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

Latest news from Aberglasney House and Gardens in the picturesque Tywi Valley -  Aberglasney's Winter Fair 2014 - Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th December (9:30am to 4:30pm) "One of the biggest events of its kind in Wales" Aberglasney's Winter Fair has something to offer everyone, with stalls selling leather goods, silver/gold/costume jewellery, wood, slate, children's books, art work, teddy bears along with fine food, drink and much, much, more. A full programme of entertainment throughout the event with complimentary mulled wine and a mince pie to all visitors. Normal admission prices apply. Ainsley Hillard's Exhibition ‘Where Echo Talks’ - 11th to 23rd October 2014 Where Echo Talks by artist Ainsley Hillard at Aberglasney Gardens. Interested in bringing together the past and the present, her arts practice is site-referential, being informed by specific places and the memories they hold. Over the past year, Ainsley has been collaborating wit

The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post -  Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. I usually avoid joking about politics because it alienates a section of the audience who think the target of my joke is decent and trustworthy - even though he’s a politician. But here’s a political joke that shouldn’t have anyone dipping their pen in green ink to protest. “How do you know a politician‘s lying? His lips are moving!” The political conference season is over for another year and once again the NHS has been in the spotlight. Our Prime Minister ...what’s his face ... promised to keep it funded on a rate higher than inflation until 2020, which would be great news if there wasn’t a general election due in 2015 and he might not be around to keep his promise. Every Prime Minister promises the NHS will be safe in his/her hands, knowing that if they reneged on this promise they’d probably end up in hospital - havin

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star -  Loud Applause Productions has some big events coming up before the end of the year. Saturday, October 18, sees the World War 1 Centenary Gala Concert, supporting the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli. The concert will feature Rebecca Evans, Rhys Meirion, the combined choirs of Burry Port Male Choir, Dyffryn Tywi Male Choir and Mynydd Mawr Male Choir, 215 City of Swansea Squadron Royal Air Force Corps of Drums, Samuel Morris and Angharad Rees. Brian Sullivan will be the compere. On Saturday, November 1, Ffwrnes will stage A Night with the Stars. Connie Fisher will host the evening. Taking centre stage will be members of the Loud Applause Rising Stars stable - Samuel Morris, Daniella Difede, Keely Morgan, Angharad Elise Thomas, Liam Riley, Jordan Williams, Sophie Maliphant, Nia Rees, Johnny Mansel Lewis, Perfect Harmony, The Singhs and Ffion Elin Will

Everyone is going pumpkin crazy in Llanelli. Llanelli market stallholders Miriam and Steve Phillips cannot get their monster pumpkins on the stall fast enough. They are flying out without broomsticks - and there is still three weeks to go to Halloween. Steve said it has been a fabulous pumpkin growing year on their farm above Pwll. “They are bigger and wider ribbed than ever and are causing quite a stir when they go out on the stall.” He said: “We have already harvested 160 and most of those are spoken for. They are flying out because they are so big and beautiful.” Carmarthenshire theatres manager Carwyn Matera Rogers was walking through the market and was gobsmacked by the display of giant pumpkins, ordering 20 immediately for his Ffwrnes Theatre Halloween display. Miriam said orders for scores of giant pumpkins had been coming from Llanelly House, Stradey Park Hotel and the North Dock Sosban Restaurant. She said: “Llanelly House has decorated fireplaces and been producing pumpkin

Of ice and life: How important are microbes for glaciers? Aberystwyth University scientist Dr Arwyn Edwards has won an international award in The Microbiome Awards for his work on microbes in glaciers. Dr Edwards is a microbiologist at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth. The award follows a decade of research and a 3 month research marathon during the summer of 2014 in Greenland, Svalbard, the Swedish Arctic and the Alps with still more work to do in South Georgia. The Microbiome Awards provide young extraordinary scientists with funding and recognition to carry out scientific work in the field of microbiome research. A microbiome is a collective of microorganisms in a particular environment. A recently published paper by Dr Edwards and colleagues at Aberystwyth University in the journal Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water reveals that the fate of Earth’s biggest stores of freshwater - glaciers and ice sheets – is closely linked to the l

