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Showing posts from May 2, 2010

Reds Under-19s reach final

The Llaneli Reds Under-19s reached the final of the MacWhirter Youth League Cup after they beat Ely Rangers by 3 goals to 2 at Stebonheath Park on Thursday night. In a cracking end to end game of football, the Reds goals were scored by Rikki Evans (2) and a Declan John penalty. They will play either Afan Lido or Taffs Well in the final.

Carmarthen hosts top media conference

An annual ‘state of the nation’ debate on the arts and the media in Wales takes place in Carmarthen next week. The conference is being staged under the banner of Cyfrwng, the Media Wales Journal and website which brings Welsh academic and industry voices together in one forum. Among the topics being debated next week will be – Journalism: is there any real depth in online papers? How is Welsh visual art represented in the press and media in Wales and beyond? Technology: a chance for new voices? How do Welsh voices resound in virtual space? and New media, new voices? The Dawn of online Welsh. The conference, which takes ‘Voices’ as its theme, will kick off with a keynote address by Iona Jones, S4C Chief Executive. The Cyfrwng (medium) project is to provide a forum for the presentation of research and scholarly discussion concerning the media in Wales, namely film, television, new media, radio, journalism, theatre and performance studies. The annual conference is a touring event and bein

Doubt over game at Stebonheath tonight

The Stebonheath pitch is under water again after the heavy rain that fell on Llanelli after lunch today. As a result, tonight's Llanelli Reds Under-19 semi-final with Ely Rangers is in doubt. There will be an official pitch inspection at 4pm.

Carmarthenshire officer's key role in Cameroon

A Carmarthenshire Council officer has practiced her skills in developing participation and public services in Cameroon. Ros Bellamy, a Quality Officer at the Council’s Adult learning Service, heard about International Learning Opportunities, a leadership development programme run by Public Service Management Wales and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). She saw it as an opportunity to enhance both her professional and her personal development. With support from her employers, she took a two-month break from her role and accepted a placement as an advisor for a local council in the North West Province of Cameroon. Ros Bellamy said:“I’ve travelled on my own and met retired professional people who are giving their skills in totally different environments – doing the same seemed an exciting prospect to me.” Once in Cameroon, Ros worked alongside the Mayor and Executive Committee to build relations between the council and community, in order to encourage more responsible public service and gr

Innvovative courses for teachers at Trinity University

The value of encouraging qualified teachers to continue learning is underlined in innovative courses now being run by Trinity University College in Carmarthen. The School of ITET (School of Initial Teacher Education & Training) runs a successful MA Education course and is also developing a Graduate Diploma in Education. “Both are ideal vehicles for continued professional development,” said ITET advisor Catharine Bleasdale. “And we are finding that both courses are attracting wide interest from teachers who don’t want to stop at a base camp qualification. There are plenty of teachers out there who are keen to take the next step on the education ladder.” Rhian Kenny, deputy headteacher at Ysgol Maesllyn Primary (Lakefield School) in Llanelli is a huge fan of the graduate diploma. “For someone like me in middle management, it has been a hugely valuable course. “There is a danger that when you qualify as a teacher you move straight into teaching and then don’t get the chance to think o

New director for CAVS in Carmarthenshire

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Mandy Jones has taken up her appointment as the new Executive Director for CAVS, the Carmarthenshire Association for Voluntary Services. Mandy, who lives locally, was previously Head of Community Regeneration at Swansea Council and has many years experience of working in partnership with the third sector, volunteers and statutory agencies. Mair Stephens, CAVS chair said, “We are pleased to have Mandy on board. Her appointment is good for CAVS as Mandy brings with her knowledge of working with both the voluntary and statutory sector.” Mandy aims to spend the first few months familiarising herself with the world of CAVS and gaining an insight into how CAVS is viewed by its members and partners. Mandy said, “I am pleased to be joining CAVS at an exciting time when our members’ views of our work and future direction are being sought to help us develop a new strategic plan for the organisation. I look forward to working with staff, trustees, members, volunteers and partners to ensure the th

