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

Recent high tides and storms have washed up lumps of wax weighing more than a hundredweight on to Cefn Sidan. Pembrey Country Park Rangers, making their daily tide line beach sweeps, have been discovering the bright yellow wax balls and disposing of them as they are found using mechanical diggers to lift them into skips. Senior Park Ranger Gavin Hall said the wax was similar if not identical to material washed up in 2008 which the Environment Agency identified as harmless to humans stearic acid and octosane based wax. He said: “The agency informed us that these materials are used in food processing, detergents and soaps.” The wax balls found have been removed. They did not pose any issue to beach walkers but dog owners have said animals enjoyed chewing on the wax and were naturally attracted to it which caused them concern. Veterinary advice is that if dogs ingested enough of the wax it could cause stomach problems but it was otherwise harmless. Wading birds, too, seem to have an inte

Carmarthenshire has seen the setting up of two new No Cold Calling Zones. The county now has some 20 zones following the establishment of zones at Brynhyfryd in Llanddarog and Brynglas in Drefach by the county council’s Trading Standards Service in partnership with Dyfed Powys Police. No Cold Calling Zones started in Carmarthenshire in 2006 and have proved to be a success. They are set up in areas where elderly or vulnerable people live, or where there has been evidence of doorstep crime and problems with cold callers. The aim of the zones is to protect Carmarthenshire consumers from bogus officials/workers, overbearing sales people and other scams. The first zone was launched at Maes Elfryn Housing Complex, Llandeilo, in September 2006. Areas covered by Carmarthenshire’s No Cold Calling Zones include communities in Llandeilo, Pembrey, Llandovery, Llanstephan, Tycroes, Felinfoel, Llangunnor, Llanelli, Llwynhendy, Drefach, and Pendine. All the No Cold Calling Zones have been set up to m

Youth organisations in Carmarthenshire are invited to attend a free information session on EU funding opportunities for youth activities. The session is aimed at groups and organisations in Carmarthenshire working with young people aged between 13-30 years old outside school. It is for those who want to know more about the funding and support available to organise and participate in EU exchanges and small projects in a wide range of themes, from art, music, dance and theatre to sport and outdoor activities. In addition, there will be an opportunity to hear first-hand experiences from youth organisations and groups who have organised EU exchanges and projects as well as to ask questions on the day-to-day management of their links. The information session will take place on Wednesday March 9 from 11.30am until 1.30pm in Trinity St David, University of Wales, Carmarthen. To attend, please register by contacting Lorena Prist, on 01267242369 or at lprist@carmarthenshire.gov.uk before March

Representatives of two Indonesian schools have been visiting Carmarthenshire to promote international understanding ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Their visit follows a trip to Indonesia last October by Amman Valley Comprehensive deputy headteacher Sion Watkins, PE teacher Talfan Davies and Tycroes Primary School headteacher Paul Mainwaring as part of London 2012 International Inspiration. They went to Rosela Inda Primary School and SKP 2 Tand Siang High School in rural West Java who are now on a reciprocal visit. International Inspiration aims to use the power of physical education, sport and play to enrich the lives of millions of children. The schools visited County Hall in Carmarthen as the guests of the chair of Carmarthenshire County Council Cllr Tegwen Devichand. Carmarthenshire County Council chair Cllr Tegwen Devichand welcomes visitors from Rosela Inda Primary School and SKP 2 Tand Siang High School in Indonesia. Also pictured are Amman Valley Comprehensive headteach

Pupils from Abergwili School have visited County Hall as guests of the chair of Carmarthenshire County Council. The children are pictured in the Council Chamber with chair Cllr Tegwen Devichand and local member Cllr Pam Palmer. Pic Jeff Connell

A new £12 million 100-bedroom four star hotel is proposed for Carmarthenshire. The development at Pensarn could create 100 jobs and deliver other long-term benefits. County executive board member for regeneration Cllr Clive Scourfield welcoming the news said the hotel was a triumph of confidence in the county. He said: “It is quite brilliant to see our officers working so hard with a successful local business keen to tap into the tourism growth we have developed in the county over the last decade.” The development follows completion of an agreement by the Welsh Assembly Government to sell a prime 7.5acre site at Parc Pensarn to Gryphon Leisure Ltd whose directors, Angela Saunders and her brother Barry Saunders, own and run the highly successful Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli. Capital investment in the four star quality hotel, which is subject to planning permission, will provide a significant boost to the local economy during the building stage and securing jobs for the future. The aim

