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

Aberystwyth University is to host a ‘Jurassic Heritage’ exhibition at the iconic Old College. The centrepiece of the exhibition will be the Archaeopteryx with its 1m wing span, claws and sharp teeth. Dating from the late Jurassic period, around 150 million years ago, it is believed to be the link between prehistoric dinosaurs and the modern bird. On loan from National Museum Wales, complemented by fossils from the University’s own collections and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the exhibition opens on 14 February and runs until 21 April 2017 and includes half-term and the Easter holidays. The University is also working closely with Ceredigion Museum to provide onsite 'touch the heritage' sessions for families. Eva De Visscher, bid-writer at the Development and Alumni Relations Office at Aberystwyth University, said: “We are delighted to be hosting such a fascinating exhibition at the Old College. Thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, people of all age...

Consultation ends soon on Carmarthenshire’s budget plans for the next three years. People are being urged to have their say in decisions which affect their future, with a number of proposals for changes being put forward for discussion. They include suggestions from a range of areas including day care services, leisure, street cleaning, special educational needs, music service, school meals and educational psychology. The council needs to save £8.8million for the next financial year – 2017-18 – and a total of £24.6million over the next three years. All views gathered from the consultation will be included in the budget report which will go before county councillors for decision in February. In the meantime, extensive consultation has taken place with seminars for county councillors, town and community councils, a public forum, scrutiny committees, schools budget forum, school sixth forms and trade unions meetings. The survey is available online at i-Local , and hard copies are availa...

An Aberystwyth University glaciologist will be heading out to Antarctica on Saturday 7 January as part of an international study into the effects of climate change. Professor Neil Glasser will be joining scientists from Sweden, the USA and Norway for a seven week mission to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Supported by the Swedish Polar Secretariat, the team will be collecting scientific data in Dronning Maud Land to reconstruct the long-term history of how the ice sheet in the area has thinned. Professor Glasser will be collecting rock samples to bring back to the UK for Cosmogenic Nuclide Surface Exposure Dating – also known as CN Dating. “CN Dating is a brand-new dating method we are developing that allows us to measure the amount of time the rock has been exposed at the surface – therefore providing an age estimate for when the ice thinned”, said Professor Glasser. The rocks will be collected from nunataks in the region, rocky mountains several hundred metres high that stick u...

It's more like a busy glittering Star Wars Enterprise flight deck than a stuffy, silent book shelf filled emporium. As a result Llanelli Library has zoomed into the stratosphere being officially recognised as third in the top five list of libraries with the highest lending figures for books and other loans in the UK. Fourth last year, Llanelli library continues to buck the trend of most libraries across the country experiencing a decline in lending. Official figures from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) reveal that more than half a million items were issued at Llanelli Library last year. Only Norfolk and Worchester performed better. Carmarthenshire county council executive board member for regeneration and leisure services, Cllr Meryl Gravell, said: “It is a remarkable achievement to be recognised nationally when in competition with much bigger centres of population nationwide. “The library’s continuing improvement justifies the council confidence...

An app designed to capture nuisance noise is now available to residents in Carmarthenshire. The Noise App can be downloaded onto a mobile phone or tablet and is a simple way to record noise whilst reporting it safely and securely. The recording is sent via the app to the council’s environmental health team and could form part of a case for investigation. Cllr Jim Jones, Carmarthenshire County council’s executive board member for public protection, said: “Sometimes, due to lack of supporting evidence, a noise complaint cannot be pursued, so this app will help us build stronger cases for us to investigate, as well as well as making it easier for everyone involved to resolve it.” Around 900 noise complaints are made to the council every year. The most common include DIY activities, barking dogs, loud music, burglar alarms and anti-social behaviour. iPhone users can download the app from the App Store, and Android users from the Play Store. Once installed and registered, follow the in...

Carmarthenshire County Council’s social care staff have been recognised for their work in a national awards ceremony. Five staff members and two teams were commended by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Wales at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. The council was rewarded with certificates of merit in every category in the prestigious annual awards, and Cllr Eryl Morgan, Chair of Council, recently met the staff involved to congratulate them on their achievements. Team Manager Kenneth Lloyd, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Certificate of Merit for his commitment to mental health social work. This coincided with Kenneth’s recent retirement and recognised the difference that he has made to the lives of vulnerable individuals during his working career. Social worker Janet Davies was also commended for her lifetime commitment to working directly with service users as well as her high standard of social work. Assistant Team Manager, Jan Evans, was recognised in the Innovative Soc...

