Is Santa Being Co-Opted Into Alun "Chucky" Cairns' Western Powerhouse Plan?

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Something very weird came in the post on Thursday.

Yes It's Christmas Again!

Now what made this odd was not that it was announcing the opening of a Christmas grotto (though as an aside it opened yesterday 9th November.....9th November! How did they persuade Santa to do it that early? Kidnap an elf?). No what made it odd was that it was from Cabot Circus. A shopping centre in Bristol.

Now if I lived in a border town, say Caldicot or Chepstow I would understand why this would be tempting. But I don't. I live in the Vale of Glamorgan. The AA route planner tells me it would take just over an hour to get to Cabot Circus. The route would pass through Cardiff and Newport. Cities that have shopping centres.

Furthermore Santa is not the kind of guy who would expect South Walian children to go to another country to see him. That's why there are grottos in South Wales as well.

So why have Cabot Circus done this when it's clear that going there would be just a waste of fuel?  Well I don't know. I can only speculate.

So here goes...

Perhaps Cabot Circus has that cliched arrogant thought that the Welsh travel to England for a touch of sophistication absent in their own country?

Or perhaps things are so bad there they are casting their net wider to attract new customers?

Or perhaps they're chancing their arm in the "Western Powerhouse" notion of Secretary Of State for Wales Alun"Chucky" Cairns?

Who knows?

But if you want my advice (and as it's my blog you're going to get it) unless you live in a border town don't waste your fuel travelling to Bristol when it's available in South Wales. Protect retail jobs in Wales.

I'm sure Alun Cairns Secretary Of State for Wales and a Vale Of Glamorgan MP would agree.

Or does he.....?

Until the next time.