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

A team of pupils from Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn in Carmarthenshire have been crowned runners-up at the National Finals of the Young Consumers of the Year Competition. The unique competition involves hundreds of schools across England, Scotland and Wales which rise to the challenge of becoming the nation’s top young consumers. Having beaten off competition from four local teams in the Carmarthenshire heat of the competition in January and a further 12 teams to become runners-up of the Welsh Finals in Llandrindod in March, the team of four pupils - Jack Pulman-Slater, Megan Barnard, Finn O’Connor and Katie Barnby – were through to the National Finals. They had to show off their knowledge on a range of subjects including Consumer Law, Health and Social Responsibility, Food, Safety, Environment, Legal Matters, Money and Finance and Europe. In a hotly contested final held during the Trading Standards Institute Annual Conference in Edinburgh, Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn competed against seven other teams repr...

Dairy producers in Carmarthenshire are to be congratulated for their success at the International Cheese Awards in Nantwich. The Awards, which have run since 1897, and are a part of the largest cheese show in the world, are held once a year at Dorfold Park, near Nantwich. An estimated 33,000 visitors were able to taste and buy the very finest cheeses from all four corners of the world. The Carmarthenshire Cheese Company won Gold for Single Cheese - Any variety that contains Savoury Additives, Hard Cheese other than Cheddar, Cheese produced in UK only. Sanclêr Organic won Gold and Bronze for Single Soft or Cream Cheese with Additives - other than Blue Veined Cheese. Business Development Officer Carmarthenshire County Council Barry Davies said: “This is a fantastic achievement for these Carmarthenshire producers at what is an international event. My congratulations go to them all.” Executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “Following the success rece...

Illegal Car Dealers and rogue traders were targeted by Carmarthenshire’s Trading Standards Services team and other agencies in a joint initiative known as Operation Rogue Trader. Offenders who sell vehicles on public ground and lay-bys throughout the county were targeted due to the increasing number of complaints alleging the sale of unsafe and clocked vehicles. Many of the sellers in question hide behind a smoke screen purporting to be members of the public, when in fact they are dealers. By doing so dealers attempt to side step current consumer legislation designed to protect members of the public. Purchasing goods from a trader gives the public greater rights if things go wrong than if they were bought from a private individual. Traders selling cars by the roadside and not declaring themselves as such are not only deceiving their customers but are also trading unfairly as they have less overheads and are not paying rates. Additionally, some of the sites being used are dangerous as t...

Llanelli Rotary Club is delighted to welcome the current Rotary International Britain and Ireland (RIBI) President Jim Moulson to its weekly meeting at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, this lunchtime. Jim and his family have had their home in Paisley, Scotland’s largest town, since 1972. The elder of his two daughters is married and he has two grandchildren – Lewis and Rebecca who are 12 years and 7 years old respectively. Jim was a policeman from 1967 until he retired from the superintending ranks of Strathclyde Police in September, 2000, to commit himself to his responsibilities as District Governor in 2001 - 2002. Apart from his family, Rotary has been Jim’s consuming interest since he became a member of the Rotary Club of Paisley Callants in 1984. He had the privilege and most enjoyable pleasure of being president in 1994/95, joined the district team as club service chairman in 1996, and was elected as an assistant governor in 1998. Jim has served R.I.B.I. as a member of its Ex...

The Llanelli SMART project has seen its students reach their full potential. The project is run by Jobforce Wales, in partnership with Carmarthenshire Council’s Youth Service, with the aim of getting young people aged 14-16 years living in the Llanelli area to achieve success in a new learning environment. A celebration day was held on Thursday July 15 at Pembrey Country Park to celebrate the young people’s achievements and to present them with their certificates. Young people received OCN qualifications and Prince’s Trust Awards. The project has enabled the young people to develop essential skills, confidence, self esteem and respect towards others. Lindsey Thomas, Llanelli SMART Manager said:“The SMART staff has seen a dramatic improvement in the young people; they’ve worked so hard to get to where they are today and we are very proud of what they’ve all achieved.” Most improved student award went to 16 year old Alisha Llewellyn from Bryn and Keanu Johnstone aged 16 from Tyisha was p...

