Latest news with #GreatWestern
The Guardian
27-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘Jac's changed the game': a view from second Lions Test with Cwmtwrch RFC
A way along the Great Western mainline, a way up the Swansea Valley, a way off Heol Gleien Road, is Cwmtwrch RFC, where Jac Morgan first learned his rugby. They have turned out a handful of Wales internationals in the 135 years since they were founded, but Morgan is their first British & Irish Lion. He is also the one and only Welshman left on the tour and when he comes on to the field, 54 minutes into Saturday's second Test at the MCG, the atmosphere quickens inside the clubhouse. There is a swell of quiet pride and a little anxiety, too, as he latches on to the pack for his first scrum. The scrum wheels, the Lions break downfield and all of sudden Morgan's carrying the ball forward. Someone cries out in all the excitement: 'Great scrum, Jac.' And someone else: 'See. He's changed the game already' – and everyone breaks out laughing. There are about 30 people in here watching and there are about 30 out there watching. 'Some people were saving up two years for this trip,' says the club's chair, Tom Addey. They started putting money aside when Morgan was made Wales's co-captain in 2023 and the prospect of his being picked for this began to feel like a real possibility. Addey points out the spot they saved on the wall where they are planning to hang his Lions jersey, next to the TV screen, and shows off the little Grogg figurine of Morgan in his Lions kit, which came in when Morgan was named in the team on Thursday morning, 'a gift for the Cwmtwrch clubhouse'. It is a new building, Addey's pride and joy, two storeys with a gym and a physio room. The club moved up from the bottom of the hill five years ago. They're strictly amateur. 'We don't pay, we're adamant about that,' says Addey, and they put out only two teams, one's in the bottom division ('and by God are we trying to get out of it') and the other's an occasional XV. 'We're not the wealthiest club, but we have massive heart,' Addey says. Most times, I guess, he would use the Welsh. Calon. The word was given to Cwmtwrch, and all of Welsh rugby, by Clive Rowlands, who captained, coached and managed Wales in the 60s, 70s and 80s. There never was a prouder Welshman. 'Clive would pace the room, fag in hand, ranting and raving,' wrote Phil Bennett, who played under him. 'He would demand you performed not just for yourself, but for you father, your mother, your long-lost aunt, the miners, the schoolchildren – in effect the whole Welsh nation'. Rowlands lived his life here. His son, daughter and wife still do. His grandson used to play in the junior team with Morgan. Rowlands's own boy, Dewi, is here watching, on a stool at the back of the barroom. His dad managed the Lions team that beat Australia in 1989; Dewi, who was 22, went along with him. 'That was a proper amateur tour,' he says. 'The guys were making their own T-shirts to sell to raise money for the beer kitty.' Not Dewi, he pinched his from the old man's hotel minibar. There are a lot of good stories about his dad. I ask him which of them are true. 'All of them,' he says. His favourite is the time Princess Anne asked Clive which part of Wales he came from. 'A little place called Cwmtwrch.' She replied, without missing a beat: 'Upper or Lower?' The village was split in two by the old railway line. 'I always like to say we're the first regional team,' says Addey. 'The Lions meant everything to Dad,' Dewi says, before pausing for a moment. 'Well, not as much as Wales. But everything else.' Ian McGeechan will tell you it was Rowlands who taught him how to run a Lions tour. 'He'd have the beers poured for us, ready and waiting at the end of the day.' Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Rowlands is keeping one eye on the game, the way old salts do, but down in the front the younger club members are glued to it. One of them is leaning forward on the edge of his seat, though he is so big it may be the only way he could fit into it. His name is Morgan Morse and if you don't know him already you will soon. Morse is on the books at the Ospreys, where he plays alongside Morgan. He has played 24 games for the national age grades and will break into the senior team any day. Like Morgan, he grew up here at Cwmtwrch and still comes back to carry the water bottles for the first team when he is not playing the region. 'My favourite memories of this place are all of the feeling of winning games with my mates,' he said. 'We'd all be in school talking about the game on the Monday morning, which made the week a hell of a lot more enjoyable.' A lot of the lads are decked out in Morse's spare Ospreys kit. When the club switched ball manufacturers, he snaffled a bunch of the old ones to bring here, only to get a call, a few days later, from someone at the club saying that they all had tracking devices in and could he please bring them back. These are hard times in Welsh rugby. Morse has a year to run on his contract, but given the WRU's recent proposal to cut the number of regions, cannot be sure if he will have a team to play for this time next year. But wherever he ends up, he will always have a club. It is the 80th minute and in the clubhouse they are waiting for the final whistle. The referee is just checking to see whether Morgan has committed a foul by going in for a clear-out in the run-up to the match-winning try and everyone is shouting at the ref through the TV. His voice comes back over the loudspeakers. 'No foul.' The camera closes in on Morgan, who flashes a big thumbs up, and the place erupts. 'Fucking brilliant.'