Pembrokeshire food waste scheme expanded

Pembrokeshire County Council's successful food waste scheme will be expanded next week to serve a further 6,000 households. It means over half the County's residents will benefit from a service that helps reduce the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill. The new areas include; Pembroke Dock, Neyland, Roch, Camrose, Simpson Cross, Penally, Manorbier, Jameston, Lydstep, and Kilgetty. All the properties covered by the roll-out will receive a kitchen caddy to collect unwanted food and scraps in the home. They will also receive a larger food bin to be placed out with their weekly recycling collection, along with a supply of compostable bags. Not only are the bins more hygienic than using black sacks, they prevent attacks from animals, especially if they are put out overnight. Some Milford Haven residents say they are enjoying a lie-in on the morning of their refuse collection as they are no longer woken up by squawking seagulls foraging for food! Cllr Ken Rowlands, Cabinet

Haverfordwest welcome for British citizens

Natives of Egypt, Trinidad and Tobago, Southern Rhodesia and Bangladesh undertook the vow of British citizenship at County Hall, Haverfordwest. The ceremony was conducted by Barbara Eynon, Superintendent Registrar for the Registration District of Pembrokeshire. The citizens were welcomed to Pembrokeshire and Wales by the Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor Anne Hughes. They swore an oath to the Sovereign before being presented with a citizenship certificate and a pack containing a passport application. Wolfscastle Junior School led the singing of both National Anthems and entertained the gathering with two further songs.

Haverfordwest picks art winners

Congratulations to the first ever winners of Haverfordwest Leisure Centre's colouring competition. Three year old Ebony Scott from Roch and nine year old Charlie Young from Solva beat off fierce competition to be crowned the winners. Youngsters were asked to colour in an Easter bunny in the special seasonal competition. Charlie won a one-month free swimming pass, while Ebony won a selection of swimming goodies. Leisure centre manager Pauline Turner said they were pleased at the high number of entries. "We had no idea there are so many budding artists out there," she said. "We will be holding more competitions in the centre over the summer and are always on the look out for talented youngsters."

Pembroke roadworks due to start

Work to improve the junction at East End Square, Pembroke, is due to start on Monday, 10th May. Work at the busy junction - which serves the A4075 Holyland Road, Main Street, Station Road and Well Hill - involves the realignment of the carriageway as well as provision of a shared use path and demolition of the St Michaels Church Hall extensions. The main contractor will be Evan Pritchard Contractors Limited with Atkins as consulting engineer, supervising the work which is being carried out on behalf of Pembrokeshire County Council. The scheme has been programmed to minimise the use of traffic management with temporary traffic signals to be used only when required. This arrangement will protect the workforce and control the flow of traffic while limiting disruption to road users. The Council's Head of Highways and Construction, Darren Thomas, said: "This project is one of several improvement schemes planned along the road between the A477 Fingerpost junction to the refinery an

Week of events for adult learners

Adult Learners’ Week is the UK’s largest and longest running learning campaign. Held each May, it encourages thousands of adults, whatever their age and background, to give learning a go. This year, thousands of interesting events and activities are taking place from 15 – 21 May 2010. Visit their website to find out all the ways that you can be involved: http://www.alw.org.uk/get-involved

Welsh interest at the races today

The following trainers with Welsh connections have runners today - Peter Bowen 18:10 Cheltenham Take The Stand (IRE) Mr M Byrne 19:55 Cheltenham Mr Ed (IRE) Mr M Byrne David Evans 13:45 Chester Bathwick Bear (IRE) J Fortune 13:45 Chester Dingle View (IRE) Catherine Gannon 13:45 Chester Little Libretto (IRE) J F Egan Tim Vaughan 17:20 Huntingdon Swiss Guard R Johnson 19:40 Huntingdon Arctic Shadow Dean Coleman Ian Williams 14:45 Chester Liszt (IRE) J P Spencer

Craig hits five for Reds!

