Wakestock town’s tourism concerns

Residents of a popular Gwynedd holiday spot have called for a "better balance" in tourism amid fears their town is in danger of losing its identity.

While many in Abersoch back festivals like Wakestock, they say they want attention on local history and culture.

Wakestock – which will attract up to 10,000 a night this year to see big names like Duffy – said everything was done to make sure it ran smoothly.

But some locals say they want a bigger spread of size and type of event.

This year's Wakestock is on 4-6 July, and on the Sunday the headlining act will be this year's chart sensation Duffy, who grew up just down the road at Nefyn.

"I think it's great for young people to have a chance to enjoy themselves," one local, Wendy Lloyd Jones, told BBC Radio Cymru's Taro'r Post programme.

"However I think it's important that these young people do not take the place over so much that it fails to attract the people who used to come here," she added.

Anna Jones, former headmistress at the village school Anna Jones added: "I'd like to see more Welsh groups there, but maybe we are too ready to stand back and not put our case forward."

Robert "Bobs" Pierce, who is well known in the village as the man who takes the money at the village hall-run car park, said the problem was more than just tourism.

"What is needed in this area is proper year-round jobs to keep people here," he said.

Yvonne Jones' family, who have owned a boat business for over 50 years, laying down moorings for boats, said: "I think it's a pity more events aren't put on which are based on the Welsh language".

'Lack of marketing'

Gwyn Jones, director of Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw gallery, a few miles away in Llanbedrog, said however that it was time people were realistic about what was possible.

"We should be concentrating on being positive and making the most of what we have.

"There has been a lack of marketing in the past, but we should get together and do it ourselves."

He said a noson lawen (entertainment evening) had been put on last year, aimed at tourists, and had been very well received.

The tourism would always be the main trade on the Lleyn peninsula, he added.

"There is no way heavy industry would be allowed to come here as it's a conservation area," he said.

Guest-house owner Emma Hiorns Morgan said she was losing some trade because the experience of visiting the area was not what people had expected.

"I get comments from people saying things like 'I could be anywhere' and 'I haven't heard any Welsh being spoken'.

"There is an opportunity here to trade on our uniqueness like the Lakes do on tradition," she added.

US air deal protest’s jobs threat

A valuable contract which was on its way to Airbus and would have guaranteed jobs at its plant in Broughton, Flintshire, may be staying in America.

A US watchdog has upheld rival American company Boeing's protest against the the decision on the US Air Force deal.

The contract for 179 refuelling aircraft was the first of three deals worth up to $100bn for EADS, which owns Airbus, and Northrop Grumman.

The Flintshire plant, which employs 7,400, was expected to build the wings.

Earlier this year, Airbus said it expected to create more jobs at the plant and that the future of its staff had been secured because of the deal.

The 179 KC-45A planes were part of a fleet of 500 aircraft which the US Air Force was expected to want to replace in the near future.

The US Air Force order would have been due in 2010 and 2011.

But the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which is a US government agency, upheld Boeing's protest against the awarding of the air tanker deal to EADS and Northrop Grumman saying the Air Force had made a "number of errors" that could have swung the outcome of the competition.

The GAO's ruling is not binding but it puts pressure on the Air Force to put the process out to tender again.

But Howard Wheeldon, an aerospace and defence analyst, said the decision would see a difficult period for EADS and Airbus.

"My guess is that we will have a totally new competition so it is going to put everything back by at least a year if not longer," he said.

Church bans toddlers’ yoga group

A children's group has been banned from a church hall after their yoga lessons were denounced as "unchristian".

Teacher Louise Woodcock from Taunton, Somerset, was told the Yum Yum Yoga classes for pre-school children did not share the church's Christian ethos.

The Silver Street Baptist Church in Taunton said its hall was not suitable since yoga promoted other spiritualities.

Mrs Woodcock said: "There's nothing religious about yoga for babies."

Christian spirituality

"We're talking about kids pretending to be animals and doing exercise routines to rhymes – there is nothing that could damage their minds," said 41-year-old Mrs Woodcock.

"I thought the church hall would be ideal and I told them I wanted to use it for a children's activity.

"But when I came to book it I told the woman from the church office, it was for baby yoga, and she went all strange.

"I got a letter from the minister a few days later saying I couldn't have the hall, with no reasons given.

"I rang the church office and the woman said it was because yoga was related to a spirituality, unrelated to Christian spirituality, which is ridiculous."

Minister Revd Simon Farrar admitted toddler groups did use the church hall, but said they did had to meet certain criteria.

"We're a Christian organisation and when we let rooms out to people we want them to understand that they must be fully in line with our Christian ethos."