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

Age Cymru is wishing trick-or-treaters a happy Halloween for Thursday night (October 31). We want everyone to have a fun and trouble-free night as our Safeguarding Manager, Louise Hughes, says: “We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable Halloween on Thursday. “But we also need to remember that not everyone wants to be involved in the celebrations. “This is why we’ve put a list of tips together which will allow everyone to have a happy Halloween.” Here are Age Cymru’s Top Halloween tips: Parents or guardians should accompany children who are trick-or-treating; Parents or guardians should call in on neighbours in advance to make sure that it will be okay to trick-or-treat them on Halloween; Older people who may not want trick-or-treaters calling in on them on Halloween can put a note in their window to ask people to stay away; If you are a trick-or-treater, please stay away from any houses that have got a note in the window asking you not to knock on their door; Be com...

There are new opening hours at Cwmcerrig Farmshop and Grill near Gorslas in Carmarthenshire. From Tuesday to Saturday, Cwmcerrig will be open until 9pm. Last food orders in the carvery will be 8pm. Cwmcerrig partner Roland Watkins said: "We are taking this move in response to popular demand. "Customer have asked us to stay open longer and we are happy to oblige as we start the run-up to Christmas." Opening hours - Tuesday to Saturday - 8.30am to 9pm (last food orders 8pm) Monday - 8.30am to 5pm Sunday and Bank Holidays - 10am to 4pm Website - http://www.cwmcerrigfarmshop.co.uk

Llanelli received another shopping boost today with the opening of a new shop in the popular St Elli Shopping Centre. Card Centre started moving in to the centre last week and staff have today reported brisk trading on the first proper day of opening. The shop is the second new retail outlet to open in Llanelli following the launch of a new independent travel agency, Eastgate Travel, in Park Street. Andrew Stephens, the President of Llanelli Chamber of Trade and the manager of the St Elli Shopping Centre, said he was delighted to see the new shops opening. “It’s been a very good week for Llanelli, with the opening of Llanelly House being a new attraction. “Getting a good mix of attractions, shops, restaurants, cafes, service businesses and leisure facilities is crucial for any town centre. “I take my hat off to the team at Eastgate Travel for their new venture and welcome the Card Centre – a Welsh-based chain of shops – to the St Elli Shopping Centre. It’s all great news for Llanelli...

Llanelli’sYsgol Ffwrnes (Furnace School) is on track to become the first Welsh primary school to achieve an ‘outstanding’ BREEAM rating – the highest possible environmental rating for a building. Currently under construction, the school has already received an outstanding rating at design stage from the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method, which is recognised as the standard for best practice in sustainable building design. The building will be assessed again one year after completion – due January 2015 - and if it continues to achieve BREEAM outstanding it will be ranked in the top three most environmentally-friendly primary schools in the UK. The 472-pupil nursery and primary school is also set to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A+, which means, when in use, it will have a carbon footprint of zero. The Welsh-medium school is being delivered by Carmarthenshire County Council, in partnership with Llanelli-based contractor WRW L...

South Pembrokeshire’s Minor Injury Unit will be closed from November 4 and specialist staff redeployed to help the busy accident and emergency department at Withybush Hospital. Hywel Dda Health Board’s Implementation Board, which is responsible for the oversight, monitoring, assurance and approval of service changes associated with the Your Health Your Future public consultation decisions, agreed to move forward with its decision to enhance access to community-based primary care services for people living in South Pembrokeshire. GP practices across Pembrokeshire provide a range of enhanced primary care services for people living in Pembrokeshire. The Unit has a low number of attendances throughout the year, and the redeployment of three experienced nurse practitioners to support the Accident and Emergency Department service at Withybush Hospital for the benefit of urgent patients from across Pembrokeshire. Withybush Hospital Director and Associate Medical Director for Quality and Safet...

Budding weather forecasters have been busy in the Gwendraeth Valley as part of their drive to tackle environmental issues. Measuring temperature, patterns, wind speed and direction, air pressure and rainfall are all in a day’s work for Ponthenri schoolchildren. The weather station, funded Carmarthenshire Environment Partnership, is the latest in a line of ongoing projects the school has carried out as part of their Eco Schools green flag criteria. Other projects include a bug hotel, a path made out of logs, bird feeders, and a vegetable patch. Eight year old Courtney Hopkins is keen to promote the vegetable patch she helped create. She said: “Growing your own food is much healthier and we are also able to eat what we grow in our cookery sessions. I also enjoy recycling at home.” Carmarthenshire has the highest number of Platinum and Green Flag in schools in Wales under the Eco Schools programme, which is supported Carmarthenshire Community Challenge. Executive board member for T...