Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Press Releases : Trinity University College

Facebook fans have been joining Carmarthenshire County Council’s group page in their droves to keep up to date with the latest adverse weather disruptions. The group page is being used as an additional tool to the authority’s main website, to let people know of any disruption to services because of the big freeze. Every time an update is posted on the authority’s website and the Facebook page, any members of the group receive an automatic alert. Numbers of people joining the group page have steadily increased over the last few days of bad weather. A shortcut to the group page is included on the homepage of Carmarthenshire County Council’s main website. Cllr Pam Palmer, Executive Board Member with responsibility for communication, said: “Facebook offers us another great opportunity to get urgent messages out there, such as disruptions to services, so that we can keep the county’s residents up to date. “It doesn’t cost us anything, and is an ideal way of letting county residents know of

Members of Carmarthenshire Youth Council were given the opportunity to raise issues affecting young people with Assembly Member, Nerys Evans. The Youth Council held a meeting to discuss issues concerned with transport, tuition fees, children’s rights, unemployment and the lack of long term training opportunities. Gaynor Jones, Outreach Manager for South West Wales was also present at the event and delivered a workshop on the Welsh Assembly Government. Plaid Cymru AM Nerys Evans said:“Young people are the political participants of tomorrow and it’s important that their voices are listened to. “I was very impressed by Carmarthenshire Youth Council’s knowledge and interest of issues concerning young people and it’s obvious that they are doing a great job of acting on behalf of all the young people in the county. “This was certainly a good opportunity to meet with the Youth Council and listen to their views.” Carmarthenshire Youth Council is a group of young people from all over Carmarthen

People in Carmarthenshire are being asked to keep an eye on their neighbours during the adverse weather conditions. Those living near elderly or vulnerable people, in particular, are urged to look out for them, and ensure they have all they need. Carmarthenshire County Council’s social care executive board member Cllr Pat Jones said: “Many older or disabled people will feel unsure, or be unable, to leave their homes during these bad weather conditions. “However, it means they may run out of vital supplies and feel really isolated. “Small things such as fetching milk or a loaf of bread from the shop may be all it takes for someone to be comfortable. “Those people who buy electricity or gas with cards could also run out of essential power. “Checking on your neighbour during these times would be very helpful, at least it would ensure they were safe and well, and at best it could even save a life.”

Scarlets game off Sunday's Magners League game between Munster and the Scarlets has been postponed because of a frozen pitch.

You will need a 4x4 driver in the bag to make an impression at Garnant Golf Club. The popular golf club where wonder Welsh and Ospreys wing Shane Williams is a member has been closed since shipping five inches of snow on Wednesday January 6. The clubhouse has, however, remained open with intrepid visitors without 4X4’s parking at the bottom of the winding drive and trekking 10 minutes through the snow and ice to the venue. Golf Club supervisor Vincent Mosson said: “We may be stopped for play with the course closing itself because of the conditions but the clubhouse continues to be a popular winter destination for visitors calling in for coffees and enjoying spectacular snowy mountain views. “It is quite a trek up the drive but those who make it have said it has been well worthwhile and are taking a lot of photographs.” The clubhouse is a popular venue for meetings and job vacancy interviews for businesses ion the area and Mr Mosson is ringing round all those booked in with freezing con

A waste amnesty scheduled to be held in St Clears on Saturday, January 16, has been cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions. The amnesty will be rescheduled for a later date and publicised in due course.

Building and housing services in Carmarthenshire are on call this weekend in case there are any weather-related problems at council homes. Staff have been inundated with calls from tenants with burst or freezing pipes, or problems with their water supplies. They have been pulling out all the stops to fix the problems in order to help people across the county. The teams will now be working over the weekend, staffing depots and taking calls from any tenants who are experiencing problems. Teams of plumbers, electricians and general building operatives are all on stand-by if needed. Partner contractor companies are also helping the county council to cope with the demand. Building services staff have also supported the gritting teams in council estates and sheltered housing complexes to help people get around more easily. Building Services Manager Mark Davies said: “We are experiencing a high volume of calls from tenants who have had weather related problems at their homes. “Staff are worki