Pupils from Pantycelyn School have reached their goals thanks to a scheme run by Carmarthenshire Council’s Youth Service. During the past academic year, young people obtained a range of OCN qualifications including music sequencing, bike maintenance, photo editing and animation. Some of the projects were delivered in partnership by officers from the Reach the Heights Project – a Welsh Assembly Government project funded by the European Social Fund, aimed at engaging young people aged 11-19. Karen Williams, project organiser and School Based Youth Worker said:“Pupils from the school were referred to the project for various different reasons in order for us to help them achieve success in subjects not offered within the school. “The school was keen to see their pupils take advantage of the projects on offer and as a result every pupil who participated on the OCN scheme achieved a qualification. “Our aim is to pursue with the delivery of these courses and to ensure that more young people a...

Carmarthenshire's Children and Young People’s Partnership (CYPP) want to get children and young people involved in development of their new 2011 Plan. The plan will cover all the different services that children and young people may need to use; these will include education, youth services, leisure and health services. The Hywel Dda Health Board, Dyfed Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, Voluntary Associations, education staff and Carmarthenshire County Council are all part of the CYPP. Officers from these services have overall responsibility for the plan and their aim is to ensure that children are fully aware of their rights which are outlined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Councillor Gwynne Wooldridge, Executive Board Member for Education and Children’s Services said:“The services involved in the plan are there to listen to children and young people’s ideas and concerns which will allow them to provide all the help and suppor...

Young people on the Carmarthen SMART Project have been praised for their determination to succeed. A special event to recognise the young people’s efforts was held at the Gwenllian Court Hotel on Wednesday July 14. The group of 14-16 year olds were presented with certificates and commended for their efforts during the past year. Carmarthen SMART is run by Carmarthenshire Youth Service, with the aim of offering a wide range of qualifications and lifelong experiences to help re-engage young people 14-16 years who have been excluded from school or society. Emily Evans, Carmarthen SMART Coordinator said:“This has been a really successful year for all involved in Carmarthen SMART. The young people excelled all expectations and will be following various courses at college Sir Gar next term. “When the young people come to us they have many barriers to overcome and when they leave they leave the year long project they are ready to face a new chapter in their lives. “Special thanks must go to t...

Award-winning brewer Simon Buckley has put out the welcome mat for the return of the Brecon Jazz Festival. Mr Buckley, brewer of the True Taste of Wales Gold Award beer called Cwrw, operates two major venues in Brecon – The George Hotel and the Bull’s Head. “The Brecon Jazz Festival is famous the world over and I am delighted that we can play our own part in making sure it is a great success,” said Mr Buckley. The Brecon Jazz Festival (August 6-8) will this year celebrate enduring legends like Hugh Masekela and the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, featuring Omara Portuondo. Featured bands at the festival include - the Portico Quartet and Kairos 4tet to Get The Blessing, Matthew Halsall, Brass Jaw, Gwilym Simcock and Kit Downes. At The George Hotel, one of the prime attractions will be Steely Scam (pictured above), the world-famous Steely Dan tribute band. This five-piece band promise a performance second to none, not only for Steely Dan fans but for all music lovers and musicians. Mor...

The latest Iechyd Da column by award-winning brewer Simon Buckley, of Llandeilo's Evan-Evans Brewery. It appears in this week's edition of the Carmarthen Journal - We are in the midst of change; financial uncertainty, pubs finding it harder than ever to make a living, and the supermarkets finishing off the local pubs with massively-discounted beers. This week the Prince of Wales urged us all to support the Campaign, the Pub is the Hub. So what is the answer, we in the Welsh brewing sector more than ever are determined to help our locals remain just that, locals. Community pubs that are more than just watering holes, and that are at the very heart of the communities they serve. But what is it about us Welsh that makes us kick against the traces? Why do pubs in Aberaeron buy beer from England rather than support local Welsh Brewers? Brewers from Northumberland, Somerset and now the lake District dump their beers here in Wales, and our licensees buy it! Last week saw the Royal Wel...

