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. HMRC have revealed their Top 10 most significant fraud and organised crime cases of the last year. Simon York, Director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Day in, day out, HMRC is coming down hard on tax cheats. “As these cases show, we’ll tackle anyone committing tax fraud, regardless of how well resourced, well advised, or well organised. “These 10 prosecutions are among the most significant cases we’ve handled this year, and they reflect the wide range of work carried out by HMRC.” In the ongoing fight against tax evasion, HMRC took a range of tax fraudsters through the courts in 2016 for prosecution. HMRC’s criminal investigations have led to 679 individuals being convicted for their part in tax crimes, with sentences for 2016 totalling more than 730 years. Many of the cases won ...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in Carmarthenshire) from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star - The wonderful ladies of Côr Curiad have an exciting 2017 planned. The highlight will be the September 2 concert at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, with The Overtones. The night will conclude Côr Curiad’s two-year fundraising efforts for Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli. The choristers set themselves a £20,000 target. The target has already been met, so Côr Curiad’s members are looking forward to smashing the figure and handing the final cheque over on a special night! The Overtones are a five-piece vocal harmony group - Darren, Mark, Timmy, Mike and Lachie. They were discovered by a Warner Bros Records talent scout while working as decorators in a shop near Oxford Street, singing during their tea break. Their debut album, Good Ol’ Fashioned Love entered the UK Albums Chart at No16 in November 2010. However, after the re-release of the album in March 2011, it propell...

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 ................................ What can we do with the selfie-obsessed? When I recently visited London for the first time in almost a year I couldn’t believe how tourist behaviour had changed. Instead of taking photographs of their family/friends in front of famous landmarks, most visitors were taking ‘selfies’ using ‘selfie sticks’. It doesn’t just occur in London. This ever-growing madness of taking selfies goes on everywhere . . . maybe in your neighbourhood. So be vigilant! Because selfie-takers are narcissists who don’t consider that taking pointless selfie-after-selfie of themselves in the same position is annoying to people around them. I know you like me to give you an example . . . A friend of mine went to see the “Peter Pan” pantomime at Cardiff’s New Theatre during the last week of the run. T...

One of the UK’s leading constitutional experts will use a public lecture at Aberystwyth University to critique the latest attempt at a Welsh devolution ‘settlement’. Professor Richard Rawlings will examine the implications of the Wales Act 2017, which marks the fourth main phase of Welsh devolution in just twenty years. His lecture Strange Days? Reworking the Welsh Devolution ‘Settlement’ will be held at 5pm on Wednesday 22 February 2017 in the Main Hall of the Department of International Politics. Speaking ahead of the event, Professor Rawlings who is Professor of Public Law at University College London and Honorary Distinguished Professor of Law at Cardiff University, said: “Partly framed by the work of the Silk Commission, and also influenced by Scottish constitutional developments in the wake of the 2014 independence referendum, the process of developing the legislation has been an elongated and commonly painful one. “It is a process which has stretched from incoherent party pol...

Aberystwyth University students will be encouraging children and young people to get creative in a series of practical art workshops at the National Library of Wales between 22 and 25 February 2017. The workshops explore the legends of Wales and tales of ancient heroes, mystery and magic, with sessions on making masks, working with clay, painting and creating self-portraits. There will also be a session dedicated to the mysterious world of the Aztec. Developed around the theme ‘We are Legends’, the week’s activities build on Visit Wales’ ‘Year of Legends’ campaign and have been devised by a team of volunteer students on the University’s Museum & Gallery Education and Interpretation module. Alison Pierse, Art and Design Coordinator for the School of Education and Lifelong Learning, said: “Students have taken it on themselves to run this volunteer programme for many years, delivering lively learning opportunities for local youngsters and families. “For the students, it offers an in...

A Carmarthen butchers has accepted a plaque advertising the protected status of its traditional family recipe ham. Carmarthen Indoor Market’s Albert Rees Butchers was given the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for its Carmarthen ham recently by the European Union. Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Leslie Griffiths visited Carmarthen Market on Friday in the company of Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member responsible for markets Cllr David Jenkins to present the plaque. PGI is one of three European designations created to protect regional foods that have a specific quality, reputation or other characteristics attributable to that area. It acts like a Trade Mark and stops manufacturers from outside a region copying a regional product and selling it as that regional product. Albert Rees was set up in 1962 by Albert and Brenda Rees. In 1989, Chris and Ann Rees took over the business on the retirement of Chris's parents in Carmarthen and Pembro...

Hundreds of businesses in the construction industry attended an event at Llanelli’s Parc Y Scarlets to find out about the major opportunities available to them. More than 300 delegates from across the region went along to find out more about various forthcoming projects that they could be a part of. More than £132 million worth of projects have been awarded amongst the 23 contractors on the Framework since February 2016, with a further £188 million worth of projects in the pipeline. The Contractors Framework is used for the delivery of construction and associated services across the Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot council areas. Carmarthenshire County Council leads the Framework on behalf of the partner authorities. The event brought the Framework contractors, potential sub-contractors and supporting organisations together, allowing them to network and discuss future business opportunities. The morning session showcased a variety of trade exh...

