Stroke Association This Saturday I’ll be attending the Stroke Association’s Sip for Stroke event at Twyn Community Centre, Caerphilly (10am-1pm).

Trevor Elias I attended a very moving candlelit vigil at Abertridwr Square over the weekend for missing 77-year-old resident Trevor Elias.

Nathan Flanagan I wanted to mention one of Plaid’s candidates in next month’s council elections.

Remploy I’m thoroughly disgusted at the Westminster Coalition Government’s decision to close the Remploy plants in Wales, including Croespenmaen, which operates a printing and packaging business and employs 44 people

But no one should be in the least surprised at what the Tories are doing – they’ve got plenty of history stretching back to the Thatcher years.

Disability Hate Crime A debate in the Assembly highlighted the stigma put upon benefit claimants as the result of the UK Government’s Welfare Reform changes.

Bargoed I showed some visitors around Hanbury Chapel in Bargoed which has been transformed into a hive of community activity with a fantastic new library.

Private Sector Involvement in the NHS It seems Labour MPs in Westminster, including both the Caerphilly and Islwyn MPs, are completely out of touch with their colleagues back here in Wales.

Boundary Shake-up I must say I was shocked by the proposals put forward by the Boundary Commission on the election of future MPs.

Library Service It’s great to see that progress is being made on developing a new library and council customer service centre in Caerphilly town centre following the approval of planning permission.

Supermarket Dominance Caerphilly Observer readers will be well aware of my views on the planning committee’s decision to approve three shops on the site of the old Bowls Inn in my Penyrheol ward.

The big issue at the Assembly has been the economic crisis – and what is being done to respond to it.

Many local authorities in England are looking to reduce new library services in the wake of savage spending cuts from the Westminster Coalition Government.

Caerphilly Observer readers may have read on the BBC Wales website or heard on the radio and TV that Plaid-led Caerphilly Council was the only one of Wales’ 22 local authorities not to make compulsory staff redundancies over the last three financial years.

I’m writing to the chief executive of the Aneurin Bevan Health Board to support the calls from Caerphilly Council’s Cabinet to name wards at the new £172m Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr after the area’s former collieries.

I’m still buzzing after attending the culmination of Stage Four of the Tour of Britain cycle race in Caerphilly.

The details published on deprivation make pretty awful reading.

I wanted to congratulate all A level students, staff and parents in Caerphilly.

Campaigners Andrew Farina-Childs and Delwyn Davies, two Blackwood councillors, deserve credit for their excellent work to clear and save the remaining Blackwood Woods, known as Y Coed Duon – or The Black Wood.

I cannot emphasise enough my disappointment at the announcement by the Welsh Government of reduced financial support under the 21st Century Schools building programme.

Tackling youth employment is a key priority for me and I took part in First Minister’s Questions when the issue was raised.

I spoke during First Minister’s Questions when Carwyn Jones was asked about what the Welsh Government was doing to promote positive alternatives to the physical punishment of children and young people.

As Caerphilly Observer readers will know I raised the issue of energy price hikes during First Minister’s question time in the Senedd last week.

I’ve been gradually getting use to my new surroundings in Cardiff Bay as an Assembly Member.

I have been involved in politics in Caerphilly since I was 15 and was lucky to help Dr Phil Williams in an exciting by-election in 1968.

I’d like to issue an apology to Labour politicians, particularly the local AM and MP, for Caerphilly County Borough Council’s decision not to increase council tax.

I was delighted at the overwhelming Yes vote in last week’s referendum.

This will be my last blog before Wales goes to the polls in the March 3 referendum on law-making powers for the National Assembly.

With weather bitterly cold, I wanted to draw attention to a study carried out by the Home Heat which shows that millions of people in the UK don’t know or believe that they are eligible for help with their heating bills.

Labour’s failure to change a system that saw Wales send £1bn of council house rents to Westminster over a decade speaks volumes for their attitude towards Wales.