The latest 'View from Richmond Park' column which appears in the Carmarthen Journal this week - There was a very warm welcome for Carmarthen Town AFC on their recent trip to Pembroke to play Hundleton. The match was hosted at the nearby Monkton Swifts ground a short walk away from glorious Pembroke Castle. A huge amount of effort had gone into preparing the pitch for the match. Carmarthen showed their gratitude by hammering home nine goals against Hundleton! It was good to see defender Richard Hughes on the sidelines. Hughes, who made 28 appearances for Town last season, is currently making steady progress recovering from an ankle injury. He is wished all the best for a speedy recovery and Carmarthen Town fans will be eagerly awaiting his return to action at Richmond Park. Last week, this column mentioned that Ysgol Nantgaredig won the Roger Evans Memorial Award at the recent junior school football tournament and fete staged at Richmond Park. A word of explanation is needed abo...

The premier wild brown trout fishery in Wales is aiming to hook youngsters on the art of fly fishing. The fishery at Tal-y-llyn, near Tywyn, in the Snowdonia National Park, is launching a ‘Try The Fly’ programme. “It’s something special for youngsters who live within travelling distance of Tal-y-llyn,” said Phil Wood, the head ghillie at the fishery. “We care passionately about fishing at Tal-y-llyn and we also care about nurturing the fishermen of tomorrow. “The fishery was recently one of the host venues for the Commonwealth fishing tournament, which was an outstanding international success. “Experience tells us that people catch the fishing bug early and we want to do our very best to encourage youngsters to take part in a hugely rewarding sport.” The scheme offers young, local people up to 16 years old the chance to fly fish at Tal-y-Llyn. Mr Wood added: “Whether they are experimenting for the first time, or wishing to expand their repertoire of skills, youngsters can come and join...

Carmarthenshire councillors have come out in favour of plans to build up to 280 houses at the Ffos Las Racecourse in Carway. A meeting of the planning committee approved the outline application by Ffos Las Ltd. There is already planning permission for 248 homes and work has been commenced with a major house builder on site. The (up to) 280 extra houses would be directly to the south of Carway. Community benefits under the scheme include that 15 per cent of the properties should be affordable housing and that £200,000 should be given towards community facilities. The approval is subject to an appropriate assessment in accordance with the Habitat Regulations 2010 being agreed by the Countryside Council for Wales and to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement on community benefits and sewerage issues.

Four affordable homes will be built and funding will be provided towards maintaining play facilities as part of planning permission for housing in Laugharne. Carmarthenshire County Council’s planning committee has approved plans for 40 houses at Pludd's Meadow, Gosport Street, Laugharne. The applicant will have to sign a Section 106 legal agreement to secure the affordable housing and play facilities money before the development can go ahead.

A pilot scheme to teach construction skills to women is being rolled out across Carmarthenshire. A project to give ladies taster sessions in carpentry, tiling, plastering, plumbing, painting and decorating has been a huge success. Eight women from Felinfoel Family Centre took part in the programme, and have since looked into furthering their education. The scheme, which was piloted by the Felinfoel Communities First team, is now being extended across the county. The eight week course will be introduced to all Communities First areas, thanks to a £37,500 grant from the Deprived Area Fund. Communities First has teamed up with Carmarthenshire County Council, Coleg Sir Gar and Carmarthenshire Construction Training to deliver the programme. Organisers say they are delighted it is to be extended. Community Development Worker Gaynor Price said: "The pilot construction project was very successful and we were delighted by the response in Felinfoel. "The women thoroughly enjoyed their ...

