黑洞社区

It鈥檚 3 o鈥檆lock on a blustery afternoon in Cardiff. After a civilised lunch by the bay with most of the Welsh construction community, 黑洞社区 has persuaded a select few guests to slip off to a local pub for a quiet chat.

The bookish, contemplative atmosphere is destroyed seconds before we reach the Terra Nova however. Through the window of a nearby restaurant, the delegation is confronted by an office party in full swing, at which an inebriated woman is performing an intimate act on an inflatable male doll, much to the amusement of her colleagues 鈥� and our group.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 make them like that any more,鈥� says Jane, wistfully. It is unclear whether the inflatable or the office party is the object of her nostalgia, but before anyone can find out, we reach the pub. Drinks acquired, the conversation turns to the safer topic of environment-friendly housing.

鈥淥ne of the wealthy banking people in Cardiff is building a new house and wanted it to be green,鈥� says Howard. 鈥淚t鈥檚 costing him twice as much, but he鈥檚 determined to make it sustainable. The only thing is, it is 11,000ft2. It can be as sustainable as he likes, but at the end of the day he鈥檚 still got to heat it. He should鈥檝e had a cabin.鈥�

Ken is also sceptical about current measures of sustainability. 鈥淚sn鈥檛 the best way to build a sustainable house at the moment to put one next to a train station, motorway and some bike sheds?鈥� 鈥淎nd let your unemployed neighbours build it,鈥� adds John.

At the mention of neighbours, talk turns to the lack of interest in the Welsh market exhibited by English contractors.

鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting that some bother with us and some don鈥檛,鈥� says Ken.

鈥淢aybe there鈥檚 not enough to keep them here,鈥� ventures John.

鈥淏ut there are lots of 拢10m-plus projects鈥� argues Ken, before he is silenced by John. 鈥淒on鈥檛 tell them!鈥�

Jane at first seems more welcoming 鈥� 鈥淭hey can do well if they accept our working culture鈥�

鈥� before adding: 鈥淭hey shouldn鈥檛 just rape us and go.鈥� Clearly, her mind is still on the inflatable.

Nick agrees. 鈥淭he worst part of contractors entering any market is when they bounce in and out, and don鈥檛 commit. I know a few who have done that in Wales.鈥�

The resurgence of the Welsh language, demonstrated by the dual-language signs all over the city, is apparently no barrier to English people working in Wales, whatever the popular myth.

None of the present guests speak the language, even though all except one are Welsh. 鈥淎s an individual, it might give you an advantage, especially in the civil service,鈥� says Nick. 鈥淏ut nobody would procure construction contracts in Welsh.鈥