Tradesmen and tradeswomen of the future have been cutting their teeth as trainees with the Carmarthenshire County Council’s Property Services division. Several trainees have been teamed up with experienced staff as part of the Government’s Future Jobs Fund scheme, which gives long-term unemployed young people the opportunity of a job or training for at least six months. Amongst those that have been working with the council is bricklayer Erica Garthwaite, carpenter Ben Schneider and plasterer Ceri Rees, all from Llanelli. Each of them are now looking towards taking full-time apprenticeships to become qualified in their chosen trade. 20-year-old Erica said: “I thought I’d give it a try to show that women can work in the building trade. “I was given an option about what trade to do, but I chose bricklaying. I’ve worked on schools and homes with my mentor, and I definitely want to carry on with it - I’m looking to start an apprenticeship this year.” Plasterer trainee Ceri, aged 20, added:

The following racehorse trainers with Welsh connections have runners today - Mrs Alison Thorpe - King's Realm (IRE) 14:10 Ludlow - Diktalina (GB) 14:45 Ludlow Dai Burchell - Beat All Out (GB) 14:10 Ludlow - Robert The Brave (GB) 15:50 Ludlow Miss Rebecca Curtis - Scoter Fontaine (FR) 15:50 Ludlow

Carmarthenshire is winning in the race towards zero waste. The council is No20 in a UK league table of 203 local authorities showing the amount of rubbish being thrown away per person. The table has been put together by industry magazine Resource as the best measure of progress towards zero waste. Recycling and the separate collection of food waste together with waste minimisation initiatives have helped reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Based on official figures from WasteDataFlow the average person in the UK now throws away about 283kg per year – the figure for Carmarthenshire is much lower at 245.8kg. Carmarthenshire was the second best performing authority in Wales after Denbighshire in the table. Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “We are working hard to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and to increase our recycling rate. “For Carmarthenshire to be the 20th out of 203 local authorities throughout the UK – not to mentio

Today is International Rotary Day and members of Llanelli Rotary Club will be explaining their work at a stand at the St Elli Centre, Llanelli. Some facts and figures - £62,000 - Llanelli Rotary Club’s contribution to the Foundation charity, the international Rotary movement’s own charity fund. £149,859 – the amount Llanelli Rotary has raised for charities (at home and abroad) since 1990. 33,000 – the number of Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries. 1.2 million – the number of men and women who donate their expertise, time, and funds to support local and international projects that help people in need and promote understanding among cultures. 106 – the number of years Rotary has been operating. It was founded in Chicago in 1905. 2.1 billion – the amount in US dollars which the Rotary Foundation has awarded in grants, which are administered at the local level by Rotary clubs. 800 million – the amount in US dollars that Rotary International has contributed to PolioPlus – a programme to

The guest tenor at Cor Meibion Llanelli's St David's Day concert is Trystan Llŷr Griffiths. Trystan received his primary education in Beca School, Efailwen, where he was first given the opportunity to perform; singing and acting both individually and alongside his fellow pupils. He then attended Preseli Secondary School, Crymych, where he represented his school on the Eisteddfod stage and the sports field, and he is still a keen rugby player. In the Sixth Form he studied Music, Geography, and Design Technology for his A-levels. Trystan has been competing from an early age, and has managed to claim the first prize on many occasions at various prestigious events such as the ‘Urdd National Eisteddfod’, the ‘National Eisteddfod of Wales’, and the ‘National Cerdd Dant Festival’. He is a member of Aelwyd Crymych, which is a local branch of Urdd Gobaith Cymru (the National Youth Organisation of Wales), and has experienced the cultures of Patagonia, Estonia, Finland, and Russia during

