As I mentioned a while back, today was the meeting of the volunteer
group to produce a newsletter for the National Botanic Gardens of
Wales. Unfortunately, halfway through the meeting we heard the news,
as many of you have also no doubt heard: Alan Pugh has refused any
further support to the gardens, insisting on treating them as no more
than yet another tourist attraction rather than a National Botanic
Garden such as Kew or Edinburgh.

So the liquidators will be called in tomorrow, and there is little
point in giving any update on the plans for a newsletter. For those
interested in the gory details, there is a piece in the Western Mail
about the dispute between Thirlby (the CEO who spent so much cash on
things like the name change, yet sidelined marketing). What I didn't
know is that Thirlby was being paid £90,000 a year for this mess. The
trustees must share theblame for appointing her, but she still has
some nerve to demand (as she does) that the Trustees resign. All
academic now, though.