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

County Walks across Carmarthenshire have benefitted from an upgrade thanks to the Rights of Way Improvement Plan Funding Programme from the Welsh Government. The programme is managed by Natural Resources Wales and implemented by Carmarthenshire County Council. Nearly 43km of 44 routes across the county, covering 23 town and community council areas have been improved, and 146 items of furniture installed, 97 per cent of which were new gates to help improve access to the countryside. County recreation and access manager Alan Warner said: “An example of the improvements carried out under ROWIP is in Brechfa, where 10 stiles have been replaced with self-closing pedestrian gates, new steps and signage installed to improve routes for local residents and visitors to the area. “This formed part of the larger programme of rights of way improvements on footpaths and bridleways around the county including works on the Ferryside, Cenarth and Llandysul County Walks as well as routes in Cwmifor,...

The Russians are coming! To Carmarthen, in fact! The internationally-acclaimed LYRA Russian Vocal Ensemble will be performing at St Peters Church, Carmarthen, on Friday, May 12 (7pm). Tickets are £10 on the door and there are interval refreshments available at £2.50. LYRA are from St. Petersburg, Russia. The singing group consists of four members that have been educated either as opera singers or choir conductors in St. Petersburg Conservatory. The four are -  ANDREI SYSOEV – TENOR AND LEADER Born in St Petersburg. Graduated from the St. Petersburg conservatory. Won International competition of Sacred Music in Roma, Italy in 1995 as the conductor of a chamber choir "SingerBridge". Works as a choir master in St. Peter’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Act as an active composer too. ALEKSEI GOLOVIZNIN – BASS Born in the Karelian ASSR Byelomorsk. Graduated from the State Conservatory in Saint-Petersburg. Actively touring musician. Well-known in St Petersburg as...

Two high-flying consultant psychiatrists from Hywel Dda University Health Board are celebrating after winning prestigious awards from the British Medical Association (BMA). Dr Justin Cressey-Rogers and Dr Matthew Sargeant came first in their respective categories in Teaching and Learning Innovation and Outstanding Achievement at the BMA Cymru Wales/ BMJ Clinical Teacher of the Year Awards for 2017. Dr Cressey-Rogers has been involved in teaching medical students from Cardiff and Swansea universities, and teaching junior doctors in west Wales and Swansea. Dr Cressey-Rogers is currently a consultant in psychiatry of substance misuse at CDAT Penlan, Carmarthen, and also works in community adult psychiatry, as well as working closely with substance misuse workers in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. He said: "“I’m absolutely delighted to have won this award – it’s been a team effort and special mention must go to the postgraduate centre and to Dr Sargeant, without wh...

The busy ladies of The Phil Harmonics have a special charity fundraising night coming up this summer. They will be performing at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, on Friday, June 9, in aid of the Ty Bryngwyn Hospice Fund. Tickets are £25 and include a two-course meal and other entertainment from 'Friends' of The Phil Harmonics. Tickets are available from Phil Harmonics members of through their Facebook page. Rock and pop choir the Phil Harmonics have made their entrance onto the Llanelli music scene gradually over the last two years. The group was set up by Sarah Mair Richards, Phil Thomas and Pauline Yudowitz. In 2016 they held a charity evening which helped raise more than £1,600 for Prince Philip Hospital Breast Care Unit in Llanelli and a maternity hospital in Uganda. Choir rehearsals are at The Stradey Park Hotel and the choir members are grateful for the hotel’s continuing support. The Choir is for 18 - 80 year olds who want to be part of a very exciting group who ar...

As part of the global End Polio Now campaign, Llanelli Rotary Club members are staging a fundraising Curry and Quiz Night next month. The event is at 7pm on Thursday, May 4 at The Stag public house in Five Roads. The evening is being organised by Rotarian Joanna Isaac. Tickets are £10 and are available from any member of Llanelli Rotary Club. Joanna said: "It promises to be a fun evening and we will be raising cash on the night to help boost the End Polio Now campaign. "Everything we raise locally in Llanelli gets 'cash-matched' higher up the ladder. "We have already held a number of very successful events in aid of the charity and this Curry and Quiz Night should enable us to submit a significant total towards what is a very worthy international campaign to rid the world of polio."

The next public lecture for the Llanelli Workers' Education Association (WEA) promises to be a special event. The lecture is on Thursday 27 April at the Selwyn Samuel Centre in Llanelli and the guest speaker is Bohdana Bahlay. She will be giving a talk on "The Story of the Ukraine".  Bohdana is a specialist Cardiac Physiologist at Morriston Hospital, having held the post for more than 10 years. In her spare time, she is an active member of the organisation Voice of Ukraine Wales, which raises awareness of the history and culture of the Ukraine. She has helped stage several cultural events in Llanelli to promote her homeland. The lecture starts at 7.30pm. Admission free - non members welcome to attend.

