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

Off to a meeting with the Healing The Wounds charity, which helps treat victims of PTSD.

A better, improved, reading and resource service will be offered to children and young people following a review of Carmarthenshire’s Schools Library Service. The review was undertaken as part of a county-wide exercise to identify efficiency savings and make best use of resources in every council department. Here in Carmarthenshire, this review will lead to a better service, with pupils and teachers having access to a wider range of materials than they had previously. Head of specialist and business services, Elin Cullen, said: “The Review has provided an opportunity to examine the service provided to children and young people across the whole of the county in order to ensure equality and uniformity of provision. This has resulted in redeployment of resources and closer integration with the public library service. “It will also lead to an improvement of the service at both primary and secondary school level, whilst also achieving the budget efficiencies needed. “We are proud to be able...

Residents in Carmarthenshire are being urged to give home composting a go. Garden waste such as leaves, twigs, grass cuttings and hedge trimmings can easily be composted at home. Compost bins can be purchased from Carmarthenshire County Council for just £10 including delivery. It is one of the most environmentally-friendly and cost-effective ways of dealing with green waste. If residents cannot home compost, they can take their garden waste to one of the county’s five Household Waste Recycling Centre at Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen), Whitland and Llangadog. Garden waste bags can also be purchased from the council (£3.50 for 20) and can be placed out weekly for collection with their green food bin. Residents are being reminded not to put any garden waste in black bags as this means it would end up in landfill. If any garden waste is found in black bags, the refuse/recycling crews have been instructed to not collect them, but to leave them behind. Waste ...

A chip dinner has ended up costing a Carmarthen teen £75 for throwing litter. The 19-year-old was sitting in a car in Pensarn Retail Park eating chips and then threw the empty box. But what she didn’t know was that the council’s environmental enforcement officers were on patrol in the area - and she was issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75. Failure to pay could result in prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum penalty of £2,500. It is now hoped this latest fine will act as a warning to would-be litterbugs that this type of anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. Carmarthenshire County Council’s executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “There is no excuse for littering our streets, if there are no bins nearby, then take your rubbish home with you to dispose of. Saying it keeps someone in a job is just an excuse for those who are too lazy or just don’t care about where they live. “The council’s environmental enforcement officers regul...

I am grateful to my good friend Les Williams for the following . . . It’s every statistician’s nightmare – what happens when the goalposts are moved? It’s happened in the proud history of rugby in Llanelli, but time waits for no man and every historian knows that decisions have to be made, for good or for ill. The Gordian Knot we have had to wrestle with in Llanelli is tangled around the move to regional rugby in 2003. Llanelli RFC (the Scarlets) played their very first game on January 1, 1876 (versus the Cambrian Club at People’s Park, Llanelli). In 2003, regional rugby came in and Llanelli RFC continued as a semi-professional team alongside the premier rugby side of the Llanelli Scarlets (now simply known as the Scarlets). At the heart of the Gordian Knot was the question of what to do with the statistics which detailed Llanelli appearances, points and try scorers. The nitty-gritty statistics are the treasured archive of rugby in Llanelli for us rugby historians. Alexander The Great ...

Residents in Newcastle Emlyn are being urged to have a good clear out and get rid of any rubbish they have lying around the home. A waste amnesty is being held on Saturday, July 9 in the main car park between 8am and 10.30am. Householders can take advantage of this one-off chance to dispose of any large items of rubbish for free. Most household waste can be taken along including bulky waste items such as furniture and electrical goods. However, asbestos, tyres, paint, garden chemicals, batteries, gas bottles, construction waste and trade waste will not be accepted. The amnesty has been organised by Carmarthenshire County Council and the aim is to encourage residents to dispose of waste that may otherwise be fly-tipped. It is also hoped the amnesty will encourage householders to recycle and/or reuse as much of their rubbish as possible. Executive member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “I hope residents take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of any rubbish they ...

Carmarthenshire County Council is to undertake a review of the use of new technology in the way it provides services to local people. The Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee will look at the council's approach to 'E-Government' to see whether there are ways to further improve local residents’ access to services. Assistant Chief Executive, Chris Burns, said: “We have developed the council's website significantly in recent years and we receive around 9,000 visits to the site every day. At peak times the number of visits can be much higher. During the snow disruption earlier this year, for example, we had 9,000 visits just between 8 and 9 o'clock in the morning, with people looking for up to date information on school disruptions, road conditions and public transport. “Through the council’s website you can now gain access to over 100 services 24-hours a day including such diverse transactions as reserving a library book, notifying the council of an abandoned vehicl...