Business entrepreneurs in Carmarthenshire are being challenged to enter the Dragons’ Den. People with business ideas, inventions or products with serious potential, who are looking for funding, are being sought to apply for the next series. Carmarthenshire County Council’s economic development team are now encouraging budding Richard Bransons in the county to take on the Dragons. Head of Economic Development Wendy Walters said: “This is an opportunity for any business people to get investment in themselves or their companies. “We appreciate it can be difficult to face the Dragons but would urge those who are confident of their service or product, but need a helping hand, to give it a go.” Dragons including James Caan, Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne and Theo Paphitis have invested thousands of pounds into new ventures since the series began. A member of the production team said: “Dragons’ Den is a challenging place to pitch, but it’s also a genuine business opportunity to

Llandeilo and Glanaman Community Education Centres will be closed on Monday because of adverse weather conditions. Ice and snow currently surround the two buildings and the weather forecast for Sunday is more snow, so organisers have taken the decision to close on Monday to allow people advance warning. Further updates will be provided by Carmarthenshire Council at the beginning of next week.

Couple toss-up on where to live - Wales or Ireland. Carmarthen girl loses! Boys, oh boys — Kilkenny’s first babies of decade give boost to the local male population - Kilkenny Advertiser - January 08, 2010.

All the Llanelli Reds Academy games at Newport YMCA on Sunday have been postponed due to the snow and ice and the same fate applies to the Under-18s home match with Cowbridge Town. The Under-19s home game scheduled for Monday night at Stebonheath against Bryntirion Athletic also looks extremely doubtful!

"After breast-feeding three children I am amazed that people think I still have a cleavage worth complaining about" - BBC TV presenter Susanna Reid, who was criticised for allegedly showing too much cleavage while interviewing actor Hugh Grant.

WalesOnline - News - Wales News - John Hurt calls for more truly Welsh films Well done, Mr Hurt. I also think Llanelli is probably the biggest independent TV production base outside of London!

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has refused to pay out an accumulator bet worth £7.1 million to a man who wagered snow would fall on Christmas Day because it was accepted by mistake. Cliff Bryant, 52, from Southampton, placed two £5 accumulators on snow falling across 24 towns and cities in the North and Midlands on December 25. But staff at the bookmakers accepted the gamble by mistake as the company rules state such a wager can only be a single bet. The company has honoured the relevant single bets and paid out only £31.78 instead. It has apologised to Mr Bryant for the mistake.

"Let's wear our daydreams on our sleeves. They don't need to lead anywhere. They have their own beauty. What kind of ice-heart doesn't have any?" - Entertainer Frank Skinner.

Luxury homes scheme blocked in Llanelli

RTÉ Sport: Munster match is expected to take place

"There are a lot of women in my life. I get on better with women. You wouldn't think it, considering my looks, but there are quite a few around me and that naturally makes it quite difficult to juggle them all" - Motor-racing tycoon Bernie Ecclestone.

Pogues singer Shane MacGowan has revealed he stays awake for a week at a time. The frontman, known for his mammoth drinking sessions, said he goes for days at a time without rest. Eventually, he will simply "crash out" when he has become too tired - and then begin again. The 52-year-old star is known for constantly punishing his body with years of heavy drinking, often appearing drunk on stage.

Saturday's valuable National Hunt card at Ffos Las has been abandoned because of frost and snow. Although officials had earlier this week been bullish about the chances of racing, overnight temperatures dipped to minus 9C. And with the track still snowbound, clerk of the course Tim Long was left with no choice but to abandon two days before the fixture. He said: "We gave it every chance, but we half-knew our fate yesterday. "The next two nights are going to be very cold again so we realistically had little chance. "We've still got a partial covering of snow, which is not going anywhere, so it was pointless delaying our decision." The news comes as a blow to the Welsh track, who were due to stage the rearranged Blue Square Tolworth Hurdle and the SIS Live Welsh Champion Hurdle.

Pembrokeshire County Council has started a programme of road resurfacing and footway improvement work in Saundersfoot. The resurfacing work is part of the Council's capital carriageway strengthening programme. In addition, more than £500,000 is being spent on providing safe walking and cycling routes in the village as a result of a successful bid for Safe Routes in Communities funding from the National Assembly. The schemes focus on new and improved footways, safe crossings, shelters, cycle racks and traffic calming measures in the village. Unfortunately the work will entail some disruption to roads in the area and around Saundersfoot Primary School. Pupils have been given letters to take home to parents outlining the work due to be carried out. This week (4th-8th January) resurfacing work will take place on Cambrian Terrace and Milford Street. The work will be relatively light but may cause delays in getting to school. From 11th January onwards major works will start on Church Te

"If my child's not coming home covered in snot and poster paints, it's been a bad day at nursery" - Broadcaster Kirsty Young.

