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

The Chair of Carmarthenshire County Council has held a reception for the Llangyndeyrn Village Committee following the 50th anniversary of the saving of the village from drowning. Cllr Terry Davies invited the group to County Hall in Carmarthen to mark the occasion. There was a week of celebrations from October 20-27 last year to celebrate the saving of Llangyndeyrn and Cwm Gwendraeth Fach from drowning. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the then Swansea Corporation developed proposals for a dam and reservoir to be built in the Gwendraeth Fach valley to supply water to Swansea. The proposals involved the construction of a dam which would have resulted in the flooding of productive farmland, several farmhouses and a number of houses close to and within the village of Llangyndeyrn, and also upstream to the village of Porthyrhyd. The village of Llangyndeyrn itself would have been greatly affected with a large dam wall built on its eastern flank. Homes would have been lost, livelihoods d...

The Jenkins Bakery is celebrating a clean sweep of 5-Star food hygiene certificates at all of the firm’s outlets. The Llanelli-based firm has 29 shops across South Wales. And they have all received the top rating after visits by food hygiene inspectors. “By any standards, it is quite an achievement,” said David Jenkins, Commercial Director at the Llanelli-based business. “The inspectors arrive unannounced, which is no problem at all for us as we aim to always be at the top of our game as far as food hygiene is concerned. “We have stores across a number of local authority areas, so it is another feather in our cap that we have been able to meet any specific ‘local’ tests from inspectors. “Of course, the hard work is put in by our staff. They deserve a great deal of praise for always making sure food hygiene is a priority for us. “Our company history dates back to 1921. We have a proud tradition and reputation as a company and building on that reputation is important to us. The con...

The UK and Welsh Governments yesterday both confirmed [1], [2] that they have not undertaken any research to assess the likely impact of fracking on jobs in other sectors. Serious concerns have been raised about the impact of unconventional gas exploitation on investment in the renewable energy sector [3]. Concerns have also been raised that the industry could have negative impacts on other sectors, such as tourism, recreation and agriculture. “Governments at all levels are blundering ahead with plans to make the UK the epicentre of European fracking. But while there’s plenty of hype from the Government and industry about potential jobs in fracking, neither the UK nor the Welsh Government has lifted a finger to find out what toll this destructive industry will take on jobs elsewhere”, said Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru. “In their desperation to promote fracking, the UK and Welsh Governments appear to have overlooked the number of livelihoods fracking might destr...

The UK's largest private sector housing landlord, Kevin Green, has warned against a Labour Party proposal to cap rent increases. "Meddling with the free market always leads to fallout in some shape or form," the 50-year-old social entrepreneur said. "I know some people will say, 'Yes, he is bound to argue against rentals caps as he is a landlord.' But it is not all about self-interest. It is about common-sense. "I've built up years of experience in the marketplace in private sector housing - so I know what works and what doesn't work. "Believe you me, this Labour Party idea won't work. "It is a policy that the Labour Party thinks will score them brownie points with the general public. "But I simply don't agree with capping the rent market. "Whenever a free market supply and demand is meddled with, there is always fallout, which will inevitably cost the Government more money. "It makes no commercia...

Six colleagues from the Pobl Bach Nurseries in Llangunnor and Johnstown in Carmarthen jumped out of a plane to raise money for charity. The group, jumped from a plane at 12,000 feet, did the jump in aid of cancer charities as manager Annie Morgans lost her husband Gary to chronic myeloid leukaemia in November 1999 when he was just 29. She was joined by Kay Richards, Emma Cooper, Amy Richmond, Annie Morgans and Claire Holt and raised £1,870.17. They have donated £600 to Cancer Research Wales and £1,270.17 to the Chemotherapy Day Unit at Glangwili Hospital. Annie, from Llansawel, said “Cancer is something that unfortunately touches everyone’s lives and we felt that it would be good to support such worthwhile local causes helping to fight cancer. “Gary was cared for by staff at the Chemotherapy Day Unit at Glangwili Hospital and it is nice to give something back for the fantastic care that he received. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us in raising this fantastic sum ...