Craig Frater scored an amazing five goals as Llanelli Reds Under-19s beat Carmarthen Town by 6 goals to 2 at Stebonheath Park on Tuesday night. The other Reds goal came from James Secker who gave an impressive performance on both flanks. The Under-19s now need just one more point from their last two games to retain the title. On Thursday night, they are at home again, when they play Ely Rangers in the semi-finals of the League Cup. Kick Off is at 7.30pm

Llanelli's Rhys Griffiths in team of the season

Four players each from champions The New Saints and beaten Welsh Cup finalists Port Talbot have been named in the Welsh Premier League team of the season. Right-back Danny Holmes and centre back Steve Evans played in the TNS defence that conceded just 13 league goals all season, alongside influential midfielder Scott Ruscoe and wingman Craig Jones, who scored eight goals. Also selected by the league managers are the Steelmen's keeper Lee Kendall, who joins team-mates Scott Barrow - scorer of one of the goals of the season - Liam McCreesh and striker Martin Rose, who weighed in within 29 goals between them in Talbot's climb to third place. Highly-rated centre back Michael Johnston from Welsh Cup winners Bangor City, Geoff Kellaway who scored nine goals for Aberystwyth Town and the Welsh Premier's five-times Golden Boot award winner Rhys Griffiths of Llanelli complete the line-up. The team: Lee Kendall, Danny Holmes, Steve Evans, Michael Johnston, Scott Barrow, Craig Jones, S

Cross Hands shop worker fined

A member of staff at a shop in Cross Hands has been prosecuted for selling cigarettes to an under age girl. Sian Smith pleaded guilty at Ammanford Magistrates Court on Monday to an offence contrary to Section 7 Children and Young Persons Act 1933. The court was told that Smith was working at Cross Hands News when she sold cigarettes to the girl who was taking part in a test purchasing operation on age-restricted sales. Fifty seven-year-old Smith, of Cae Glas, Cross Hands, was fined £70 and ordered to pay £100 prosecution costs.

Cross Hands tyre amnesty is a winner

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A whopping 1086 tyres were collected in an amnesty held in Cross Hands. Skips in Leekes car park in Cross Hands Business Park were filled in just a few hours despite the rain. The amnesty, which allows residents to dispose of any unwanted tyres free of charge, is being held at various locations across the county. It is being run by Tidy Towns, which is a Welsh Assembly Government-funded initiative delivered in partnership by Carmarthenshire County Council and Keep Wales Tidy. The aim is to encourage householders to dispose of their waste responsibly and in turn help combat fly-tipping. Tidy Towns project officer Kelly Shefford said: “Tyres are one of the most common items that are fly-tipped not only in Carmarthenshire but across the UK as a whole. “We want to encourage people to do the right thing and dispose of tyres in a responsible manner. “We couldn’t believe the amount of tyres we collected in Cross Hands, the rain failed to deter people.” All the tyres collected will be recycled

Carmarthenshire crime prevention advice

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Residents in Carmarthenshire who fail to lock their cars, forget to close a window or leave their sat-nav on show will be contacted by the police and given crime prevention advice. The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is warning people to make sure their vehicles are secure - even if they are leaving them for just a few minutes – and any valuables are kept out of sight. If not, then they could receive a letter from the police. Under the Vulnerable Vehicle Scheme, if officers see any cars in a public place that have been left open or with anything on view, the owner will be sent a letter and accompanying leaflet offering advice. The aim is to encourage residents and visitors to take the simplest of steps to secure their vehicles and reduce their chances of becoming a victim of this type of crime. Although vehicle crime in Carmarthenshire is low, figures show that almost half of all incidents in the county could have been avoided. During the last three months there have been 136 auto c

