The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post

The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post.
Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy.
www.philevans.co.uk

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A ban will change your life:

I believe the old saying, ‘You don’t miss the water until the well runs dry’ - even though owning a well would be ‘wishful thinking’ on my part.
See what I did there?
But, as my annual water rates cost a fortune, I wouldn’t only miss my supply if it were cut off, I’d be hammering on the front doors of the Welsh Water HQ demanding my taps be turned back on forth-with.
And, if that wasn’t possible, fifth-with!
But I digress...
The old saying means you don’t miss something until it’s no longer there and I was reminded of it while reading an article written by a Phil Colwill, about how his life changed when he was routinely stopped by the police, admitted he’d had a drink earlier, was breathalysed and banned from driving for 12 months.
He explained...
“I always thought of myself as a careful driver but some speeding offences and a drink driving ban suggested otherwise.
“I was supposed to be one of the good guys. When I went to court I felt ashamed and embarrassed.”
His 12-month ban was reduced to nine after agreeing to attend an alcohol awareness course run by the Institute Of Advanced Motorists, where, among other things, he learned that a motorist is four times more likely to have an accident after only one alcoholic drink.
During the ban he had to rely on public transport and he loathed having to wait in ‘so-called bus shelters’ in the rain and sit/stand on long-delayed train journeys.
Okay, millions of people have to do this every day to get to and from work, but believe me, once you’re used to having a car, when you can’t have access to it, even for a day or two, it’s very frustrating.
If you’re a motorist, next time you’re behind the wheel, whether it’s to commute, go away for the weekend or visit friends, consider how time-consuming and complicated that journey would be without your car.
Once his ban was lifted, Phil wanted to redeem himself and took the Advanced Motorcycling Skills course run by South Wales Advanced Motorcyclists where the advice he received from experienced riders helped him to pass with a F1RST grade.
He’s now going for the Institute Of Advanced Motorists car test and I wish him well with it.
Which brings us back to my opening paragraph – because it makes me a ‘well-wisher’.
And you thought these articles were just thrown together...

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True talent:

Last Thursday, the Manor Park Country House, Clydach, hosted the Welsh Factor National Final talent competition to a sell out audience of more than 600 people.
Here, we witnessed young talent from the heart of Wales who had worked their way up through the heats, beating strong competition in order to share the final stage with some of the best new talent Wales has to offer.
We were entertained by dancers, a choir, singer songwriters, duos and trios.
It would be fair to say that all 27 acts who made it through to this final heat were clear winners in my eyes.
Over the years, I have witnessed the popularity and growth of this event and am yet to see a rival match its commitment to the showcasing and development of performing arts here in Wales.
Welsh Factor was founded by the extremely hard working Miss Anna Marie Thomas from Neath.
Together with a strong technical support team, they are constantly developing and making changes to the business model to ensure that participants gain the best experience, exposure, encouragement and mentoring that is needed to develop our future stars.

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Spring has sprung:

On Sunday, I was reminded that Spring has arrived.
I found some rabbit droppings on my lawn.
This got me thinking. Has winter really gone? Could we be in for some long overdue fine weather?
Well, we have had a few days of clear skies, but for many it's still too soon to go outdoors without a vest.
My gran always advised me to keep my vest on until the end May for some reason. Some of you reading this may be able to clarify this for me and the reason behind it.
So should I start tiding the patio area, painting the decking and possibly investing in one of those modern state of the art barbecues?
Or shall I hang on a bit just in case the snow hasn't arrived yet?
Only in Wales…….

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You can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales and www.philevans.co.uk