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

Aberystwyth University Council has reaffirmed its intention to redevelop the Old College and an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will be resubmitted in December 2016 after narrowly missing out on funding at the end of April. At its meeting in the Old College, members of the Council agreed to proceed with the University’s bid for stage one development funding for the project from the HLF. Aberystwyth University has been encouraged by the feedback received from HLF on ways of developing the project further and, with widespread support behind the plans, is confident that a revised proposal will have an excellent chance of being approved. Louise Jagger, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at Aberystwyth University said, “We always knew it was a highly competitive first round and are therefore determined to keep up the momentum for this excellent project and provide a fantastic facility for showcasing learning, research and enterprise opportunities that will inspi...

A sound like thunder . . . and then a 30-ft wide sinkhole opens up near a Towy Valley home! Surprising? Perhaps not to anyone familiar with the area around Towy View Park, off Capel Dewi Road, just outside Carmarthen. After all, didn’t our parents and teachers in Llangunnor always warn us when we were children – ‘Don’t go near the lead mines’ . I am sure there are a whole host of us Llangunnor ‘50-somethings’ who heard the stern warning – and heeded it, fearing being swallowed up by old mine workings. The only surprises to most of us down the years have been – Why would anyone want to build on the site? And . . . Why did the homes get planning permission? The ‘folklore’ story we were given as youngsters revolved around the mines dating back to Roman times. Historians will, I am sure, tell it different. By all accounts, the lead mines just off the B4300 Capel Dewi Road were worked in the 18th century. In 1852 Thomas Field formed the Vale of Towy Silver-Lead Mining Company...

Sweet-toothed Carmarthenshire residents and tourists have got a real treat lined up as part of Carmarthenshire’s Year of Adventure. The team behind Discover Carmarthenshire have devised a taste-bud tingling adventure that would make Mary Berry proud - a tasty cake trail taking in some of the county’s best patisseries and sweet spots. Stretching from east to west, the Carmarthenshire Cake Trail takes in a number of delightful culinary treasures across Whitland, Laugharne, Llandeilo and Rhosmaen by car, and Llanelli, Burry Port, Kidwelly and Carmarthen by bike, connected by Llanarthne which is on both trails. Set out over a whole day, or taken in bite-size pieces, people can plan their journey and stop to explore the rugged rural scenery of Carmarthenshire’s countryside, its sweeping coastlines and popular cultural attractions. Car trail stops include Amser Te in Whitland, the chic GinHaus in Llandeilo, Dylan Thomas Boathouse in Laugharne and The Plough Inn at Rhosmaen. The bike trail ...

Bwcabus is celebrating ‘Catch the Bus Week’ with free day tickets for new passengers and child fare rates for everyone travelling on Saturday, July 9 whatever their age! Catch the Bus Week is being held from July 4 to 10 and the aim is to raise awareness on the benefits of travelling by bus and encourage people who don't normally take the bus to leave the car at home and give it a try. The award-winning Bwcabus is offering all new passengers who register between July 4 and 10 a free day ticket; just visit the website or call 01239 801 601 to register your details, it’s that easy! A ‘Big Kids Day Out’ is also being held on Saturday, July 9 when all users – whatever their age - will be able to travel at child fare rates. Tickets can be purchased on Bwcabus vehicles and can be used on the 460, T1 and T5 connecting services as well as Bwcabus with just one ticket. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board Member for Transport Cllr Hazel Evans said: “Bwcabus has made a huge dif...

A new dog order to tackle irresponsible dog owners and incidents involving dogs comes into force in Carmarthenshire today (July 1). Although the majority of dog owners act responsibly, the council receives complaints of dog fouling and nuisance behaviour from dogs that are not under proper control. As a result, a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has been introduced to give officers greater flexibility in tackling irresponsible dog owners and incidents involving dogs. Some parts of the order replace existing powers while others are new. It includes: Cleaning up after your dog in all public places in Carmarthenshire; Putting your dog on a lead of no more than two metres in length when directed to do so by an authorised officer (you will only be asked to put your dog on a lead if your dog is considered to be causing a nuisance to other people or another animal); The exclusion of dogs from all outdoor, enclosed children’s play areas. Public consultation showed a lot of support ...

