The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 2

THE GUARDIAN Monday July 101995 denies he will intervene: inioth right prepares to stir up trouble Early fans get Lucky 2 NEWS Michael White Political Editor 1990: But he also stressed the importance of cutting public borrowing which he described as "a step in the direction of being able to make decisions about tax Labour's Gordon Brown and Robin Cook were quick to claim instant splits with Mr Major's views on both topics. Like the Tory right. Labour and the Liberal Democrats are also playing up the "two prime ministers-'- scenario. In a Commons debate today Harriet Har-man; shadow employment spokesman, will exploit the reshuffle's training package placed in the hands of Education Secretary Gillian Shephard for "failing understand the Tole of government in a rapidly changing labour Ministers are united in in usual step of denouncing as "complete fiction" weekend reports that John Major had offered Mr Heseltine Mr Clarke's in a straight swop. Mr seltihe called'the speculation '-'a three letter a lie.

"There never at any time any suggestion, any hint, any thought, any wish' to; bring that." he He protested that only he and Mr Major could possibly have known of the conversation they had last Tuesday, which the press "reported yesterday, apparently in detail. But the divisive job-swop claim, circulating among Tory rightwingers last week and discounted by most newspapers, is only, part of what may be the right's first response to its defeat. Some MPs are complain ing that the "Lion King" has accumulated too much power as the price for his unwavering loyalty to Mr Major. Mr Heseltine responsed by stressing the non-confrontational nature of his brief. "The worst thing that could happen is' -that' if-colleagues felt that I was, trying to steal the trying to undermine then-position, trying to make them do.

policy changes they don't want to do. All that would do would be to close the doors of Whitehall," he said. slapped down the right's preoccupation with Europe as a low priority to most voters, again rejected talk of.a and claimed to haye'jin-vented the idea of a rency opt-but in. a "little reported speech in Hamburg in sisting there was, in Mr Hesel-tine's words, "no conspiracy, no deal" to give him a cross-departmental Whitehall empire with strategic powers of oversight over colleagues. "It is a very great honour and has considerable potential," Mr Heseltine told BBCl's On the Record.

In emollient form he said: "Cabinet ministers are responsible for their own departments and nothing must be seen to blur that clear line of accountability and responsibility." He added: "It cannot be a confrontational job It is a job which at the heart is designed to help me to support the Prime Minister in any way that he thinks appropriate." Not all ministers will be assured by Mr Heseltinc's soothing description of his enhanced "trans-governmental" role let alone by his revitalised energy. Heseltine watching promises to become the main political sport now the leadership fox has been shot. Stepping down from the For-' elgn Office to write fiction but not for five years his memoirs Douglas Hurd yesterday threw his weight behind a rule change to prevent another contest before the election. He also praised Mr Major's defeated foe. "I don't think any sensible person will reproach John Redwood for what he did.

He put himself on the map in a legitimate way he will reap the reward of that courage," he told BBC TV's Breakfast with Frost. He added: "One day I would be surprised if he wasn't a minister again." ICHAEL Hesel--tine moved to. reassure jittery cabinet 1 colleagues' that he will not be using, tus. new position as Deputy Prime Minister to tread on their de partmental, toes or steal their limelight only to influence policy, discreetly and behind closed But he' did so amid sums that the Euro-sceptical right is angered enough by its defeat and the', subsequent', reshuffle that it mav' continue, to make trouble, notieast by gunning for tne uianceuor, Kenneui uiare. Downing street took the un into the Dee despite signs saying: Peidwtch a new).

Joan andGerry Pugh-Jones from Wrexham, 85-ticket holders, said proudly: "We' booked last October." There was a 400-name waiting list by January- Mrs Pugh-Jones added: "We are huge fans of the eisteddfod. I must confess that I'm looking forward to next year's BrynTerfel concert rather more than this. But it's an opportunity we shall not have again." In Castle Street, the Llangollen Silver Band, founded in 1903, was giving a selection from its eclectic repertoire: from La Paloma Blanca to The Lost Chord. The baritone player, Paul Rowlands, might have been excused for pushing the tempo along: he had tickets for the big screen. "I'm taking a table, chairs, candelabra, ashtray and a picnic," he said after a selection from Oh What A Lovely War.

Mr Rowlands runs a shop in. Llangollen. "This is marvellous for the town. There has been a lot of hype but it's an honour for us that Pavarotti has come." Mr Rowlands is a great fan. "Though I think he must be getting pastit now.