Hywel Dda University Health Board is celebrating after winning an award for helping people living with diabetes in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion see huge health improvements. The university health board’s expert patient education sessions won the X-PERT Health award for the highest empowerment and satisfaction score. This means patients really felt more able to manage their condition after attending group education sessions. Claire Hurlin, Head Chronic Conditions Management, said: “Of all the award categories available we are so proud to win this one which shows what a difference the programme can make to patients. “Some conditions such as diabetes can often be positively influenced by lifestyle, self care and appropriate management at home and in the community, avoiding hospital admissions. “To actively self manage or self care, individuals need confidence and skills to manage their health on a daily basis. They also need to be able to engage the effective support from the health...

Aberystwyth University students living in University seafront residences will be able to enjoy super-fast internet access following the installation of a new Dark Fibre Network. Working with Pinacl Solutions, the University has invested over a quarter of a million pounds in the new network that connects the Penglais Campus with the seafront residences which provide accommodation for 450 students. The new Dark Fibre Network connects eight University buildings covering a total distance of 3,400m and consisting of over 58,000m of singlemode fibre and is operational from 30 April. The new development means students will be able to access multimedia material and video on the internet much quicker than previously. Initially this wide area network will run at 1 Gigabyte per second, facilitating download speeds that are much quicker than those experienced by most people through their home broadband. For the longer term it has the capacity to deliver speeds of 10 Gigabytes per second and beyo...

Un Sir Gar is launching a brand new Hub in Llanelli town centre to help residents get back into work, education and training. Un Sir Gar is one of a kind and brings together all advice, information, education, voluntary, housing, and employment opportunities in the county. It is a one stop shop, based in Llanelli town centre, and a freephone number of 0800 9173 408, which aims to make life a lot easier for those people who want to return to work, education and training, or are unsure of the right path for them. Experienced advisers, who have extensive knowledge of all the opportunities and services available, will identify a personal path for each client according to their skills, experience and needs. It could be a job, a community or voluntary post to build confidence prior to searching for paid employment; it could be apprenticeship opportunities with local businesses, work experience with appropriate organisations, housing concerns, or training in a wide and varied range of ind...

A Llanelli youth and community group garden project is doing blooming well thanks to a donation of two compost bins. ‘Get up and grow @ Bwlch’ is a project for years 8 and 9 pupils in Coedcae school and local community groups to develop a community garden at Bwlch youth centre in Morfa. The project has been given two compost bins by Carmarthenshire County Council as it continues to transform a previously unused area into a working garden. Youth and Community co-ordinator Kevin Duggan said: “Recycling is an important part of the growth of our community garden and we’re grateful for the compost bins as they will play an important part of helping the environment.” The aim of the garden is to encourage young people and the community to make use of the land, to grow vegetables and to supply the local Food Bank with any surplus. It is also hoped that a food co-operative will be set up. Now, Carmarthenshire residents are being encouraged to follow their lead and compost at home for themselv...

A renowned ladies fashion outlet has relocated to Llanelli market’s busy and bustling precinct, complimenting other fashion outlets, including Peruse and P Fashions, and together they are providing a great choice of fashionable outfits and accessories for Llanelli’s smartly dressed ladies. Mossies, which has been trading in the town since1994,sells well known brands such as Steilmann, Marble, Frank Lyman and Oscar B. It has consistently improved its reputation by understanding what customers want and providing quality ladies fashion in colours and styles that compliment the changing seasons . Owner Melanie Jenkins said there is a warm welcome to both new and regular customers at their new location. She added: “Buying is the key, you have to have the confidence to buy items that are just that little bit different, nothing outrageous, just stylish clothes that your husband and friends will compliment you on. It’s all about knowing your customer, buying snappy ranges and we pride our...

A Llanelli gym instructor is getting on his bike and cycling from Paris to Burry Port to help children with autism. To raise money for week on the street project, Rob Welch is saddling up for the 450-mile French challenge in July. The 39-year-old Llanelli Leisure Centre worker is part of a group who will gear up and peddle the journey from Paris to Dieppe then onto Newhaven, Winchester, Chepstow before arriving in Burry Port on July 17. The former bodybuilder has been training hard for the last couple of months, clocking up around 200 miles a week, and hopes people will dig deep in their pockets to raise as much money as possible. Dad of one Rob Welch said: “My friend’s son is autistic and I wanted to do something to help. When the bike ride was suggested I thought this would be a great opportunity to raise money for such a worthy cause. “People can donate by going online to the just giving website page or donate via the collection buckets at Llanelli Leisure Centre.” The scheme, whi...