Splendid morning of meetings in the fair city of Carmarthen!

Chartered Accountants and Business Consultants Clay Shaw Butler have proved yet again that they know people are at the heart of every good business. “It may sound like a bit of a cliché, but it is a proven fact that investment in people pays dividends,” said Clay Shaw Butler director David Butler. The firm has just been reassessed for the prestigious Investors in People award and have been given the quality benchmark stamp for another three years. “It’s a great boost to us as a business and an endorsement of the way we like to work as a business. “We always stress the importance of investing in staff to our customers and the businesses we advise. They are a massive asset for any business. “Here at Clay Shaw Butler, we have happily taken on board the ideas and practices laid down by Investors in People. Making sure our staff reach and fulfil their potential is hugely important to us. “We are a unique, innovative firm of accountants who aim to deliver the highest possible standard of exp...

Parcyrhun Primary School has taken part in an event in celebration of National Walk to School week with Communities First and the Road Safety Team. The event took place at the Haven Vets car park, where Gary Go Safe guided the children to safety with the schools crossing patrol, before the start of school. Each child was given a high visibility vest, sticker and information of road safety. All parents and guardians were spoken to by the road safety team about staying safe when out and about near busy roads. Parents were also urged to make use of the car parking facilities near the vets to alleviate the congestion in the mornings outside the school and to protect the safety of the children. The school crossing patrol operates on Penybanc Road during opening and closing times of the school to ensure the safety of parents and their children walking to the school. Emma Martin-Jewell of Communities First said: “The event was a resounding success, with approximately 40 participants includ...

The new Burry Port Traders Forum will hold its first meeting early next month. Carmarthenshire County Council is establishing the forum along the same lines as the one for traders in Carmarthen’s King Street. Cllrs Stephen James, Pat Jones and Hugh Shepardson have written to businesses in the town inviting them to attend the inaugural meeting. They said: “This is in response to suggestions from many town traders that links with various sections of the council need to be improved so that you can know what is happening in our community and your concerns can be channelled to the most effective department. “This new forum will not be a new chamber of trade instead we hope to replicate the successful business fora currently in existence at Llanelli and Carmarthen.” It is envisaged that the forum will meet regularly throughout the year or when an issue arises. The council’s Head of Economic Development Wendy Walters, who will be attending the meeting to give an update on economic development...

A crackdown on smoking-related litter in Carmarthenshire saw 13 people fined in just one day. The council’s environmental enforcement officers carried out targeted patrols in Llanelli, Ammanford and Carmarthen town centres. In total, seven fixed penalty notices for £75 were issued in Llanelli, two in Ammanford and four in Carmarthen. Failure to pay could result in prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of up to £2,500. Two young people under the age of 17 – one in Llanelli and one in Carmarthen - were also given warnings. It follows a council campaign to highlight the problem of smoking-related litter and encourage people to put their cigarette butts in the bin. Unfortunately, the message does not seem to be getting through. Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: “We do not want to fine people, but we will not hesitate to do so if they continue to litter in this way. Many people do not think of cigarette ends as litter, but they are. They make an area loo...

A dog owner has been fined £75 for failing to clean up after his pet near Traveller’s Rest in Carmarthen. The council’s environmental enforcement officers issued the fixed penalty notice following complaints from residents. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of £1,000. Residents had complained to their local member Cllr Alan Speake about the amount of dog fouling in the area from Llanllwch to Traveller’s Rest. The information was passed on to the environmental enforcement section so that action could be taken. Officers have stepped up patrols and although there were already two litter bins in the area, they have now arranged for another bin to be installed. Cllr Alan Speake thanked the officers for dealing with the problem so quickly. “This is quite an anti-social habit allowing a dog to foul in quite a pretty area and of course if it isn’t tackled quickly it will soon be on the increase. “A lot of young people cycle along the footways ...

