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

"I would rather see something properly made up and properly acted and properly written than this half-arsed manipulated thing. Can't be bothered with it" - Entertainer Victoria Wood on The X Factor. I second that!

Members of Carmarthenshire Youth Council have been to Brussels to visit the European Parliament. Twenty eight Youth Council members aged 11 – 25 years old from all over the County learnt about the work and the role of the European Parliament and got the opportunity to see the Parliamentary Chamber. The members also visited the famous landmarks such as the Grand Palace, the Atomium and Mini Europe. Following the trip, the Youth Council had a question and answer session with Welsh MEP’s to discuss issues affecting young people in the County. Charlene Davies, Youth Council Chairperson said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for us. We learnt all about the European Parliament’s powers and how it differs from local democracy. “Having met with the MEP’s, we are confident that our issues have been addressed and that young people’s voices are being listened to.” Sarah Powell, Carmarthenshire Council’s Youth Participation Officer said: “The Youth Council now has a greater understanding about de...

An awards ceremony took place on Monday September 7 at the Scarlets Stadium to celebrate the success of the Carmarthenshire’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Young people from across the County received their Gold certificates and were commended for their efforts. Over the past year the Carmarthenshire Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has grown from strength to strength with more than five hundred people achieving a Gold, Silver and Bronze award, which is a fifty one percent increase on last year; this has come about through more adult volunteers helping to deliver the Awards programme. In addition, an increase of seventy five percent of young people has completed the Award through the medium of Welsh. This has resulted in the Carmarthenshire Duke of Edinburgh’s Award coming first in the league table of Welsh Unitary Authorities. Andrew Peebles, a former pupil of Queen Elizabeth High School said: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has helped me immensely; I’ve noticed a huge difference in my confidenc...

One family took most of the honours in the inaugural cricket-spitting contest in the town of Marshfield, Wisconsin. Brian Johnsrud spat a dead cricket 22ft 8in. Minutes later, his son Jared managed 10ft 5in to win the nine-to-11 age division. Mr Johnsrud said the key was to pick the biggest insect and take a deep breath before putting in your mouth, to avoid swallowing it. Beats playing conkers hands down!

"An embuggerance" - Writer Sir Terry Pratchett's description of his oncoming Alzheimer's - a turn of phrase included in the latest Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Nice one, Sir Terry!

Community benefits such as affordable housing will have to be provided if plans for housing at Saron are to be given the go ahead. Thursday’s meeting of Carmarthenshire County Council’s planning committee will discuss a full planning application by Eatonfield Developments for 17 detached and semi-detached two-storey houses on land behind Saron Road. Officers are recommending approving the application with a condition that before work starts the developer must enter into either a Unilateral Undertaking or a Section 106 Agreement with the council to ensure the applicant makes a contribution of £27,000 towards parks/open spaces and £33,000 towards Education Services.

One of the oldest and most famous coaching inns in Wales will be turning the clock back 200 years next month to mark the grand arrival of two large stagecoaches. The 17th century Grade II listed inn, The Grapes in the picturesque village of Maentwrog, in the Vale of Ffestiniog, will be marking the arrival of a coaching party engaged in a fund-raising tour in aid of injured servicemen and servicewomen. The Grapes has been a ‘must stop’ inn for centuries, but hasn’t hosted teams of coaches and horses since the first half of the 19th century. “This event will see us literally turning the clock back 200 years. We’ll see The Grapes as it was in its coaching heyday,” said Andrew Roberts Evans, manager of hotel. The coaching party will include representatives of The Household Cavalry Charitable Fund. The party of drivers, assistants and passengers will be up to 26-strong. The Grapes will be an overnight stop en-route between Bala and Portmeirion. “We intend making sure that the occasion will ...

Fed up staff at a council canteen took Spotted Dick off the menu because of "immature" comments. The popular pudding has been renamed Spotted Richard for diners at Flintshire County Council's offices in North Wales. The dessert is made from suet, flour and dried fruit. The origin of its name has never been proved. It could only happen in Flintshire! Whatever next?

"You get all the roller-coaster ride of taking drugs without the fallout of losing your house and alienating your friends. The curtain comes down. It ends. Hurray!" - Lenny Henry on playing Othello. Must add this to my 'must see' list!

