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

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Latest news from the team at Brecon Jazz Club -  Please bookmark the date: Tues 7 November at Christ College Brecon, Neuadd Theatr, for Lenore Raphael US jazz pianist and her top quartet. Note the venue and also start time of 7.30 pm (a bit earlier than usual, and will have earlier finish). For this event, member price is £10 (£12 visitors/young people £5). More info and ticket booking: https://www.breconjazz.club [use your membership no. to book] This is a very special event. Lenore Raphael is someone we've known many years and heard play in London, but how could we invite her to Brecon? With help from trumpeter Chris Hodgkins and staff at Christ College Brecon, we proudly present this standout concert. And what an all-star line-up, too! Lenore is bringing a leading US guitarist Wayne Wilkinson, and Chris has invited wonderful bassist Alison Rayner to complete the quartet. Between them, they have played with some of the biggest names in the jazz world. This will be

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. www.philevans.co.uk ................................ Soup kitchens! What image pops into your head when you hear those words? A raggle-taggle group of whey-faced, shoeless Victorian children, holding out wooden bowls? Or the Great Depression of the 1930s when long lines of undernourished men and women in threadbare clothes, waited in the freezing cold for a free hot meal? Soup kitchens are consigned to history, along with rickets, scurvy and Betamax videos. Right? Wrong! In poor, inner-city areas they’ve never gone away. Due to recent events, including the financial crisis of 2007/8, they’ve spread . . . even to Llanelli. Every Sunday evening, the Sosban Soup Kitchen in Old Castle Road supplies poor, hungry people with a free hot meal. Run by Gary Glenister and his team of volunteers, it relies on soup and bread generously don

The latest 'On Song' column from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star - It’s a big Saturday night for West Wales concert-goers. They have to make a choice between the Royal British Legion Charity Gala Concert at The Lyric in Carmarthen and a 'Voices for Hospices' charity concert in Llandeilo, featuring Wynne Evans. The Tywi Valley concert, is in aid of Ty Cymorth, the Carmarthen-based hospice. The concert starts at 7m on Saturday, October 21, at the new Ysgol Bro Dinefwr in Llandeilo. Carmarthen-born tenor and radio and TV personalityWynne Evans is a patron of Ty Cymorth hospice. The concert is being billed as 'Voices for Hospices' and will also celebrate the Rotary International Foundation centenary and 100 years of Rotary International in Wales. Rotary clubs invited to be involved include Carmarthen, Carmarthen Tywi, Llandeilo, Llandovery, Lampeter, Aberwstwyth and Aberaeron. The choral line-up includes Côr Meibion Cwmann a’r Cylch, Côr Meibion Dinefwr, Cô

The Welsh Historic Gardens Trust is working with Aberystwyth University in a new partnership to develop a long-term conservation plan for the Penglais campus grounds. A joint working group has been set up with representatives from the Ceredigion branch of the Trust, with the first meeting held Monday 16 October 2017, As well as the Trust, the group will include Estates Department staff and the University’s own botanical experts. There will also be consultation with staff and students as part of the development of a conservation management plan for the grounds, which are Grade II* listed by Cadw. Dr Caroline Palmer, Chair of the Ceredigion branch of the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with the University on what we envisage will be the development of a long-term plan to be rolled out over a number of years. Our joint aim will be to draw up a policy for current maintenance and future aspirations for this designed landscape. We are fortuna

Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir leaders have been talking about their pride at performing in front of USA Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The Llanelli choristers were picked to perform at the closing event for Mrs Clinton’s visit to Swansea University. Mrs Clinton was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws in recognition of her commitment to promoting the rights of families and children around the world. Côr Meibion Llanelli secretary Fred Elias said: “We knew about Mrs Clinton’s visit a couple of months ago, but it was all hush-hush for security reasons. “But we sort of put two and to together when we were asked to rehearse The Star Spangled Banner, the American anthem we were already very familiar with from our tours to North Amercia. “Then, when Mrs Clinton’s visit was officially announced, we had to go through stringent security protocols, including getting our own special photographic ID tags for the occasion. “Most of the events for Mrs Cli

Staff at Jenkins Bakery shops in Llanelli and the rest of South West Wales have collected a magnificent £3,200 for Cancer Research UK. The money was raised during a special summer fundraising campaign when pink cup cakes were on sale at Jenkins Bakery shops. The company made a charity donation of 10p or every cake sold and customers added to the sum by making their own contributions. Jenkins Bakery staff also organised special fundraising events. “The Pink campaign in our shops was a huge success,” said Jenkins Bakery area manager Fiona Snook. "Members of staff dressed up in a pink theme and the shops were decorated to add to the party spirit. “Our loyal customers were, of course, fantastic and hugely supportive of the campaign, with generous donations to Cancer Research. "I must give special praise to our staff, who were fantastic, holding raffles, fancy dress events, bikeathons and a quiz night. "We are into our fifth year of doing this event and each year

