests a mastery of advanced yoga.
“This flexibility of posture suggests a mastery of advanced yoga.”. Oof! I can see me using that.
No copyright pal, feel free. I get the occasional surge of literacy in among all the dark images swirling around the place. Not as frequently as you gets yours but there again it’s your first language whereas I only have 2 second languages !.
Away from the Turks, Sospans, and UK Gov s general contempt for communities I see Jac has flagged up yet again the lack of joined up thinking that gives us the prospect of a holiday camp in the giant shadows of a massive turbine farm. All this was much discussed by forums like this, yet the morons who sanction such developments in the Bay just press on with their pet projects. Too dumb to learn, or don’t give a shit ?
If those clowns can’t see how two projects in the Afan valley will influence each other, what hope is there for them to see the national picture, and to bring out joined-up plans?
The Labour Party sold itself out completely to the City in 1932 when Ramsay MacDonald walked across the floor to set up a National Government. Since then, Labour has been a parasite leeching off of the backs of the working class. Most working class know this and reject this party of charlatans and scoundrels but there will always exist a class ready to climb that greasy pole and set themselves up as the voice of the downtrodden while simultaneously treading on them even more!
Opinion polling for May
http://thepeoplesflag.blogspot.com/2023/06/opinion-polling-for-may-2023.html
Why do you post on this blog when it’s clear to see from your own that you’re a Unionist? Come to think of it, I suppose the real question is why you never post any rebuttals. Tis a most peculiar M.O. looking from the outside in!
They are definitely coming – not likely to be many Turks among them but most will share some version of their religion. Should be well received among the heathens of Sir Gar. Might even stir up a reaction of an “Irish” kind.
Let’s wait and see. One thing I’ve picked up from following events in Ireland is that the politicos and others promise it’ll be women and children then, often at night, sneak in a few hundred sons of the Prophet.
No illusions about that aspect. There may be a sprinkling of mums and kids, even the odd dad, for the photo opps. Hell they might even muster a granny, but the reality will be loads of young working age blokes looking for a bit of white crumpet, anything 13 to 70 will do for most of them. Grim reading elsewhere today when some middle class Welsh softie trots out the old “Nation of Sanctuary” bollox. How about some sanctuary for our own homeless and people living in accommodation not suitable for their current family needs ? And I’m not referring to that small minority of perpetually pregnant single girls but real families who have known nothing but hard times.
In March this year the UK Home Office was saying the use of hotels to house asylum seekers was unacceptable. (Because of the cost)
Somebody’s hoping to make a lot of money from this deal. And as as earlier comment explained, housing ‘refugees’ has now become a very profitable business.
Notice that the Voice of Wales has The Apron in its logo. This kind of wokery is the gift that keeps on giving for the Wesminster Establishment. Those of lesser critical faculties will almost at a base, instinctual level conflate wokery / leftism / Senedd / independence, and conservatism / freedom of speech / ‘British values’ / Unionism.
Jac tweeted about Yr Urdd’s shift into the murky territory of gender confusion, shirt lifting, and other unusual activities/preferences. Very predictable in some ways. Over 100 years ago when the whole thing was launched Yr Urdd was very Welsh but very “loyal” to God, King and Country. Fashions changed but the Urdd moved quite slowly most notable around the 1969 panto when competitors like Gerallt Lloyd Owen were to the fore in raising awareness of what was about to be lost. Urdd grandees were too focussed on having tea with their Prince.
Now the Establishment dictates that likes of Yr Urdd must promote certain “beliefs” and “values” hence the sickening display of avantgarde crap. What really puzzles me is that Yr Urdd is obviously signed up to being progressive with emphasis on Inclusivity, Equality, Diversity….. so why on earth did they fall so far short when planning a welcome for disabled people of all ages?. Reports of inadequate facilities for changing, inconsistent pathways, and other minor and major irritants suggest that only a fraction of thought went into preparing for this segment of the visitor population compared with the circus of joy that welcomed the rainbow brigade. Why ?
In a word, profile.
I think some of these ‘King and Country’ type Welshmen truly believe we are equal partners, sat at the top table, in times gone by at the helm of the empire, and today in its imagined afterglow. In other words, completely conned.