Carmarthenshire residents strike lucky

Ten lucky Carmarthenshire residents have each won £25 in high street vouchers in a council competition to combat cigarette litter. The competition was held in the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star newspapers on March 17 and March 24. The winners were drawn at random and all answered the question correctly that 83 per cent of litter found on Carmarthenshire’s streets was smoking-related. The winners were M Jenkins from Meidrim; Mrs Redhead from Hafod Elfed, Carmarthen; Mrs J Morris from Porthyrhyd; Tony Lynch from Maesycrugiau, Pencader; Maureen Dyer from Parc-y-Delyn, Carmarthen; Sandra Job from Penygaer, Llanelli; Mrs B Tinmiche from Upper Tumble; Mr G Emanuel from Felinfoel, Llanelli; Mrs A Thorne from Sandy Water Park, Llanelli; and Margaret Le Warne from Coedcae, Llanelli. The aim was to encourage people to put their cigarette butts in the bin and raise awareness that if you’re caught dropping litter you could get fined £75 - or more if prosecuted through the magistrates court.

Llanelli tyre amnesty success

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Residents got rid of a staggering 851 tyres in an amnesty held in Llanelli. Two skips placed in Tesco’s car park in Parc Trostre were filled in just a few hours. The amnesty, which allows residents to dispose of any unwanted tyres free of charge, is being held at various locations across the county. It is being run by Tidy Towns, which is a Welsh Assembly Government-funded initiative delivered in partnership by Carmarthenshire County Council and Keep Wales Tidy. The aim is to encourage householders to dispose of their waste responsibly and in turn help combat fly-tipping. Tidy Towns project officer Kelly Shefford said: “We were amazed at the amount of tyres which we collected in Llanelli. It was the first event in the county so we didn’t really know what to expect in terms of numbers. “Tyres are one of the most common items that are fly-tipped not only in Carmarthenshire but across the UK as a whole. “We want to encourage people to do the right thing and dispose of tyres in a responsib

Boost for Cross Hands subway

Following recent complaints about the state of Cross Hands subway, Gwendraeth Youth Forum have taken on the challenge of sprucing up the area. The subway, now dated and run down, will soon become a burst of colour thanks to the efforts of young people. Graffiti and creative writing workshops have taken place in the Gwendraeth area to prepare youth forum members for design work on the subway in June. Gwendraeth Youth Forum will work on the project in partnership with Llannon Town Council and Carmarthenshire Council’s Tidy Towns department. Gwendraeth Youth Forum members, Shannon Davies said “When we found out that residents were unhappy with the current state of Cross Hands subway we decided to take action and make the area more appealing. “We have organised several workshops run by professional artists and I’m confident that with all the efforts from various organizations the area will look fantastic.” Youth Link Worker, Rhys Morris added:“It’s really refreshing to see young people goi

Carmarthenshire egg firm fined

A Carmarthenshire firm has been prosecuted for supplying English eggs labelled as Welsh. Lampeter Eggs pleaded guilty to three allegations of making misleading statements by describing eggs as coming from Wales when they did not. Swansea Magistrates Court was told today that the Cwmann-based company supplied a Spar distribution warehouse in Pontyclun. Lampeter Eggs was fined a total of £1,500 for the three offences and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £1,354 costs.

'Harry Heron' at coastal park today

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'Harry Heron' was available for photos today on the Sandy Water Park pond at Llanelli's Millennium Coastal Park! For more photos, see - http://picasaweb.google.com/robertapvincent/MCPLlanelli#

Memories of the 1926 Scarlets v Maoris match

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There are probably only a handful of people left who could use the Max Boyce quote, “I was there!” But readers will still be interested in these memories of the 1926 match between the Llanelli Scarlets and the New Zealand Maoris. The memories are stirred by the discovery of two pieces of memorabilia – a postcard photo signed by the then Llanelli captain, Ivor Jones, and the menu card from the after-match banquet held at The Stepney Hotel (now sadly demolished) in Llanelli town centre. The 1926-27 touring side, captained by Walter Barclay (a holder of the Military Medal) is still considered by rugby historians to be the best ever Maori team. In a seven-month tour which took place in Australia, Ceylon, France, Wales and Canada, the side played 38 matches, winning 29, losing seven and drawing two. The achievements were all the more remarkable when it is considered that the legendary full-back George Nepia was left at home after missing the boat from Wellington! The match against Llanelli

Price to aim for place on regional Plaid list

WalesOnline - News - Wales News - Price to aim for place on regional Plaid list No surprise in this.

