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

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. It’s not often that the National Eisteddfod provides the forum for a debate on the problems of debt. But, it’s a major festival event, so why shouldn’t it be an opportunity to debate society’s problems? The charity Citizen’s Advice Cymru (Wales) used the Eisteddfod Maes at Meifod in Montgomeryshire to debate current problems with poverty in Wales. There has been a sharp rise in the number of people contacting the debt charity because they are struggling with the things they need "to survive". Citizens Advice Cymru helped just under 30,000 people with more than 125,000 debt-related problems in 2014-15. This is a 19% rise on the year before. The charity's Fran Targett said common problems used to be consumer debt but are now more people need help with rent and energy bills. Here, th...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star -  There's a very special ‘Cariad’ night of entertainment planned for Llanelli on Friday, September 4. The Selwyn Samuel Centre in Llanelli will be the venue for a night to help raise the awareness and importance of defibrillators. The concert will feature Brit and Mobo award winner Lemar. Also appearing with be top tenor Wynne Evans and Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir. Tickets can be pre-purchased at £25.00 from Anyone Waiting, Halfway Hotel, Llanelli, 01554 773571 (card payments welcome). All proceeds from the show go towards providing more Zoll AED Plus defibrillators and basic life support training to schools and communities across Wales. This event will be publicised across Wales so the advice is to get your tickets early. The show is being supported and sponsored by Zoll UK Medical. The concert line-up at the moment is - Lemar. Seven top ten UK singles a...

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 -------------------- Church, football or comedy? “There are lies, damn lies....and statistics!” goes the old saying. But I’m not sure that’s true. Otherwise, The Office For National Porkies would stand right next to The Office For National Statisics in Newport. So, you can take what I’m about to tell you with a pinch of salt, unless you suffer from high blood pressure. I recently read that in Britain, more people go to Church than attend football matches. Monthly attendance at Church Of England services are around 1.7 million and the Catholic Church has similar numbers – so if you include followers of other religions, then probably 4 to 5 million people attend church regularly. Compare that to the average weekly attendance at Premier League matches (680,000) and the average weekly attendance at non-league ...

Latest special offers from the Jenkins Bakery - WEEK COMMENCING August 3, 2015 3 Medium Corned Beef Pasties, £1.70 2 Large Corned Beef Pasties, £2.00 4 Medium Sausage Rolls, £1.85 2 Custard Slices, £1.70 Sandwich Of The Week, Chicken and Bacon, £2.45 Rustic Baguette Of The Week, Chicken Tikka, £2.45 Filled Softie Of The Week, Turkey and Stuffing, £2.25 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. There were plenty of ‘headlines’ in the recent Budget from Chancellor George Osborne. But, sometimes, it is the smaller bits of detail that matter most to businesses and individuals. For example, here’s a short round-up of what the Chancellor had to say about tax and travel matters. Car and fuel benefits: The taxable petrol and diesel car benefit is based on the car's CO2 emissions. It is calculated using the car's UK list price and applying the 'appropriate percentage'. The car fuel benefit is calculated by applying the same percentages to the fuel benefit charge multiplier, which for 2015/16 is £22,100. From April 2015, the five year exemption for zero carbon and the lower rate for ultra-low carbon emission cars came to an end. Two new bands were introduced for ultra-low emissio...

A fighting-fit health board executive is defying the odds after undergoing cutting-edge new cancer treatment which has shrunk her tumour by half. In January, Kathryn Davies, 47, was diagnosed with Exon-19 deletion, a rare non-inherited genetic mutation which caused primary cancer to grow in her lungs and secondary cancer to spread to her brain. But after just two months of targeted ‘precision medicine’ treatment - which involves her taking chemotherapy tablets every day - Kathryn is now completely free of secondary cancer, while the tumour in her lung has shrunk by 50%. And Kathryn, who is Executive Director of Commissioning, Therapies and Health Science at Hywel Dda University Health Board, believes that her dedication to daily exercise and healthy eating has put her in the best possible shape to tackle the disease. She said: “I’m progressing really well; my side effects are minimal to say the least, and I continue to be symptom-free. “I feel strong, both physically and psychologica...

Aberystwyth University’s Penglais Campus has become the first University campus in Wales to achieve the Green Flag Award. The Green Flag Award is a UK-wide partnership, delivered in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy with support from Natural Resources Wales, and is the mark of a high quality park or green space. It is judged by green space experts who visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement. A record-breaking 110 parks and green spaces in Wales have met the high standard needed to receive the Green Flag Award or the Green Flag Community Award this year. Director of Estates Development at Aberystwyth University, Mark Taylor said: “It is pleasing to see the hard work of everyone involved rewarded, in particular our Grounds Team, and the University estate recognised as a safe, green and enjoyable space for students, staff and visitors. We will seek to further enhance our grounds ...