The Circus is coming to Ammanford Library – to encourage youngsters to read during the summer holidays. Head to Ammanford library for your free Circus Stars stage set and join the Summer Reading Challenge. It’s fun, it’s free, it’s going to be the greatest show on earth! Jugglestruck, a family circus show and workshop featuring the amazing Luke Jugglestruck will be at the library from 11am-12.30pm on Wednesday July 20. It is suitable for children aged 4-10 years and their parents/carers. Entry is by ticket only – free tickets are available from Ammanford Library. Then on Wednesday, July 27 Puppet Theatre Wales presents The Fox’s Tale, an interactive show with puppets, live action and music, which seeks to explore the true value of promises, kindness and friendship. It is suitable for children aged 3-8 years and their parents/carers. The show is on from 11am-midday. Entry is by ticket only free tickets are available from Ammanford Library. On Wednesday August 16 the library is hosting C...

Off to the Lamphey Court Hotel and Spa in Pembrokeshire for a business meeting. Glorious day for a trip down west.

An activity-packed day has been organised at the newly developed Pen y Morfa site in New Dock, Llanelli. The event this Thursday (June 30) has been organised by the Environment & Regeneration Action Group, along with Communities First Glanymor & Tyisha. It is scheduled to start at 11am and will finish at 3pm with free refreshments provided. Activities on the day will include Junk sculpture, kite making and carbon reduction workshops, and a community skip held by Tidy Towns. All are welcome to attend and there will be fascinating talks giving useful advice and tips on how to sustain greener and more environmentally friendly living. The Environment & Regeneration Action Group are being handed the land at the site and as a result are holding a session for locals and volunteers on greener living and waste management. For more information, contact Farah Aziz, Communities First, Glanymor & Tyisha on 01554 777850.

A leading Carmarthenshire performing arts school has said a big ‘hello’ to the winners of its 2011 scholarships. “As always, competition for our scholarship places was massive,” said Stagecoach Carmarthen principal Liane Davies. “The scholarships are highly valued and offer a fabulous chance for youngsters who love to sing, dance and act. “Everyone taking part in the bid for scholarships had to take part in special workshops here at Stagecoach Theatre Arts Carmarthen. “The workshops were great fun and picking winners for two sections of the school – Early Stages and Main School – was a very difficult task indeed.” The scholarships, which run for a year at Stagecoach Carmarthen – were won by Morgan Lockton Sallis (Early Stages) and Rhys Horton (Main School). Morgan is five years old and is the youngest of four brothers. According to his family, Morgan is always talking and singing or humming and doesn’t like to miss out on anything that is happening in school or at home, so the Stagecoa...

Splendid story in the Llanelli Star about next week's testimonial dinner for the recently-retired Scarlets back-row forward Dafydd Jones. Llanelli Star sports pages put the spotlight on the latest results and news from The Ashburnham Golf Club - pic and story. Splendid picture story in the Llanelli Star about long-serving employee Patricia Hazard retiring from the Jenkins Bakery in Llanelli. Carmarthen Journal sports pages put the spotlight on the new Carmarthen Wanderers cricket clubhouse - pic and story. 'View from Richmond Park' Carmarthen Town AFC column in the Carmarthen Journal sports pages today. The Clay Shaw Butler Looking After Business column, featuring Nigel Roberts, is in the Carmarthen Journal newspaper's business pages today. Carmarthen Journal today features a smashing review and picture from the big Aberglasney Gardens concert (Bryn Terfel) at the weekend. Nice story in the Carmarthen Journal today about the Carmarthen Town AFC fete and football festiva...

Carmarthen Town AFC's Welsh Premier League fixtures are as follows - WEEK 1 Saturday 13 August 2011 Carmarthen Town v Newtown AFC WEEK 2 Saturday 20 August 2011 Bala Town v Carmarthen Town WEEK 3 Friday 26 August 2011 Carmarthen Town v Port Talbot Town WEEK 4 Saturday 3 September Prestatyn Town v Carmarthen Town Wednesday 7 September 2011 Carmarthen Town v Llanelli AFC WEEK 5 Sunday 11 September 2011 Neath FC v Carmarthen Town WEEK 6 Saturday 17 September 2011 Carmarthen Town v Bangor City FC WEEK 7 Friday 23 September 2011 Afan Lido v Carmarthen Town WEEK 8 Saturday 1 October 2011 Carmarthen Town v Airbus UK Broughton WEEK 9 Saturday 8 October 2011 The New Saints v Carmarthen Town WEEK 10 Saturday 15 October 2011 Newtown AFC v Carmarthen Town WEEK 11 Saturday 22 October 2011 Carmarthen Town v Bala Town WEEK 12 Friday 28 October 2011 Port Talbot Town v Carmarthen Town WEEK 13 Saturday 5 November 2011 Carmarthen Town v Prestatyn Town Tuesday 8 or Wednesday 9 November 2011 to be conf...