An extra-strong toilet which can cope with morbidly obese patients weighing up to 70 stone has been introduced at a hospital, an NHS trust said. The reinforced steel toilet is reportedly still in the prototype stage with manufacturer Armitage Shanks and has now been installed on a new 23-bay ward at Lincoln County Hospital. Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said it had bought an extra-wide bed for the £2.8 million ward. It can also cope with a patient weighing 70 stone and comes complete with hoists and pulleys.

Welsh scholar and historian Hywel Teifi Edwards has died aged 75. See stories - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/01/05/historian-hywel-teifi-edwards-dies-at-75-91466-25527845/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8440734.stm I penned a short tribute for the Llanelli Star - Former Llanelli Star and Carmarthen Journal editor Robert Lloyd said Professor Hywel Teifi Edwards was unquestionably one of our most distinguished Welshmen. He said: "During my time as a newspaper editor, it was a privilege to be on the receiving end of Hywel’s wisdom on a number of occasions. “He was an iconic figure in Llanelli. His passion for Wales and all things Welsh shone through in everything he did in his academic, broadcasting and writing career. “He was very influential in bringing the Royal National Eisteddfod to Llanelli in 2000. “And, although his roots were firmly in Ceredigion, he was undoubtedly an adopted son of his beloved Llangennech and Llanelli. “All who heard it will never fo

Trading standards officers in Carmarthenshire have seized counterfeit goods worth more than £2m over the last three years. The county council’s Trading Standards Service seized a total of £2,205,825 fake items including toys, memory cards, motorcycles, electrical goods, cigarettes, DVDs and CDs, clothing and football merchandise. The Service undertook 20 prosecutions. Trading Standards has joined forces with the Government and industry to warn Christmas shoppers of the various dangers posed by fake products. Millions of low-quality counterfeit products are flooding the UK in time for Christmas, particularly in markets, car boot sales and online. Criminals will deliberately copy well-known brands, sometimes even charging a similar price, but beware - these fakes can pose a serious risk to consumers’ safety. The external appearance and packaging of electrical goods such as chargers and hair straighteners may be copied fairly well, but the internal composition and materials are likely to

Carmarthenshire County Council’s head of public protection has written to pubs and clubs in the county warning them to take care when accepting bookings for school parties and sixth form proms. The move comes following concerns about children becoming helplessly drunk – and in one case having to be taken to hospital – and public order problems. The letter from head of public protection Philip Davies is being circulated to licence holders to express concern regarding the conduct of some of these events, and to raise awareness amongst licence holders and club secretaries who may be approached to hold similar events. The council’s licensing committee has just concluded a review of the premises licence of a major entertainment venue in Carmarthenshire, which hosted Sixth Form Proms in 2008. The review heard evidence that on two separate occasions, the events were attended by students too young to legally buy alcohol, some of whom were intoxicated to the extent that they were unable to stan

THE historic Carmarthen Clock Tower will be a highlight of the new St Catherine’s development. The clock tower will be at the far end of the two rows of small shops by Carmarthen market and the land in between will be used for the outdoor market. The Clock Tower was built as part of the new Carmarthen Market in1846 by F.E.H. Fowler of London. The site of the market was known as Parcyvelvet fields. Fowler's design was selected by competition, but the winning plans were revised to reduce cost. The whole complex cost £5,600. A large part of the old market was damaged by fire in 1929 and rebuilt. It was then demolished again for a new market hall by J. Vergette of Percy Thomas Partnership in 1981. The clock tower was restored at the same time. It is a two-storey square tower of brown rubble stone, Italianate style, with arched openings, and a square timber clock turret. It was Listed back in 1981 as a characterful early Victorian clock tower in Italianate style, a significant relic of

