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

. . . I was in Kansas City with Cor Meibion Llanelli. As we woke up, the world was changing . . .

Just been doing a little research on Llanelli Youth Theatre. Amazed to find the group has been running since 1984 - that fact makes me feel old! Its best known former pupil is, of course, John Owen Jones, of Les Miserables and Phantom fame. LYT has performned at many prestigious venues, including Theatr Clwyd, Bristol Old Vic, Theatre Royal Bath and even at the National Theatre in London. And, of course, our own Theatr Elli, Llanell. Facts and figures - • 26 Years Established in the Community • 26 Years Working with Young People • 150 Productions • 3,000+ have ‘trod’ the Boards • In excess of 70,000 people have seen LYT in performance. • 1000+ workshops held. • Over 5,000 participants in Forum Theatre, Social and Community Projects since 2000 • Over 60 different schools from across South West Wales have seen our Performances • 50+ members now working in the profession.

A Taste of Tywi community food festival is being held this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the Community Food Festival and Open Day is being held at the Tywi Centre, Dinefwr Farm, Llandeilo. The event is being organised by Tywi Afon yr Oesoedd and its partner organisations. The event will celebrate the wonderful produce and people of the Tywi Valley. There is a competition with the following categories - Open cookery Bara Brith 6 Welsh Cakes Chocolate sponge Pot of Jam Pot of Chutney Children’s Section Decorated cup cakes (under 7 yrs) Savory Pasties (8-11yrs) Fruits of the Valley (12-16yrs) Please register your entries in the Music and Arts Marquee by 11am on Saturday 11th September. Inspiration and ideas will be flowing as guest chefs will be demonstrating how to prepare delicious dishes. Each chef will take their inspiration from ingredients available locally. Members of the audience will have the opportunity to sample the final dishes. Chefs include - Bryn Williams One of Bryn’s m...

West Wales brewer Simon Buckley will be on the Jason Mohammad phone-in show from 12noon. He is a member of a new 'panel' of listeners giving views on the hot topics of the day. Expect views on the Coulson phone-tapping row.

The new Cricketers pub in Cathedral Road, Cardiff, has a new voucher offer. Just visit the website and submit your email address. See - http://www.cricketerscardiff.co.uk/index.html

Kimberley Davis, one of the stars of The Apprentice television programme, is to talk at a small business network conference in Aberystwyth on Thursday 16th September. The event, which starts at 5.30pm in the International Politics department in Aberystwyth University, is hosted by the Sustainable Learning Networks Ireland and Wales and the Aberystwyth School of Management and Business and also features a case study on Halen Môn by David Lea-Wilson. Born in the Bronx in New York, Kimberley has a BA in music management and is also an accomplished musician. She has performed Mozart at Carnegie Hall and played the violin with the Essex County Chamber Orchestra. Kimberley’s entrepreneurial streak manifested itself at the age of five when she started her own lemonade ice-cream stand. Kimberley was the fifth person to be sacked on the Apprentice 5 series after the ‘pants man’ advertising campaign for a breakfast cereal. She took Philip Taylor and Lorraine Tighe back into the boardroom. Sir Al...

The latest 'View from Richmond Park' column from the Carmarthen Journal - There’s a new look to the Carmarthen Town AFC Welsh Premier League squad this season. So this column continues to put the spotlight on individual squad members. LEE PHILLIPS (Defender) Date of birth: 18.03.79 former Welsh semi-pro international Lee spent five years at Cardiff City and also played with Barry Town, Forest Green and Newport. The experienced defender captained Llanelli to their first Welsh Premier title. Recent signing. SASHA WALTERS (Midfield) 20.06.84 Now in his fifth season having made over a 100 appearances. A product of Afan Lido's youth development structure the right sided player was a member of Town’s European squads and has scored some fine individual goals. BEN MORRIS (Midfield) A product of Town's Youth development. Having established himself as a valuable member of Deryn Brace’s squad he made his full senior debut at the end of last season. COREY THOMAS (Midfield) 30.11.89...

Six litter bins have been stolen from lay-bys along the A48 dual carriageway between Carmarthen and Cross Hands. It is believed the metal bins have been stolen for their scrap value. It will cost the council more than £1,500 to replace them. The bins have been placed at strategic locations to help reduce the amount of litter along the route. The thefts have been reported to the police. Chair of the Environment Scrutiny Committee Councillor Jim Jones said: “Thefts of this kind will not be tolerated and anyone caught stealing from the authority will be prosecuted. “The council is working hard to keep the county clean and resources are already stretched without this type of behaviour. Each bin costs £265 and that does not include the staff time in placing them out.” It is believed the bins were stolen sometime between August 23 and 25. If anyone has any information about the thefts or if they saw any vehicles acting suspiciously please call police on 101.

People are being asked to help with a nutty autumn survey in Carmarthenshire. The county’s Biodiversity Partnership wants to find out as much as possible about the rare and secretive dormouse, and needs help us search for signs of the mammals. Like the dormouse immortalised in Alice in Wonderland, they spend a lot of time asleep - over three-quarters of their lifetime - and are rarely seen. To track down where they are found it is best to look for signs of their favourite food – hazelnuts. Dormice leave very distinctive gnaw marks on the shells, distinctive from other mice or voles. People are asked to look for the nibbled nuts in a hazel-rich wood or hedgerow around where they live and let the partnership know what they find. Handy packs and booklets are available to help people become nutty detectives, and envelopes are provided to return any nuts found so that the species of dormouse can be identified. A Great Nut Hunt is also taking place at the National Botanic Garden on Saturday,...

A UK “popping” dance champion is touring Carmarthenshire Leisure centres teaching the style that influence Michael Jackson. Alex ‘Mechanikool’ Peters will be popping along to the Carmarthenshire Council Leisure Centre’s between September 21-24th, 2010. He will be teaching one off beginner workshops in the unique street dance style of popping which has influenced stars like Michael Jackson and Usher. Popping involves hitting your muscles to the beat of the music combined with funky robotic movements. County executive board member for leisure services Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “I never cease to be amazed at the variety of opportunities afforded at our leisure centres. “Here’s a chance anyone regardless of ability to join in, have fun, learn to ‘bust a move’ and impress their friends.” Mechanikool has been studying the amazing art form of popping for almost 10 years. His hunger to learn has taken him overseas to L.A in USA; Paris, France and Belgium. It even led him to meeting and bei...

Young actor Philip Watt has sent me an email with the news he has lined up a first date for his solo show about Dylan Thomas. The first performance of 'Dylan Thomas,19' has been booked for October 15, in Independence, Kansas. Philip is embarking on a Stateside tour this autumn and has plans to bring the show to the UK. You can find out more about the show on - www.dylanthomas19.com The site includes a short video preview of the show. Philip Watt began his acting career at age 15 with roles in Waiting for Godot, As You Like It, The Lion in Winter, The Wind in the Willows, Master Harold and the boys, Marvin’s Room, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, and his adaptation of Franny and Zooey, by 17. At Cincinnati-Conservatory of Music, Drama Department, he played the hostage in The Hostage, the clown in The Winter’s Tale, the glazier in Strindberg’s A Dream Play, the cook in Amadeus, the Broker in The Madwoman of Chaillot, and Hal in Loot. If you want to help fund the show, see - http://...

Been busy on my book project for a few days. Normal blogging service about to resume.