A major programme is underway to improve standards in the private rented sector in Carmarthenshire. Housing chiefs want to ensure that the county’s rental accommodation is of the highest quality for tenants. They are working with landlords to drive up standards and stamp out potential hazards like fire safety, damp and mould, excess cold and electrical problems. A Housing Health and Safety rating system is in place to identify issues in private rented properties. And a Carmarthenshire Accommodation Accreditation Scheme has been set up to identify good landlords, agents and properties. Regular landlord forum meetings are held and landlords and letting agents are encouraged to apply to the scheme. Properties are assessed and included on the recommended database if they meet the required legal standards. A programme is in place to inspect and license houses of multiple occupation in the county. Housing officers work closely with landlords and give advice on raising standards, and in extre...

Swansea University is one of the Welsh academic institutions which will benefit from the launch of the new HPC super computer project for Wales. (See earlier posts starting at http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-40m-super-computer-project-for.html ) Here are some short case study examples of how Swansea will benefit from the HPC Wales project. Linking with business The ITWales project is part of the School of Physical Sciences at Swansea University. ITWales believes that the HPC project will open up huge opportunities for businesses that require the highest level of support in terms of leading edge computing resources. Professor Min Chen said: “With ITWales already engaging with Welsh SMEs from a wide range of sectors it could stimulate business awareness of this unique facility. “ITWales has played a significant role in putting Swansea University and our Computer Science Department on the business map. It has been an integral project that has linked academia with business and t...

Some 18 Year 10 pupils from Coedcae School in Llanelli have been selected as peer educators. Following their OCN course in peer education, the young people have been trained by schools based youth worker to mentor year eight pupils. Pupils in Year 8 will receive support in homework and organisation skills with an overall aim of increasing aspiration to achieve. School Youth Worker Adrianne Ashton said:“The Year 10 pupils have really excelled and have helped many younger pupils within the school. “The benefits for peer educators are widely recognised and can include positive changes in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes and confidence. Peer education has a strong emphasis on personal development and can be particularly effective in allowing low achieving pupils to fully participate and succeed in a wider range of educational and health promoting activities.” Executive Board Member for Education and Children’s Services, Councillor Gwynne Wooldridge added:“Carmarthenshire Council’s You...

A Red Roses man has been prosecuted for selling puppies without a licence. Hywel John Walters pleaded guilty at Ammanford Magistrates Court on Monday to an offence contrary to Section 1B of the Dogs Act 1973. The court was told that Walters had been seen to be advertising puppies for sale over a long period of time. Despite repeated visits to his kennels at Upper Castle Ely, Red Roses, to advise him, he continued to sell puppies and did not apply for a licence. In late 2009 a complaint was received that a pup purchased from Walters was sick and a visit was undertaken. It was found that there were several litters of puppies on site and an investigation was initiated. During the time of the legal proceedings Walters began to make improvements to his kennels, and then applied for a licence which was granted recently. The court imposed a 12 month conditional discharge and Walters was ordered to pay a contribution of £200 towards prosecution costs.

A major awards ceremony is being held to honour businesses from across South West Wales. A huge search has just got underway to reward business excellence in the region. Nominations have opened for this year's prestigious Swansea Bay Regional Business Awards. Firms from all over Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot are being invited to compete for the coveted accolades. Businesses and their customers are being urged to do their bit to ensure worthy contenders get the recognition they deserve. Organisers say they are keen to receive as many entrants as possible over the coming months. The prestigious awards are being organised by the Swansea Bay Partnership, of which Carmarthenshire County Council is a key partner. The winners will be revealed at a glittering ceremony at Swansea's Brangwyn Hall in November. The awards replace the former Carmarthenshire Business Awards and complement the prestigious Swansea Bay Woman of the Year and Swansea Bay Youth Enterprise Awards. ...