Heshouldbe passing on his talents to others or turning to conducting." The band had challenged the whiskered wonder to come and conduct it. But he had failed to respond. So Albert Hammond was wielding the baton as he has for 20 years. "Ishouldhave loved to have gone to the concert. I'm an eisteddfod season-ticket holder but they couldn't guarantee me my usual seat.

And 85 is a bit stiff." The coaches piled in. AA signs alliteratively directed motorists to Pavarotti Public Parking and the Clwyd constabulary struggled heroically with the congestion. Back at the pavilion, the n1ii.i.iPikliHiiBCTT.Illilknaa.Ill Customers' lines crossed in tteDepDnone charge maze David Ward THE Irish dancers, from Loughiel in County Antrim (red waistcoats, shamrocked-spattereti skirts) waited patiently until Sampras beat Becker in total silence on the giant screen but they did not really stand a chance. No sooner had they launched into their first reel than the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (Luciano Favarotti's Llangollen backing group) started tuning up through the loudspeakers outside the eisteddfod's rotund pavilion. And the mighty Lucky himself, fresh from a good night's sleep in his allegedly especially constructed bed, let rip in his first number.

Waves formed on the canal, Vale Crucis Abbey crumbled on the hill. And it was only a rehearsal. The 4,500 ticket holders who had forked out 85 had not yet taken their seats; but the 17.50 screen-watchers were already packing the sun-scorched grass. Jim and Mary Falconer, local people on chairs with backs but no legs, were in pole position. They had never heard Signor Pavarotti in the (considerable) flesh even in his famous first visit to the International Eisteddfod 40 years ago.

Then he had sung with the prize-winning Corale Gioachino Rossini fromModena, and yesterday the choir returned and launched itself into Verdi's Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves in preparation for the anniversary bash. "I wonder whether we might not be a bit too near the speakers," Mrs Falconer mused through the din. "There was a friendly queue to get in followed by a very British scramble for places. It's such a party atmosphere here. We've looked forward to this for a year." The champagne tent was beginning to fizz and genuine Panama hats were selling well in the Andean craft shop.

The town was heaving and five lads joined in the dottuioss by jumpTflg 40 feet frorfithe: bridge, pare prices because companies charged different prices at different times for local, national and international calls. BT claimed its own figures, based upon the analysis of millions of calls, showed it was highly competitive. The variance stems from the fact that customers' calling patterns and usage differ widely. The average BT residential bill is 55 a quarter including line rental. Yet individual bills can range from 10 a quarter to hundreds of pounds.

To choose the best package, consumers must have a clear idea of their usual pattern of calls the balance between local, long distance, and international, and between peak and off-peak. Then they have to calculate their bill if they were using another operator. Other factors such as quality of service, fault repairs, and phone books have to be considered. For most people the effort outweighs the potential saving. There would be a greater incentive if phone charges were rising.

But business and residential call charges have fallen by about 40 per cent in real terms since BT was privatised in 1984. Telephone companies are to offer a greater variety of tariff packages tailored to suit customers' varying needs in the next few years. They believe they can reduce call charges substantially if domestic. lines. are used for more than the'av-'" erage eight minutes a The billions of pounds' they have i theivi- net, works allow them to offer services aimed at encouraging greater use.

In addition demand is growing through the Internet and other information services accessed over the phone line. In general, residential customers who make mainly local calls should look to BT and the cable companies. Those with a lot of long distance and international calls should also consider Mercury. However people with abnormal calling patterns and time and energy should see if the smaller specialist companies could help them trim their phone bills. AKING a phone call has never been so easy, but working out the cheapest way of doing it has never been so complex.

There are more than 160 li censed phone operators in Britain, offering an ever-growing array ot equipment and ser vices, and a wide variety of charges ana discount schemes. London Electricity has started offering its customers cheap long distance and international calls through a deal with ACC Long Distance UK, one of a band of small telecom companies offering deals which undercut British Telecom. They have lower overheads and offer limited services, and are beginning to of BT's more and international, oust jness. the same time' the cable operators are signing up about 50,000 telephone custom ers a montn. The plethora of choice has left customers confused, bol stering the "devil you know" attitude which has kept so many loyal to BT and led Mer cury to draw in its horns in the residential market.