With the weather warming up and Carmarthenshire’s parks and playgrounds bursting in to life, people are being urged to get rid of their rubbish safely. Carmarthenshire County Council’s grounds maintenance team is asking people to do their bit to maintain safe and attractive areas for people to enjoy by using the public litter bins or taking their rubbish home with them. There is particular concern about broken glass, which has been found littering several playing fields across the county in recent weeks. They are also asking people to be vigilant and report any littering or fly-tipping in the hope of catching the culprits, as well as maintaining safe areas to play. Assistant grounds maintenance manager Nicky French said: “Our staff carry out regular checks at all parks and playgrounds, but we do rely on people to be careful about any litter they generate – either placing it in the bins or taking it home to be disposed of or recycled. “We also appreciate it when people report dangerou...

Carmarthen Bay Film Festival and S4C will host an event focusing on Welsh films as part of a celebration of the world of film in Wales and beyond. On Tuesday, 6 May a Welsh language day will be held at the Carmarthen Bay Film Festival – with a schedule packed with presentations, discussions and screenings of some of S4C's films and programmes. All of the day's events will take place in the Alexander Suite at the Stradey Park Hotel in the town of Llanelli. There will be a special screening of S4C's film, Y Syrcas, a unique film for all the family, set in 1848 telling the story of a young girl who is bewitched by the excitement of the travelling circus when it visits her small town in west Wales. There will be a chance to see more of the films nominated for the John Hefin Award, followed by a discussion session on commissioning and directing factual documentaries in the company of BAFTA Cymru award winning documentary film maker, Osian Williams. Next up is a screening of the ...

This evening, Thursday 1 May, Reverend John Gwilym Jones will deliver a lecture on ‘The Science of Religion and the Religion of Science’ at Aberystwyth University which he will explore the relationship and potential conflict between religion and science. The lecture will be held at 6pm of the Hugh Owen Building. There is a general perception that religion and science are in conflict. This lecture will attempt to explore the background to this view as held by both religious and scientific fundamentalists, and to explore possible inter-relations which could be mutually beneficial. John Gwilym Jones is one of three talented brothers who were brought up on a farm near Newcastle Emlyn in west Wales; all three are Master Poets, having been awarded the coveted accolades of being crowned or chaired at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. The second of the three sons, John Gwilym was awarded a first class honours degree in Welsh from Aberystwyth. After a year lecturing in Middle Welsh at Dublin ...

John Davies has started work as Business Manager of the Pwllpeiran Upland Research Platform at IBERS, Aberystwyth University. John’s role is to establish and manage the new facility in the uplands above Aberystwyth in Ceredigion. The Research Platform is supported by £3.2 million investment from the BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council). John is local to the area. He was educated at Ysgol Gyfun Penweddig, Gelli Aur Agricultural College and the Welsh Agricultural College in Aberystwyth. He lives with his wife and family in Rhydyfelin. John is well connected in the agricultural sector with previous roles at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) Trawscoed, then as a livestock procurement officer for a livestock co-operative, followed by a period as an agricultural estate agent and Auctioneer. He worked for NFU Cymru as a Policy Adviser for nine years and for the past twelve years he was the Director of Food Centre Wales, providing state of the a...

A white goods reuse project is proving popular since it launched in Carmarthenshire last October. The Gwyn i Wyrdd project collects unwanted electrical appliances such as cookers, tumble dryers, dishwashers and washing machines for free. They are then repaired, cleaned and then sold. In the first three months of this year the project, which is based in Cross Hands, has collected nearly 10 tonnes of donated appliances. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board Member for Social Care Cllr Jane Tremlett said: “It’s great to see that this project is obviously proving popular to households in the county. It not only provides affordable and safely repaired white goods it also offers the chance for people to learn new skills.” As well as promoting repair, reuse and recycling, the scheme provides opportunities for training for people who have struggled to gain employment because of mental health, substance misuse, chronic health condition, or because of a learning or physical disabili...

Children across Carmarthenshire will be getting their teeth into the new summer menu when it launches in the county’s primary schools on Tuesday, 6 May. The three-week rolling summer menu for primary schools is packed full of nutritious two-course meals, with the introduction of a new exotic meal - beef or vegetable chow mein. And those who have left enough room for dessert will have a tasty treat - homemade chocolate brownie and ice cream or fresh fruit. The council produces seasonal menus with emphasis on traditionally cooked, fresh food, with reduced additives, salt and sugar. Catering Services Manager Sandra Weigel said: “The menu has been designed to be nutritionally balanced whilst providing a tasty variety of dishes that children will enjoy. “We are continually trying to introduce new appealing dishes for the children. “ Carmarthenshire County Council’s catering department are committed to provide healthy, low cost meals that are nutritionally balanced, developed with advice f...

