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

Are you worried about oil thefts or becoming the victim of a rogue trader or a scam? Do you live in or around Newcastle Emlyn either in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion or Pembrokeshire. Then come to the Age Cymru Sir Gâr Scams awareness event, where you can find out information on how to avoid falling for these scams and preventing oil thefts. You’ll be able to talk to various community organisations and pick up literature which will help you prevent falling victim to scams or oil thefts. The event is being held between 10.00am and 12noon at the Teifi Valley Centre, 38 Church Lane, Newcastle Emlyn (in the grounds of Maes Llewellyn residential home) on Tuesday 5 November. There is also an opportunity to join the lunch club afterwards for those that want to stay for lunch. However, please notify us before 10.30am if you intend to stay for lunch. While at the centre, you can also find out about the friendship groups and other activities we host. If you wish to attend but have problems...

The latest 'On Song' column from the Llanelli Star -  The ladies of Côr Curiad have had a busy weekend preparing for their ‘winter tour’ to Tamworth in Staffordshire. The choristers will be the guests of Tamworth Male Voice Choir on the weekend of November 15-17. The Tamworth choir travelled to Llanelli at the weekend for a final rehearsal. Choir spokesman Andrea Matthews said: “The choristers of Côr Curiad and Tamworth Male Voice are old friends and this will be our third visit to Staffordshire. We always get a great welcome in Tamworth and the ladies and really looking forward to the trip. “The team from Tamworth made a big effort and the weekend to travel here for rehearsals. It was well worth it. I think the audience in Tamworth will be delighted when they hear the concert.” Côr Curiad, formed in 1995, is led Alex Esney-Davies, supported by accompanist Jane Jewell. The aim of the choir is to enjoy singing together, give pleasure to audiences and raise money for charity. The...

People in Carmarthenshire are being encouraged to join forces to save money on their energy bills. A Collective Energy Switching Scheme called Cyd Cymru has launched nationally, allowing people to group together to negotiate better deals with energy providers. Now, the council’s Anti-Poverty Champion, Cllr Pam Palmer, is calling on people to give it their consideration – especially as many energy companies are putting up their tariffs. “Saving extra cash has never been so important to people, and with winter setting in and prices going up, now is the time to act,” she said. “By buying energy together, people have a bigger voice. I urge people to have a look at it, and consider switching providers if they feel they could save.” Collective energy switching has been trialled elsewhere in the UK, with participants saving between £60 and £250 per household annually. As part of the Cyd Cymru scheme, people can register online or by phone. Registrations for the first switch will close in six ...

Prostate cancer expert Pradeep Bose was the guest speaker at the weekly meeting of Llanelli Rotary Club held at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli. Mr Bose gave a very instructive talk on the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer and other urinary problems. The vote of thanks was given by Rotarian Mark Evans. Mr Bose, who works at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, is pictured with Llanelli Rotary Club President Ken Abban, left, and President elect Hywel Bassett. Other Rotary news - Rotarian Mark Evans raised a magnificent £2010 by taking part in the Carten 100 2013 charity bike ride. In the last four years, Mark has raised more than £12000 for charity by taking part in the Carten 100. Next meetings- Friday November 1, 1pm Fellowship meeting at the Stradey Park Hotel. Friday, November 1, 7.30pm annual Rotary Ball at the Stradey Park Hotel. Friday, November 8, Business meeting at the Stradey Park Hotel. Tuesday, November 12, Club Council meeting a...

This week's special offers from the Jenkins Bakery - WEEK COMMENCING 28/10/13 HALLOWEEN/HALF TERM WEEK 3 MEDIUM CORNED BEEF PASTIES £1.60 2 CHICKEN & MUSHROOM PASTIES £2.20 2 LARGE CORNED BEEF PASTIES £1.90 2 FRESH CREAM ECLAIRS £1.70 2 CUSTARD SLICES (85p each) £1.60 SANDWICH OF THE WEEK – CHICKEN TIKKA £2.25 BAGUETTE OF THE WEEK – HAM & CHEESE £2.35 ROLLS OF THE WEEK – 6 WHITE FINGERS £1.25 LOAF OF THE WEEK – SMALL FARMHOUSE £1.05 SPECIALITY LOAF – OATMEAL BREAD (available Thur, Fri, Sat) new price, £1.20 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/

Two travel experts are bucking the trend of shop closures in Llanelli by opening a new independent travel agency in the town centre. Mark Maunder and Anne Wiltshire have more than 70 years of experience in the travel industry behind them. They have opened Eastgate travel, opposite the new Ffwrnes theatre, at No18 Park Street. “It’s a big move for us to set up a brand new business, but we are backing Llanelli town centre,” said Mark. “Our new shop is in a great location and we are looking forward to welcoming customers to Eastgate Travel, a firm committed to great personal service.” Andrew Stephens, the President of Llanelli Chamber of Trade, said he was delighted to see Mark and Anne opening their new shop. “There have been many positive developments in Llanelli town centre and it is great news to see a brand new shop, owned and run by local people. I wish them every success and hope the people of Llanelli and district support Mark and Anne in their new venture.” Mark and Anne are pa...