A proposal to erect one of the Stradey Park rugby posts as a gateway feature into Llanelli will be discussed by Carmarthenshire planners tomorrow. Carmarthenshire County Council has applied for planning permission to put up the rugby posts at the Berwick roundabout. An officers’ report to the planning committee says: “The scheme involves the relocation of one the two rugby posts of the former Stradey Park Stadium to the site which it is intended will act as a gateway feature on the approach to the town. “The posts which are 9.6 metres tall and set 5.5 metres apart will occupy a central location within the island of the roundabout. They are to be painted white with a red lower section to match the playing colours of the Llanelli Scarlets and flat metal panels in the shape of saucepans on the top of each post. “The proposal will assist in evoking a sense of place on the eastern approach to the town providing a commemoration of the sporting heritage of the former Stradey Park Stadium whil...

Just recovering after seeing Inglourious Basterds last night. Bit of an assault on the senses! Typical Tarantino, a dark and funny 'what if fairytale'. Plenty of in-jokes, film references and a weird ending. Christian Waltz should get an Oscar for his role as the Nazi Jew Hunter. Worth a visit to the cinema, but be prepared for a bit of a roller-coaster.

I guess I was a little off the pace with the Carmarthenshire TV row. http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/questions-about-carmarthenshire-tv.html Fellow blogger Caebrwyn put the spotlight on the topic back on July 21 and drew attention to the secrecy issue. Caebrwyn wrote - I cannot think why the secrecy is necessary, the matter has already been discussed at the Carmarthenshire Local Service Board in April, chaired by Cllr M Gravell and attended by Mark James. The minutes include the following - "Cwmni Telesgop gave a detailed presentation of a proposal for Carmarthenshire TV. If this proposal is to be developed further it would be on a partnership basis and members of the board would be required to make a financial contribution. Chris Burns(CCC)to clarify set up and on-going costs and Board members are to seek confirmation of financial support. JJ/CM gave in principle support for the project and funding at approximately £2,000. It was agreed To earmark £10,000 towards the Carma...

Almost four out of 10 women buy shoes knowing they do not fit, according to a poll published. Research from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists found that 37% were willing to put up with uncomfortable shoes as long as they were fashionable. But the problem is not just confined to women - 17% of men admit buying shoes in the wrong size. Don't get me on the subject of shoes! I have a daughter who thinks Imelda Marcos was a part-timer in the shoe collection stakes!

"Oscar Wilde taught us that there is nothing quite like an unexpected death for lifting the spirits. He was right. I confess to taking a quiet (and curiously guiltless) delight in the deaths of my friends" - Broadcaster and former Tory MP Gyles Brandreth. Sorry, Gyles, can't agree with you on this one!

Litter is not on the menu in Carmarthenshire. Fast food outlets including McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks are supporting the county council’s Bin It campaign. Education and awareness officers will be out and about in Carmarthen, Llanelli and Cross Hands this month encouraging people to dispose of their litter more responsibly. The fast food outlets have pledged their support to clean up the county and will be working with officers to spread the word. Posters warning customers to bin their litter will be on display in restaurants and staff will be wearing Bin It t-shirts. Customers who use the special bins provided could also be in with a chance of winning a prize! Enforcement officers will also be out and about this month and anyone caught dropping litter could be issued with an on-the-spot fine of £75 or up to £2,500 if prosecuted through the courts. McDonalds spokesman Ron Mounsey said: “We are delighted to support the council’s campaign to encourage our customers to put thei...

Carmarthenshire planners are recommending turning down proposals for two supermarkets in Newcastle Emlyn. Thursday’s meeting of the county council’s planning committee will consider applications for the development of a Lidl neighbourhood foodstore at Castle Motors, Station Road, and the construction of a retail convenience store at land off Tanyard Lane. The Lidl application has been submitted by Lidl UK and Castle Motors and is for a new neighbourhood food store and for the relocation of premises for Castle Motors vehicle workshop. Officers are recommending refusing the application. They say that the proposal is unacceptable because it goes against the council’s Sustainable Development policy to reduce car use, would increase traffic and does not include improvements to make the supermarket more accessible for customers not travelling by car. Bus services only run every two or three hours. The Tanyard Lane application has been submitted by Eiddo Davies Properties Ltd and is to build ...

Plans by Carmarthenshire Council to launch a new TV station have been rubbished as a waste of taxpayers' money. There are also fears the station — Carmarthenshire TV — would be hijacked as a council "propaganda machine." See full story from the South Wales Evening Post - http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/carmarthenshirenews/Anger-Carmarthenshire-Council-TV-station-plan/article-1315182-detail/article.html This matter was debated by the council’s executive board on July 24. It is sad that news from such meetings only seems to leak out with the passage of time. There are some key questions for the authority here: Why was the Carmarthenshire TV debate held in secret – press and public excluded? If there is a plan to spend money on a Carmarthenshire TV project, then can we be assured the project will be opened up to a transparent tender process. After all, a transparent tender process may yield benefits for the authority. Is it correct that the favoured company for this projec...

