When I moved to Wales 25 years ago, villages had a shop, pub, post office, school and a bus service. Most villages now have none of those. There were several banks in our towns plus a library we thought would be in the centre forever, and quite a few independent shops. Visit the same places now and the banks have gone and many shops either boarded up or turned into charity shops. I love charity shops but they don’t replace shops that sell vital goods locals now need buy online or further afield. Our libraries face being moved out of central locations, further diminishing what makes a thriving town.

The First Minister Eluned Morgan refers to west Wales as being “hardly a health desert!” which shows zero sympathy or understanding for patients and their families forced to undertake lengthy journeys in order to access services that used to be provided nearer to them. Of course we’re grateful for having GP surgeries and pharmacies near to us but that doesn’t take away the immense concern over the downgrading of the stroke services currently provided at Bronglais to a ‘Treat and Transfer’ unit. Look what happened in 2012 with the loss of the in-patient Afallon ward for those suffering serious mental ill-health. The current mental health service is nowhere near good enough.

My main concern though is the loss of young people. It’s totally understandable that youngsters wish to sample city life and all the excitement it brings. Some return from university and find work here in farming, education or the health service. Yet many stay away permanently. Amanda Hill-Dixon, of the Wales Centre for Public Policy explains the consequences of this migration out of rural Wales while at the same time older people move into the area. "We can get into a doom loop where, because there's fewer services for children and families and young people, children and families don't want to stay in that area, and children and families don't want to move to that area." She argues for a population taskforce to address this issue.

With local residents being asked to undertake longer journeys, it makes a change for me to report glad tidings on the bus front. The T1 has commenced late evening services from Aberystwyth, hoorah for those wishing to attend a theatre or cinema. The long-fought-for improvements to the T5 are under way too with a Sunday service already started and an hourly weekday service due to begin on 31 August. For the rest of Ceredigion, I’m afraid the bus services are still slumbering in the post-pandemic state of decline.

The other positive news is regarding Ceredigion County Council’s plans for the university site in Lampeter. Last November I wrote the following about proposed changes in 6th form education, “Horticulture is likely to be of more importance in the future. Next to farming, horticulture will offer huge employment opportunities and should thrive in our rural counties. Yet, there is nowhere here where it’s taught.” The latest announcement from Ceredigion states, “Following a series of discussions between the Council and the University, exciting plans are being developed to deliver post-16 vocational education on the campus, with particular emphasis on skills-based courses critical to the rural economy of Wales, such as agriculture, horticulture, gastronomy and construction.” This is good news for Ceredigion and for Lampeter but mostly for young people in our county. That is if provision isn’t lost in Aberystwyth and Cardigan!

And we need to stop those libraries moving. Ceredigion, are you listening? And how about the specialist stroke unit being sited in Canolfan Rheidol? Hywel Dda, are you listening?