Latest news from the Span Arts team in Narberth -  It's all going on in May! From an young, award-winning cellist to an acclaimed London jazz musician, new member trips to the arts and big, stomping 'Bristol bass' parties, we've got something for everyone this month, and it's the 21st anniversary of the BIG Plant Sale! Head to our website  to get more info or book tickets -  http://www.span-arts.org.uk Luke Millard (Cellist) Thursday 1 May The last in this series of Classical evenings, award winning Cellist Luke Millard performs at Hotel Plas Hyfryd. Comedy Club: Simon Bligh, Kiri Pritchard McLean and Toby Hadoke Thursday 8 May A Liverpudlian, a Welsh girl and a 'comedy genius'! Candlelit cabaret dining makes for a top-notch evening. Span Jazz: Philip Clouts Quartet Wednesday 21 May Pianist and composer Philip Clouts leads his band in an evening of multicultural jazz at the cosy Dingle Club in Narberth. The Ugly Duckling Monday ...

The Coed Panteg Woodland Co-op in Ferryside aims to share essential skills in charcoal making with residents and small community woodlands in Carmarthenshire. Coed Panteg works with volunteers from the local community and large groups of young people led by the Prince’s Trust. The RDP Sir Gâr’s Zero Carbon Future (ZCF) project has now provided funding for the group to purchase a charcoal kiln and to deliver a weekend course on coppicing and charcoal making. The kiln will be available for future use by other community groups to produce charcoal and for demonstration/educational purposes. The kiln is portable and will enable the production of charcoal on small community woodlands in the immediate area. Zero Carbon Future, part of the RDP Sir Gâr Innovative Hubs project, is funded through the Rural Development Plan (RDP) for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Focusing on the environment, ZCF aims to de...

The German Consul in Wales has praised the links between Côr Meibion Llanelli (Llanelli Male Voice) and a 'twin choir' from Germany. The choir has been twinned with Singverein 1870 Laudenbach since 1979. The German choir will be joining Côr Meibion Llanelli  for a special concert at Llanelli's Ffwrnes Theatre on Saturday, June 7. Helga Rother-Simmonds (pictured top), Honorary Consul for Germany in Cardiff/Wales, said: "My best regards and wishes for a very successful weekend go to both choirs! It is so good and pleasing to hear of these links which have existed between our two countries over so many years!" Côr Meibion Llanelli musical director Eifion Thomas said the Llanelli choristers were looking forward to welcoming their old friends from Laudenbach, a town in the Miltenberg district of Germany, just south of Frankfurt. "I can remember our very first trip to Laudenbach when we took three coaches of choristers and supporters for the trip. When we...

A family bike ride is this year raising money for the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Glangwili Hospital. The Sosban Cycle Ride is being held in Llanelli on Sunday 11 May 2014 and has been specifically designed as a starter cycling experience for every member of the family to enjoy together. Phil Edwards of Merlin Cycle Sports Ltd said: “With panoramic views across the water to the beautiful Gower Peninsula, the Sosban Ride will follow a mostly flat route allowing for a pleasant and relaxed Sunday morning activity the whole family can enjoy whilst reaping the benefit of being out in the fresh air and enjoying some healthy light exercise.” Starting at Bynea Cycling Club, there will be a choice of two routes for cyclists that follow the picturesque Millennium Coastal path: 20k (12 mile) route heading to the Discovery Centre at North Dock Llanelli 45k (27 mile) route continuing along the costal path through the historic harbour town of Burry Port into Pembrey Country Park and bac...

The latest 'On Song' column about the choral scene in and around Llanelli from the Llanelli Star -  It was a big week for members of Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi as they completed a tour of the Isle of Wight under the baton of musical director Davinia Davies. One of the highlights was singing at Holy Trinity Church, Bembridge, in a special tribute to the late Cliff Morgan, the former Wales rugby icon and TV and radio commentator and personality. The tour ended with a grand concert at a packed St Saviour’s Church in Shanklin, with the choir performing alongside Newchurch Male Choir from the Isle of Wight. Very popular ladies choir Côr Lleisiau'r Cwm, under the baton of Catrin Hughes, will perform at a special gala concert in Llanelli this Saturday. The ladies will be performing alongside the famous Pendyrus Male Choir to Llanelli. The charity concert is being staged at Greenfield Chapel, Llanelli, on Saturday, May3 at 7pm. Proceeds from the evening, which is being staged by Ce...