Carmarthen Town AFC have announced their pre-season friendly fixtures (home match listed in CAPITALS) - July 16 Tregaron 2:30pm 19 Rhayader Town 2:30pm 23 Ton Pentre 2:30pm 30 Caersws 2:30pm August 2 Goytre Utd 2:30pm 8 BRYNTIRION ATHLETIC 2:30pm

Two Carmarthenshire charities collected cheques at the Carmarthen Town AFC annual general meeting held at the Clubhouse and Community Centre in Richmond Park. The cash was raised by a fund-raising bike ride from Wrexham to Carmarthen by Carmarthen Town AFC committeemen and supporters. Cheques for £602.50 were handed over to the Carmarthen and District Impaired Hearing Group and the Megan & Trevor Griffiths Trust by Town executive committee member and cycle team member Paul Ashley-Jones. He said: “Here at Carmarthen Town we firmly believe that we are ‘more than a football club’ and that we play our part in the local community as a whole. We were delighted to support these two charities last season. “This season, we will be raising money for the Ty Cymorth Hospice, another very worthy cause.” The Impaired Hearing Group helps to organise activities for people who suffer varying degrees of hearing loss. Their work includes arranging transport for members to attend meetings. The Megan ...

Andrew Thomas collected his 'Clubman of the Year' award from Carmarthen Town AFC chairman Gareth Jones at the annual general meeting of the club held at the Clubhouse and Community Centre in Richmond Park. Andrew, who lives in Gorseinon, follows Carmarthen Town at home and away. He is one of a small team of loyal supporters who also help maintain the Richmond Park ground and act as stewards on match days.

Thank you very much, folks. Thanks to you, dear readers and visitors, this blog is continuing to pick up more hits. It's now hit the 37,000 page views mark. That's 1,000 more views since Friday (June 24) - just five days ago! Keep the hits coming, folks! Much appreciated. Many thanks. See earlier post - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/36000-visits-chalked-up.html Meanwhile, the blog has chalked up its first visitor from Azerbaijan. The full country by country list (figures from January 6, 2010) is as follows - United Kingdom (GB) 10,703; United States (US) 1,330; India (IN) 101; Canada (CA) 76; Germany (DE) 68; Australia (AU) 67; Ireland (IE) 54; Europe (EU) 53; France (FR) 49; Taiwan (TW) 45; Japan (JP) 41; Belgium (BE) 35; Netherlands (NL) 29; Italy (IT) 29; Qatar (QA) 29; Spain (ES) 25; New Zealand (NZ) 23;Philippines (PH) 21 ; Pakistan (PK) 21; United Arab Emirates (AE) 19; Malaysia (MY) 19; Russian Federation (RU) 17; Poland (PL) 14; Singapore (SG) 14; Sweden (SE) 1...

Pupils at Amman Valley Comprehensive School have been learning about reducing, reusing and recycling their waste. The school organised a range of activities during Recycle Week including a litter pick and ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ cookery classes, supported by Carmarthenshire County Council. Children from years seven and eight took part in a clean-up of the school grounds, in partnership with Tidy Towns, and collected 28 bags of recyclable waste and another 12 bags of general waste. Council officers also spoke to the pupils about the consequences of dropping litter – from its environmental impact to the cost of cleaning it up as well as the risk of prosecution and fines. Chef Lisa Fearn, who runs Pumpkin Patch cookery and gardening school near Carmarthen, took part in the food technology lessons for years seven and eight. The theme for this year’s Recycle Week was ‘Food for Thought’ and Lisa talked to the children about using leftovers to make meals and how to reduce food waste in genera...

A Llanelli man has been fined £100 for driving a taxi without being licensed to do so. Stephen Royston Bowen appeared before Ammanford Magistrates Court last week for sentencing for an offence under Section 46 of the Town Police Clauses Act. He had been convicted at an earlier hearing. The court was told that 49-year-old Bowen was previously licensed as a taxi driver by Carmarthenshire County Council until July 27, 2010, when he surrendered his licence. On the October 8, 2010, he was seen by police driving a licensed hackney carriage into the petrol station at Heol Capel Isaf, Llanelli. He did not have a licence to drive this hackney carriage. Bowen, of Heol Beili Glas, Llanelli, was fined £100 and ordered to pay a contribution of £100 towards prosecution costs plus a £15 victim surcharge.

