07/03/2009 20:52:12 24-25 Media Wales lisawalsh 08/03/2009 WoS News Mar8

March 8, 2009 24 WALESon SUNDAY WALESon SUNDAY March 8, 2009 25

Meddys booted out by Paris
INBRIEF
Clarification
IN last weeks Wales on Sunday, we
carried a story headlined about
how double Grand National
winning jockey Carl Llewellyn was
training Cerys Whitehouse-Davies,
from Rhymney Valley, ahead of
the Peoples Race at Aintree. We
used a picture of Cerys fellow
competitor Suzanne Gill. We
apologise for the error.
Sweet gesture
PROUD book lovers have had a
sweet idea to mark the childhood
of famous Welsh author Roald
Dahl.
Llandaff Society in Cardiff plan
to erect a plaque to mark young
Roalds favourite sweet shop that
once stood in the village.
SHE was in with a chance of
becoming a best buddy for Paris
Hilton, but Welsh girl Meddy
Fordhas beengiventhe boot by
the American It girl herself.
Despite looking like a strong
contender for the role
just a few weeks ago,
Thursday saw the
Caerphilly-born
blonde
sick on the pavement.
But despite being asked to leave
the show, Meddy doesnt have a
bad word to say about the social-
ite. Paris is perfection and I feel
so privileged to have spent that
time with her.
People class her as a dumb
blonde but shes so not, and if I
could have one per cent of her
success I would die happy.
Since leaving the show last
week, Meddy has returned to her
glamour modelling career, but no
matter howdisappointed she may
betohavelost out onthechance
to buddy-up with Paris, she
claims she would never
sell her out to the
media.
bombshells last appearance on
the ITV2 show, Paris Hiltons Brit-
ish Best Friend.
Model, actress, and heiress
Hilton ditched Meddy from the
runningduetoher lackof effort in
the weekly tasks and her beha-
viour on a night out having to
jump out of a London taxi to be
WHILE some of Wales biggest industries
are struggling to survive, new figures have
hinted at a recovery in the property sector.
One of the countrys largest estate
agents, Peter Alan, said its sales in January
and February soared by 45% compared to
the same period 12 months ago.
The firms managing director Mick
McGuire revealed that last week the
company sold its highest number of
properties in a year, and believes the
surprising increase could mark a
turnaround in Wales housing market.
He said the firm had sold an average of
63 properties a week during the first two
months of 2009.
Its 23 branches sold around 35 homes a
week during the same period last year.
Mr McGuire said: A general lack of
confidence has prevented movement in the
housing market for some time, but
recently we have seen improved sentiment
and the signs seem to indicate that this
may be the beginning of a turnaround.
The Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors (RICS) agreed that all the
evidence pointed towards renewed activity
and trade.
RICS Wales housing spokesman, Tony
Filice, said: Over the last 18 months,
first-time buyers have been renting and
seen what its like to be a tenant.
He added: Now with the prospect of
being able to get cheaper-rate mortgages,
they are coming into the market and
hopefully they will carry on if the
Government continues its input with
initiatives.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML)
sounded a more cautious note, however,
and a spokesman said that first-time
buyers were still struggling in a very tough
environment.
Wales has suffered its worst week of the
recession yet, with nearly 900 jobs being axed
in manufacturing and the demise of another
high street chain. Sarah Miloudi reports on
the countrys battered economy
WHENit came, the news wasnt
surprising, but nevertheless, its
effect was devastating.
On Friday, bosses at the Hoover man-
ufacturing plant in Merthyr Tydfil con-
firmed the iconic site would close on
March 14, ending about 60 years of pro-
duction at the South Wales factory and
with the loss of 337 jobs.
The countrys battered economy
suffered a second blow the same day,
when, lateonFridayevening, ladies cloth-
ing chain Principles announced it had
slipped into administration.
Administrators Deloitte announced
they had failed to secure a buyer for the
firms 66 beleaguered stores. It prompted
fears the vast majority of its 2,300 jobs
would be lost, and concerns about its
remaining concessions.
Just 24 hours later, Principles only
Welsh outlet, in Queen Street, Cardiff,
shut its doors at 4.30pm yesterday, when
staff chose to speak of their shock at such
a sudden death knell sounding for the
store.
One worker, who was too fearful for her
futuretobenamed, toldWales onSunday:
The store closedat 4.30pm. That is it, for
good.
I was told on Friday at 5pm.
Sources expect department store
Debenhams to take on the stock of the
24-year-old firm, however Lee Manning,
of Deloitte, saidasignificantnumber of
redundancies couldstill be expectedover
the next few weeks.
Retailers in South Wales biggest cities
said they felt completely in the dark
about howto halt the crisis crushing their
sector.
And there was little confidence that
Thursdays interest rate cut and the de-
cisionto print 75bninnewmoney would
do much good.
