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

Howard Kendall, the greatest manager in history of Everton football club, was the guest speaker at Carmarthen Town AFC's annual sportsman's dinner held at the Ivy Bush Royal Hotel, Carmarthen. Kendall, 67, had a distinguished playing career as a footballer, captaining the England Youth side to victory in the 1964 Little World Cup Final and playing for Preston North End, Everton, Birmingham City, Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers. His managerial career took him to Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Athletic Bilboa, Manchester City, Xanthi, Notts County, Sheffield United and Ethnikos Piraeus. The football legend gave an entertaining 40-minute address followed by a question and answer session. Principal guests included the chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council Councillor Terry Davies, the Mayor of Carmarthen Town Councillor Arwel Lloyd, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards and club sponsor Einsley Harries. Other speakers included Roger Devonside, the celebrated aerob...

Towy Antiques Fairs are delighted to be returning to Picton Castle in 2014 for two, two-day antiques fairs on the weekends of the 7th and 8th of June, and the 13th and 14th of September.  Held within the magical staterooms and grounds of the region’s finest stately home ‘The Pembrokeshire Antiques Fair’ is an opportunity to view a wide range of antiques while meandering through this beautiful castle and its grounds. High quality exhibitors synonymous with Towy’s well established Carmarthen Showground Fairs will be found at both the events at Picton Castle with dealers specialising in Welsh furniture and ceramics, as well as textiles, jewellery, silver, maps and prints and much more. Amongst some of the most desirable items on sale will be a collection of Ewenny Pottery. Tony and Nikki Chadwick have been fans of Wales’ oldest working pottery since buying their first pieces – two elusive pottery pigs, at one of Towy’s Antiques Fairs in Carmarthen back in 2009. Delighted wit...

A total of 36 of Wales’s most impressive property schemes battled it out at The Swalec Stadium in Cardiff for top honours at the RICS Wales Awards 2014, with the restored Llanelly House, Llanelli, crowned ‘Project of the Year.’ The prestigious annual contest celebrates inspirational initiatives in the land, property and construction sectors. The event was hosted by Kevin Green, South Wales entrepreneur and millionaire who proved a huge hit with the audience of over 180 property professionals. The winners of the six individual categories are: Building Conservation: Llanelly House, Llanelli  Community Benefit: Penarth Pier, Penarth  Design Through Innovation: The Crescent, Cardiff  Regeneration: Harbourside, Port Talbot  Residential Property: The Crescent, Cardiff  Tourism & Leisure: Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli  The title of Project of the Year is presented to the scheme felt by the judges to represent the most outstanding example of the regio...

The latest 'On Song' column about the choral scene in and around Llanelli from the Llanelli Star - Burry Port Male Voice Choir have released details of their 2014 diary of events. The choir’s next event is the twice yearly ladies coffee evening at the Memorial Hall in Burry Port on Friday (May 16) at 6.30pm. Following that, the choristers have a concert at Greenfield Chapel in Llanelli on Friday, May 23 to raise money for Parkinson’s UK. Susan James will be the guest soloist. Choir secretary Ian Rees said: “The 2014 diary if filling up fast with a wide variety of events. We are always on the look-out for new members and anyone interested can email me for details on - ReesIW@cardiff.ac.uk ” Other 2014 events – Saturday, May 24, wedding at Llandyry Church, 12 noon. Friday, June 13, concert at the Memorial Hall in Burry Port to raise money for the Carmarthenshire Eisteddfod. Saturday, July 12, wedding at The Diplomat Hotel, Llanelli, 3.30pm. To be confirmed in July, Gymanfa Ganu ...

The deep blue sea of Carmarthenshire’s Golden Coast seems to have sprayed inland since March. Farmer’s fields, roadside verges and woodlands are awash with myriads of bluebells. Visitors and walkers in the county’s countryside have been entranced by the heavy scent from the dancing fields of sapphire bluebells from Tregib Woods, Llandeilo, to St Illtyd’s Walk, Pembrey. County countryside officer Simeon Jones said the bonus profusion of bluebells this year was down to the unusual climatic conditions. He said: “The cold weather affects bluebell flowering with chilly conditions slowing the whole process. March this year was a cold in comparison to previous years. “We’re lucky to see bluebells flower quite early in south west Wales due to the relatively mild oceanic conditions and they are best seen in the morning. This year’s unusual late flowering also means that the bluebells have to compete with other plants and also from less light reaching them as the leaves on the trees start to g...