Aberystwyth University’s School of Art will welcome four artists from Changsha, Hunan Province, China, who are here visiting the Contemporary Chinese Printmaking Exhibition due to open at The School of Art on Friday 10 October. They include Professor Xiangke Luo, Head of Fine Art, Changsha Normal University and Professor Lu Yu from Changsha Central South University, Director and Vice-Director respectively of The Hunan Printmaking Association. The Director of Creative Art at Changsha Normal University, Liu Jing and Huang Yuanqiang, Chairman of Chenzhou Art Association, will also be making the journey over to Aberystwyth. Curated by Paul Croft, Lecturer in Printmaking at The School of Art, this exchange exhibition will comprise of over seventy prints by 28 printmakers including members of The Hunan Printmaking Association as well as further prints by students from Changsha Central South University, Changsha Normal University (CNU) and The Art School at Hunan University of Science and Tec

Aberystwyth University has successful renewed its Fairtrade status with the Fairtrade Foundation. The University worked closely with Aberystwyth’s Student Union and the Arts Centre to secure this status which supports the development, working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers. Rebecca Davies, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student and Staff Services at Aberystwyth University, said; ”We’re delighted to have been awarded this status once again this year. Our Fairtrade provision is important in helping to raise awareness amongst our students, staff and visitors of the need to ensure a better future for producers in the developing world. “All campus restaurants and cafes serve Fairtrade tea and coffee and offer a range of Fairtrade snacks and drinks and the number of products available has been increasing year on year. We consider it very important that we continue to stock and promote Fairtrade products to ensure the continued success of this range.” Jacob Ellis, Preside

Latest news from Brecon Jazz Club -  This month's Jazz Club on Tues 14 Oct features an exciting new band, Duski, led by bass player Aidan Thorne. The ensemble features sax, guitar and piano in the lineup, and you will recall the outstanding performances of Aidan and Mark (bass, drums) with guest musicians from Spain earlier this year. They will be playing contemporary jazz, and this event is part of a short tour. Details below. Booking for supper also available. Lineup details: Greg Sterland - tenor sax Paul Jones - keys Tom Ollendorf - guitar Aidan Thorne - double bass Mark O'Connor - drums Starts 8pm, admission, £6 on the door. Venue Brecon Jazz Bar, Theatr Brycheiniog, Canalside, Brecon LD3 7EW Tel 01874 611622 (box office) Supper 6.45pm at the Lansdowne, £5 per person. Please reply this email to book. THIS WEEK: if you can get to Abergavenny, Nigel Price Quartet featuring Vassilis Xenopoulus on sax - Thursday 9 October, 8pm at the King's Arms hotel. Mention Brecon Jaz

Latest news from Langostinos Brasserie and the Vista Lounge in Llanelli - Celebrate Christmas in style @ Vista Lounge this Year! Bookings now being taken!

A real 'golden oldie' photo of  Côr  Meibion Llanelli. This is the choir before their 1990 concert at the Selwyn Samuel Centre, Llanelli. The choir is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Celebrations include a special gala dinner at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, on Saturday, October 18. The guest speaker will be Llanelli MP Nia Griffith. The choir members are busy collecting old photos and memorabilia to mark the 50th birthday. Anyone who has any old photos, souvenir programmes or other memorabilia is asked to contact choir press officer Robert Lloyd - Email: rlloydpr@btinternet.com Phone: 07777 683637

Ruth Owen Lewis has been appointed as the new Director of the International Office at Aberystwyth University. Originally from Aberaeron, Ruth has been a member of staff at the University since 2001. She has held several posts in the International Office including International Officer covering South Asia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria, Norway and Turkey, International Partnerships Manager, Deputy Director and for the past year, Acting Director. Prior to this she worked as a Project Manager in the University’s Careers Service. Ruth said; “International students have always been an integral part of University life here in Aberystwyth and today they account for around 10% of our student population. “My main responsibility is to strategically increase international student numbers through various recruitment activities and collaborative arrangements. I have overall responsibility for the activities of the office and provide leadership to the team and to staff throughout the University on i

Llanelli Town Council has arranged a series of lectures to commemorate Llanelli’s involvement in the First World War. The first, focussing on Wales' and Llanelli's role and contribution and the impact on its society during 1914, will be held in the Lliedi Suite, Selwyn Samuel Centre on Thursday 6th November at 7.00 pm. The lecture will be presented by the Deputy Lieutenant and local military historian, Lt Col David Mathias, pictured above. Tickets to the lecture, which are free, are available from The Old Vicarage, Town Hall Square or Selwyn Samuel Centre reception or by phoning 01554 779990