An extremely cold and windy day did not put off Rachael Garside from the BBC Radio Wales Country Focus programme from joining members of the Carmarthenshire Bogs Project out in the field. Rachel and her producer Pauline Smith came to Pyllau Cochion common near Brechfa to look at the work that the project has been undertaking. They found out more about the importance of lowland bog habitats and the interesting discoveries the project has made over the last 18 months. A whole programme will be dedicated to the project on Sunday February 26 at 7am on BBC Radio Wales and it will then be available on the BBC radio i-Player for a month after. Formed over thousands of years, lowland bogs are increasingly rare examples of an important peatland habitat supporting specialised but threatened wildlife. Bogs lock-up carbon in the peat, and when in good condition capture more from the atmosphere, helping to address climate change. They filter water for slow release into streams and are valuab...

A host of activities are planned at Carmarthenshire markets to celebrate Welsh Week. To mark the event, which starts on Saturday, February 25, the markets will be decked out in Welsh flags. There will be free local produce tasting, arts and crafts making for children and Welsh music playing to entertain the crowds. On St David’s Day, Wednesday, March 1, shoppers will be treated to free Cawl tasting during the morning in Carmarthen and Llanelli. Scarlets players will also make appearances in Llanelli and visitors will be entertained by Cor Curiad singing outside The Teapot Café. Various activities are taking place across Carmarthen town with the annual Gwyl Dewi Parade starting from Carmarthen Park at 10am on Saturday. The indoor market has everything you need to celebrate St David’s Day – from traditional Welsh outfits for school children to other Welsh-themed accessories. And by supporting your local traders you can also pick up good quality, local ingredients at affordable price...

World cup cyclist Manon Lloyd was among 12 sporting talents crowned winners at the Carmarthenshire Sports Personality Awards on Friday. At a glittering ceremony, hosted by Radio Carmarthenshire presenter, Jay Curtis, winners from across the county were honoured for their achievements at Y Ffrwnes Theatre. The event rewards and honours people of all ages and abilities who contribute to sport in Carmarthenshire. The awards are organised by Carmarthenshire Council's sport and leisure team and recognise the sporting achievements of athletes, coaches and volunteers across Carmarthenshire. Executive board member for regeneration and leisure, Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “Once again the quality of entries received this year was outstanding and it really does get more difficult for the judging panel year on year. What a great night it was celebrating the huge wealth of sporting talent we have here in Carmarthenshire.” Manon Lloyd was named Sports Personality of the Year for her outstanding s...

More rural communities in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion are to benefit from Bwcabus. The existing area of the award-winning bus service has been extended to a number of new towns and villages including Llanerchaeron, Llanfair Clydogau, Ffarmers and Ffaldybrennin. Tailored to the needs of its passengers, journeys can be pre-booked allowing people to travel between local towns and villages within the zone or connect to the main line bus services to Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Carmarthen. The service operates from 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday providing residents with access to healthcare and other key local services, employment and training opportunities and to see family and friends. Bwcabus also has a number of fixed routes that operate on certain days. The new changes came into effect from February 6. Bwcabus is a partnership between Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire county councils. The service has been extended as part of the LINC project with funding through the Welsh Gove...

Carmarthenshire Council has created a bird’s eye view of the proposed multi-million-pound Tywi Valley Path. The video – showing the route of the 16-mile shared use path between Carmarthen and Llandeilo – was created using 3D modelling software and Google Earth technology. It was showcased at a consultation event for local businesses and members of the public at the Ivy Bush Hotel in Carmarthen. The path will follow an almost adjacent route to that of the River Tywi, linking in with major tourist attractions through the stunning Tywi Valley countryside. A number of local businesses attended the event including accommodation providers, food and drink provides and tourist attractions to find out how they could contribute to the project and benefit from the anticipated 15,000 visitors a year. They were told the project was expected to generate between £860,000 and £2million a year in the local economy and create and support up to 41 full-time jobs. Director of Operations and Head Gardene...

A new service has been launched across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire to help community health staff access medication for palliative care patients. Hywel Dda University Health Board has entered into an agreement with nine community pharmacies to hold specific drug stocks so that community nursing teams can access them more easily. Difficulty in obtaining some of these drugs has previously been raised as an issue but the new agreement means that health workers now have better access to medication in urgent situations, reducing the time taken to find a pharmacy that has the items required. The Palliative Care Medication Service will operate during the normal opening hours of the listed pharmacies. A prescription will still be needed to have the items dispensed. The pharmacies are: CARMARTHENSHIRE Tesco Stores Ltd., Morfa Lane Carmarthen A R & H Davies Ltd 4 Kings Road, Llandovery Asda Stores Ltd., Murray Street, Llanelli CEREDIGION Morrisons Pharmacy, Llanbadarn Fawr,...

