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

Soldiers of the 1st Batallion The Royal Welsh will proudly march through the streets of Carmarthen next week as Carmarthenshire County Council grants them the Freedom of the County. Just weeks after the parade and ceremony the soldiers will leave for a tour of duty in Afghanistan where they will be serving on the frontline. Members of the public are being encouraged to come out in force and support the Regiment as the Freedom is granted – the highest honour the council can bestow. It is the first time the county has granted the honour. It means the name of the Regiment is entered on the roll of honorary freeman of the county, giving them the right to march through the streets on ceremonial occasions. The parade and ceremony is taking place in Carmarthen on Wednesday, September 9. The Regiment, accompanied by a military band, will parade from St Peter’s Car Park from 11.30am, marching along King Street, through Notts Square and on to Guildhall Square. The parade will be followed at noon...

A Llanelli-based company is on-plan for a healthy increase in turnover thanks to a grant from the South West Wales Local Investment Fund (LIF). Vaughan Sound Installations, part of the Dafen-based PAI Group, has been successful in gaining £4,280 of funding from the new scheme, which is aimed at helping small and medium sized companies in south west Wales. Vaughan Sound Installations has been established for over 40 years, and specialises in installing, servicing and maintaining a variety of sound, audio-visual and communication systems. In light of the current economic climate, the company recognised that more of its world-wide clients would choose to service existing equipment and planned for an increased turnover in this area. The LIF grant enabled the company to purchase a service software programme to cope with demand, and it has already started to pay dividends. Chris Ash, Commercial Director for the PAI Group, said: “We have a diverse customer base from small sole traders to worl...

Llanelli's River Lliedi will be become a yellow river on Sunday with the town first ever massed rubber duck race. Llanelli Sea Cadets who have organised the event have been working flat out this week getting more than 3,000 yellow ducks, collected numbered and water proofed. The duck race has been gathering momentum through the summer inspired by the Sea Cadets to raise money for a launch boat the needed at Burry Port harbour. But demand for the £2 ducks has far outweighed expectation and the Sea Cadets have allowed other charity groups to cash in on the quacking event. Llanelli cheerleaders have also sold hundred of ducks for their funds and corporate ducks sponsored by firms at £25 a quack have been floated out too. There are cash and novelty prizes including a duck cake. Carmarthenshire County Council who are supporting the event have a Corporate Duck entered and will be joining in the carnival atmosphere being generated on Llanerch Fields. The races are centres on Llanelli’s Ll...

Carmarthen's £1.6million revamped Lyric Theatre is on course for reopening in November. And it will be a case of coming back with a bang with a Rocky movie on fireworks night. County arts development manager Phil Alder said good progress was being made and the backstage areas were taking shape. Plant for air control and heating is being installed and the orders have been placed for the new seating. Lifts, disabled friendly accesses, toilets and all mod cons are being provided throughout. Mr Alder said: “We are bang on course for opening on November 5th, and a trial running for operating the enhanced venue with an audience will be with a film showing of 'Rocky' as part of the Carmarthenshire Theatres 'Movie Vault' film series. The first 'art film' performance, will be Sound Affairs' on November 7th combining live music by Charlie Barber with a screening of the 1923 classic 'Salome'. The first live production will be on November 12 by Ysgol Berfffo...

"Whatever the perennially youthful Dame Joan Bakewell may say and do as the tsar for the elderly, her public role helps to create the impression that without help, nobody over 65 can take the top off a boiled egg" - Lord Hattersley, former deputy leader of the Labour Party. I'd forgotten Roy Hattersley was still with us. He still comes out with some good one-liners.

Epic day at Ffos Las yesterday - even if all my bets went down the pan. Big crowd, good atmosphere and the weather behaved, until the last race that is! Joined Salvo Giannini in his box - how swish - and we were lucky enough to get a visit from the great AP McCoy after his treble. If only I'd backed his winners!

"I am 5ft 6in and weigh about 11 stone - about a stone overweight, but that's because of my brain" - Magician Paul Daniels. Yes, it could only be Paul Daniels.

Good to see the South Wales Evening Post is still holding its own as the best selling daily newspaper in Wales. The latest audited sales figures make for pretty grim reading, however. Here are some selected results for the six-month period up to the end of June. Daily papers Daily Post (North Wales) 33,938, -5.3pc South Wales Argus (Newport) 26,667, -5.6pc Evening Leader (Wrexham) 19,437, -8.1pc South Wales Evening Post (Swansea) 46,069, -10.1pc Western Mail (Cardiff) 32,926, -11.4pc South Wales Echo (Cardiff) 39,361, -11.8pc Weekly papers Wales on Sunday 34,696 -18.9% Western Telegraph 22,705 -8.5% Glamorgan Gazette (Series) 19,423 -10.6% Carmarthen Journal 19,204 -7.2% County Times and Express 15,782 -5.3% Merthyr Express (Series) 15,542 -9.2% North Wales Weekly News (Series) 15,124 -8.4% Llanelli Star 14,387 -10.4% Caernarfon & Denbigh Herald (Series) 12,545 -6.7% Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer 9,572 -14.9% Holyhead & Anglesey Mail 8,663 -12.1% Gwent Gazette 8,631 -24...