KenEllis, chairmanof Newports Cham-
ber of Trade, said: Thesituationdoes not
look good and I dont know what can be
done, either regionally or nationally.
ThemeasurebytheGovernment tocut
VAT had no impact, given the cost re-
tailers faced when implementing the
price changes, and there is only so much
stores can cut their prices.
I dont think Gordon Browns attempts
this week will help either. Theres talk
they will help the housing market but
until lending frees up, people dont want
to buy homes and dont want to buy
anything to put in them that goes for
furniture, bedsheets and clothes.
But David Rosser, head of the CBI in
Wales, said the move to pump 75bn of
fresh cash into Britains ailing financial
system should come as a comfort to busi-
nesses muted by economic downturn.
He said: This quickanddecisive action
will reassure businesses. With interest
rates already at very low levels and their
impact on economic activity dumbed by
the credit crunch, the Bank needs to use
other tools to support economic activity
and mitigate the risk of the start of a
deflationary spiral.
But for many firms, the move has come
too late to prevent their closure.
This year alone, the credit crunch has
forced shoe chains Barratts and Priceless
into administration, withthe loss of about
2,500 jobs, while music and DVD retailer
Zavvi has axedmorethan75%of its 3,415
workforce. Other casualties include pho-
tographic chainJessops, whichlast month
announced the likely closure of its British
stores, and the troubled Land of Leather
group, which a month after Christmas
revealed it would shut 33 stores and
possibly cull 95 jobs in Britain and Ire-
land.
This week, themanufacturingworldwas
rocked by the confirmed closure of
Hoover, as well as two major Valleys
factories.
Aluminium sheet mill Novelis in Ro-
gerstone, near Newport, announced it
wouldcease productioninApril andshed
440 jobs. Bosses at the Japanese-owned
Musashi Auto Parts revealed its Black-
wood operation was to stop, terminating
124 employee contracts.
The news prompted Wales TUC, the
umbrella body that represents nearly half
a million workers, to call on the Gov-
ernment to create a new wave of green
collar jobs to boost the countrys eco-
nomy.
Martin Mansfield, Wales TUCs general
secretary, said: Wales has been the earli-
est andhardest hit of theUKcountries by
the global downturn.
The Wales TUC has long called for
better support for Welsh manufacturing
andwe have beenprovedright that this is
needed.
The Welsh Assembly Government
should be congratulated for acting
on many of the proposals put forward
but more needs to be done at all
levels.
Over-reliance on the City of Londons
financial sector and too little focus on
wealth creating manufacturing has been
shown up as a mistake.
It is vital for thefutureof Wales that we
have a strong and productive manufac-
turing sector.
The Government must invest in the
skills and technologies needed to
deliver a low-carbon economy with new,
quality green collar jobs in manufac-
turing.
Since the credit crunch took hold in
Wales, the Assembly Government has
introduced a number of initiatives to
strengthen industries.
Aspokesman said: The Assembly Gov-
ernment has takenswift actiontosupport
manufacturingaswell asothersectorsof
the Welsh economy.
It is working in close partnership with
trade unions and the public and private
sectors to implement a whole raft of
measures to support Wales through the
recession.
AWEEK
WED
RATHER
FORGET
Welsh housing
market shows
signs of recovery
RECESSION VICTIMS: Two of the latest casualties, fashion store Principles, left, and the Hoover, Merthyr
A 60-year-old piece of Merthyr's proud industrial
heritage will close for good this week.
Workers at the town's iconic Hoover factory were
told on Friday they were out of a job.
The company said their 90-day consultation
period had ended and manufacture in Merthyr
will cease on March 14.
Yesterday, on the streets of the former mining
town, its residents were comparing the impact of
the Hoover demise to the pit closures.
Carol Richards, 61, a housewife, and her friend
Marilyn Hotchkiss, also 61, a carer and house-
wife, discussed it over a cup of coffee.
"Where are they going to get another job?
asked Carol. "Years ago people would have a
job for life. These used to be mining villages and
people here are depressed; it's almost like when
the mines closed. Little by little we are being
stripped of everything we have here.
Kayleigh Jones, 16, is a student at Merthyr
College living with her parents. Her dad will lose
his job, along with 336 other Hoover workers.
"He has worked there for 22 years, she said.
"Everyone was saying about it last week and he
went down to find out for sure.
"My mumworks in a care home so at least we
still have some money coming in.
MalcolmFear, 61, a market stall owner, has
lived in Merthyr all his life.
"t's affecting everyone a hell of a lot, he said. "
used to work at that factory; there used to be
well over a thousand people there. don't know
what they will do now.
SHUTDOWNOF HOOVERINMERTHYRIS LIKE WHENTHE MINES CLOSED
SHUTTING UP SHOP: Principles in Cardiff, on the clothing chain's last day of trading PICTURES: PATRICKOLNER