The first meeting of Llanelli’s new litter taskforce has been held with the aim of working together to make the town a cleaner and safer place to live. It was organised as a joint venture between Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Hazel Evans and Llanelli AM Lee Waters. Held at Llanelli Town Hall, it was chaired by the council’s Director of Environment and attendees included representatives from Llanelli town and rural councils, Keep Wales Tidy, Fly-tipping Action Wales, Dyfed-Powys Police, the Pobl housing group, as well as officers from the council’s housing, cleansing, public protection and environmental enforcement sections. The main focus of the meeting was to understand why Llanelli had a disproportionate problem with litter and fly-tipping compared to the rest of the county, and what could be done to improve the situation. Issues discussed included dog-fouling, changing patterns of behaviour, community education, roadside littering...

A Llanelli man’s birthday greetings message cost him £600 – because he painted it on the road in his street. Llanelli Magistrates Court heard that on July 8, 2016, Carmarthenshire County Council received an anonymous report that a man living in Grant Street had written the message ‘Happy Birthday Zoe M from Dai’ on the road in large print. On July 14 an environmental enforcement officer and technical assistant called at David Nigel Dallimore’s home in Grant Street. He admitted painting the message and agreed to accept a fixed penalty of £75. Twenty eight-year-old Dallimore failed to pay resulting in prosecution for making unauthorised marks on the highway. He was convicted in his absence last Friday. He was fined £220, and ordered to pay costs of £351 and a victim surcharge of £30. Executive board member for environmental and public protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Graffiti can be expensive to clear off as specialist products may have to be used to remove the paint in an environmenta...

A Llangennech man has been prosecuted for arranging the removal of household waste that was then fly tipped. Ethan George pleaded guilty last Friday at Llanelli Magistrates Court an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 - transferring controlled waste to a person without carrying out relevant checks. The court heard that on Wednesday March 9 last year, as a result of information received Carmarthenshire County Council environmental enforcement officers visited Llethri Road and Trosserch Woods in Llanelli where they saw a pile of black and blue refuse bags. At Llethri Road they saw nine blue and black bags and a kitchen chair. A search through the bags revealed evidence relating to a woman living in Llangennech. On arriving at Trosserch Woods they had to walk about 25-30m into the woods where they saw nine blue and black bags. A search through the bags revealed further correspondence relating to the same person. The following day the officers asked the woman how her was...

A new Bwcabus service is being launched in Pembrokeshire, thanks to a grant of almost £1.8million under the LINC project. It will operate mainly in the T5 section between Fishguard and Haverfordwest serving the villages to the east and west of the A40. Expanding Bwcabus into Pembrokeshire will also allow villages such as Trecwn, Puncheston, Maenclochog, and Little Newcastle to benefit from increased opportunities to travel and greater flexibility than is currently available. Bwcabus allows people to travel between local towns and villages within the zone or connect to the main line bus services to travel to places such as Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Cardigan and Narberth. In addition, it offers opportunities to connect rural communities into the rail network with hubs at Clarbeston Road and Clunderwen on the Milford Haven / Fishguard branch line. Bwcabus also has a number of timetabled fixed routes, which do not need to be booked, just turn up and catch the bus as with a regular servic...

This week's special offers at Jenkins Bakery shops - WEEK COMMENCING February 20, 2017 3 Medium Corned Beef Pasties, £1.85 2 Large Corned Beef Pasties, £2.20 4 Medium Sausage Rolls, £2.00 2 Custard Slices, £1.85 Sandwich of the Week, Lamb and Mint *NEW*, £2.50 Rustic Baguette of the Week, Chicken and Bacon, £2.60 Filled Softie of the Week, Turkey and Stuffing, £2.45 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/

A dental practice in the north of Carmarthenshire is moving to new premises and creating jobs with support from a grant scheme administered by the county council. Deintyddfa Emlyn in Newcastle Emlyn has been awarded a £128,000 Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund grant to move from the doctors’ surgery in Lloyds Terrace, Adpar, Newcastle Emlyn to the old day centre in the town’s Church Lane. Dentists Arwel Jones and Neil Jones, who are both from Carmarthenshire, took over the practice in 2011. They now want to expand and are revamping the old day centre to create a state-of-the-art dental practice. The grant will bring the derelict former day centre building back into use and the move will create eight full-time and one part-time job. Deintyddfa Emlyn is the second business to benefit from the £4.4m Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund. The partners in Deintyddfa Emlyn, Arwel Jones and Neil Jones, said: “We are very pleased to be given the opportunity to relocate and expand Deintyd...

A number of exciting events are in the pipeline for Carmarthenshire following the launch of the County’s Event Organisers Circle. Event organisers from across Carmarthenshire gathered to discuss plans for the newly formed initiative. The inaugural meeting of the network, which was attended by over 60 of the county’s event organisers and organised in partnership with the Carmarthenshire Tourist Association, marked the beginning of a series of events and activities planned to give support to event organisers. Participants were given the opportunity to shape the future of the project through discussion workshops highlighting where their upskilling needs lay. The circle, which has more than 100 members, aims to establish a network of people responsible for running all types of events in the county, encouraging them to connect and collaborate and to facilitate upskilling. Activities such as seminars, training workshops and one to one surgeries will be on offer to all who sign up to the s...