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

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald and the Llanelli Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax may not be the ‘headline-grabbers’ they once were. But, for many, they are major points of interest. The Government’s Autumn Statement focussed on a number of capital tax issues. The Chancellor George Osborne combined the Autumn Statement and with what is called a Spending Review when he presented his key points to Parliament. Here is out summary of just some of the key capital tax issues – Capital gains tax (CGT) rates and annual exemption: No changes have been announced in respect of CGT rates or the annual exemption. CGT payment window: From April 2019, a payment on account of any CGT due on the disposal of residential property will be required to be made within 30 days of the completion of the disposal. This will not affect gains o...

Sinfonia Cymru bring an evening of Stravinsky, Beethoven and Mozart to Pontyberem on Friday, March 18. The concert takes place at the Pontyberem Memorial Hall, starting at 7.30pm. It will feature - Sinfonia Cymru and violinist Benjamin Baker. It will be a lively and exhilarating programme of classical music, featuring works by Stravinsky, Beethoven and Mozart. Stravinsky’s Danses Concertantes was originally written for the concert stage in 1942 and has also been choreographed and performed as a one-act ballet. The piece is a great example of the composer’s invigorating style. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, written in 1806, is the composer’s only violin concerto. It is a bright and lyrical piece and has become one of the most popular works for violin. Symphony No. 41 in C ‘Jupiter’ was Mozart’s last symphony, written in 1788. It is a work of richness and splendour, often viewed as his greatest symphony. This is a very special year for Sinfonia Cymru as it marks the...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star - The ‘On Song’ spotlight this week falls on Kidwelly Festival Choir, a mixed voice choir formed in 1984, the year of the Festival of Castles. The choir performs a varied repertoire, from sacred and classical pieces to musical showtunes and popular songs. The annual concert takes place in St. Mary's Church, Kidwelly (date to be announced later). The Choir has performed at many other venues, in South Wales and beyond, including three times at the Royal Albert Hall concert for 1000 mixed voices. Kidwelly Festival Choir is twinned with a German choir and has performed in Mannheim, Weinheim and Nieder-Liebersbach on two exchange visits. The choir has raised more than £10,000 for charities. The Musical Director is Andrew J. Pike. The launch of the choir came following the prestigious Festival of Castles in 1874. It was a prestigious affair lasting some seven days, with most events...

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 ------------------------------------------ Tempus does fugit: I’ve said it before and I’ll keep on saying it – the older I get, tempus does fugit remarkably quickly. It’s only January but already several show business personalities have left us: actor Alan Rickman, the theatre impresario and discoverer of The Bee Gees, Robert Stigwood; Lemmy from Motorhead; broadcaster and “Crackerjack” host Ed “Stewpot” Stewart; and David Bowie, who, at 69, died just days after his latest album was released. As ill as he must have been, he kept writing and recording almost to the end. When I was a lad, when any of her contemporaries died, my Gran would always comment... ”But she was no age!” My Gran was almost 80 at the time - proving that to some people, being old is all in the mind. For others, it’s how out of breath t...

Latest special offers from the Jenkins Bakery - WEEK COMMENCING January 18, 2016 3 Medium Corned Beef Pasties, £1.70 2 Large Corned Beef Pasties, £2.00 2 Minced Beef and Onion Pies, £2.30 2 Strawberry Manchester Tarts, £1.80 Sandwich of the Week, Chicken Tikka, £2.35 Rustic Baguette of the Week, Chicken and Bacon, £2.50 Filled Softie of the Week, Turkey Salad, £2.30 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/

Latest news from the team at Brecon Jazz Club -  Jazz FEB - Juan Galiardo Trio: Tues 23 Feb / T and T and Wellington. Well, you turned out in spectacular fashion to support our new year / January club event - thank you. There is a great feature on this fyi, see link at end. Now we must look to 23rd February, and our visiting Spanish jazz pianist, Juan Galiardo. Let us give him a warm welcome, because the weather may not be, and he's leaving a sunny homeland for his February visit to Wales! Juan sends greetings and he is very much looking forward to playing at the Club - more details below. Supper will be at the T and T from 6.30. We've also got some new initiatives to announce - info about the Jazz Club in the Brecon and Radnor newspaper, on the theme of 'jazz all year round' and keeping interest alive in jazz in Brecon throughout the year - thanks to the new Brecon and Radnor Express editor. Related to this, the Wellington Hotel has also approached us about r...

Redkite Solicitors Employment and HR Workshop: How to Tackle Poor Performance -  Why attend? We are holding a series of how to…..workshops in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. The workshops are interactive, practical courses that provide line managers with the essential knowledge required to deal with day to day Employment and HR issues. We will provide a comprehensive introduction to the law and best practice to enable line managers to deal with any issues and conduct procedures appropriately and to equip staff with the confidence needed to handle any HR matters. Why Redkite? Our courses are the only courses run in West Wales by specialist Employment Solicitors and Associate members of the CIPD. We have been described by the Legal 500 as the "strongest employment team in West Wales". We are also the only law firm in West Wales that is authorised to provide external CPD training through the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Locations We understand the commitment businesses m...