It's coming… It’s been carried underwater across reefs, over snow-capped mountains; has been relayed by elephants and tribes through jungles and by hovercraft over deserts and by roller blade and bicycles though cities around the Commonwelath. Now with great anticipation and much media attention, the Queen’s Commonwealth Baton will blaze through Wales to Carmarthenshire on May 27. The eyes of the world will be focussed on Laugharne, Carmarthen, Ammanford and Llanelli where fun-filled events have been planned to welcome the Baton. Unlike the Olympic Torch, which was replicated many times over, there is only one Queen’s Baton and the Carmarthenshire visit offers a unique opportunity for families to touch or be photographed with it. Families wanting to be involved in the Baton fun over the Spring Bank holiday should make a note in their diaries of the opportunities in the town nearest to them: Laugharne: 8am-9am A Commonwealth-themed programme of activities has been developed to ac...

They are having a cracking time at the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, Penclacwydd, Llanelli. Chicks of all kinds and sizes have been hatching out and demanding feeding from visitors walking the miles of maze-like walks. And the arrivals will continue through to the summer months with the ducks having been busy rearing their broods since early spring and now large varieties of geese doing the same and the glorious pink flock of 40 flamingos partnering up for their normal July and August hatchings. Executive board member for leisure services Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “We are so lucky to have this facility in Llanelli. It attracts bird watchers from all over the country and is wonderfully educational for children.” The centre’s volunteers have been busy at weekends providing talks and weekend family fun for visitors ranging from den building, mini pond dipping, craft workshops and flamingo talks. Getting up close and personal with the centre’s flock of Caribbean flamingos and sighting them ...

Fostering Fortnight is underway and Carmarthenshire County Council’s Fostering Recruitment Team is out in force at various locations across the county up until Thursday, May 22, between 10am till 2pm. On Thursday, May 15, the team will set up stall at The Co-Op, Cross Hands; on Friday, May 16, they will visit Llandeilo market; on Wednesday, May 21,they will visit Carmarthen market, and their final stop will be on Thursday, May 22, when they will visit Tesco in Llanelli. The Fostering Fortnight campaign is a national event to raise awareness of the opportunities available within the foster care service. Here in Carmarthenshire there is particular need for children aged 10 and over, although there are opportunities in other areas, including within the local authority’s parent and baby scheme. Fostering Recruitment Team Manager, Jackie Sloane, said: “Many people have pre-conceived ideas about fostering – but these days you don’t have to be married or have children of your own to be able...

A jobs fair is taking place in Llanelli town centre this week at the new Un Sir Gar/One Carmarthenshire hub. The jobs and training fair will be held at the Hub opening in the former Burtons store, next to Boots in Stepney Street. The event will take place from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, May 15, and the team from Un Sir Gar will be on hand to help and advise. A number of local employers will also be in attendance, and there will be jobs, training, apprenticeships and volunteering opportunities available. Budding entrepreneurs with business ideas will be welcomed, and advice and support will be offered. The jobs fair is taking place to launch the Un Sir Gar/One Carmarthenshire Hub which has been set up to help people get back into work, education and training. It is a one stop shop, aiming to make life easier for people seeking information, education, housing, and employment opportunities. Experienced advisers will aim to identify a personal path for each client according to their skills...

The team at Abaca, the organic mattress and bed experts, has chalked up another first. The West Wales business has just completed its first export delivery to Qatar in the Middle East. “Our quality mattresses are already popular in the export market, but this is the first time we have secured business from what is the richest country in the world,” said Abaca MD Rhiannon Rowley. “The order was for two of our super king Raglan mattresses and an upholstered base. “There was a special request for one of the bespoke Raglan mattresses as it is ‘extra-extra’ deep, measuring 30cm deep. “They are luxurious mattresses and a bespoke order for the customer. “Client confidentiality means we cannot say who the buyer is, but our reputation in producing quality bespoke products to match the client’s specific needs obviously counted for a lot. “We had to hand-tuft the buttons on the mattress as our regular needle wasn't long enough! But the end result is great. The mattresses look fantastic a...

