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

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. They say that buying a house is more stressful than bankruptcy and divorce. Certainly, it can test even the most level-headed individuals. Here are some nuggets of ‘Money Matters’ advice on buying a house and moving home. When you buy a property or move home, there will be a number of upfront fees, beyond just your mortgage costs, which you’ll need to take into account. Be sure to include these when working out your overall budget. You will also need to make sure that you have saved enough to cover all of the upfront costs. These include: The deposit. This is the amount you put towards the cost of the property when you buy your home. On average, you need at least 5% to 20% of the purchase price (for example: £10,000 to £40,000 when buying a £200,000 home). Help to Buy and other housing schemes on...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star -  Acclaimed Welsh soprano Shȃn Cothi has unveiled details of her first new album in 10 years - ‘Paradwys’ - as well as plans for an exclusive nine-date tour of Welsh churches and chapels. The tour will take in Llangennech, Llanelli. Shȃn will perform at Capel Salem, Llangennech, on Sunday, November 29 (7pm). The new album, her first since ‘Passione’ in 2005, has been released on the Acapela label. The album features the Nidum Ensemble - comprised of hand-picked musicians from orchestras such as the London Symphony, the London Philharmonic and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Players include cellist Steffan Morris (always a favourite with Loughor and Llanelli audiences) and violinists Rhys Watkins, Rakhi Singh and Benjamin Baker. Also accompanying is the superb pianist Jeff Howard, who has played for Shȃn on numerous occasions over the years and is also responsible for two of...

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 nice to be important, but more important to be nice! I always keep my finger on the pulse of the ‘hip’ and the ‘happening’ - except when I’m driving or pulling-up weeds from my driveway. I read newspapers, listen to the radio, watch television and visit the cinema and theatre. I talk to friends, family, colleagues and anyone I meet in the frozen food aisle at Tesco’s, gleaning information about every subject under the sun. Or the moon, if it’s dark outside. My editor would like me to point out that other frozen food aisles are available. Even though I’m so well-informed, I often feel distanced from the rest of the world, because of my total disinterest in those individuals whose faces fill the pages of glossy ‘celebrity gossip’ magazines for which entire fores...

Parents of two to six year olds are being urged by healthcare professionals at Hywel Dda University Health Board to get their children vaccinated against flu this winter, to protect them from catching, and also from spreading, this potentially debilitating illness. While some parents believe flu does not severely affect children, figures collected by Public Health Wales show that for the past few years, children have been admitted to hospital and intensive care units with flu as well as adults. This year, the routine children’s flu vaccine programme has been extended to include five and six year olds so all those between the ages of two and three (age on 31 August 2015) and children in reception class, year 1 and year 2 in school are now eligible. Two and three years were first offered the vaccine two years ago, followed by four year olds last year. The vaccine for children is given as a simple nasal spray and those aged two and three will receive it at their GP practice while those i...

A Llandybie man has been fined £220 for dumping a large builder’s bag of garden waste next to the recycling banks in Tumble Hall car park. David Mark Williams, aged 35, of Ammanford Road, was also ordered to pay £139 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £22. He failed to attend Carmarthen Magistrates Court and was convicted in absence of an offence contrary to Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The court heard that on April 23 earlier this year the council’s environmental enforcement section received a report that a large builder’s bag of green waste had been dumped next to the recycling banks in Tumble Hall car park. CCTV footage revealed the vehicle involved and enquiries were made with the DVLA to find the registered keeper. The owner told officers one of his employees was the driver at the time of the incident. As it was a small amount of green waste, Williams was offered a fixed penalty notice for littering, which he accepted. However, he failed to pay it,...

The Carmarthenshire Council customer service centre is to stay at The Hub bringing thousands more people into Llanelli town centre each month. The service had been temporarily relocated from Ty Elwyn whilst maintenance work was carried out. However, Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole said the move had been such a success in bringing people into the town centre that he had asked for it to be made permanent. The customer service centre deals with around 5,000 enquiries every month, on issues ranging from housing benefit and council tax claims to licensing and Blue Badges. Cllr Dole has also asked for the cash machine to be installed in The Hub which is estimated to be used around 2,000 times per month. The machine can be used to pay things like council tax or rent. Cllr Dole said he had the idea to permanently relocate the services after spending a morning working at The Hub with customer service centre staff. “There was a real buzz about the place,” he said, “I was surprise...

An Amman Valley woman has been fined £220 for dropping a cigarette end on the ground at Llanelli bus station. Helen Rebecca Stephens, aged 21, of Cwmamman Road, Garnant, failed to attend Carmarthen Magistrates Court and was convicted in absence to an offence contrary to Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. She was also ordered to pay £225.11 prosecution costs and a £22 victim surcharge. The court heard that on April 25 earlier this year council environmental enforcement officers were on patrol at Llanelli bus station when saw a woman who was sitting on a bench drop her cigarette end on to the ground. The officers waited five minutes but no attempt was made to pick it up. She was issued with a fixed penalty notice but failed to pay it, despite a reminder letter being sent. Discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire and are found on around 80 per cent of county streets.

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