The guest soprano at Cor Meibion Llanelli's St David's Day concert on Tuesday, March 1 will be Llio Evans. Originally from Llanfairpwll, Anglesey, Llio is Studying her MMus at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying the voice with both vocal tutor Suzanne Murphy and coach Jeff Howard. During her time at RWCMD she has performed as a soloist with the Historical department and String Department and in 2008 she was chosen to represent both the College and the National Assembly as a soloist in China, performing in the ‘Discover Wales’ exhibition and in many receptions in Chongqing and Beijing. At the College, she has received the Monmouth Choral Society Award, and both E.A. Redman Lieder Interpretation Prize and the Margaret Tann Award for most promising singer for two years running. Llio has also been successful outside College, having won the over 21 years solo at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, the Operatic Solo and the Blue Ribband under 25 (Osbourne Robert

Carmarthenshire is to receive a share of a £15 million cash boost to help cover the cost of the recent big freeze. The Welsh Assembly Government has announced additional funding of £8million to assist local authorities to deal with urgent road repairs and replenish their salt stocks. It comes on top of £7 million announced last week to fix potholes, bringing the total amount of extra funding to £15 million. Carmarthenshire will receive a total of £1.126 million to spend on pothole repairs, frost damage and purchasing salt. Potholes are caused by severe weather, particularly prolonged cold weather; water lies in cracks in the road and during periods of sub-zero temperatures it turns into ice and expands, causing the surface of the road to break up resulting in deeper-than-usual potholes. The council’s executive board member for technical services Councillor Philip Hughes said: “We welcome this extra money from the Welsh Assembly Government which will be used to target the worst-affected

Several schools across Carmarthenshire have benefited from a visit from an international group of volunteers. The volunteers from Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, China, Japan and South Korea are all engaged in eco-projects in Carmarthenshire via UNA exchange, a Cardiff-based charity promoting volunteering opportunities within Wales and in the world. On Wednesday, pupils in Talley School, Ysgol y Castell in Kidwelly, Pontiets School and Ponthenri School learnt about the countries, cultures and languages of the various volunteers, through games and songs. Lorena Prist, European Networking Officer at the West Wales European Centre, has been organising similar school visits for the past few years to give pupils in Carmarthenshire the opportunity to meet people from other countries worldwide and learn about their cultures and languages. Several more school visits will take place before the end of the eco-project in April. Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for regeneration

Carmarthenshire County Council Day Club services are being redesigned to enable better use of resources for those in need of higher levels of care in the community. Five Day Clubs in the county will be affected by the plans, but whilst there will be some reorganisation for staff, many service users who currently use the day clubs will be offered a higher level of service within the council’s Day Centres, and others will be offered places at local independently-run luncheon clubs and social groups. The small number of staff who currently run Day Clubs will be offered redeployment opportunities elsewhere within the council, these could include opportunities within the council’s Day Centres where vacancies have been identified. The Day Clubs affected are Ystradowen Day Club, Ystradowen; Noddfa Teilo Day Club, Llandeilo; Gwendraeth Day Club, Pontyates; Caemaen Day Club, Llanelli; and Teifi valley Day Club, Newcastle Emlyn. The review of day services is a progression of decisions made by Ex

Trading Standards officers in Carmarthenshire are warning residents about a scam that has affected a number of residents recently. The scam involves the victim being contacted by telephone by a caller claiming to be from Microsoft. They are told that there are problems with their PC and they then offer ‘computer support’ and state that they can fix the problems. The victim is then told to download a programme that passed remote control of their PC to the caller so that they could install the ‘fixes’. A charge of £185 is requested over the phone. However there is usually no issue with the PC. County council Trading Standards Service manager Roger Edmunds said: “We are advising residents to be on their guard for such calls and not to divulge their bank details to anyone.” The council’s executive board member for public protection Cllr Pam Palmer said: “People should not give out their bank details or hand over control of their computers to someone who phones them.”