Ffos Las is first past the post at Betview awards

WalesOnline - Business - Business News - Racecourse is first past the post at Betview awards

Steve Dube on Carmarthen's new shopping centre

WalesOnline - News - Columnists - Special? Different? Unique? Why on Earth would a town want to be like that? The Western Mail columnist hits the target again.

Picture caption blunder

Journalism jobs and news from Holdthefrontpage.co.uk Oh dear!

Pembrokeshire pupils in marathon trek

Thirty young people from Pembrokeshire have trekked right across Wales, in preparation for their Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award. The pupils from Ysgol y Preseli, Ysgol Dewi Sant, Ysgol Bro Gwaun, Greenhill School, and Tasker Milward School completed their four-day expedition on Sunday. The 50-mile westward hike to Borth, near Aberystwyth, started at the Powys/Shropshire border at Felindre, on the river Teme. The route, which took them 2,500 foot above sea level, covered the Dethenydd Hills on their first day, Hafren Forest on the second, and Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, on the third. The group, who were mostly lower sixth-formers aged 16 or 17, had to carry everything they needed for four days, set up camp, cook, map-read and administer first aid themselves, Qualified leaders checked on them once or twice a day and gave them advice and support if needed. The trek provided the pupils with training and practice for their qualifying Gold Award expeditions to

Welsh Premier boss rules out 44 games!

Welsh Premier League secretary John Deakin has confirmed that plans to make Welsh Premier clubs play 44 fixtures next season are a definite non-starter. Deakin told the Daily Post the proposed schedule for the new-look league would be far too demanding on its 12 clubs and alternatives would be sought at the league's AGM in June. "Forty-four games is unrealistic - in the words of the prophet, it ain’t gonna happen," declared Deakin to the Post. "It’s totally impractical." Deakin pointed to the problems caused by the severe winter weather and its effect on fixtures this season as one of the main reasons why 44 matches will not work. Llanelli ended up playing eight games in 19 days to complete their schedule due to the backlog - although their heroic efforts still nearly brought them the title. "Imagine the problems 44 games would have created this season," he added. "It’s been tough enough getting in 34." As exclusively revealed by welsh-premie

Young Reds still flying high

The Llanelli Reds Under 18s are still in with a chance of lifting the South Wales FA Youth League (West) championship. They are in pole position with just the away game at Maesteg Park on Friday 7th May remaining. Their title challengers, Cogan Coronation, have three games left and trail the Reds by four points. The Reds Under 19s went a step nearer to retaining their MacWhirter Youth League title when they won 5-1 at Swansea side West End on Sunday afternoon. The Reds goalscorers were Craig Frater (2), Declan John (2) and Rikki Evans. The Under 19s are at home on Tuesday ( 4th May) when they entertain Carmarthen Town at Stebonheath Park ( KO 7.30pm)

Llanelli Reds cleared of racism charge

At a hearing at the FAW Headquarters in Cardiff, the charge against Llanelli AFC of failing to prevent its supporters of making Racist Abuse to a Port Talbot player at the home game on Tuesday 9th March was NOT proven. No further action will be taken. Llanelli AFC are delighted at the outcome and and can now concentrate on making plans for the European games in July. See earlier post - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Show%20Racism%20The%20Red%20Card

Help save Welsh cottages

WalesOnline - News - Wales News - Help save Welsh cottages

Charity biker ride from Llanelli in Ray Gravell's name

BBC News - Charity biker ride from Llanelli in Ray Gravell's name And they've just driven up my road . . .