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There's been a steady stream of politicians - from all parties - visiting the Eisteddfod field.

Party workers made honest and open by the fresh Bala air have been gauging which ones attract punters to their stands and which ones cause the crowds to stay away. I'm not sure it's the most reliable of yardsticks but it looks as though the Eisteddfod-o-meter has been born.

Mutterings from the Lib Dem camp that every other visitor has something to say about 'that' Lembit Opik. The Eisteddfod faithful aren't his natural following, perhaps ... but Ceredigion's Mark Williams? "They lurve him" claims one Lib Dem who's spent more hours than most on their stand and who seems reasonably content with the one up, one down score.

I'm yet to spot an AM or MP competing on stage mind you. If they did take that step from the maes - or field - to the stage they'd be caught on camera by Tapas, the company who hopes you'll be so taken by your performance that you'll want it on DVD for ever more.

I gather that as Elfyn Llwyd, the local MP, walked past their stand with the Secretary of State - Peter Hain was one of the first to visit this Eisteddfod - they had quite a debate about the name of the company. One expected snacks and wondered whether Tapas was a Welsh word? There is, after all, a Welsh-only rule isn't there, he asked? The other had the job of explaining the pun that takes you to Madrid, not to Meirionnydd.

I read here that Mr Hain had brushed up on his Welsh before turning up. As in Neath in 1994 where he spoke in Welsh on the main stage much to the delight of those who were there, He kicked off his comments here in Welsh before switching to English "because I don't want to put Elfyn to shame in his own constituency!"

Nicely done!

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