A former Llanelli garage has been fined £2,000 for offering two cars for sale in a dangerous condition. Pinetree Motor Cars Limited pleaded guilty at Ammanford Magistrates Court yesterday to two offences contrary to Regulation 8 of the General Products Safety Regulations. The court was told that in April 2008 trading standards officers made contact with the company, which had set up a new garage at Halfway, Llanelli, called Llanelli Trade Centre, predominantly selling older and cheaper vehicles. Over the course of three visits they spoke to senior managers and the director of the company and gave advice about vehicle safety issues, emphasising the need to carry out safety checks prior to sale. They even advised the company that they would carry out a subsequent enforcement visit. Robert Edgecombe, prosecuting, told the court that when officers carried out the enforcement visit on August 30 last year they found five defective vehicles for sale. Two in particular, a Mazda 121 and a Ford ...

"She does live in another world - lipstick on every five minutes, delightful" - Actress Julia McKenzie, TV's new Miss Marple, describing Joan Collins.

Lucky the duckling dies during surgery You couldn't make it up! Perhaps Lucky wasn't so lucky. See - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/08/27/lucky-the-duckling-dies-during-surgery-91466-24543963/

Carmarthenshire Trading Standards Service has welcomed stricter new rules governing the sale of mobile phone contracts. Government watchdog Ofcom is introducing a new General Condition on sales and marketing practices that will apply to all mobile service providers from September 16. The move aims to tackle the problem of mis-selling of contracts. Mis-selling covers a range of sales and marketing activities including the omission of relevant or the provision of false and/or misleading information, for example about tariffs, savings or promising offers which do not materialise. It also covers applying unacceptable pressure to change providers, such as using intimidating behaviour or refusing to leave until the customer signs a new contract; and slamming, an extreme form of mis-selling, where customers find themselves with a service from a new company without their knowledge and consent. Forms of slamming can include, passing off, where representatives claim to represent a different comp...

"Abs are for people with no friends" - Australian actor Eric Bana. Thanks, Eric, I am starting to feel less guilty about my weak efforts at the gym!

A multi-million pound investment to develop a range of training and employment schemes for adults with high-level needs has been welcomed by the people of Carmarthenshire. Members of the Carmarthenshire Citizens’ Panel have given the Creating Opportunities and Skills Team Alliance (COASTAL) project overwhelming support. The £52million project will establish a range of vocational guidance and support, education and skill-based training to help people who are currently unable to work as a result of illness, disability or other work limiting conditions. It is a major collaborative project being led by the City and County of Swansea, in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and Pembrokeshire County Council. The project is set to further expand into the areas of Ceredigion County Council and Bridgend County Borough Council early in 2010. Carmarthenshire has secured £5.6million from the project fund to address economic activity in the count...

A £27million property development programme which will help create top quality business premises and new job opportunities is set to be launched across south west Wales. The Property Development Fund (PDF) programme, which sees the collaboration of four Welsh local authorities, will be launched at Llanelli’s Parc Y Scarlets on Friday, September 4. The scheme is being led by Carmarthenshire County Council and delivered in partnership with neighbouring authorities in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, and Pembrokeshire and the Assembly’s Department of Economy and Transport. One of the scheme’s key targets is to create sufficient employment space to help create around 600 jobs across the four counties. £10million Convergence funding for the project has been drawn down from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the programme. Financial assistance will be available to speculative developers, and will provide ‘gap funding’ to encourage the development of high quality business premises w...

They may be poles apart geographically but soccer bosses at Carmarthen Town are gearing up for a local 'derby' atmosphere when Wales take on Poland in an under-23 semi-pro international match at Richmond Park. With big Polish populations in Carmarthenshire - particularly in Llanelli, Llanybydder and in the Ammanford area - the stage is set for a cracking night of football - on Tuesday September 8. The game is in preparation for a new round of qualifying games in the International Trophy competition later in the season. Kick off is 7.30pm. The Wales v Poland clash is the first of three big international dates looming at Richmond Park. The Welsh Premier League's team's home ground has also been specially chosen to host two under-17 international fixtures in Wales' Qualifying Group for next year's UEFA Under-17 Championship. First up is the Qualifying Group 12 tie between Wales and Iceland which kicks off at 6pm on Monday September 28. Then, on Saturday October 3, ...