A man has been fined for failing to clean up after his dog at one of Llanelli’s most popular visitor attractions. The council’s environmental enforcement officers issued the fixed penalty notice for £75 at Festival Fields – part of the award-winning Millennium Coastal Park. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of £1,000. The council now hopes this fine will act as a warning to others that anyone caught failing to clean up after their dog will be prosecuted. Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “Dog mess left anywhere is a serious health risk, the Festival Fields are used by families with young children and this type of anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. “The majority of residents take their responsibilities seriously but there is still a small minority who do not listen. “The council is determined to stop the problem of dog fouling in Carmarthenshire and improve the environment for both resid...

A woman has been fined £75 for dropping a cigarette end in McDonalds car park in Carmarthen. The council’s environmental enforcement officers issued the fixed penalty notice to the 21-year-old from Carmarthen. Failure to pay could result in prosecution in the magistrates court where the maximum fine is £2,500. It follows a county-wide campaign to raise awareness of smoking-related litter. Discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire with visible evidence of smoking-related litter found on 83 per cent of the streets. Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: “We do not want to fine people, but we will not hesitate to do so if they continue to litter in this way. Many people do not think of cigarette ends as litter, but they are. They make an area look unsightly and they are difficult and very expensive to clean up - the ends fall into grates and cracks in the pavement which makes them almost impossible to remove by normal cleaning.” Enf...

Eco-friendly pupils and staff at Five Roads Primary School are celebrating their second Green Flag. They have pulled out all the stops in their efforts to help save the planet as part of the Eco Schools programme. A partnership between Carmarthenshire County Council, Keep Wales Tidy and the National Botanic Garden of Wales, pupils study topics including litter, biodiversity, water, energy, waste, transport, healthy living and global citizenship. The Green Flag is only awarded to schools which have demonstrated a real commitment to tackling climate change. Headteacher Eira Rumble said: “In order to achieve our second Green Flag, the children have been growing vegetables and herbs in the school garden which they then sold to the parents and members of the staff. They have also worked extremely hard over the last year to maintain healthy eating, recycling and learning. The school tuck shop has increased custom due to the children changing the choice of healthy foods and the children took ...

Bryan O’Leary gets up at the crack of dawn five days a week to help recycle your rubbish – but you won’t hear him complain. The 43-year-old from Ammanford works for Carmarthenshire County Council as a refuse/recycling driver so early starts are part and parcel of the job. “I get up at 5am and I’m in the depot by 6,” said Bryan. “And I’m usually in bed by 10. I was a postman for 16 years before I started this job and I’ve been doing this for eight years now so I’m used to it. I do try and have a lie-in on the weekends though.” Bryan drives one of the council’s split-back lorries which are used to collect food waste and blue and black bags depending on what week it is. He said: “It is quite a big responsibility; I have to check the lorry every morning and there are health and safety issues that have to be considered. As the driver you have to think about the safety of the whole crew and the general public.” When he’s not in work Bryan, who has a 15-year-old son, coaches athletics with th...

A man has been fined £350 and ordered to pay £474.71 court costs after being caught throwing litter in the car park of McDonalds in Cross Hands. Sean Naylon was convicted in absence and to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that Naylon, aged 43, of Dos Road, Newport, was issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75 by the council’s environmental enforcement officers. However he failed to pay it within the specified time and was prosecuted in the magistrates court as a result. The council hopes this latest fine will act as a warning to would-be litterbugs that this type of anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. It follows a county-wide ‘Bin It’ campaign, supported by McDonald’s, to encourage people to dispose of their litter more responsibly. Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “Dropping litter is against the law, whe...

The countdown is on to the Cor Meibion Llanelli 'Annual Concert'. The concert takes place on Saturday, July 16, at the Selwyn Samuel Centre, Llanelli. Supporting the choir will be the Tredegar Town Band, British brass band champions, and soprano Adele O'Neill. The compere will be Glan Davies. Cor Meibion Llanelli will be under the baton of their musical director Eifion Thomas and accompanied by Sarah Thomas. Tickets are £10, children half price. They are available from the Theatr Elli Box Office (0845 2263510) or Manhattan Marketing (01554 749390) or LLyfrau's Ddraig (01554 759894).