The next meeting of the Llanelli Rugby Business Network will be held on Tuesday 10th January 2017, 6pm till 8pm, at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli. Here is the info from the Llanelli Rugby Business Network - Now that the Christmas and New Year Celebrations are behind us it’s time to consider your networking opportunities in 2017. With this in mind we will be holding our first Llanelli Rugby Business Networking Event for 2017 on Tuesday 10th January, yes in less than a week's time! Representatives of our partner charity, School of Hard Knocks Cymru, will be in attendance at this meeting where we will be presenting them with a donation in support of their work in Welsh Schools. Our speaker at this event will be Tony Worsley, Managing Director of Any Communications. His presentation will cover the topic of Implementing and Managing a Mobile Workforce Tracking Solution. When considering vehicle tracking, business owners are often torn between the desire to achieve c...

The latest On Song column (about the choral scene in Carmarthenshire) from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star - Tickets are now available for a very special charity concert being held in Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, in February. The concert is being organised on Saturday, February 4, 2017, by the Chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council, Councillor Eryl Morgan, to support his chosen charities for his year of office. Councillor Morgan is raising cash for the Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli and for a new MRI scanner for Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli. Top of the bill will be the sensational Valli Boys, South Wales based performers who specialise in the ‘Jersey Boys’ catalogue made famous by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The Valli Boys are made up of four very talented West End performers. The Valli Boys members have appeared in musicals such as Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, The Lord Of The Rings, Merrily We Roll Along, Starlight Express, Miss Saigon and, of course, Jers...

Residents in Carmarthenshire are being urged to recycle their Christmas trees and get a free bag of compost. If you take your real Christmas tree to one of the household waste recycling centres at Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen) or Whitland you will get a free bag of Merlin’s Magic Compost courtesy of CWM Environmental Ltd. The trees are taken to the In-Vessel Composting Unit at Nantycaws with the rest of the garden waste where they will be turned into compost/soil conditioner. Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Hazel Evans said: “We produce a lot more rubbish at this time of year so it is very important we recycle as much of it as possible. Christmas trees are classed as green waste so please take them to your nearest recycling centre so that they can be made into compost.” There are changes to recycling centre opening times over the festive period, visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/recyclingcentres

Work has started on a section of the multi-million-pound and picturesque Tywi Valley Path. The first phase of works have taken place between Fronun and Bwlch Bach, near the concrete works in Abergwili, and will form part of the planned 16-mile route linking Carmarthen and Llandeilo through the scenic Tywi Valley countryside. The works included drainage and widening of the existing carriageway for approximately 1km, with some road markings and signage still to be carried out, and were paid for thanks to a Local Transport Fund grant from Welsh Government. The remainder of the path will be all off the highway and will follow an almost adjacent route to that of the River Tywi, linking in with major tourist attractions and generating between £860,000 and £2million in the local economy every year. It will also give people a sustainable and healthy travel option, linking with villages between the two main towns. Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Hazel Evans said: “I am delight...

Plans to refurbish Pontyberem CP School are well underway. A major investment, which is part of the county council’s Modernising Education Programme (MEP), is being proposed to remodel the building which will improve its facilities and increase capacity. Internal works would include a complete reconfiguration of the building with new floors and ceilings, installation of a lift platform for wheelchair users, updating electrical equipment and a new ventilation system. In addition the building will undergo a full decorating programme, and will provide specialist rooms for additional learning needs, design and technology and art, as well as new toilet provision. An extensive outdoor repair scheme with re-surfacing and security fencing works is also planned. Work is expected to start next autumn. It is proposed that the scheme will be jointly funded by the council and the Welsh Government, through its 21st Century Schools initiative. The council’s executive board member for education, Cl...

This week's special offers at Jenkins Bakery shops - WEEK COMMENCING January 2, 2017 3 Medium Corned Beef Pasties, £1.75 2 Large Corned Beef Pasties, £2.10 2 Minced Beef and Onion Pies, £2.40 Sandwich of the Week, Salmon and Cucumber, £2.20 Rustic Baguette of the Week, Chicken Tikka, £2.50 Filled Softie of the Week, Ham Salad, £2.35 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/