On Friday, May 23, the Taf Quality Time Club (the QT Club), which provides a lively meeting point for families coping with dementia-related illnesses, will be launching its free bus service for people who want to attend club meetings. The bus will collect people from St Clears, Bancyfelin and Whitland at first and later will be extended to include Meidrim, Llangynin and Laugharne. The service will run at convenient times and deliver (and return) carers and those for whom they care to the club in St Clears. The funds which have enabled this new service to be offered by the QT Club have come from the National Lottery Awards for All Wales and generous donations from supportive organisations and individuals. Club chairman, Reg Wyeth from St Clears, said “Having a bus service to bring people to the QT Club is a major goal that I wanted to achieve during the club’s first year and I’m immensely indebted to Awards for All Wales for making it happen. Often, when memory loss strikes, people b...

There were 132 brilliantly inventive decorated tea cosies auctioned at the St Davids Diocese Mothers' Union Welsh Afternoon Tea Party in Bancyfelin village hall. The event was opened by President, Brenda Evans, who said how much she appreciated the superb display of tea cosies all of which would help raise awareness of the Mothers' Union’s Wheels Appeal which supports members in distant lands as they work for families in need.    The winner of the best tea cosy competition was Grace Alibson, leader of the Cardigan Mothers' Union branch. Her tea cosy was so beautifully embroidered on the Mothers' Union logo theme that it is being kept for Diocesan occasions.  Ann Gill, the Wales Provincial Mothers' Union President, who was present on the day, congratulated the winner. Almost all the hand made tea cosies, which came in all colours, shapes and sizes, were sold at auction to the delight of Mari Thomas, the Mothers' Union member who masterminded the c...

The Carmarthen Bay Film Festival was brought to a close with a Gala Awards Dinner at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli. “It was a glitzy affair putting the spotlight on the very best films shown during four screening days at the festival venue at the Stradey Park Hotel,” said festival CEO and organiser Kelvin Guy. “We had three BAFTA Cymru members at the awards dinner and one of our chief guests was Llanelli MP Nia Griffith. “The festival, now in its third year, is truly international and it was nice to reflect that in the final awards night.” The ‘Best of Festival’ award went to a film called La Diva, which also won the best foreign short category. The film’s producers flew in from Italy to pick up their award. The inaugural John Hefin award for best Welsh language short film went to a Yann Gorriz production called Glyn. Mr Guy, a 49-year-old former Bryngwyn School pupil who is regarded as the expert on the life of Welsh silent movie star Gareth Hughes, added: “There was a big ...

The Jenkins Bakery is once again be supporting National Doughnut Week and The Children’s Trust Charity. For every doughnut sold, the firm will be donating 5p to the Children’s Trust Charity. Last year, the Jenkins Bakery shops throughout South Wales raised £600. Doughnut varieties on sale include - Single Jam Doughnut 44p Sugar Ring Doughnut 40p Fruit & Custard Doughnut 95p Fresh Cream Doughnut 95p Chocolate Ring Doughnut 65p Caramel Doughnut (Non Dairy) 95p NEW Strawberry Ring Doughnut 65p Yum Yums 65p NEW About the top-selling Jenkins Bakery doughnuts - Caramel Doughnut (Non Dairy) 95p NEW Our top quality doughnut coated with caramel crumble with non-dairy filling. Iced Strawberry Ring doughnut 55p...

A 91-year-old South Wales woman was drying toilet paper on the radiator and eating just two boiled potatoes a day because she was so desperately short of money. That’s one of the shocking examples highlighted by a new report by the older people’s charity Age Cymru about pensioner poverty in Wales. ‘Life on a low income’ has been launched at the National Assembly for Wales. The report finds that: · 84,000 older people in Wales live in poverty; · Just under 50,000 older people in Wales live in severe poverty on £183.50 per week or less; · 200,000 older people report cutting back on food, heating, and social activities for financial reasons; · 42,000 of older people report getting into debt in recent years; ‘Life on a low income – the reality of poverty for older people in Wales’ is based on research by Age Cymru and real-life case studies of the hardships faced by some older people in Wales. Report author Graeme Francis of Age Cymru says: “All older peopl...

