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. The taxman at HMRC has issued updated guidance on the operation of the VAT Flat Rate Scheme. The scheme allows taxpayers to calculate the VAT payable by applying a flat rate percentage to their VAT inclusive turnover, rather than netting off output and input VAT due on sales and purchases. The revision in the guidance follows a number of unsuccessful visits to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT). HMRC has issued a revised version of VAT notice 733 Flat Rate Scheme to update their guidance in accordance with the FTT decisions. The previous version of the notice listed a number of trades and professions (at paragraph 4.4 of the guidance) and indicated the relevant sectors and percentages that these types of business should choose. These had a higher percentage than the 12% rate which applies to 'busi

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 ------------------------------------------ We won’t get fooled again . . . will we? We all have our favourite old sayings - or ‘maxims’ as they’re referred to in some circles and one or two London squares. Here’s one of mine . . . “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and have it confirmed.” Mind you, that’s not the best advice for a comedian when you consider the original name of someone whose job it was to tickle the funny-bones of ancient Kings and Queens was a ‘fool’. Comedians aside, nobody wants to be thought of as being foolish or stupid. “Oh, I’ve been such a fool!” they say and get all worked-up about what other people might think. Why? I’ve always thought that worrying about appearing to be stupid is in itself pretty stupid, because it’s inevitable that we’ll do and say st

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star and the Carmarthen Journal - Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir members are back at their usual twice-weekly rehearsals after a successful trip to the Emerald Isle of Ireland. “Our trip to County Mayo was a great success and now we are busy working towards our prestigious annual concert,” said choir musical director D Eifion Thomas. “We usually rehearse twice a week – at 7pm on Mondays and Thursdays at Furnace Community Hall. We are always on the look-out for new members, so anyone who wants to join a male voice choir is welcome to come along and experience our rehearsal sessions at first hand. “There is terrific camaraderie in a male voice choir – as shown by our trip to Ireland. We are a choir known for producing work of the highest standard at our concerts and the ‘boys’ of the choir are true ‘ambassadors of song’.” Côr Meibion Llanelli’s ‘annual’ is always a landmark event

Latest news from Aberglasney House and Gardens in the Tywi Valley - Sense and Sensibility • An evening with the Head Gardener • Late cottage deals Looking good in the Gardens... The Rose Garden Flowering dogwood 'Cornus' white Meconopsis (pictured above) Siberian iris Photo courtesy of Nigel McCall Theatre in the Gardens ~ Sense & Sensibility Sunday 12th June ~ gates open at 6.30pm for a 7pm performance Adults ~ £14; Children ~ £10; Family (2 adults & 2 children) ~ £42. Tickets available through our website or on the gate on the night. An Evening with the Head Gardener, Joseph Atkin Thursday 16th June at 6pm Join Joseph for a special evening tour of the Gardens followed by supper and an after dinner talk on the terrace in the beautiful Pool Garden. Booking essential ~ you can book through our website or by calling the Ticket Office directly on 01558 667956. Sandra Phillips exhibition In the Mansion until Wednesday 15th June Find out more about Sandra P

Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) charity ‘Friends Thank You Soirée’ at Llanelly House, featuring Daniella Difede, Benjamin Anthony, Dylan Morgan, Piet Zorn and Ffion Elin Williams. If you wanted to bottle the essence of the Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) charity, then this soirée at Llanelly House was the place to do it. The impressive oak-panelled Great Hall at Llanelli’s Georgian showpiece (with the backdrop of the Stepney Armorial Dinner Service) always provides an aromatic and atmospheric backdrop to showcase events. And this was a showcase which lived up to its impressive surroundings, putting the accent on new singing and musical talent. The Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) charity was formed in January, with chairman Cerith Owens determined to use it as a vehicle to mentor and develop young talent. Harpist Ffion Elin Williams set the tone for the evening by providing the music for the welcome and the interval for an event billed as a ‘Thank You’ for the Friends of the chari

In much the same way as Connacht won the hearts of rugby followers by winning the Pro 12, Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir won the acclaim of choral and music lovers when they visited the Emerald Isle last weekend. The choir members made the trip across the Irish Sea for the 5th County Mayo International Choral Festival. They sang in sang in two festival concerts at an event which is growing in international stature year by year. Under the direction of music director D Eifion Thomas, the choir's first concert was at the town of Kiltimagh, where the beautiful Church of the Holy Family was the venue for a religious concert which included The Moy Singers, Knock Junior Choir, The Witness To Hope Choir and The Kiltimagh Parish Choir. The church’s acoustic was an ideal medium to appreciate the warmth and intensity of Côr Meibion Llanelli’s rich tones and musicality as they performed their programme. Particularly emotive was Luigi Picchi's Kyrie Eleison and the culmination of the

If you are looking for a job in the construction industry then enter Next Steps now. The deadline for this year’s competition is Friday, June 10 and there are four apprenticeships up for grabs from TRJ Ltd and Lloyd and Gravell Ltd. It is open to anyone aged 16 and over living in Carmarthenshire, and no previous experience is needed. Those shortlisted will be invited for interview, and the successful candidates will then spend five weeks on-site with skilled tradesmen during July and August to learn skills including carpentry, bricklaying, plastering and ground works. The winners will be announced at a prestigious ceremony on August 12 and then they will have a few weeks off before starting their apprenticeships in September. Any runners-up that really impress during the process may also be given further opportunities by other local contracting companies. Director of Lloyd and Gravell Ltd Kevin Gravell said: “This is the seventh year we have run this competition and it gives local pe

The Dylan Thomas Writing Shed in Laugharne has reached the final of the 2016 Shed of the Year competition. The number of entries in the competition, run Readersheds, has been whittled down from 285 to just 32. The Writing Shed is entered in the Historic category. Home of the Great British shed, the Readersheds website celebrates every conceivable style, shape and size of the shed. From the traditional to the unconventional and everything in between, Readersheds has them all. To vote for the Writing Shed please go to: http://www.readersheds.co.uk/?type=Historic

Children from Llanelli schools are playing their part in supporting the local environment and making their communities brighter as part of a wildflower planting initiative. Carmarthenshire County Council trialled wildflower planting in several areas last summer, and received great feedback from local people and visitors about the natural, colourful look they bring over the summer months. Several council departments have got together again this year to prepare wildflowers for the season, and have also got local school children involved. Among them are children on the eco committee and gardening clubs at Halfway and Dafen primary schools. They joined the council’s housing and grounds maintenance teams to prepare ground and scatter seeds on housing land in the Dafen area. Supported by Environmental Works Project funding from Housing Services, the children helped plant seeds on land that had been weeded and rotivated in advance, and raked over the soil to ensure they were well planted. T

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