The 10 per cent of the residen tial market not controlled by BT is shared out between other network operators such as Mercury and the cable companies, ana tne smaller companies such as ACC and Swiftcall, which buy network capacity from the other operators. So who is the cheapest telephone operator? It is a question more and more people will be asking later this year when the telephone companies step up their marketine and advertis ing after the introduction of number portability the ability to retain your phone number when you change your telephone company. There is no simple answer. Since competition was intro duced into the UK telephone market in 1984, both and and its new rivals have offered consumers more choice in People can pick and mix put it-takes time and effort to find the'best'dfear'11 terms of tariffs, equipment, discounts, and extra services. Traditionally customers have chosen one phone company providing a range of services.

Now they can pick and mix services from different companies, provided they are prepared to spend the time and effort to work out the best overall deal. The consumer magazine Which? claimed earlier this month that the cost of BT calls could be up to a third more than equivalent phone services from a cable company. But it admitted it was hard to com Charlie upstages ye I de rock stars MM MM Welsh record stall finally played its own nationalistic stuRas more screen watchers staggered in, some laden with the contents oi their entire dining rooms and kitchens. Perhaps they thought Lucky might drop in for a chicken leg. Those without tickets can look forward to other Llangollen attractions: a sheepdog trial on August 1 and a terrier, lurcher and hound show on August 13.

And Signor Pavarotti might be interested to know that the Llangollen weight watchers meet every Wednesday in the hall.lD, Regent Street. 'Here's one we used to play at the Sheffield ballroom." They knocked off a quick Not Fade Away, Tumbling Dice, and an anonymous-sounding number from the actually-very- gooa current album, voodoo Lounge. Then it was Satisfaction, the one that prompted Jagger's famous 1960s remark aoout not wanting to still Desingingitat 45. He managed a spirited rendition, considering, but it was crop-haired Richards, creased face asmirk. who went to town.

playing as though he hadn't done it tunes betore. He and Jagger duetted on a rambling cover of oh, my achingsides Like a Rolling Stone. They had never played the Dylan classic before this tour, and were creditably serious about it, but if Dylan is no great shakes as a harmonica player, Jagger is even less of one. Agreeable though all this was, it was rarely more than rigorously professional. It took a duet with backing singer Lisa Fischer on Gimme Shelter to raise things to a steamier pitch.

as jaeger sang into ner race fronvinches away it was easy to imagine wnata retching young thing he must have once been. But he blew it by slobbering on her bosom and reverted to ick Jagger, re Olde Rock Star. Charlie Watts probably has the best take on the Stones and their marathon career. Introduced by Jaggerto an immense roar, he stood, bowed and sat back down with a bemused little smile. By refusing to take any of it seriously, he acquitted himself better than anyone else up there.

Watts is an elegant example of how to be a middle aged pop star. Jagger Co would do well to take notice. Telephone tangle. photographistewartgoldsin web of costs Caroline Sullivan The Rolling Stones Don Valley Stadium. Sheffield MICK is a grandfather twice over.

Keith looks more like the portrait in Dorian Grey's attic every year. Ron, baby of the band, is 48. And Charlie is, well, Charlie. Ladies and gentlemen: the Rolling Stones at 33. That they still practise rock n' roll is cause for increasing amazement.

Like the dog who, walks on his hind legs, it's not how well they do it, but that they do it at all. Now a byword for longevity as once they were for the cutting edge of youth, they excite mingled scorn and awe with their senior status. As they began the British leg of their world tour, it was excusable that the road dust of 11 months was showing, dagger, 51 and too thin in a shiny gold jacket, had the weary eyes of a man who has seen too many stadiums lately. Nevertheless, he was 1 ithe as a boy (possibly he, not Michael Jackson, sleeps in that oxygen tent), bouncing about on a stage built like a giant rearing metal cobra (Jagger's and Watts's idea). Entering to a fug of pyrotechnics and hellish red smoke, the quartet plus Bill Wyman replacement Darryl Jones basked for a moment in the fans' ardour.

Jones, please note, is black the first black Stone in their three decades of profiting from black culture. "Hello, Sheffield anybody here from Manchester? Leeds? Nottingham?" Jagger reeled off the names regularly blokishly, but they must be little more than 30-year-old touring memories to him. Indeed, he preceded It's All Over Now with, Arts 4bw of rounding down to the nearest o.ip. ACC has a sliding scale of automatic discounts 2 per cent for bills of more than 100 a month, up to, 6 per cent on bills ot more than 300 a month. Customers do not pay to join an acc discount scheme.