An Ammanford business has been fined £100 for continually failing to store its waste correctly. The council’s environmental enforcement officers visited the business, which cannot be named for legal reasons, on Friday, January 21, following complaints of waste not being stored properly. They found the trade waste bin was overflowing and the lid was not secure. There was also excess waste on the ground next to it. As a result, the owner was issued with a notice under Section 47 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which required him to store his waste correctly. However, further complaints were made to the council and the officers returned to the premises on Tuesday, February 15 and found no improvement. In fact, they saw that more waste had been placed at the rear of the property. As a result, the owner was issued with a fixed penalty notice for £100 for failing to comply with the notice. Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “Businesses have a r

Pupils at Ysgol Teilo Sant in Llandeilo have been taught to look after their money. The school is the first in Carmarthenshire to offer financial literacy lessons through the medium of Welsh. A new financial literacy initiative, Synnwyr Arian, Money Sense, was taken to the school by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service. The programme consists of a series of six one-hour lessons aimed at years five and six pupils who are sequentially taken through the "concept of money". Pupils are initially taught about the actual source of money, focussing upon different forms of employment, and payslips etc. Further sessions focus upon budgeting, the different methods of borrowing money, and the associated risks, finally finishing with information on consumers’ rights when purchasing faulty goods or services and how to get ‘value for money’. Fair Trading Officer Quita Davies said: “The pupils are introduced to income, outgoings, debt, and balancing money. The course al

Cor Meibion Llanelli’s annual St David’s Day concert (on Tuesday, March 1) will feature a special ‘premiere’. The concert, at Theatr Elli (7pm), will showcase the first public performance of a song composed by Cor Meibion Llanelli musical director Eifion Thomas to commemorate the Llanelli Railway Riot of 1911. “This year is, of course, the centenary of the railway riot, an event which still echoes down the years in Llanelli and has been the subject of a great deal of historical detective work. “I have tried to capture the event in song and written Fe Ganwn Gan as a memorial tribute. This will be its first public performance and I hope the people of Llanelli will be well pleased with the result.” Mr Thomas said the concert would feature a mix of traditional and new material by the choir. The concert will also feature two young Welsh soloists. Soprano Llio Evans is from Llanfairpwll, Anglesey, and is studying her MMus at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Llio has been successf

Carmarthen trainer Alison Thorpe sends Jewellery to run in the 16.45 at Taunton today.

Carmarthen horsewoman Julie Oliver has helped raise more than £470 for the Healing The Wounds charity. Julie and her horse Fakima completed the eight-mile trek from Bwlch Newydd to Carmarthen town centre last November. She decided to support Healing The Wounds as her son Timothy Smith is serving with 2 Royal Welsh and has recently returned from a tour of Afghanistan. Julie said: “I wanted to do something to help our Welsh soldiers and to make the time go faster while Tim was away in Afghanistan.” Julie has another ride planned for the spring to raise funds for Healing The Wounds and the charity’s work to fund treatment of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) in Wales. Healing The Wounds founder Kevin Richards joined Julie and her son Tim at his surprise 30th birthday party in The Railway Club in Carmarthen. The event was attended by friend and fund-raising coordinator Bethan Walters and Tim’s friend Simon Bartley. The cheque totalled £470.75. Simon will be leaving for a tour of Afgh

Plans to allow up to 1,200 new homes to be built in one area in Carmarthen, have been attacked as "building a new town" on greenbelt land. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-12497339

A Carmarthen A-level student who is facing deportation to Pakistan has admitted lying about who he really is and his parents' death. There has been a high-profile campaign backing Ahmer Rana's fight to remain in Wales since before Christmas. But he has revealed he is Daniyal Shahzad, who is 19 and not 18, and that he came to the UK to earn money to send back to his family in Pakistan. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12524310

Arts Care Gofal Celf are giving people the chance to join an exciting arts project this week. Anyone aged 14-25 has the chance to work with a team of professional dancers/musicians, a visual artist and a director! On Tuesday and Wednesday, 10am - 4pm, at Pembroke Leisure Centre, the project members will be creating and devising an original piece of hard hitting, issue-based dance theatre to tour to Narberth Queens Hall (Thursday evening performance at 8pm) and Theatr Elli, Llanelli (Friday performance at 2pm). There is free buffet lunch and transport to and from the project and performance venues provided all week! To get involved Call Laura on 07810 297198.

It may have been the coldest winter in living memory but spring has sprung with a vengeance at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne near Carmarthen. Horticulturist Martin Knowles thinks we could be in for a spectacular show of blooms: “The prolonged cold spell has really squeezed the normal timings we’d expect to see spring flowers and we are very likely to get all these things come at once,” he said. “We already have stunning, little reticulated irises out in the Double Walled Garden. "Our snowdrop display is truly wonderful and now the daffodils are here you can see the season being concertina-ed,” added Martin. “It is quite nice now but it is just going to get better and better over the next month or so.” The National Botanic Garden is open daily from 10am.