Are you a soloist or group based in Carmarthenshire and competing or performing in this year’s National Eisteddfod? Would you like to perform on stage to thousands of visitors to the Maes in Llanelli? If so, Carmarthenshire County Council has a stage which will be showing off the talent that we have in the county and we would like to hear from you. If you would like more information please contact Rhiannon Evans, 01267 224 456

The owner of a Llanelli bar has been fined for illegally displaying advertisements on railings outside his premises. Paul Jenkins pleaded guilty by post to an offence of contrary to Section 224 of The Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. Carmarthen Magistrates Court was told that on Wednesday October 2 last year the Vista Lounge in Castle Buildings, Murray Street, Llanelli, was found to have displayed adverts illegally. Mr Jenkins had previously been issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for a similar offence. As a result of this court action was taken by the local authority. Mr Jenkins was fined £75 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £180.58 with a victim surcharge of £20. Executive board member for enforcement Cllr Jim Jones said: “It is important that people obey the Town and Country Planning Act. The council will investigate breaches, issue Fixed Penalty Notice and will prosecute repeat offenders.”

A total of 236 compost bins were sold in a special cut-price one-day sale held during Compost Awareness Week – almost 100 more than at last year’s event. The one-off sale was organised by Carmarthenshire Council’s waste and recycling section at the Co-op car park in Cross Hands. The compost bins were available to Carmarthenshire residents only at a subsidised price of just £5. The aim was to encourage householders to go green by home composting their garden and kitchen waste. Residents are being urged to reduce, reuse and recycle as we can no longer throw everything away as rubbish. The county has strict targets to meet to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill and increase its recycling rate. Executive Board Member for Street Scene Cllr Colin Evans said: “It’s pleasing to see that many more people are realising how simple it is to home compost or just how much of their household waste can actually be composted; from grass and hedge clippings to vegetable peelings, egg shell...

There's a new range of products available at selected Jenkins Bakery shops throughout South Wales. Here are some -   Salad bowls (available at Baker Boy Llanelli, Whitewalls Swansea, Eastgate Llanelli, Neath Ystradgynlais, Briton Ferry, Bridgend, The Avenue Llanelli and Burry Port. Finest chicken tikka sat on a bed of mixed leaf salad, with three cherry tomatoes, three slices of Dutch cucumber and a sprinkling of coleslaw. There is a small pot of tikka mayonnaise dressing set inside the salad pot. Price - £2.75    Prawn Marie Rose salad pots Finest cold water prawn sat on a bed of mixed leaf salad, with three cherry tomatoes, three slices of Dutch cucumber and a sprinkling of coleslaw. There is a small pot of Marie Rose dressing set inside the salad pot. Price - £2.75 Mixed cheese salad pots Finest mixed cheese on a bed of mixed leaf salad, with three cherry tomatoes, three slices of dutch cucumber and a sprinkling of col...

Latest news from the Brecon Jazz Club team -  Hi all - just to confirm dining arrangements for Tuesday 20 May for jazz club special. - 6.20 pm at Lansdowne for supper buffet (places limited as band also included!) - 6.00 pm onwards, Tipple n Tiffin open for the evening concert So there is a choice! Obviously, bookings are necessary in either case above. Concert info for Tues 20 May below - hope to see you there. Please try to get your tickets in advance as we have little time to take money on the door this month! Tickets £10, start time 7.30pm, very exciting evening ahead (book online or at the Theatr box office on 01874 611622). We have an amazing spring 'double bill' in the main auditorium of the Theatr Brycheiniog (May), in a curtain-raiser and taster for the 30th Anniversary of the Brecon Jazz International Festival . . . outstanding musicians from across Wales, UK and Southern Spain. You can book now. Tuesday 20 May 7.30 pm DOUBLE BILL at Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon LD3 ...

Latest special offers from the Jenkins Bakery - WEEK COMMENCING 12/05/14 3 MEDIUM CORNED BEEF PASTIES £1.65 2 LARGE CORNED BEEF PASTIES £1.95 SANDWICH OF THE WEEK – CHICKEN & STUFFING £2.30 RUSTIC BAGUETTE OF THE WEEK – CHICKEN TIKKA £2.40 FILLED SOFTIE ROLL OF THE WEEK – TUNA / MAYO £2.25 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/