Pembrey Country Park will step back in time over the spring bank holiday. Visitors to the park will be given an insight into what it was like living during the First World War in a two-day event. Infantry, cavalry, medical services, munitionettes and civilians from that era will interact with each other with period police officers doing the rounds. A WWI field hospital, complete with medical equipment, will be set up within the park, near the visitor centre, from 10am to 5pm. Representatives from The Welsh Great War Society, Northamptonshire Regiment and the Norfolk Regiment will also make an appearance along with a group portraying the French/Belgian resistance. A treasure hunt, organised by Dyfed Archaeological Trust, will lead people through the tunnels and munitions factory base. Entry to the event on Sunday and Monday, April 30 and May 1 is free. Usual car parking charges apply. Carmarthenshire County Council’s head of leisure, Ian Jones said: “Pembrey Country Park wasn’t always...

Llanelli Library has come runner up in a national competition encouraging readers to discover the world of fictional forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway, a character created by author Elly Griffiths. Quercus Books invited libraries across the UK to partake in a three month Elly Griffiths Reader Challenge from January to March this year. Libraries have been creating wonderful displays and Elly has chosen Llanelli Library as the “brilliant runner up”.

Light, Ladd & Emberton is a collective of three Wales-based dance artists – Deborah Light, Eddie Ladd and Gwyn Emberton – together with creative producer Laura Drane. Tomorrow (Friday, April 21), they bring their award winning show called Caitlin to Llanelli (Ffwrnes Theatre). The dance trio came together in 2014 to make Caitlin, a show commissioned for the Dylan Thomas centenary by the National Library of Wales. Through collaborative working, Light Ladd and Emberton create original professional performance work, with the aim of creating exciting and inspiring productions for audiences in Wales and beyond, and to represent Wales and the UK on a national and international stage. They draw on history and identity, predominantly of Wales, to create productions with contemporary relevance and culturally engaged. Caitlin was the wife of poet Dylan Thomas. At the start of the 1970s, 20 years after he died, she started going to Alcoholics Anonymous. In a circle of chairs, set out for...

A Digilab initiative is being launched in Carmarthen next week aimed at helping local businesses. Carmarthenshire County Council is running the event which demonstrates new digital resources for businesses, in line with the Digital High Street 2020 Report ’s findings. It will be held at Yr Atom at 16-18 King St on April 27 from 8am-10am. Breakfast will be provided The Digilab will feature: Free digital and business development resources for business and the “Digital Health Check”. Demonstration and hands on activity with new digital equipment and software. Links to business support resources and networking opportunities. The launch event will be facilitated by Carmarthenshire’s Digital Coordinator and Superfast Broadband Wales. A series of Digilab events is being planned across Carmarthenshire over the next 12 months. Book here Link - Digilab

The county council has agreed to adopt a Welsh Government business rate relief scheme, worth an estimated £488,000 for qualifying ratepayers in Carmarthenshire. Shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes in town centres could be amongst those eligible to apply for reduced business rates under the scheme, established to support those that have seen their rates increase as a result of the 2017 revaluation undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency. The council’s Executive Board agreed to adopt the scheme at its meeting this week. Councils do not have to grant the relief, but can choose to do so if it supports wider objectives for the local area. The council will now be able to offer two tiers of relief for existing businesses – the first tier for those that have a rateable value of between £6,001 and £12,000 for the financial year 2017-18 and who already receive Small Business Rates Relief or Transitional Relief. The second tier applies to retailers whose property has a rateable value between £...

Pembrokeshire and south Ceredigion patients being treated for Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are receiving the care they need closer to home thanks to the treatment and clinics provided at Withybush Hospital and Bro Preseli Community Resource Centre. Since April 2016, nearly 1000 patient visits have taken place with close to 500 treatment injections provided by the Wet AMD service at the Bro Preseli Community Care Resource Centre in Crymych. This is in addition to weekly review clinics at Withybush Hospital that see up to 40 patients each week, and monthly clinics that ensure patients receive their clinically prescribed follow up appointments locally and as soon as possible. To further complement this work, the Day Surgical Unit (DSU) at Withybush Hospital can now deliver a minimum of 25 treatment injections per week. Previously, patients would have needed to travel to Amman Valley Hospital in Ammanford for the same treatment. Joe Teape, Deputy Chief Executive and Directo...

The team at Llanelly House are preparing for a '70s evening at the historic town centre venue. This Friday, sees the House stage another popular Tapas evening. "Our themed Tapas evenings have been a big hit in recent months," said Llanelly House trustee Alison Evans. "The '70s theme is sure to be popular. Dressing in 'period' costume (something from the 1970s era and not Georgian dress!) is being encouraged. "So come along in your flares, jazzy prints and denim. Who knows, we might see the return of some hippies or some not-so-young rockers? Whatever the case, it promises to be a fun night. "The mastermind in the kitchen will be our resident chef Anna Brown, so you are assured of good food, all done in the best Tapas style." Booking is essential on 01554 772857. There will be music from the '70s and the fun starts at 7pm on Friday, April 21. Weblink - http://www.llanelly-house.org.uk Twitter - @LlanellyHouse

The latest 'On Song' column from the Carmarthen Journal and the Llanelli Star, by Robert Lloyd. Excitement is building for a special concert featuring the wonderful ladies of Côr Curiad. The Llanelli-based choir have a September 2 concert at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, with their special guests, The Overtones. The night will conclude Côr Curiad’s two-year fundraising efforts for Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli. The choristers have 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-releas...

This week's special offers at Jenkins Bakery shops - WEEK COMMENCING April 17, 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, Salmon and Cucumber, £2.35 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/