A leading Welsh computer scientist is calling for the Welsh Government to leap ahead of the rest of the UK and identify computing as a core component of the National Curriculum. Dr Tom Crick, a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), is bringing together key stakeholders to discuss a strategy for computing education in Wales at a conference at Swansea University this Friday. The aim of this one-day conference, entitled Computing at School: Enhancing the STEM Curriculum for a Digital Wales, is to provide teachers, examination boards, higher education academics, education policymakers and industry with a forum to highlight and discuss the important issues surrounding computing education policy within Wales. Dr Crick said: “The strategic importance of the provision of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, as well as their contribution to the Welsh and wider UK economy has been frequently discussed, but there appears to...

A rural Carmarthenshire business has expanded the services it offers thanks to a grant from the Rural Conversion Grant Fund. Roger and Simone Broome, the owners of Penybanc Business Services are celebrating a £30,378 grant to convert redundant calving shed and dairy buildings into meeting, event and conference facilities. The enterprise, which was set up earlier this year as a spin-off business from the adjacent Ceridwen Centre, has officially opened its new business premises at Drefelin, Drefach, Felindre. Carmarthenshire County Council is behind the Rural Conversion Grant Fund which is aimed at creating jobs and regenerating rural parts of the area. The authority has received funding to deliver the project through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The Penybanc Business Services project will safeguard two and a half jobs and create one new full-time position. Owner Roger Bro...

Latest photos have been added to the Cor Meibion Llanelli website - http://ning.it/iJqZ1V

The new chair of Carmarthenshire County Council is looking forward to representing the county for the next year. Cllr Ivor Jackson was born and bred in Llandovery and has lived in the town all his life. Before retiring he worked for the Forestry Commission for 45 years. His wife Mary, who is Chair’s Consort, worked as a nurse for 40 years. They have a daughter Angela who is a nursing manager in Cwmbran. He was elected to Carmarthenshire County Council in 2004 and is also a member of Llandovery Town Council where he was Mayor for three years. Cllr Jackson has been a member of Llandovery RFC for many years and is Vicar’s Warden at Llandingat Church. Mrs Jackson is chair of the Friendship Club in Llandovery and runs the Luncheon Club at Dolau Bran twice a week. Cllr Jackson said: “We try to support most things that go on in Llandovery and we are very involved in the local community.” The chair’s charities for this year are Macmillan Nurses, the Alzheimer’s Society and Plant Dewi. The new ...

Prince Charles has given a royal seal of approval to Carmarthenshire’s Ffos Las Racecourse. His Royal Highness flew in to the course by helicopter from his nearby residence at Llwynywormwood in Myddfai to spend the day at the races which had been laid on in his honour with a slice of proceeds from ticket sales being donated to his chosen charities. It is the first time Ffos Las has hosted a royal visit, which helped raise funds for The Prince’s Charities in Wales – the largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in the UK. As well as meeting Ffos Las officials, trainers, stable staff, vets and jockeys, the Prince also took time to meet and chat to representatives of the various charities, including those from the Prince’s Trust and PRIME Cymru. The Prince also took time to plant a tree, grown on the Duchy of Cornwall estate as part of The Woodland Trust’s Jubilee Woods Project, which aims to plant six million trees across the UK to celebrate the 60-year reign of Her Majesty the Queen. Af...

Llanelli residents are being urged to dig around in their attics for old photographs that may help shape the future of the town centre. Pictures of Llanelli Town Centre as it has looked over the ages are being sought by ADREF, the European-funded project group which is undertaking a major redevelopment of Stepney Street, Vaughan Street and surrounding areas. The group has teamed up with CultureNet, an organisation funded by the Welsh Government which promotes and celebrates the history and heritage of Wales by helping communities to create digital stories and exhibitions. Members of the ADREF team will be collecting and collating old images, from the Victorian era right through to the 1990s, at a BBC roadshow being held at Parc Y Scarlets on Sunday, July 3. They are hoping members of the community will share their pictures and stories to help create a digital timeline exhibition to be displayed at the ‘hub’ – a central information point in the town centre which will allow people to get...