Is 28-year-old comic Elis James from Carmarthen the next Rhod Gilbert? His show, called The Most Cautious Little Boy In Wales, is now on at the Edinburgh Festival. See more on the Edinburgh Festival site. See - http://www.edinburgh-festivals.com/viewpreview.aspx?id=742

Spotted on the Teletext Football 'Your Views' page tonight - 'I live in Llanelli but travel eight hours on the bus to Old Trafford and follow them on the road as well. Armchair fan NOT! Matt, Llanelli' Dedicated fan or Red Devil saddo? I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and says he's a dedicated little warrior.

It’s about as close as you can get to the middle of Wales – but there’s no half measures about the way they do things in Staylittle, Powys. They may be one of the smallest and most isolated communities in the Principality but they know more than most about community spirit. When their dilapidated village hall needed a revamp, they set about the project with a determination and an enthusiasm which would be the envy of bigger villages. And, when they needed a speaker for their winter events programme, they went out and recruited Monty Python’s Terry Jones! “We’ve always been pretty focussed about getting things done here,” chuckled Nia Meddins, a member of the Staylittle Village Hall committee. “We are lucky in the fact that, even though we have a community which is well spread out, everyone supports the idea of having an active village hall. “And the hall committee has worked very hard to make sure that the improvements we needed to carry out to the hall could be carried out.” Those imp...

Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory? - Bertrand Russell

Five years after registering as the first junior member of Dinefwr Hockey Club 19-year-old Amy Brookes has won two top awards. Amy, of Manordeilo, Llandeilo, was nominated coaches player of the year award and was also player’s player of the year 2008-09. The former Tregib School pupil received her trophies at the Clwb Hoci Dinefwr A’r Fro annual presentation evening. Carmarthenshire County Council’s hockey development officer Rae Ellis said she was not surprised Amy had been awarded two top awards within the club. She said: “Amy has been an enthusiastic and dedicated club member since she became the first junior member in 2004. “Whilst Amy was in school he attended all of the hockey development centres set up by me in my development work across the county. “And her enthusiasm is rubbing off on those around her because Dinefwr Hockey club gained promotion this season in the South Wales Hockey League and they are now playing in Division 1. “In 2004 the club started in the league at the b...

Story I heard today . . . 'A few years ago a mate of mine had the usual nightmares with BT when trying to get broadband and phonelines sorted for a new office. He called BT and promised to write to them. When he asked the woman he was speaking with for her job title, he was rather taken aback. 'Her position was Pre-sales Complaints Manager. 'My mate, staggered, said, 'You mean you a have a department to deal with complaints from people who aren't even customers yet?' 'She assured him they did!'

Gorslas Fair in its second year is helping to bring the community together. The fun community event, supported by Carmarthenshire County Council,on Saturday August 29 at Gorslas park from 1pm has a large marquee for arts and crafts, community stalls and main arena act of birds of prey. There are two walk about characters from S4C including Naughty Norman and Fireman Sam himself. County executive board member for regeneration and leisure services Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “Last year’s inaugural Fair was a brilliant day tremendously appreciated by all. “Many local residents met up for the first time in years. “The fair is galvanising the community by bringing it together with a common purpose and aim and it is helping to resurrect a communal spirit which is all too lacking nowadays. “Last year we had the sun and hopefully we will be blessed with this again on an event that is now a must in the Gorslas annual calendar."

The Gwendraeth Tenant Network will hold its next meeting open to tenants living in the Gwendraeth on Wednesday September 30 at 6pm. The meeting will take place at Bryntawel Sheltered housing scheme, Upper Tumble. An update will be given on the environmental works project and a speaker from Shelter will be giving a talk on information matters to rural communities. The constitution will also be formally adopted. Carmarthenshire County Council tenant participation officer Janet Griffiths said: “Please take this opportunity to have your voices heard. At our meetings we can discuss anti-social behaviour, housing repairs, estate improvements or any housing issues that are important to you. “If you have any issues that you would like to discuss at our meetings please contact me.” Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for housing Cllr Hugh Evans said: “The tenant network meetings are a great opportunity for people to come along and have their voices heard.” Refreshments will be...

Ten churches and chapels across Pembrey and Burry Port are coming together to perform a Songs of Praise under canvass at Burry Port harbour. Up to 200 voices will perform a selection of hymns from 3pm on Sunday (Aug 30th). But there will not be an Aled Jones or a Jonathan Edwards presenting this time. County councillor Pat Jones who is a life-long faithful St Mary’s Church member at Burry Port said there is no reason why the popular hymns festival at the seaside town should not attract the TV show that has been a Sunday favourite for 45 years. She said: “We have run a few of these events at the harbour and they have been hugely popular attracting crowds of onlookers who have joined in the massed gathering from churches and chapels about the community. “There have been lots of requests for a repeat of the Songs of Praise we put on two years ago and Carmarthenshire County Council is sponsoring the event with Joint Venture funding with a marquee. “Hymn sheets and extra seats will be provi...