Ken Pritchard is a big man by any standards, but he happily admits to feeling “10 feet tall walking down the streets of Ystrad Mynach” thanks to a Welsh Assembly Government grant. “I’m simply chuffed to bits,” the leader of the Ystrad Mynach Boys and Girls Club admitted. The grant cash has helped transform the club he helps run in Lisburn Road. “The change in the club’s fortunes has been very dramatic,” Mr Pritchard declared as he surveyed the new games hall. “Before Christmas, I think we only had about nine members left on the books.” Today, the youth club’s membership is 120 – and growing daily. “It is a remarkable turnaround in the club’s fortunes,” Mr Pritchard said. “It is a marvellous boost, not only for the club and its members, but also for the community of Ystrad Mynach as a whole. The community will feel the benefit of keeping a great bunch of youngsters engaged in worthwhile activities in the club. “I kid you not, when I say that I feel 10 feet tall walking down the streets ...

"The flip side for me is that I was born into a position of privilege and am therefore not corruptible. I don't need to claim for a second home" - Multi-millionaire environmentalist and would-be Tory MP Zac Goldsmith. No comment needed.

With the switchover to Digital TV currently ongoing people are being warned of the dangers of bogus callers. It is possible that some will try to take advantage over any confusion of householders about their individual needs. There was an incident in Pembroke Dock on September 1 where a woman had her purse stolen by man claiming to help her with the switchover. The suspect was white, about 5ft 10ins tall, aged in his 40’s, of medium build, with fair hair, balding and clean shaven. He was wearing brown coloured shoes and blue coloured jeans. He was also wearing a navy blue raincoat / anorak type and had in his possession a black coloured leather briefcase with a logo of some kind on the front of the case. He was driving a small white coloured van. The Digital TV booklet distributed to households contains helpful information and a section on the most frequently asked questions relating to the equipment requirements, and a guide to finding reputable installers of aerials etc. In particula...

Maritime and Coastgard Agency News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service on 06 September 2009 - At just before 1.00 pm today, a 999 call from the Towy Boat Club reported three kayakers struggling in the fast-flowing river Towy having capsized and become parted from their double sit-on kayaks in wind over tide conditions. It later transpired that the three people in the water were from a party of kayakers who had earlier set off from Carmarthen, with the intention of following the river downstream almost to its estuary. Only as the incident progressed did it become clear that eleven people in total had set off at staggered times, with the least experienced going first. On their journey down-stream two of the double kayaks lost paddles and sustained broken rudders. Subsequent information indicated that paddlers were coming ashore on both east and west river banks, some still onboard their kayaks, others were in the water. In response to the difficulties presented in establishin...

"I am becoming increasingly despondent about the state of this country, and I am beginning to look elsewhere" - Carol Thatcher. Perhaps it's time our Carol cleared off somewhere else. They say Antartica is nice at this time of year!

Carmarthen racehorse trainer Alison Thorpe grabbed a 5-1 winner with Deadline in the Harry Chivers Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell on Saturday. Meanwhile, punters who follow Welsh links were lucky to back Llandovery at 25-1 at Wolverhampton.

Carmarthen Town laboured hard to earn a point when they entertained Aberystwyth in the Welsh Premier League this afternoon. Goalkeeper Neil Thomas saved a penalty and Aber played most of the second half with 10 men after Sion James was sent off (two yellows). Carmarthen manager Deryn Brace said afterwards: "We've hit the woodwork five times in our last two games which shows the kind of luck we are experiencing at the moment. I know that we played a team down to 10 men for a large percentage of the second half, but sides prepare for such situations these days and adapt to the circumstances. Aberystwyth were able to defend in depth while we did not have any luck in front of goal.” Town : N Thomas, Williams (D Thomas 77'), Palmer, Smothers, Hughes, C Thomas, Roberts, Hanford, Fowler, Pritchard (Hughes 46'), O’Sullivan. Sub not used: Mark Crutch. Aberystwyth Town: Cann, S James, G Hughes, Thomas, Edwards, Waters, Kellaway, Morgan, Bowen, Sherbon, James. Subs not used: Evan...