Two Llandovery schoolgirls are aiming for the top in the sport of archery. Fourteen-year-old Jemma Morris, who is disabled, represents Wales and Britain, is the youngest ever member of the GB Paralympic squad, and holds four Welsh records. She was Carmarthenshire Disabled Sportswoman of the Year in 2007. Her 12-year-old sister Bethany, like Jemma a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Pantycelyn, is also coming through and is the youngest member of the Junior Welsh Squad. Dad Damian, who is also disabled, was looking for a sport the whole family from Church Bank, Llandovery, could enjoy and contacted council disabled sports development officer Lisa Pudner who encouraged them to join the archery session that is held in conjunction with the Three Counties Archery Club and Carmarthenshire Disabled Sports and Activities Club at St Clears Leisure Centre. Mr Morris said: “It’s unbelievable how far they’ve come. If it wasn’t for the council and Lisa Pudner I wouldn’t have known where to turn.” Lisa said: “Th

The drovers’ tableau destined to form a centrepiece of the St Catherine’s shopping development in Carmarthen is taking shape at a studio in Newcastle Emlyn. Vulnerable adults are helping to create the tableau of a drover and his sheepdog herding a sheep and goose. It has been chosen to fit with the history of the area of the former livestock mart. The drover and dog will be made of stainless steel and the sheep and goose made of stainless steel with brass highlights. The designs have been commissioned by the developers Simons Developments and are being produced by local artist Tony Woodman who is being helped by people who attend the Carmarthenshire Adult Placement Scheme, which offers long-term or respite care with families for people with learning disabilities. Mr Woodman said: “They are really enjoying the work and I am enjoying working with them. The drover and the sheep are completed and are looking good.”

Residents of Waun Sidan in Pembrey had a present when work started on a new play area. Works have started on a £73,259 play area for younger children and ball area for older children in Waun Sidan, Pembrey. The majority of the works were completed in time for Christmas with associated works such as seating and landscaping to be undertaken in the New Year. This exciting community project is the result of co-operation between Carmarthenshire County Council housing services, the Environmental Works Project working in partnership with tenants and residents, councillors, CWM Community and Environmental Fund, Tidy Towns and colleagues from the council’s Street Scene section.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s 15-month initiative to test all cattle herds in Wales for bovine TB has ended and has been hailed a resounding success by Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones. Health Check Wales was established to test Wales’ 13,130 cattle herds to gain a more accurate picture of the spread of bovine TB across Wales. It is part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s comprehensive package of measures aimed at eradicating the disease in Wales. All herds in Wales have now had a TB test during the past fifteen months or have a test booked for early in the New Year. As a result of TB Health Check Wales, the number of overdue tests has been reduced from 711 at the beginning of the programme, to just six at the end of November 2009. The December statistics will be available at the end of January. The initiative has also resulted in the slaughter of 185 infected cattle from 96 herds previously thought to be free from bovine TB. Sixty two of these herds were located in North Wales, an

"Along came the electronic age and all of a sudden man veered off the arrow-straight path of progress and turned left into a muddy brown puddle of non-stop 'communication'" - Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame.

Identical twin boys in Florida will get to celebrate their birthdays individually after they were born in separate decades. Margarita Velasco delivered the twins by caesarean section at Tampa General Hospital. Marcello was delivered just before midnight. His twin, Stephano, was delivered just as the new year began.

Not a lot of Welsh interest in racing today. Bryn Palling has the following in action - 13:55 Wolverhampton Forward Feline (IRE) Ashley Morgan 16:35 Wolverhampton Mighty Mover (IRE) David Probert

The chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr Tyssul Evans, has attended the official opening of the Carmarthen Golf Club Driving Range and Academy Course. He met club chairman Chris Jones and president Jeff Harries.

Members of Carmarthenshire Trading Standards Team have been at the St Elli Centre in Llanelli to promote the Registered Traders Scheme which is five years old. Trading Standards established the scheme in 2004 in an attempt to combat the rising level of complaints about home repair and domestic improvements. The service believed the public was being let down by cowboy builders and that reputable businesses were fed up with the image that all builders are incompetent or worse. The traders on the scheme have signed to say that they agree to run their business in accordance with certain terms and conditions, as laid down by Trading Standards. Since its implementation, the scheme has grown to include all the main sectors of the building trade, as well as general builders. There is also a separate list of Gardeners and Handypersons and there are plans to include Pest Control companies in the near future. Viv Jones, Scheme Coordinator said: “I am conscious of the fact that many residents are

Happy New Year everyone. Normal service about to resume on this blog.