Students from Stagecoach Theatre Arts in Carmarthen are getting ready for a special appearance at the Grand Theatre in Swansea. A total of 25 young performers from the school will be treading the boards at the Grand, getting experience of the ‘stardust’ at one of our top provincial theatres. “It’s a great opportunity for our pupils,” said Stagecoach Theatre Arts Carmarthen and Haverfordwest principal Liane Davies. “Live shows give the youngsters a real chance to dazzle and show off their talents. They are all very excited at the prospect of appearing at the Grand.” Sunday, November 17 is the big day for the students as they join representative groups from 15 other Stagecoach schools, including a 50-strong Welsh choir, for what promises to be an exciting programme of song, dance and musical theatre. The piece they’ll be performing is based on the award-winning musical 13. Liane said: “Carmarthen’s 25-strong performance troupe has been newly set up this term, so this will be the tro...

One of the largest campaigns undertaken to identify and develop Wales’ young entrepreneurs of the future has been launched by the Welsh Government today (Wednesday, 23rd October 2013), backed by “Secret Millionaire”, Kevin Green and SuperStars entrepreneur, James Taylor. Hundreds of young people throughout Wales are being invited to apply for 50 places on the Big Ideas Wales Challenge, launched by Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates AM. The Challenge will scour Wales, interviewing hundreds of young people aged between 16 and 24 years of age, seeking their “big ideas” and helping to develop and cultivate 50 of these into commercial opportunities. Entrepreneur James Taylor will act as an ambassador for the Challenge. He began his business, Superstars, with a bursary under the Welsh Government Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy (YES) in 2005 and has grown the business that now employs more than 180 people. “As part of Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy (YE...

News from the Key Person of Influence team at Entrevo - We recently held the last Entrepreneur Brand Accelerator for 2013 and received exceptional feedback. You can see some of the buzz generated on twitter by searching #kpiday. Three-hour Strategy Workshop If you're like some of the business owners we speak to, perhaps you find it difficult to spend the full day out of the office. With this in mind we've put together an intimate catch up session to hit the key concepts of the Entrepreneur Brand Accelerator in under 3 hours. We will be holding this session on Thursday, 24th of October from 4:00pm - 7:00pm in Waterloo, London. It will be hosted by Daniel Priestley (author of 2 best-selling business books and the co-founder of Entrevo). In the first half Daniel will cover… The elements of a great pitch How to create IP Turning what you know into a hot product Building your profile Creating strategic partnerships In the second half he will run a coaching process designed to pla...

Aberystwyth University is set to sign agreements with South Korea's Seoul National University to share miscanthus germplasm genetic resources, based on the principles of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to help boost bioenergy production and combat climate change. East Asian indigenous genetic resources of miscanthus are useful for improving existing miscanthus bioenergy crops elsewhere in the world. Miscanthus may be used to create higher energy yields on lower grade lands which are less suitable for food production. European energy policy makers recognise the importance of bioenergy crops in the future mix of renewables, and national policies are being developed to encourage their commercial deployment. The agreement between Aberystwyth University and Seoul National University to share miscanthus germplasm, will support improvements in miscanthus breeding, and respond to national policies on the development of renewable energy. The Institute of Biological, Environ...

This week's special offers from the Jenkins Bakery - WEEK COMMENCING 14/10/13 3 MEDIUM CORNED BEEF PASTIES £1.60 2 SPICY CHICKEN PASTIES £2.20 2 LARGE CORNED BEEF PASTIES £1.90 3 STRAWBERRY SCONES £1.00 2 FRESH CREAM ECLAIRS £1.70 SANDWICH OF THE WEEK – TUNA & CUCUMBER £2.00 BAGUETTE OF THE WEEK – CHICKEN TIKKA WITH YOGHURT & MINT £2.35 ROLLS OF THE WEEK – WHITE BAPS - PACK OF 4 £1.00 2 TEACAKES 90p LOAF OF THE WEEK – SMALL WHITE BATCH £1.05 SPECIALITY LOAF - ANCIENT CEREALS BREAD (available Thur, Fri, Sat) £1.20 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/