SBS Australia
15-06-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
Solar batteries are about to get cheaper. But some existing solar panel users are sceptical
From 1 July, the government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program will provide a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing eligible small-scale battery systems. Source: SBS, AAP Homeowners hoping to reduce their power bills by installing solar panels are now considering whether new discounts for solar batteries will be worth it. From 1 July, the federal government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program will provide a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing eligible small-scale battery systems. But homeowners like Victorian resident Lee Bolger, who invested in solar panels a few years ago, are now experiencing dramatic drops in their feed-in tariffs and are sceptical about the added benefit of batteries. Feed-in tariffs — credits issued by energy retailers — allow solar owners to earn money for any unused electricity they generate, which is fed into the electricity grid. The rates vary across different states and electricity providers. Adam Corrigan, an energy efficiency expert and founder of Your Energy Friend, says each household is different, and there are many other energy-saving options to consider before spending thousands on solar and batteries. Bolger, who lives in the Victorian town of Great Western, says he installed 30 panels on his eight-bedroom home in March 2023. He rents out rooms in his house to boarders and says they use a lot of electricity as they often have the air-conditioning and heating on. His 12-kilowatt system cost him $12,680 after rebates and other discounts, which he estimated he could recoup in around six years. But the feed-in tariff at the time was around 12 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and now he only gets around 6 cents. More drops are expected, with comparison website Finder saying the minimum rate for tariffs in Victoria will drop to 0.04 cents from 1 July, although better rates are available depending on the provider. Fifteen years ago, they were as high as 60 cents. Bolger estimates his original feed-in tariff of 12c per kWh would have saved him around $1,000 a year. When combined with the estimated $1,000 worth of electricity he saves relying on energy generated from his own system, he receives a total benefit of $2,000 per year from his solar panels. If the feed-in tariff drops to practically zero, the benefit from his panels will reduce to around $1000 a year, meaning the time Bolger would need to pay off his panels would almost double. He says the experience has made him "indifferent" about the economic benefits of solar and he won't be recommending it to others. Bolger doesn't believe installing a battery will make a difference, because his solar panels won't generate enough excess energy to store — especially in winter when it's often raining and dark — to make the purchase worthwhile. "My summer bills were ridiculously low. In winter, you will not generally get enough charge into the battery to make a big difference," he says. Corrigan says other households might be in a different position to Bolger, as the average NSW home only uses about 20kWh of electricity per day. The NSW-based energy expert, who has a 1.5 kilowatt solar system, says he uses less than 10 kilowatt-hours a day, although his cooktop is powered by gas. "[For] most homes, a 10 kilowatt or 14 kilowatt battery will get you through the night easily," he says. "However, if you are cranking your air conditioner and you've got ducted air conditioning, it's probably only going to last you two, three hours." Corrigan says batteries will work for some households and the new federal rebate does make the cost more affordable. A battery makes so much sense, because you can store that excess electricity you're generating in the middle of the day and then use it in the early evening. Finder has estimated the cost of a 10kWh battery could come down to between $6,713 – $8,904 due to the federal discount. "In Australia, the average household uses about 15 to 20kWh of electricity per day," a Finder spokesperson says. "If most of your energy consumption is in the evening and you're paying a single electricity rate — let's use 32.34c per kWh as an average based on single-rate plans in our database — then with a 10kWh battery and using 80 per cent of its capacity, you could save about $850 a year," a Finder spokesperson says. "However, the actual savings can vary depending on the type of electricity plan you have, the rates you pay, your solar panel setup, your energy consumption patterns, and how much electricity you export back to the grid." While the federal battery discount applies nationally, the states and territories also have programs that can be used to further reduce the cost. Corrigan recommends considering other options before investing in expensive solar panels and battery systems. He suggests Bolger should review his insulation and energy efficiency measures to reduce his electricity consumption. The first thing he recommends for households is to analyse their power bills and shop around to get the best deal. Making your house more energy-efficient should be the next priority before considering solar panels and, finally, batteries. If you want to make your home more comfortable, get your insulation sorted and do your draft proofing. That's your best return on investment. That's your best bang for buck. Corrigan says simple changes such as installing heavy-lined curtains and a box pelmet (which goes around the top of the curtain) can be very effective at keeping your home warm, and are much cheaper than double-glazed windows, for example. Using a thermal camera around the home can also show gaps in roof insulation where batteries might have been moved. "You only need a 5 per cent gap in that insulation blanket, and the effectiveness of that insulation — the whole blanket — diminishes by almost a half," Corrigan says. "When you get into bed tonight and you pull the doona up, just cut some holes in it, see how well it works." When considering whether to invest in a battery system, Corrigan says the first consideration is cost, as they are expensive and many people don't have the money sitting in the bank. Those who already have a solar system should check whether their inverter is battery-compatible, as this could also raise warranty issues if it needs to be replaced. Another consideration is what your next car will be. Corrigan says in one to two years, electric vehicles will be capable of vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid functionality, allowing EV batteries to be used to power your home. "Some people are already doing it," he says. They are an attractive option because EV batteries generally have a huge capacity of around 50-70kWh. "You could run your home for days on it."