Ezequiel Calvente - genius penalty v Italy 24.7.10

Council staff in Carmarthenshire were encouraged to bring and not bin their old electrical items to be recycled during Recycle Week. Many of us are already recycling everyday items such as newspapers, cans and plastic bottles but old and unused electrical items can also be recycled from broken toasters and kettles gathering dust in the loft, to old mobile phones in drawers and disused power tools cluttering up the garage. To raise awareness of this the council’s waste team put pink skips in council offices during Recycle Week and asked to staff to bring in any small electrical items that were either broken or not being used anymore. Research shows that just under 30 per cent of us simply throw broken or unwanted items away in the rubbish, whereas if we switched to recycling these items we could divert over 100,000 tonnes of valuable waste electricals from UK landfills each year - the equivalent weight of 14,000 double decker buses! Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is on...

Pupils in Carmarthen are going green in a bid to keep their school clean. QE High School took part in a ‘green day’ with Carmarthenshire County Council as part of Wales Sustainability Week. The aim was to encourage pupils to put their litter in the bin and recycle as much of their waste as possible. The day began with a special assembly with the council’s executive board member for education Councillor Gwynne Wooldridge. It included a presentation about litter problems within the county and particularly in secondary school grounds as well as a short film on climate change. Council officers also went into the classroom to speak to pupils about litter and its consequences along with the local Neighbourhood Policing Team and litter-picks were held within the school grounds. Finally pupils were asked to come up with ideas on how best to tackle litter at their school with all suggestions entered into a prize draw to win an iPod. The ongoing school campaign will involve litter-related activi...

Pupils at Peniel School have teamed up with Eco Eli to clean up their community. The council’s eco-friendly elephant visited the school along with local member Councillor Pam Palmer. It followed a letter to Councillor Palmer from the school’s Eco Committee who were concerned about the amount of litter in the village They were particularly worried about cigarette ends and dog mess. Councillor Palmer, along with council education and awareness and environmental enforcement officers, went along to the Green Flag school to talk to the pupils and help find a solution. Carmarthenshire County Council is encouraging people to take pride in where they live by keeping their communities clean. Councillor Palmer said: “Not only is litter a blight on the landscape, but it takes years to degrade, and can cause harm to wildlife. “It also costs the council over two million pounds a year to clean up, money that could be put to much better use. “The pupils at Peniel want to take action to improve the ar...

Bwcabus has won a national award for being the most innovative transport project. The outreach bus service is exceeding all expectations having carried more than 10,000 passengers three-months ahead of expectations. Now there is a promise of a second service in rural Carmarthenshire because of the success. At an awards ceremony in Manchester Bwcabus, against phenomenal competition, was recognised as the most innovative transport project nationally in the last 12 months. County exectuive board member for transport and the environment Haydn Jones said he was immensely proud and honoured to attend the awards ceremony at the Palace Hotel with representatives of the county’s transport team who were among more than 500 transport professionals vying for awards. “Bwcabus has been a tremendous success and it wonderful achievement for the service to be recognised nationally this way. The award for the most innovative transport project was particularly pleasing as it was in a category which recei...

A Swansea man has been prosecuted for collecting scrap metal in Carmarthenshire without a licence. Malcolm John Crane was convicted in absence at Ammanford Magistrates Court to an offence of carrying controlled waste, namely scrap metal, when he was not the holder of a waste carrier’s licence, contrary to Section 1 of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989. The court heard that on Wednesday, April 21 this year police stopped a Ford Transit van at Woodfield Road, Llandybie, near Ammanford, driven by Crane. On checking the vehicle, the police established Crane had been collecting scrap metal from various locations in the Ammanford area. The police contacted the council’s environmental enforcement officers who attended the scene and examined the contents of the van. Crane conceded he did not hold a valid waste carrier’s licence and that he had collected the scrap metals from various addresses in the Ammanford area and hoped to be paid £60 per tonne for it. He was told he would be r...

A Carmarthen man has been fined £85 and ordered to pay court costs of £100 after dropping a cigarette. Stephen Brown, aged 30, of Cae Gruig, was convicted in absence of the offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that on March 19 council environmental enforcement officers were on duty in the McDonalds car park when they saw a man throw a cigarette end out of a car. The officers approached the man and explained what they had seen and that it was an offence to throw litter. He was cautioned and offered a fixed penalty notice of £75 for the offence or the option of going to court. Brown said he wanted the matter to be dealt with in court. It is now hoped this case will act as a warning to others that those caught breaking the law will be prosecuted. Research shows that discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire. An inspection ...