Profile ? So treating the disabled and otherwise disadvantaged as marginalised on Y Maes is now O.K as long as the factions of benders, weirdos and other delusional screwballs are kept happy. Oh happy days !
When it comes to VoW I obviously don’t support its Unionism, its monarchy worship, and a few other of its positions.
That said . . . on Covid, climate bollocks, ‘refugees’, WEF / WHO / EU and other issues I usually find myself in agreement.
So it’s a question of picking and choosing. And seeing as the big issues now are global in their threat and extent, I tend to agree with VoW more than I would have just a couple of years ago.
That’s why parties like Gwlad and Alba are so important, to fill up the negative space surrounding wokery that Unionism would otherwise creep into.
That’s a great point Jac, when I started reading your blog about 2010ish we were diametrically opposed but things have vastly changed, every country in the west seems to be in a state of decay.
Conservative brains have to collectively unite – agree on some things and agree to disagree on others, after all its only conservatives that truly believe in freedom of speech and liberty.
The term ‘TURK’ is an acronym for ‘The Undisputed Rugby Kings’ Having beaten the Australian national team touring the UK in the fifties and beating the mighty All Blacks in the 70’s. When the term TURK is used derogatorily or in an offensive manner towards LLanelli RFC or their supporters. The offender is agreeing with truth that LLanelli RFC or better know as the Scarlets ARE THE UNDISPUTED RUGBY KINGS. QED
If I’d known that before I wrote the article I would have used it! Yes indeed. Without doubt.
Many years ago, I as another Swansea Jac myself, worked in Llanelli for nearly a decade. These were pre Osprey days. Every time I crossed the Llwchwr bridge, going into work, I used to pray that the Scarlets were not in a local newspaper accolade that day. Why? Because that’s all you’d hear all day. Then if they had lost you’d be with a lot of grumpy old farts, suffering Scarlet Fever, who would curse a poor Referee all shift. You could never dare to say the dreaded words “Neath” or “All Whites” without risking verbal abuse. It would help these incoming Refugees if they joined a local Llanelli rugby club and pretended to be Turks.
When I lived in Swansea the explanation seemed to be, confirmed by Wales Online, “During a 1920s labour dispute involving the Swansea dock workers, a Turkish ship was prevented from unloading or loading its cargo. As a result, the ship sailed west to Llanelli and the work was carried out there. It is claimed that because of this, the Llanelli dockers were given the name Turks.”
Brainwashed youth don’t get their information from books they believe everything they see on social media, too many kids go to poor universities to study irrelevant subjects – they are incapable of intellectual debate and shouldn’t be in university but this was probably New Labours intention.
Just look at the debarcle in Oxford yesterday – the worlds greatest debating society brought to a halt because fanatical Oxford students are outraged that someone dare say a man cannot become a woman, Kathleen Stock didn’t even say that a man musn’t live life as a woman she just says a man can’t become a biological women.
As a conservative I despair in the direction western countries are heading – or perhaps being led.
Spot on about universities. Tony Blair got rid of huge Youth Unemployment at a stroke.
As someone who gave up on believing in democracy many moons ago I share your despair.
Enoch Powell’s warnings are more relevant today than when he said it – the funeral pye bigger than Snowdon and still growing.
Clearsprings have the Home Office contract in Wales to house asylum seekers and they’ve been trying to tempt private landlords in a number of towns with big money to turn their properties over to them to house asylum seekers. Of course this means evicting sitting tenants who’ll then need to be rehoused by the Council. Of course its far more profitable to turn a residential property into a HMO and hand it over the likes of Clearsprings as the Home Office will pay big money for housing. More than Councils can offer to private landlords that’s for sure.
Stradey Park Hotel was owned (Gryphon Leisure Ltd) and run by a couple in Ferryside until 2020 when it was taken over by directors based in Billericay in Essex. These paid off all charges and loans taken out relating to the equity of the property. It was a strange arrangement for a struggling hotel in Llanelli, even stranger when that year the hotel was mostly closed that year due to Covid lockdowns.
It may well be that the ‘arrangement’ with the asylum seeker contractor, Clearsprings, for the Home Office pre-dates any announcement to the local community or the council. A similar acquisition occurred a few years previously for a hotel on Cathedral Road in Cardiff used for the same purpose.