The cable companies represent the biggest challenge to BT's near monopoly of the local loop the last tew hundred yards of phone line into most homes and offices. In some cases local calls, to other cable company subscribers in the area are free or at very low cost' 'Ottiers offer special deals for people who also take the cable TV. service, making straight phone charge comparisons even harder. The number of cable telephone subscribers is expected to reach more than 1 million by tne end ot the year. At the mo ment 4.5 million homes can receive cable phone services, but this should reach 10 million by the end of next year.

ran NOKIA ILJf The award winning VffliBSff'iSl BBSS" Nokia 101 pocket phone f7T TV is elegant, functional and (QJ liCJI A extremely powerful. S75 I Compare the specification, tCJyyJ MM IV then compare the price. 50 namenumber Why pay high street prices when you can buy Cellphones Direct? No inflated prices. No hidden extras. Just top quality brands at rock bottom prices from the No.l name in telephone shopping.

With FREE CONNECTION to the Vodafo'ne Lowcall Tariff. PLUS A FREE IN-CAR BATTERY SAVER CHARGER WORTH OVER 25. Simply phone over your credit card details and we'll deliver your phone WITHIN 5 WORKING DAYS. Direct to your door. But please hurry this offer is available for a limited period only.

tween Sam and 6pm and 29p between 6pm and 8am. At the weekend it will cost 16.5p. However a customer who has paid 4 a quarter to join BT's Option 15 discount scheme will get a 10 per cent discount and thus, pay 44p, 26.1p and 14.8p. But-someone who has paid 24 a quarter for the group's Premier Line discount scheme would get a 15 per cent discount, making the cost 4l.5p, 24.7pandl4p. Because residential customers-have to pay to join the BT discount schemes, their quarterly, bills will have'to be more than 40 before they start to save.money.

The, costings change yet agam if the (number called is one of the five nominated numbers under Friends and scheme. Under this, customers get ah extra 5 per cent discount oh all calls to the nominated on top ofany other discount' The figures, provided by BT, take account of its. new policy Tangled Discounts and offers make comparisons nearly impossible THE battle for residential customers Is fought with blunt instruments. Rivals tell British Telecom customers that their 'charges are 10, is or 20 per cent less. BT rejects their claims and insists is' competitive, especially when individual calling patterns and other services are' taken into account It recently reduced the number of its tariff bands from 22 to 9 and has switched to per second charging, in a niove expected to make comparisons easier.

But detailed comparisons are still so. complex it is hardly surprising so many customers have stayed with BT. Take a five minute call from London to Birmingham. On Mondays to triaays this will cost a BT subscriber 48.9p be BT and some rivals British Telecom: Former state-owned monopoly privatised in 1984. Offers national and international phone services for business and residential customers.

Has more than 20 million residential phone lines, about 90 per cent of the market. Required by Oftel to reduce most of its prices following its inflation minus 7.5 per cent price cap. Mercury Communications: Owned by Cable Wireless or memory -mmtm Large illuminated LCD Si kloAI display VL-JI 100 mlns talk-time TSSTUfTfiil 22 hrs standby-time 9 Complete with mains fytM a (SSS charger and 800 Ah wlLJJ IN-CAR BATTERY SAVERCHARGER Simply plug into your car lighter socket to power your phone and re-charge the battery at the time. Ffi25 I challenging its position In the market -S Cellohones The London School, a 'herd of loners', goes to Edinburgh MffrUhh iffflij Ptik nhcHliUHwifr OWpOfctJHl' 12.77 42.ap pennin, 17p pw min. All rales nofl hero wv mluiwc ot VAT LowCill puk tunes urn Men to Frl.

llrmnctJ hilling will bt chiigcd at CI, 50 plul VAT per month. Urn rental (debited monthly in fdvinei) and rtima cturun will bork'bilj to your nominated creditcTufEeof Delta card, Ca'lt cJiaigod in 30 tCftWl unili fter Ino hrtt mlrHile. Education (80 per cent) arid Bell Canada (20 per cent). Setup as sole challenger to BT in the mid 1980s; laced widespread competition -when Government ended telecomduopolyinl991. Announced in December It quitting the payphone business; Announced a simplified charges structure In May Cable companies: Mainly controlled by US or French companies.

Rescued In 1991 by a government decision allowilig'themtoaad 1 -telephone services to their baslcTV ottering. About 830,000 residential phone customers so far. ACC Long Distance UK: Owned by ACC Corporation of Rochester, New York State. Started In university market in 1993, Fully operational in June 1994. About 5,000 residential customers.

Nocosttojoin. Something for nothing: 30 years of comprehensive schools Plus John Peel talks back isom.mmiMuunKCOTsvmaittMsi.