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. HMRC have revealed their Top 10 most significant fraud and organised crime cases of the last year. Simon York, Director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Day in, day out, HMRC is coming down hard on tax cheats. “As these cases show, we’ll tackle anyone committing tax fraud, regardless of how well resourced, well advised, or well organised. “These 10 prosecutions are among the most significant cases we’ve handled this year, and they reflect the wide range of work carried out by HMRC.” In the ongoing fight against tax evasion, HMRC took a range of tax fraudsters through the courts in 2016 for prosecution. HMRC’s criminal investigations have led to 679 individuals being convicted for their part in tax crimes, with sentences for 2016 totalling more than 730 years. Many of the cases won ...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in Carmarthenshire) from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star - The wonderful ladies of Côr Curiad have an exciting 2017 planned. The highlight will be the September 2 concert at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, with The Overtones. The night will conclude Côr Curiad’s two-year fundraising efforts for Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli. The choristers set themselves a £20,000 target. The target has already been met, so Côr Curiad’s members are looking forward to smashing the figure and handing the final cheque over on a special night! The Overtones are a five-piece vocal harmony group - Darren, Mark, Timmy, Mike and Lachie. They were discovered by a Warner Bros Records talent scout while working as decorators in a shop near Oxford Street, singing during their tea break. Their debut album, Good Ol’ Fashioned Love entered the UK Albums Chart at No16 in November 2010. However, after the re-release of the album in March 2011, it propell...

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 ................................ What can we do with the selfie-obsessed? When I recently visited London for the first time in almost a year I couldn’t believe how tourist behaviour had changed. Instead of taking photographs of their family/friends in front of famous landmarks, most visitors were taking ‘selfies’ using ‘selfie sticks’. It doesn’t just occur in London. This ever-growing madness of taking selfies goes on everywhere . . . maybe in your neighbourhood. So be vigilant! Because selfie-takers are narcissists who don’t consider that taking pointless selfie-after-selfie of themselves in the same position is annoying to people around them. I know you like me to give you an example . . . A friend of mine went to see the “Peter Pan” pantomime at Cardiff’s New Theatre during the last week of the run. T...

One of the UK’s leading constitutional experts will use a public lecture at Aberystwyth University to critique the latest attempt at a Welsh devolution ‘settlement’. Professor Richard Rawlings will examine the implications of the Wales Act 2017, which marks the fourth main phase of Welsh devolution in just twenty years. His lecture Strange Days? Reworking the Welsh Devolution ‘Settlement’ will be held at 5pm on Wednesday 22 February 2017 in the Main Hall of the Department of International Politics. Speaking ahead of the event, Professor Rawlings who is Professor of Public Law at University College London and Honorary Distinguished Professor of Law at Cardiff University, said: “Partly framed by the work of the Silk Commission, and also influenced by Scottish constitutional developments in the wake of the 2014 independence referendum, the process of developing the legislation has been an elongated and commonly painful one. “It is a process which has stretched from incoherent party pol...

Aberystwyth University students will be encouraging children and young people to get creative in a series of practical art workshops at the National Library of Wales between 22 and 25 February 2017. The workshops explore the legends of Wales and tales of ancient heroes, mystery and magic, with sessions on making masks, working with clay, painting and creating self-portraits. There will also be a session dedicated to the mysterious world of the Aztec. Developed around the theme ‘We are Legends’, the week’s activities build on Visit Wales’ ‘Year of Legends’ campaign and have been devised by a team of volunteer students on the University’s Museum & Gallery Education and Interpretation module. Alison Pierse, Art and Design Coordinator for the School of Education and Lifelong Learning, said: “Students have taken it on themselves to run this volunteer programme for many years, delivering lively learning opportunities for local youngsters and families. “For the students, it offers an in...

A Carmarthen butchers has accepted a plaque advertising the protected status of its traditional family recipe ham. Carmarthen Indoor Market’s Albert Rees Butchers was given the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for its Carmarthen ham recently by the European Union. Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Leslie Griffiths visited Carmarthen Market on Friday in the company of Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member responsible for markets Cllr David Jenkins to present the plaque. PGI is one of three European designations created to protect regional foods that have a specific quality, reputation or other characteristics attributable to that area. It acts like a Trade Mark and stops manufacturers from outside a region copying a regional product and selling it as that regional product. Albert Rees was set up in 1962 by Albert and Brenda Rees. In 1989, Chris and Ann Rees took over the business on the retirement of Chris's parents in Carmarthen and Pembro...

Hundreds of businesses in the construction industry attended an event at Llanelli’s Parc Y Scarlets to find out about the major opportunities available to them. More than 300 delegates from across the region went along to find out more about various forthcoming projects that they could be a part of. More than £132 million worth of projects have been awarded amongst the 23 contractors on the Framework since February 2016, with a further £188 million worth of projects in the pipeline. The Contractors Framework is used for the delivery of construction and associated services across the Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot council areas. Carmarthenshire County Council leads the Framework on behalf of the partner authorities. The event brought the Framework contractors, potential sub-contractors and supporting organisations together, allowing them to network and discuss future business opportunities. The morning session showcased a variety of trade exh...