The Westminster Government like to give the impression that there’s some civil servant phoning around hotels at the last minute looking for accommodation. The reality is that there’s a property empire at work backed up by with pre-arranged revenue contracts.
Possibly owned by this outfit. If not, then this lot, which is owned by Stradey Partners.
Avora is the capitalisation vehicle. You may also notice that in 2022 this entity issued a significant shareholding in GBP, EUR and USD, and the venture risk is underwritten by a charge based in Malta. This is no longer some local boutique hotel.
There were plans for it in advance, with offshore interests. The more ‘migrants’ they pack in, the more profit to be made, all funded by the taxpayer, any resulting problems on the ground to be picked up by NHS Wales, Dyfed-Powys Police and the local community. Meanwhile the government in Westminster exports a problem ‘to the provinces’ and someone in this mix is creaming up the profits. An interesting business model. Suspect Malta is significant as that’s where migrant dinghies from Libya land, has an inherited English legal system, and English speaking.
As I have already commented, it’s not the result of a phone-around for last minute rooms by a civil servant. Advance planning involved.
Malta is often quoted as an example for Welsh independence . . . small country, no resources, but it’s prospered. Maybe, but I’m not sure I’d want Wales to follow the Malta example.
For years it’s been selling EU passports to just about anybody prepared to pay the asking price. And that includes some very iffy Russian gents who, once they’ve got they’re EU passports, can invest their money in legit enterprises and, of course, property.
The place is corrupt. And then, a few years ago, when that blogger started dishing the dirt on the top men on the island – they had her killed! Fuck that as an example to emulate.
In March 2019 we see the Boutique Hotel magazine telling us that Robert Horwood one of the directors of this Llanelli enterprise, which is based in Essex, purchased the Cumbrian Hotel in Carlisle.
https://www.boutiquehotelier.com/essex-property-firm-snaps-up-cumbrian-hotel-and-teases-more-acquisitions-to-come/
Then in 2022, we see that very hotel being filled up with ‘asylum seekers’ via a Home Office contract.
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/23113822.cumbria-park-hotel-asylum-triggers-plea-reject-hatred/
This is a business model, acquire a hotel, stuff it with refugees, turn a profit, then move onto the next. Any locals who raise concerns are branded racists.
Clear springs contract with the HO, dates back 10years. ( I saw that on the gov info). £1.1 billion now for supplying accommodation for migrants, illegal or otherwise.
We also did a piece on https://www.carmarthenshirenewsonline.com/llanelli/proposals-to-accommodate-300-asylum-seekers-at-stradey-park-hotel-not-suitable-for-a-small-village-like-furnace-says-nia-griffith-mp/
Sorry I missed that, Alan.
Brychan reports what amounts to a long term strategy of sorts to house various types of migrants and asylum seekers. Not really that surprising as you have already done pieces about chunks of property elsewhere in Wales owned by wide boys, spivs and other assorted borderline types. All these sharp suited grifters rocking up doing so much “good” by providing shelter for droves of folks many of whom have no good reason for leaving their nation of origin in the first place. Begins to look like the backhanders paid to politicians for getting an early nod on housing newcomers may come to match the rush of payments when Covid became the biggest game in town. Or am I just being cynical and over suspicious ?
No problem Jac, spot on as usual. I’ll give you a private call sometime re some of the content.
Cheers, Alan. I suppose I have two questions for those involved.
How, when and by whom was the Stradey Park chosen / offered?
What was the council’s role?
But it’s true.
The socialists I grew up with knew their stuff. They’d read Marx and Lenin. They enjoyed a good debate.
Today’s Left is made up mainly of brainwashed kids. Terrified that they are destroying the planet simply by existing. They’ve read nothing, partly because there is no substantial corpus supporting their insane views.
So they are reduced to screaming and shouting down anyone trying to speak the truth.
The fault lies not with them but with those who have brainwashed them and those who brainwashed them. And those who now manipulate and direct their hysteria.
This bit sums it up – “Not that the working class has changed. It’s just that the Left and its brainwashed followers now march to the sound of the Globalists’ drum. They don’t understand where they’re marching to, but then, the modern Left is about theatrics not socialist theory.” Explains my habit of referring to all these weird people as pseudo-socialists.