Former Gower MP Gareth Wardell was the guest speaker at the weekly meeting of Llanelli Rotary Club held at the Stradey Park Hotel. Mr Wardell gave an illuminating address, weaving comparisons between his job as a politician and his late father's job as a Tumble barber. It was an amusing, highly-entertaining and thought-provoking address. Mr Wardell, now 69, won the Gower constituency seat in a Parliamentary by-election in 1982. The Labour MP held the seat until his retirement in 1997. He now works as a public affairs consultant in Wales. Mr Wardell's Parliamentary term was largely in opposition to Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Government. But his did make a significant contribution by being the youngest MP to chair the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. Mr Wardell recognised that in the 'fame stakes' he may have played second fiddle to his father, Jack, who was one of the UK's oldest barbers and who cut and styled hair for almost 80 years. Jac...

Four Carmarthenshire County Council care homes are taking part in a national programme to promote quality of life and dignity for older residents. Y Bwthyn in Llanelli, Awel Tywi in Llandeilo, Dolyfelin in St Clears and Maes Llewellyn in Newcastle Emlyn have been awarded funding by the Burdett Trust to run a Nursing and Age Cymru grant programme. The care homes will use the award to run and develop a dignity programme for its residents, particularly those who have a dementia. Senior Manager Gail Jones said: “Dignity is at the heart of everything we do in our care homes and residents’ needs always come first. “This award from the Burdett Trust will allow us to explore our approach to dementia care and find out if there’s even more we can do to support people who live in our homes.” The care homes were given the grant through the Burdett Trust by an Age Cymru programme called My Home Life Cymru. John Moore, Manager of My Home Life Cymru, said: “We're delighted to have awarded Carma...

Carmarthenshire is winning in the race towards zero waste. The council is No2 in a UK league table of 172 local authorities showing the amount of rubbish being thrown away per person. It has also come out as the best performing authority in Wales. The table has been put together by industry magazine Resource as the best measure of progress towards zero waste for 2012/13. Recycling and the separate collection of food waste together with waste minimisation initiatives have helped reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Based on official figures from WasteDataFlow the average person in the UK now throws away about 249.9kg per year – the figure for Carmarthenshire is much lower at 162.1kg. Executive board member for the environment Councillor Colin Evans said: “We are working hard to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and to increase our recycling rate. “For Carmarthenshire to be the 2nd out of 172 local authorities throughout the UK – not to mention the best performing a...

Healthy Wednesday advice from the Hywel Dda Health Board -  This Healthy Wednesday – get walking! We all know that exercise is good for us but did you know that by walking you can also see many health benefits? This Healthy Wednesday we are promoting national walking month. Walking has been described as the ideal form of physical activity and it’s good for your heart. It can be done by almost anyone, anywhere, at any time and makes you feel good, reduces stress, helps you to relax and sleep better. Did you know that walking just two miles per day has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack by 28%? And regular walking can also help you to lose weight. Living Streets organises the walking month and say other benefits are: Clearer head – blow away the cobwebs and relieve stress  Fatter wallet – save your travel fare and walk instead  Family time – go out for a stroll together or walk the kids to school  Hidden treasures – make new discoveries in your area...

News here which will be of interest to members of the 'Old Maridunians' Association, the old boys' club for former pupils of the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School for Boys in Carmarthen. Professor Ceri Davies, Emeritus Professor of Classics at Swansea University, writes - 'As you will know, Carmarthenshire is hosting this year's National Eisteddfod, to be held in Llanelli. 'I am one of the officers of the Classical Section of the University of Wales Alumni Association, and we usually hold a lecture at the Eisteddfod. 'This year the lecture will be given, on Monday 4 August at 12.00 noon, by the Rt Hon Denzil Davies, former MP for Llanelli, a distinguished Old Maridunian. 'His subject will be 'a classical education in Carmarthenshire in the '50s': it will, I am sure, be of interest to many old boys of the 'Gram'. 'A warm welcome is extended to everyone. The event will be, of course, in Welsh.' Meanwhile, Old Maridunians,...