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. “What gets scheduled gets done,” is a quote from the business and investment guru Michael Hyatt. It’s worth bearing in mind, as we all lead busy lives. Having a decent (and regularly updated) calendar and diary will help you get the job done. For example, businesses, employers and employees need regular reminders of financial events and deadlines and tax events. Here are a couple of tax events on the horizon this week - Deadline for reaching a PAYE Settlement Agreement for 2015/16: This deadline is relevant for employers who wish to pay the tax and NI (National Insurance) on benefits provided to their employees. Agreement must be reached with the taxman at HMRC of the benefits and related liabilities which are not to be shown on the forms P11D by this date. Please be aware that if your accountan...

There’s fun for all the family this Saturday when all roads lead to Parc Yr Aman for the sixth annual Cwmamman Carnival. A traditional carnival parade and Mardi Gras style procession will kick-start the festivities at midday, bringing everyone in to the park where there will be fun and games galore in the main arena, including the presentation of the carnival King and Queen and parade prizes, live music from brass and samba bands and local acts, circus performances, and sporting skills. There'll also be a children's funfair and bouncy castles, as well as food and drinks stalls. The event has been organised by the Cwmamman Fayre Committee, Cwmamman Community Council and Carmarthenshire County Council, and is expected to attract hundreds of families from the Amman Valley and beyond. Jo Stephens of Cwmamman Fayre Committee said: “Quite a few people, including myself, were disappointed at the prospect of not having a carnival this year so a new committee was formed at short notic...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star and the Carmarthen Journal - It promises to be a night to remember for the historic town of Kidwelly. Members of Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi are getting ready for their prestigious annual concert. It will be staged at the Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly on Saturday, July 9. Guest artists will include –Y Trio Cymraeg, Annette Bryn Parry, Joy Cornock and Dawnswyr Talog. Y Trio Cymraeg are from the heart of Snowdonia and feature the voices of Bedwyr Gwyn Parri (baritone), Emyr Wyn Gibson (tenor) and Steffan Lloyd Owen (bass-baritone). The trio’s roots are deep in a culture of music and song, a culture where singing is the natural mode of enjoyment, and where singing in harmony is second nature. Soloist Joy Cornock is known as both a singer and a harpist. She is a native of Fishguard in Pembrokeshire. Joy’s interest in music began at an early age. After receiving an entrance scholarship in ...

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 ------------------------------------------ AM I A STICK-IN-THE-MUD? BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO BE STUCK IN THE MUD? Every summer around this time, our newspapers run variations of these headlines . . . “Glastonbury – A Wash-Out!” “They’re Having A Muddy Good Time At Glasto!” - accompanied by a photograph of smiling girls in cut-off jeans and designer wellies. And “5,000 Festival Goers Eaten Alive By Mutated Sewage Monster Lurking Beneath Portable Toilets!” Okay, we don’t see that one every year. But the chaos of Glastonbury 2016 began early, as reported in the media . . . Glastonbury had a miserable start as traffic chaos and wet weather prompted organiser Michael Eavis and police to warn ticket-holders against travelling to the site. Long queues of vehicles were building up around Worthy Farm in Pilton, ...