The Carmarthenshire Warriors invitation sevens rugby team has a new backer in the shape of West Wales chartered accountants and business consultants Clay Shaw Butler. The team proudly sported their new Clay Shaw Butler tops at the West Country Sevens at Keynsham RFC. The event saw the Warriors make it through to their fifth final in five tournaments. “We are delighted to be playing our part in supporting the Warriors,” said Clay Shaw Butler director David Butler. “Sevens rugby is a sport with a massive future - in fact, it will feature in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.” At the West Country Sevens, skipper Arwel Davies took a strong squad to what was the second Super Sevens Series round of 2011. The Warriors also entered their development side, the Flamingos, in the Men's Open competition The Warriors coasted through the group phase with wins over the Mavericks, Olurun Phantoms and PA Trust. Andrew Jones (Newcastle Emlyn) and Wil Davies (Whitland) made their 2011 debuts w...

Bristol Channel Swim for Healing The Wounds A team of 13 firefighters swum the Bristol Channel to raise cash for sufferers of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Officers from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service swum 36 nautical miles in aid of Healing The Wounds, the charity which supports Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families and members of the civilian emergency services. One of the event organisers, Watch manager Gareth Davies, said he was delighted with the success of the swim and hoped that the event would raise £10,000 for the charity. “We know that £3,500 has already been pledged and we hope that further promises of cash will bring the total up to £10,000.” The swimmers set off from Ilfracombe at 10am on Saturday, June 25th, and by swimming in relays managed to cover nearly a mile an hour, reaching Mumbles by 3pm yesterday (Sunday). Mr Davies said: “We’d trained hard for it, but it was still a massive test of stamina and willpower. “Overnight, we had...

Latest special offers from the Jenkins Bakery (inc 2 fresh cream eclairs £1.60) now on the website - http://ning.it/dZZV8w

Carmarthenshire's wildlife and natural habitats, which help make up the landscape and character of the county, are rich and varied. From mountain to coast and rural to urban we all benefit in so many ways from our natural environment. To help celebrate our ‘biodiversity’ why not send Carmarthenshire Council your photos of Carmarthenshire’s wildlife and wild places? Bumble bee or bluebell, watercourse or woodland – please send them in. The best will be made available to download (with your permission) as ‘wallpaper’ and hopefully as a screensaver on the Carmarthenshire Tourism website. There will be a prize for the best species and wild place photographs. Please e-mail your photographs by July 30 to council biodiversity officer Isabel Macho at IMacho@carmarthenshire.gov.uk To find out more visit www.carmarthenshirebiodiversity.co.uk

Menter Cwm Gwendraeth will be running two summer play clubs in Ysgol Cross Hands and Ysgol y Castell, Kidwelly, starting on July 25. The clubs will offer a safe place for children to have fun during the summer holidays and will be a big help for working parents as well as giving children the chance to make new friends. There will be exciting and fun activities including arts and crafts, cooking, games and dance. The clubs are open to children across the county and are run bilingually. The hours of the Cross Hands Club are 8.30am-5.30pm, five days a week, with the last session on August 19, and Clwb y Castell’s hours are 9am-5pm, four days a week, with the last session on August 18. The fee £12.50 a child a day and they should bring a lunch pack. For more details, contact Meinir or Nerys in the Menter Cwm Gwendraeth office on 01269 871600.

Bryn Terfel, Wynne Evans, Cor y Drindod Dewi Sant, CF1, Cor Godre’r Garth, Chamber Orchestra of Wales, Conductor Andrew Greenwood, celebration concert to mark the creation of University of Wales Trinity St David at Aberglasney Gardens. Even the swallows, flitting high in the gathering dusk, seemed to agree. This was music to send the soul soaring. Yes, it rained. But this is the Tywi Valley in mid June. And any artist familiar with the stunning Aberglasney Gardens knows that to make a watercolour you first need water. This was billed as a celebration concert to mark the creation of the University of Wales Trinity St David. But it was much, much more. It celebrated our greatest Welsh singer, our most popular tenor and one of the brightest stars in Welsh music. Indeed, Eilir Owen Griffiths, as chorus master and composer, very nearly upstaged Messrs Terfel and Evans. For this is a musician at the top of his game who handles not one but three choirs, Cor y Drindod Dewi Sant, CF1 and Cor Go...

Fab night at the Bryn Terfel-Wynne Evans concert at Aberglasney Gardens. Yes, there was rain, but who cares?