Daughter Kathryn's Farewell Party in Llanelli. She is off around the world for a few months! From Kathryn Lloyd Farewell Party

A scheme allowing Carmarthenshire County Council tenants to sub-let their gardens to other residents to use as allotments, has been supported by the council’s Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee. The committee discussed the pros and cons of such a scheme on Thursday (February 17). The scheme, informally known as ‘garden swapping’, has been suggested as a way of coping with increasing demand for allotment plots. The county council currently owns five public allotment sites across the county, with others being run by town and community councils or private landowners, but the volume of requests for plots far outstrip the land currently available. The scrutiny committee asked for a report to be prepared to explore the potential for a scheme which would allow tenants who find it difficult to maintain their gardens to ‘sub-let’ to other residents to grow fruit and vegetables. Not only would it help tenants to manage their gardens, but would also provide community benefits. It is believed

Landlords in Carmarthenshire are being invited to find out more about issues affecting the private rented sector. Carmarthenshire County Council’s housing department is hosting the event at Llanelli’s Parc Y Scarlets from 1pm on Thursday, March 3rd. A series of talks will be held, covering issues including changes to the benefits system and new legislation, and advice on inventories and bonds. Landlords can also get information on grants opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, and will be able to ask questions to a panel of experts in a Question Time format. A wide range of organisations and trades people will also be available on the day. David Crane, chair of the Landlord Forum, said: “We are excited to be holding our sixth event, which will be bigger and better than previous years. Landlords have found previous years very informative and useful.” Landlords who wish to attend, and trades people wishing to book a stand, can book a place through the Llanelli

A Carmarthenshire resident was supplied with a camera with an unsafe electrical adaptor, Ammanford magistrates have been told. Camerabox Ltd pleaded guilty this week to two offences under the Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations. Robert Edgecombe, prosecuting on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council, said that in February 2010 an Ammanford man bought a digital camera from a website owned by Oxfordshire-based Camerabox. He was concerned when he opened the box and discovered that the battery recharger was supplied with a two-pin plug which was not compatible with UK sockets and a three-pin UK travel adaptor. The customer was unhappy with the company’s response and contacted Trading Standards. The camera was sent to an electrical consultant who made several observations on compatibility. He said it did not have the CE mark to show it complied with requirements and the adaptor was unsafe. Sarah Taylor, for Camerabox, said it was the first time that the company had been before a court

Children at Llanelli’s Ysgol Maes Y Morfa, and those playing at Penyfan Park, will be able to enjoy Spring and Summer picnics, thanks to a unique construction project which has been taking place in Carmarthenshire. Child-friendly picnic table and bench sets have been presented to the school and park by participants on the Building Your Own Future in Sir Gar construction taster course. Men, women, mums and dads of all ages have been picking up basic skills in carpentry, plumbing, tiling and plastering as part of the course, which has been run in Communities First areas. They constructed the bench sets as part of their carpentry session, and are now proud to see them being used by local children. Participant Kadir Akar, of Llanelli, said: “I really enjoyed the course – it has really built up my confidence. I would really like to do more courses to experience what else is out there.” Building Your Own Future in Sir Gar is a partnership project led by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Prope

There are now 845 fewer tyres that could potentially end up being fly-tipped in Ammanford. A tyre amnesty was held in the town giving residents the chance to dispose of any unwanted tyres free of charge. Organised by Tidy Towns in conjunction with KBHS Ltd who provided the containers, haulage and the recycling, the aim was to encourage householders to dispose of their waste responsibly and discourage fly-tipping. Executive board member for regeneration Councillor Clive Scourfield said: “Tyre companies attach a charge to any tyres that are disposed of at their business so illegally dumped tyres is a big problem not just in Carmarthenshire but across the UK. “Fly-tipping not only spoils our quality of life and enjoyment of the environment but it is a blight on the landscape and can have a detrimental effect on tourism. It also costs local authorities millions of pounds every year to clean up and causes harm to wildlife and the environment. “I am delighted with the number of tyres that we

Good day at Hereford races for Carmarthen racehorse trainer Alison Thorpe - 3rd with Sir Pitt at 22-1 and a first with Border Lad at 11-1.