Nominations are now open for the prestigious annual Carmarthen Town Sports Awards. Carmarthen Town Council is inviting nominations for the 2016 Carmarthen Town Sports Awards. Sporting clubs and members of the public are requested to submit their nominations for each of the 11 categories. An independent selection panel of sporting experts will decide on the winners of each category. All winners will be invited to attend to receive their award at the Presentation Evening to be held on Friday 26th January 2018 at the Carmarthen Quins Rugby Football Club. Nominations need to be submitted to Mrs Eleri James at the Carmarthen Town Council offices by no later than Monday 27th November 2017. The eleven categories are: Senior Male Senior Female U13s Junior Male U13s Junior Female U16s Intermediate Male U16s Intermediate Female U19s Youth Male U19s Youth Female Junior Team Senior Team Coach/Organiser/Volunteer. There will be two awards in each category, first and sec

The deadline for nominations for individuals to be considered for an Honorary Award at Aberystwyth University’s 2018 graduation ceremonies is midnight on Monday 23 October 2017. Nominations can be submitted by members of staff, students and members of the public. The University confers a number of Honorary Fellowships, Honorary Doctorate and Bachelor degrees every year. Honorary Fellowships are awarded to honour individuals who have, or have had a connection with Aberystwyth or Wales in general, and who have made an outstanding contribution to their chosen field. Those honoured in recent years include award winning novelist and The Times columnist Caitlin Moran, journalist and presenter Robert Peston, former Australian Prime Minster Julia Gillard and naturalist and television presenter Iolo Williams. In 2015, the University also began to confer Honorary Doctorate Degrees and Honorary Bachelor Degrees. Honorary Doctorate Degrees may be conferred on those who have been outstandingly

The quality of English language tuition enjoyed by international students at Aberystwyth University is rated among the best in the UK according to figures published this week. The International English Centre (IEC) at Aberystwyth University has been ranked third in EL Gazette’s league table of university English language centres in the UK. The publication’s University Ranking Table is based on British Council inspectors’ summary statements and an assessment of fifteen areas of activity at university English language centres. The IEC’s most recent inspection took place in March 2017 when British Council inspectors identified ten areas of strength, marking it as a Centre of Excellence. This compares very favourably with the average of four areas of strength identified for British Council language schools. The areas of strength identified at Aberystwyth’s IEC include staff management, student administration, quality assurance, learning resources, course design, learner management, teachin

The popular South Wales-based Jenkins Bakery has launched a special range of products to mark Halloween. "We always like to do something special to mark different occasions throughout the year," said Russell Jenkins, operations director at the Jenkins Bakery. "Our customers have come to expect us to do something special and this year we have six different products for people to enjoy as they party over Halloween. "We hope our customers enjoy them." The products are - Pumpkin Biscuits (£1.00) Our top quality shortbread biscuit with a hand decorated pumpkin in sugar paste & chocolate – packed with shelf life label underneath.  Halloween Cupcakes (£1.00) Our top quality plain sponge, covered with chocolate frosting, decorated with a halloween sugar paste plaque, and a sprinkle of bats or pumpkin figures.  Skeleton Biscuits (£0.80) Our top quality shortbread biscuit covered with a sugar paste skeleton plaque.  Frankenste

Latest special offers from the team at Jenkins Bakery are as follows. Website - https://www.jenkinsbakery.co.uk

  The team behind the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed project held a very successful fundraising Curry Night at the Ali Raj restaurant in Trinity Road, Llanelli. The restaurant is just across the railway tracks from the proposed £2.2m development in Marsh Street. Goods Shed project officer Robert Lloyd said: “This was the third annual fundraising Curry Night and was a great success, raising more than £700 towards the project. “The evening was marked by a project update speech by our Trust chairman Nia Griffith MP and attended by civic dignitaries representing Llanelli Town Council, Llanelli Rural Council and Carmarthenshire County Council. “One of our trustees, the Rev Eldon Phillips, conducted an auction of artwork and photographic memorabilia. The photos were supplied by well-known local photographers Alan Evans and Byron Williams. “Among the high earners in the auction were a watercolour of the Gower by celebrated Llanelli artist Denise di Battista and a ‘curiosity’ item of an old

REVIEW: Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir, Dafydd Iwan and Côr Ysgol y Strade at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli. The ‘annual’ Côr Meibion Llanelli concert is always regarded as one of the highlights in the Llanelli musical calendar – and the 2017 renewal continued a fine, high class tradition. The popular guest star for the show was Welsh folk singing legend Dafydd Iwan, who got the audience tapping their feet and singing along with many of his favourite hit recordings. The emotional highspot for many was a rendition of Hawl i Fyw, which moved some audience members to tears. Accompanied on the piano by the excellent Hefin Ellis, guitarist and ranconteur Dafydd thrives on telling musical stories and the audience were entertained, amused and moved in equal measure. Côr Meibion Llanelli played a powerful hand in fielding a 55-strong choir on the Ffwrnes stage – no mean feat in an age when many other male voice choirs complain about a decline in numbers. The first-half hig

Apologies for the lack of posts in recent weeks. I have been bogged down with project work and other deadlines. Normal service about to resume.