Outline planning permission has been granted for a supermarket in Burry Port under the Llanelli Joint Venture. A meeting of Carmarthenshire County Council’s planning committee considered plans submitted by the local authority’s head of corporate property for a foodstore and petrol filling station on land alongside Neptune Buildings, Burry Port. An officers’ report to the committee said that the site was reasonably located in terms of local facilities, which included a variety of shops in the main Station Road area of the town centre to the north, whilst regular bus services operated in the area around the site. The application site is within the defined town centre area of Burry Port and is designated as a Planning and Development Brief Site. National planning policy is the development of a modern, attractive and vibrant waterfront urban area, which stretches from Port Talbot in the east through to Burry Port in the west taking in Neath, Swansea and Llanelli. The Plan recognises that t...

A woman has been fined for throwing dog mess in a hedge at the side of the road in Porthyrhyd. The council’s environmental enforcement officers were passing in a car at the time of the offence. They stopped and the 49-year-old was issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75 for failing to clean up after her pet. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of £1,000. The council’s executive board member for the environment Councillor Haydn Jones said: “The woman in question was carrying a poop scoop with her but instead of picking up her dog’s mess to dispose of responsibly; she simply threw it into the hedge at the side of the road. “Dog mess left anywhere is a serious health risk. I hope this latest fine will act as a warning to others that this type of anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and those caught breaking the law in this way will be prosecuted.” Carmarthenshire County Council is working hard to tackle the problem of dog fouling a...

Young skating wannabes will get the opportunity to show off their skills at the Skate Park, Carmarthen on Saturday July 31 between 11am and 3pm. The event is organised in partnership between Carmarthenshire Council’s Youth Service, Carmarthen Skate Committee and Carmarthen Town Council. There are four categories 11-13, 14-16, 17-19 and 20-25 and prizes are available to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. Youth Worker Emma Pitt said:“The competition is open to anyone and you don’t have to be a professional to enter. The Competition is suitable for Blades, Boards and BMX. “This will be a fun day out and a way of encouraging young people to take up a hobby to help keep them active.”

A Tim Hicks goal on 15 minutes gave Carmarthen Town a deserved first half lead away at Caersws. But, with Caersws dominating for a period following the break, Richard Evans brought the Bluebirds level just before the hour. Nick Harrhy restored Town’s lead three minutes later and when Cory Thomas was rewarded for his considerable effort with a late goal the 3-1 scoreline flattered Town’s second half performance. Manager Tomi Morgan made several changes throughout as he tried various combinations in defence, midfield and attack. Manager Tomi Morgan was pleased with the win but conceded it had been a difficult second half. “It was a tough workout. I thought we held our shape well in the first period but we were punished a bit in the second half when we went off the boil for a period. But it was worthwhile as I was able to try several combinations throughout.” Town squad included: K Blackburn, K Davies, H Sexton, C Thomas, D Griffiths, G Bonsor, N Harrhy, T Hicks, S Evans, L Jenkins, M Pri...

Cardiff University is one of the Welsh academic institutions which will benefit from the launch of the new HPC super computer project for Wales. (See earlier posts starting at http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-40m-super-computer-project-for.html ) Here are some short case study examples of how Cardiff will benefit from the HPC Wales project. Driving Chemistry on an Industrial Scale Researchers at Cardiff University are involved in a “Grand Challenge” collaboration with the University of Nottingham and the University of York to use light from the sun. Included in this effort will be the transformation of atmospheric carbon dioxide into usable liquid fuels and commodity chemicals, with solar radiation providing the energy source. The project covers everything from basic chemistry and physics to engineering, and involves the need for computer simulation at every stage. Industrial collaborators include Eastman Kodak and Hoffmann la Roche. Structural problems in solid state and ma...