SBS Australia
14-06-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
New discounts could reduce energy costs from 1 July but there are other options
From 1 July, the government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program will provide a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing eligible small-scale battery systems. Source: SBS, AAP Homeowners hoping to reduce their power bills by installing solar panels are now considering whether new discounts for solar batteries will be worth it. From 1 July, the federal government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program will provide a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing eligible small-scale battery systems. But homeowners like Victorian resident Lee Bolger, who invested in solar panels a few years ago, are now experiencing dramatic drops in their feed-in tariffs and are sceptical about the added benefit of batteries. Feed-in tariffs — credits issued by energy retailers — allow solar owners to earn money for any unused electricity they generate, which is fed into the electricity grid. The rates vary across different states and electricity providers. Adam Corrigan, an energy efficiency expert and founder of Your Energy Friend, says each household is different, and there are many other energy-saving options to consider before spending thousands on solar and batteries. Bolger, who lives in the Victorian town of Great Western, says he installed 30 panels on his eight-bedroom home in March 2023. He rents out rooms in his house to boarders and says they use a lot of electricity as they often have the air-conditioning and heating on. His 12-kilowatt system cost him $12,680 after rebates and other discounts, which he estimated he could recoup in around six years. But the feed-in tariff at the time was around 12 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and now he only gets around 6 cents. More drops are expected, with comparison website Finder saying the minimum rate for tariffs in Victoria will drop to 0.04 cents from 1 July, although better rates are available depending on the provider. Fifteen years ago, they were as high as 60 cents. Bolger estimates his original feed-in tariff of 12c per kWh would have saved him around $1,000 a year. When combined with the estimated $1,000 worth of electricity he saves relying on energy generated from his own system, he receives a total benefit of $2,000 per year from his solar panels. If the feed-in tariff drops to practically zero, the benefit from his panels will reduce to around $1000 a year, meaning the time Bolger would need to pay off his panels would almost double. He says the experience has made him "indifferent" about the economic benefits of solar and he won't be recommending it to others. Bolger doesn't believe installing a battery will make a difference, because his solar panels won't generate enough excess energy to store — especially in winter when it's often raining and dark — to make the purchase worthwhile. "My summer bills were ridiculously low. In winter, you will not generally get enough charge into the battery to make a big difference," he says. Corrigan says other households might be in a different position to Bolger, as the average NSW home only uses about 20kWh of electricity per day. The NSW-based energy expert, who has a 1.5 kilowatt solar system, says he uses less than 10 kilowatt-hours a day, although his cooktop is powered by gas. "[For] most homes, a 10 kilowatt or 14 kilowatt battery will get you through the night easily," he says. "However, if you are cranking your air conditioner and you've got ducted air conditioning, it's probably only going to last you two, three hours." Corrigan says batteries will work for some households and the new federal rebate does make the cost more affordable. A battery makes so much sense, because you can store that excess electricity you're generating in the middle of the day and then use it in the early evening. Finder has estimated the cost of a 10kWh battery could come down to between $6,713 – $8,904 due to the federal discount. "In Australia, the average household uses about 15 to 20kWh of electricity per day," a Finder spokesperson says. "If most of your energy consumption is in the evening and you're paying a single electricity rate — let's use 32.34c per kWh as an average based on single-rate plans in our database — then with a 10kWh battery and using 80 per cent of its capacity, you could save about $850 a year," a Finder spokesperson says. "However, the actual savings can vary depending on the type of electricity plan you have, the rates you pay, your solar panel setup, your energy consumption patterns, and how much electricity you export back to the grid." While the federal battery discount applies nationally, the states and territories also have programs that can be used to further reduce the cost. Corrigan recommends considering other options before investing in expensive solar panels and battery systems. He suggests Bolger should review his insulation and energy efficiency measures to reduce his electricity consumption. The first thing he recommends for households is to analyse their power bills and shop around to get the best deal. Making your house more energy-efficient should be the next priority before considering solar panels and, finally, batteries. If you want to make your home more comfortable, get your insulation sorted and do your draft proofing. That's your best return on investment. That's your best bang for buck. Corrigan says simple changes such as installing heavy-lined curtains and a box pelmet (which goes around the top of the curtain) can be very effective at keeping your home warm, and are much cheaper than double-glazed windows, for example. Using a thermal camera around the home can also show gaps in roof insulation where batteries might have been moved. "You only need a 5 per cent gap in that insulation blanket, and the effectiveness of that insulation — the whole blanket — diminishes by almost a half," Corrigan says. "When you get into bed tonight and you pull the doona up, just cut some holes in it, see how well it works." When considering whether to invest in a battery system, Corrigan says the first consideration is cost, as they are expensive and many people don't have the money sitting in the bank. Those who already have a solar system should check whether their inverter is battery-compatible, as this could also raise warranty issues if it needs to be replaced. Another consideration is what your next car will be. Corrigan says in one to two years, electric vehicles will be capable of vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid functionality, allowing EV batteries to be used to power your home. "Some people are already doing it," he says. They are an attractive option because EV batteries generally have a huge capacity of around 50-70kWh. "You could run your home for days on it."