A 20mph self enforcing traffic calming scheme will come into operation outside Pontyates School on Heol y Meinciau in October. Speed humps are also to be introduced outside Queen Elizabeth High School, Carmarthen in October. The calming measures are being installed by Carmarthenshire County Council following requests from parents and teachers and consultation with residents in the community. The scheme is not a route treatment scheme but specifically to help heighten awareness of drivers approaching and passing the school. Several other schemes have been introduced across the county at Ysgol y Bedol, Garnant; on the B4310 Drefach at Gwendraeth School; Peniel, Ffairfach. Calming treatments have also been carried out at Coedcae School, Lakefield Primary School and Coperworks School, Llanelli; on the A476 at Bethania Road, Upper Tumble and B4459 at Pencader. Country executive board member for the environment and transport services, Cllr Haydn Jones, said: “Schools are vulnerable at schoo...

Llanelli's YMCA has locked its doors, leaving clubs, groups and pensioners devastated. The sudden closure - which comes just months after the closure of the town's YWCA - has rocked Llanelli and left many who depend on the centre with nowhere to train and meet. See story in the Evening Post and the Llanelli Star - Website link

The Welsh Government, through the Single Investment Fund, has decided to offer £3.2 million to support a £11.4 million investment by the Calsonic Kansei Group in their Llanelli plant to design and manufacture next generation products. The investment is seen as vitally important for the future of the plant which makes engine cooling and air conditioning systems for the major automotive groups. It will safeguard 237 jobs and create 37 new jobs. The investment will focus on the introduction of new products for the next generation vehicles including Hybrid and EV technologies that require lighter and more efficient components. Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport, said he was pleased the Assembly was able to support the bid for new business and new investment at Llanelli. “Calsonic has been an important employer in the Llanelli area for decades and the Assembly Government has worked with the management on a number of investment projects in the past and warmly welcomes th...

A nuisance tenant living in Llanelli who assaulted a council officer has been made the subject of a 12-month injunction against anti-social behaviour. Council housing officers were granted the injunction at Llanelli County Court - one of the first of its kind in the county. The tenant is forbidden from using abusive or threatening words or behaviour, or using or threatening violence, against members of the public in Clos Sant Paul or against council employees. If the injunction is ignored, the police have the power to arrest and bring the defendant back to court. If it is broken, they could be sent to prison. The council’s Community Wardens, acting as professional witnesses, provided evidence to the court about the incident that has led to the injunction. Housing officers are delighted with the result and hope it will act as a warning that anti-social behaviour from tenants will not be tolerated. They have been working with Carmarthenshire’s Community Safety Partnership, which includes...

People of all ages can dig out their trainers and put their best foot forward in a fun run being held in Llandeilo. The event is being staged by the Carmarthenshire County Council-led Tywi Afon Yr Oesoedd project on Sunday, September 6. Runners will be able to take in some of the area’s most breathtaking scenery, including the Dinefwr Park’s 12th century castle, historic home and medieval deer park. The event will start at 10.30am at Llandeilo RFC’s playing fields, with a 1km flat run for children around the playing fields, followed by a 5km adults run at 11.15am. Entry fees are £3 for children, £5 for adults who are affiliated to Welsh Athletics or UK Athletics, and £7 for adults that are non-affiliated. The fees will cover the costs of staging the event. Tywi Afon Yr Oesoedd (Tywi A River Through Time) is aimed at conserving the area’s history and creating a legacy for future generations. Through a series of interesting events, covering education, leisure and history, locals are bein...

With its burst of vibrant colours, Cwmaman has drawn much attention to the beautiful floral displays around the village. The Cwmamman in Bloom Project, developed in partnership by Carmarthenshire Youth Service, Cwmamman Town Council and the Youth Council, encouraged young people to take pride in the area by planting over sixty flower baskets which have been placed on lamp posts and local businesses. Rhys Jones, Senior Youth Worker for the Amman and Gwendraeth areas said: “The young people have worked really hard to create the floral displays and have helped spruce up the area for the summer. “It was great to see everyone working together on the project; the Cwmamman in Bloom initiative has definitely brought a sense of community spirit to the area. “Special thanks to Ysgol y Bedol and Wrenvale Nurseries for all their help and support. "We hope that next year will be as successful.” Caption: Young people with Youth Service officers celebrating the project’s success