The team at Redkite Solicitors has chalked up a Magnificent Ten in the busy world of Family Law with the firm’s Family Team being awarded an impressive ten accreditations from various organisations. “We strive for continual professional development at Redkite as we always want to be in the position of offering our customers dedicated, expert advice,” said Neil Walker, Chief Executive of Redkite. “Many members of Redkite Solicitors are recognised in Wales as leaders in their specialist fields. Family Law is a very complicated and sensitive field and it is good to know that we have people who can deal with issues professionally and sympathetically and help resolve issues quickly for all concerned.” The accreditations are held by:- · Catrin Griffiths, Solicitor, Partner and Head of Redkite’s Family Law Team who is accredited by the Law Society’s Advanced Family Law Panel and is one of a select few local Resolution Approved Collaborative Lawyers; · Simon Goddard, Solicitor based in Redkite...

Research by Aberystwyth University on the emotional impact of art and literature has been chosen as one of the highlights of the Being Human Festival showcase to be held at Senate House, London. The ‘Quantified Romantics’ project is being led by Professor Richard Marggraf Turley from the University’s English & Creative Writing Department, and Professor Reyer Zwiggelaar from Computer Science. Together, they’ve been developing a technique to measure our emotional response to art – in particular, the poetry, prose and paintings of the Romantic period. Do gothic novels really stir the pulse, as their Romantic authors claimed? Can paintings of yawning chasms, nightmarish creatures, ruined abbeys in dark forests and rocky precipices actually cause measurable chills of terror? In their pursuit of answers, Marggraf Turley and Zwiggelaar, with Research Associate Tom Blanchard, have been using a specially-designed ‘smart’ wristband to collect biometric data on how people react emotionally ...

A new project team has been appointed to drive forward plans for a Wellness and Life Science Village in Llanelli. The project, which is estimated to cost in excess of £100million, is being delivered through the Swansea Bay City Region partnership. Work has begun to detail what will be included at the site, but elements which may be included are a wellness/leisure centre, hydrotherapy pool, Institute of Life Science@ Hywel Dda, expansion of the Joint Clinical Research Facility to recruit for clinical trials, a Health and Wellbeing Centre, hotel and conferencing and high spec business facilities. The new team tasked with delivering the vision is being headed by project manager Sharon Burford, supported by Steffan Jenkins and Bjorn Rodde. Sharon, originally from Aberdare, lives with her husband in Mynydd Y Garreg and works for Hywel Dda University Health Board. Her career began with the Welsh Development Agency focused on economic regeneration and inward investment. Recently she was ma...

This week's special offers at Jenkins Bakery shops - WEEK COMMENCING June 27, 2016 3 Medium Corned Beef Pasties, £1.70 2 Large Corned Beef Pasties, £2.00 4 Medium Sausage Rolls, £1.85 2 Fresh Cream Doughnuts, £1.85 Sandwich of the Week, Tuna Crunch, £2.10 Rustic Baguette of the Week, Ham and Cheese, £2.50 Filled Softie of the Week, Chicken Tikka, £2.45 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/

Some 1,200 competitors have signed up for the iNVNCBL challenge at Pembrey Country Park. The demanding, high energy obstacle event, is due to be held on Saturday, July 2 and has attracted people from all over the UK. The 10k course of Welsh terrain will see competitors jumping, crawling, sliding and swinging at every turn, along with dune running. You don’t have to be superhuman to take part as there are levels for all abilities but a basic level of fitness will ensure you enjoy the event more. There is no need to splurge on expensive kit, just make sure you have a good pair of trainers with a decent tread and sole. Tie those laces tight or secure with duct tape. Avoid anything cotton that will become heavy and waterlogged in water, instead wear light weight tech clothing that will dry quickly and won’t weigh you down. Gloves will protect from splinters and rope burns. Don’t forget a towel and a spare change of clothing to change into after the event. For those wishing to visit the p...

The majority of Carmarthenshire residents have voted in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. The total number of votes cast in Carmarthenshire in favour of LEAVE was 55,381 The total number of votes cast in Carmarthenshire in favour of REMAIN was 47,654 Turnout was 74% (103,126). There were 91 rejected ballot papers. Counting took place at the Selwyn Samuel Centre, Llanelli. The result was announced by Counting Officer Mark James.