A man has been fined £150 by the courts after throwing a drinks can into someone’s garden. David Martin, aged 33, formerly of Cwmntarw Farm, Saron Road, Saron, near Ammanford, pleaded guilty by post to an offence contrary to Section 87 Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that the council’s environmental enforcement officers were on duty on Thursday, July 8 when they saw a male walking and drinking from a can and then throw it into a garden of a house on Saron Road. The officers approached the man and explained what they had seen and issued him with a fixed penalty notice of £75. However, Martin failed to pay the fine and was subsequently traced to an address in Edinburgh, Scotland. The council now hopes this latest case will act as a warning to would-be litterbugs in the county that if they flout the law they will be prosecuted. The council’s executive board member for the envir

A new website to keep council tenants living in the Towy, Teifi and Taf areas of the county will be launched next week. www.3tn.co.uk will provide a one-stop-shop for the three tenant networks in these areas. It will include advice and information, as well as contacts for the council’s housing officers. Tenant networks are set up in all areas of Carmarthenshire. They allow council tenants to feed back to the authority’s housing division, as well as giving them the opportunity to shape future services. All council tenants in the 3T’s areas are being invited to the website launch at Model School, Carmarthen, on Tuesday, February 22, from 11am until 2pm, when the website will go live for the first time. The website has been funded by a Rural Development Plan grant.

St David’s Day (Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant) is the feast day for Wales’s patron saint, so Llanelli’s biggest bakery is going to mark the occasion in style. Jenkins the Bakers will be rolling out patriotic products to make March 1st a real feast. “There will be a proper Welsh theme to our products both before and after St David’s Day,” said Russell Jenkins, a director at the bakery (pictured above). “We are already well known for helping to put the accent on all things Welsh at our bakery and our shops, but this year we will be making an extra special effort.” Among the products hitting the shops later this week (February 25) will be – Welsh Beef Pie, the Welsh Pastie, Welsh Cakes, Homemeal Welsh Cakes, Bara Brith, Teisin Lap – and even Welsh Cakes without fruit as the bakery likes to cater for all tastes! “We pride ourselves as being a bakery business which knows its customers and we know how people love to celebrate St David’s Day,” added Mr Jenkins. “This is a special year for us at Jenkins

International superstar Rod Stewart is set to rock the Liberty Stadium on Wednesday 1st June for his only Welsh date of 2011. With 62 hit singles, including 31 top tens and 6 number 1s under his belt in a career spanning five decades, Rod is one of the most enduring musicians of his generation. He continues to release new material, with his latest instalment of the phenomenally successful "Great American Songbook" series, "Fly Me to the Moon" making the top five in both the UK and America late last year. Tickets are on sale on Monday 21st Feb 2011 at 9am.

The following South Wales racehorse trainers have runners today - Alison Thorpe, of Carmarthen - Sir Pitt (GB) 14:20 Hereford and Border Lad (GB) 15:50 Hereford. Rebecca Curtis, of Newport, Dyfed - Fishoutofwater (IRE) 14:20 Hereford and Old Wigmore (IRE) 15:20 Hereford.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales has announced the results of its 2010 Open Painting Competition. The winners are:- Professional: Sherry Owen’s ‘Springtime in the Botanic Gardens’ Amateur: Margaret Price’s ‘The Rill’ 12-18 years: Karen Schwartz’s ‘Holidays’. Karen’s school is Gymnasium Philanthropinum, Dessau, Germany Under 12: Kelly McGurk’s ‘Bird of Paradise’. Kelly goes to Osbaston Church in Wales School, Monmouth. Highly Commended: Marianne Cahill’s ‘Close of Day’ Christine McBeth’s ‘October Riot’ Thanks go to all of the sponsors (listed below) who helped to make the event the most popular painting competition run at the venue. Professional: £100 gifts from St Justin Jewellery Amateur: £100 gifts from Gwynedd Confectionery Under 12: £50 toys/games from Ashwood Gifts £200 prize for school of winning pupil – Absolute Marquees 12 – 18 years: £50 book/art token – private sponsorship £300 prize for school of winning pupil – O J Williams Ltd The winning entries, and other cho