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

A woman has been fined for dumping black bags of rubbish at the recycling site in St Clears. Council environmental enforcement officers investigated after a number of black bags were found next to the recycling banks in St Clears car park. A local woman was issued with a fixed penalty notice for £75. Failure to pay could lead to court prosecution where the maximum fine is £2,500. Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “These sites are important facilities for communities for recycling. However, people are dumping all kinds of rubbish. This will not be tolerated and anyone caught will be prosecuted. “Hopefully, this latest fine will act as a warning to others.”

A man has been fined for failing to clean up after his dog on Pantyffynon rugby field. A member of the public reported the incident to the council’s environmental enforcement unit and provided a witness statement. A man from the Capel Hendre area was identified as the offender and was issued with a fixed penalty notice for £75 as a result. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court where the maximum penalty that can be imposed is £1,000. Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Dog mess left anywhere is a serious health risk and these fields are used to play rugby on. I am appalled that people are leaving their dogs defecate on the rugby field and not cleaning it up. “I would like to thank the member of the public for reporting this offence to us so that action could be taken against the offender. Hopefully this fine will make dog owners think twice about leaving their dog mess behind.” Anyone who sees someone allowin...

Caws Teifi Cheese who have a stall in Carmarthen Indoor Market have done it again. At the British Cheese Awards ceremony , the annual Oscars of the cheese world, Caws Teifi Cheese smashed their own record by winning the Best Welsh Cheese for a record sixth time with their most renowned cheese Celtic Promise. Celtic Promise is a Caerphilly type washed-rind cheese and was developed by John Savage-Onstwedder of Teifi Farmhouse Cheese in Ceredigion, Wales. Since 1998 it has won the prestigious title of Supreme Champion twice at the British Cheese Awards, five times the best Semi-Soft Cheese in Britain and more than 10 Gold medals, making it the most highly awarded cheese in Britain! An unpasteurised, semi-soft cheese made from RAW cows' milk, it is shaped like a dumpling. During the process, the cheese is ripened in cider to get the slightly moist, sticky orange-red rind and fruity smell. As this cheese ripens in about eight weeks, the soft buttery texture develops a pungent aroma an...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star - It’s always a pleasure to the shine the spotlight on a ‘local lad’ making it big in the world of opera. This week, the spotlight shines on Pembrey baritone Gary Griffiths, who is currently making his mark with Opera di Firenze in Florence, Italy. The 32-year-old is playing the part of Maximilian in Candide, the operetta with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, based on the novella of the same name by Voltaire. It’s going to be a busy year for Gary; in July, he will be back in the UK playing the role of Malatesta in Don Pasquale with Longborough festival Opera at Moreton-in-Marsh. The winner of the Welsh Singers Competition in 2012, Gary was a finalist representing Wales in the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where in 2009 he won the prestigious Gold Medal Competition. At the Welsh National Opera, where he began as an A...

The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post. Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. www.philevans.co.uk -------------------- It’s a mystery to me. Remember “It’s A Mystery” sung by Toyah back in 1981? What she actually sang was “It’s A Myth-tery” due to her pronounced lisp – which is pronounced ‘lisp’. Why someone with a lisp would choose to sing a song with ‘s’ in the title is itself a mystery and the world loves a mystery. Want evidence? Most weeks, the Number One best-selling paperback is a crime novel and we’re all gripped by films like “Gone Girl” and TV shows like Broadchurch, Happy Valley and the long-running Midsomer Murders, which is sold to more than 200 countries. As I said, the world loves a mystery. ‘Real life’ mysteries also intrigue us, like UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, The Abominable Snowman and why the BBC continue to inflict The One Show on us five nights a week when they could replace ...