Powys County Times
08-06-2025
- Powys County Times
Celebrating the Powys railway which won the heart of royalty
IT IS not surprising the the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway holds a special place in the heart of so many. Indeed, it is even close to the heart of King Charles III who visited back in his princely days and was met by awe-struck locals and children alike. The railway was built in 1903 to link farming communities with the market town of Welshpool and provide them with an outlet for their produce. Operated at first by the Cambrian Railways, the line was taken over by the Great Western and then British Railways. After 1931 the railway only carried freight traffic and was finally closed in 1956 but in 1963 a group of enthusiasts rallied round and began to progressively re-open the line until it became the railway you see today. Today the 'Llanfair Train' sits in the platform at Welshpool Raven Square with the engine steaming gently at the head of charming balconied carriages which promise the traveller a wonderful ride along a country by-way. The train negotiates a viaduct and river bridge, climbs the notoriously steep Golfa Bank and steams serenely through beautiful countryside. The railway marked its centenary in 2003 and several pictures from the event are included in our nostalgic reel while others range from the start of the 2000s. Gareth Evans and Alan Doig in front of Sir Drefaldwyn. (Image: County Times.) Alun Evans, James Batson and Jennifer Adey hard at work on track maintenance. (Image: County Times.) New Members Day at the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Centenary memories from 2003. Pictured are Graham Hall and Triston Lister. (Image: County Times.) Celebrating the centenary in 2003. (Image: County Times.) HRH Prince Charles on his visit to Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. Centenary celebrations at Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway in 2003. (Image: County Times.)
Wales Online
05-06-2025
- Wales Online
Rail passengers to face disruption within days as major engineering works take place
Rail passengers to face disruption within days as major engineering works take place The disruption will affect services between June 9 and June 20 A Transport for Wales Class 197 train in Cardiff Central Major engineering work will be taking place between Cardiff Central and Newport starting next week, Transport for Wales has said. Between Monday, June 9, and Friday, June 13, trains will still run, but will use the slower relief set of tracks on this part of the route. As a result, most main line south Wales train services will be amended, with services having extended journey times. Services between Cardiff and Newport will also be busier than usual as the number of services running between Cardiff and Newport will be reduced. Due to the Severn Tunnel also being closed from June 9 to 20, Great Western Railway will only be running an hourly London service via Gloucester on this section of the line. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Customers are advised to check their journey plans before they travel. Southbound services from Manchester Piccadilly, Holyhead, Chester, Crewe, Hereford and Shrewsbury to Cardiff Central will have extended journey times between Cwmbran and Cardiff Central. Article continues below Northbound services from Cardiff to these destinations will depart Cardiff Central earlier, allowing them to run from their usual departure times from Newport onwards. The 5.43am Swansea to Manchester Piccadilly will not call at Craven Arms (8.25am) and Church Stretton (8.34am). Ebbw Vale / Maesteg / Cheltenham Ebbw Vale to Cardiff Central services will be diverted and call additionally at Newport with extended journey times. Trains from Cardiff to Ebbw Vale will depart Cardiff Central earlier than usual. Most Ebbw Vale services will not extend to Maesteg except for some late-night services. West Wales Many services to and from West Wales (Swansea, Carmarthen, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock and Fishguard Harbour) will be affected, with services being retimed, journey times extended, some services not running and through services to and from Swansea, Cardiff and Manchester in particular being affected. Visit Transport for Wales' service amendments webpage for more details on the works. Article continues below Great Western services in June and July will be impacted, as well as a week of services in October. You can read more about that by clicking here.