Mums and babies will now benefit from a new maternity unit at Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth. The unit has been developed as part of the front of house scheme which totals more than £38million of investment directly into Ceredigion healthcare. The new maternity unit is a modern facility with more single and double room accommodation with en-suite facilities. Other facilities include a family room for women who wish to have home from home birth, mood lighting in some rooms, increased water birth facility and a state of the art security system for babies The new unit is based on level 4 of the surgical block and can only be accessed through security doors, there is a waiting area for family and friends. Peter Skitt, Acute Services Director, said: ““The Front of House project represents the biggest single investment ever made into Bronglais Hospital and demonstrates our commitment to the hospital, its staff and infrastructure.” The Front of House scheme is one of Hywel Dda University Hea...

Withybush Hospital’s new £7.8m renal unit is now complete and will be opened to patients in the summer. The 21-station, state of the art renal unit was built and completed on schedule by the University Health Board at the Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, hospital on behalf of the Welsh Renal Network. The Welsh Renal Network is responsible for appointing renal service providers and negotiations are in final stages with the contract award expected by the end of May 2014. County Director and commissioner, Sue Lewis said: “The new renal unit is a major investment at Withybush Hospital and contains all the latest technology expected in a modern renal dialysis unit. We are actively working with the Welsh Renal Network to ensure a provider is appointed and renal patients can benefit from these facilities as soon as possible.” Chris Martin, chairman, said: “This development is good news for the people of Pembrokeshire and our renal patients who will directly benefit from this signific...

An important and unique historical collection of Welsh Bibles dating back as far as the middle of the 16th century is going on show at Carmarthen Library . The publication of these volumes has played a crucial role in ensuring the survival of Welsh as a living language over the last 400 years. Local residents and visitors to Carmarthen library will be able to view an exhibition which tells the story and traces the history of the Welsh Bible from the year 1567 to 1806. What many regard as a highlight is a first edition of the William Morgan Bible, published in 1588 and presented to Queen Elizabeth 1st. Morgan was a brilliant scholar who translated directly from the Hebrew and Greek originals. He gave the people of Wales a translation in their own tongue marked by a richness and breadth of vocabulary and a poetry which represents the language in its most elevated form. Where other Celtic languages fell into disuse, Welsh congregations had the benefit of listening week by week to majes...

Households where no-one works because they lack qualifications, have limited employment records, or because they have a disability, are to be helped by a specialist Carmarthenshire Communities First team. The Lift Programme , funded by Welsh Government , will be based in Llanelli Town Centre, and will support people from workless households who have been unemployed for over six months to find training and employment. The programme supports the Tackling Poverty agenda and aims to provide 5,000 training and employment opportunities across Wales. Here in Carmarthenshire, a specialist team has been put together with staff experienced in working with hard-to-reach groups. Senior Mentor Alex Morgan said: “We are looking forward to supporting people to move forward and lift themselves out of poverty. “The Lift Programme focuses on supporting those who face the greatest barriers to becoming employable, such as young single parent households; those who have little or no formal qualificati...

Celebrities who hail from Carmarthenshire will help carry the Queen’s Baton next month. British television star Julian Lewis Jones, Big Brother winner Sam Evans, Welsh Tenor Wynne Evans and former international rugby player, weightlifter and wrestler Non Evans MBE will be among the baton bearers joining in the celebrations when the Queen’s message to commonwealth games athletes arrives on Tuesday, May 27. The Welsh leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay is now just one month away and as the final details of its journey through Carmarthenshire are made available, Commonwealth Games Wales bosses and Carmarthenshire County Council organisers are urging the public to get behind Team Wales by lining the streets to welcome it. The council’s Senior Sports and Leisure Manger, Carl Daniels said: “We are delighted to have secured some big names and sporting greats to the Carmarthenshire event. We now want as many people as possible to come out of their homes and help build a welcoming atmosphere and j...

It was a big week for members of Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi as they completed a tour of the Isle of Wight under the baton of musical director Davinia Davies. One of the highlights was singing at Holy Trinity Church, Bembridge, in a special tribute to the late Cliff Morgan, the former Wales rugby icon and TV and radio commentator and personality. The tour ended with a grand concert at a packed St Saviour’s Church in Shanklin, with the choir performing alongside Newchurch Male Choir from the Isle of Wight. Website - http://www.cormeibiondyffryntywi.co.uk/

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