A club that helped produce Commonwealth Games silver medallist Nikara Jenkins is putting on more sessions thanks to funding. Llanelli Rhythmic Gymnastics can now offer more classes after receiving £1497 from Community Chest. Part of the cash boost, which was distributed by Carmarthenshire County Council’s sports and leisure team last year, has also been to train judges - a requirement if a club enters competitions. Linda Thomas, head coach said: “Without the funding, we would not have grown to one of the most successful clubs in Britain. We are able to offer more sessions and now have a choice of judges to send to competitions.” The Lakefield Road club was established in 1995, and caters for members aged four upwards. Through the years, the club has produced a number of Welsh champion gymnasts, as well as Nikara, who took silver as part of a team at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Community Chest is funded by Sport Wales and distributed via the council’s sport and leisure

Carmarthenshire home owners are being advised that the popular Green Deal Home Improvement Fund has come to an end. The fund, set up in June to help households improve the energy efficiency of their homes, is no longer accepting new applications having reached its allocated budget. It had been introduced by the UK Government as an alternative way for home owners and tenants to pay for energy improvements. A number of reputable companies have helped Carmarthenshire residents improve their homes as part of the scheme. But the council’s Trading Standards team wants to ensure rogue traders can’t cash in on the back of the scheme, by offering to carry out work, or assessments for work, that will never be funded. “We want to make people aware that the fund is closed so that they can be prepared should any cold-callers try to con them in to signing up,” said Trading Standards officer Heidi Neil. “If people are approached by such companies they should seek advice before agreeing to anythin

Darth Vadar, Luke Skywalker, Obi Wan Kinobi and Princess Leia will be on the menu at Carmarthen Library this weekend. To mark Star Wars Reads Day, the library is inviting all fans of the science fiction space based phenomena to come along and join in the fun. As well as books based on the famous films, would-be Jedis can test their powers with quizzes, and bookmark making. Youngsters will also be challenged to come up with the best Star Wars-related LEGO creation. For the more mature Star Wars fans we have a couple of trivia quizzes which will show who has the power. 'Yoda' be mad to miss it! For further info call 01267 224824

One of the longest-serving members of Llanelli Rotary Club has died. Gordon Battersby, of St Margaret's Drive, Llanelli, was 90. His wife Rachel Mary (Rae) died four years ago. Mr Battersby is survived by his sons Mark and Michael. A retired mining engineer, Mr Battersby celebrated his 90th birthday in the company of fellow Rotarians earlier this year. A special cake marked the occasion at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli. Llanelli Rotary Club press spokesman Robert Lloyd said: "Gordon was a much-admired and respected Rotarian. That admiration extended beyond the orbit of Llanelli Rotary Club into the wider world of Rotary internationally and the community at large. "He was a committed and dedicated Rotarian who always strived to fulfil the Rotary motto of 'service above self'. "Gordon was a Paul Harris Fellow (the highest honour Rotary can give to a member). He was President of the club in 1986. "Always a fount of knowledge on Rot

Latest special offers from the Jenkins Bakery - WEEK COMMENCING October 6 2014 3 Medium Corned Beef £1.65 2 Large Corned Beef Pasties £1.95 2 Spicy Chicken Pasties £2.25 2 Strawberry Manchester Tarts £1.70 Sandwich of the week Salmon & Cucumber £2.10 Rustic Baguette of the week Chicken & Bacon £2.40 Filed softie of the week Chicken Tikka £2.30 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/

Pupils of piano teacher Mags Lawson entertained their families and friends at a morning of music at the Red Dragon Hall in Drefach Felindre. Also performing were three members of the Bristow family,Thorin, Erin and Jenna. A good time was had by all and the proceeds from the raffle are going to Gwellian Ward, Glangwili Hospital. Many thanks to everyone involved for their hard work and support. Hywel Dda Health Charities is a registered charity established to support the work of Hywel Dda University Health Board. The charity uses donations received from patients, their families and local communities to improve services for the benefit of the thousands of people cared for each year in our local communities. For more information visit www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk  

Two Aberystwyth University academics will be appearing on this week’s edition of BBC Radio Wales programme Science Café which will be broadcast on Tuesday 7th October at 6.30pm and again on Sunday 12 October at 6.30pm. Dr Carina Fearnley and Professor John Grattan will be talking to presenter Adam Walton about volcanic activity following recent volcanic events. Dr Fearnley, who specialises in disaster risk reduction, will be talking about the deadly impact of non-explosive volcanoes that can put large quantities of gas into the atmosphere affecting climates, volcanism in Wales and the potential for large scale volcanism from super volcanoes as well as covering other areas of the subject. Professor Grattan will be speaking about risk and vulnerability in Britain and Europe to major volcanic eruptions and the resiliency of the human species to gigantic events. This links into his involvement with SAGES (Scientific Advice to Government in Emergencies) where he provides advice to the Cabin