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

Pembrey Country Park is celebrating winning three top awards in as many months. The latest leisure and tourism award was announced in a glittering ceremony at the Brangwyn Hall. The park was one of three finalists, alongside Margam Park and Swansea Grand Theatre, as part of Swansea Life Awards, which received over 104,000 public votes. Last month the park was also awarded a certificate of excellence by one of the world’s largest online travel sites, TripAdvisor and Cefn Sidan beach achieved Blue Flag status for the 23rd time. The council’s head of leisure, Ian Jones said: “We’re thrilled to have received this award, and it makes it even more special that it was voted for by the people who know it best - our visitors and customers.” This year the park has seen more visitors and holidaymakers than ever with around 40,000 going through the gates over the Easter period. It hosts around 350 camping pitches, with some 130 electric hook ups – a first for the park - installed earlier this ye...

The Gower Chorale singers will be staging a special concert to celebrate the choir's 20th anniversary. On June 20 the choir will sing The Dream of Gerontius: with music by Sir Edward Elgar from poems written by Cardinal John Henry Newman. Since its first performance in Birmingham Town Hall in October 1900 the work has become regarded as Elgar’s finest choral composition. The Groves Directory of Music and Musicians rates it as one of his three finest works and many regard it as Elgar’s masterpiece. The last time this work was performed in the Brangwyn Hall was in 1984, more than 30 years ago, by Swansea Philharmonic Choir, so it is fitting that The Gower Chorale choose the work to celebrate its 20th year in the newly-revamped Brangwyn Hall. The concert will take place on Saturday, June 20, at 7 pm and, under the guidance of musical director Luke Spencer will be the Festival Orchestra of Wales, leader Mansel Hughes. Huw Tregelles Williams...

Celebrated TV comedian Russell Kane is one his way back to South Wales for two shows which see him team up with some of the area's local comedy heroes. November 18 marks the return to Swansea of Kane as he comes to the Brangwyn Hall with more of the hilarious stand-up comedy that won him the prestigious Edinburgh comedy award and saw him hit TV screens as a regular on 'Live at the Apollo', host of 'Britain Unzipped' and 'Live at the Electric'. Following his sell out tour (which hit Swansea Grand Theatre earlier in the year), a sinister one-man play and the publication of his debut novel, Kane is booked into the recently-renovated Brangwyn and there genuinely couldn't be a bigger act than the energetic, Essex-boy-come-comedy-king. The idea to put on the show is a collaboration between '100 Voices', an organisation well known in Swansea for raising money for numerous local charity causes and 'Comedy Sheep' a stand-up comedy group ba...

More than 150 great welsh voices will unite together with music from the exciting worlds of Opera, World Cinema, Broadway, Oratorio and rousing Welsh favourites to raise funds for homeless Kenyan children at a Swansea concert. The Brangwyn Hall Gala Concert will bring together the 150 massed voices of the Llanelli Choral Society (pictured top), Morriston RFC Male Choir (above) and acclaimed soprano Fflur Wyn (above) for a magical music journey under the direction of conductor John Hywel Williams, broadcaster Mal Pope and organist Huw Tregelles Williams. The night will feature highlights of world of Film, Broadway, Opera, Oratorio and Welsh favourites including Phantom of the Opera, Vangelis’ acclaimed film score 1492 Conquest of Paradise, Aida's Grand March, Hallelujah Chorus, Anthem from Chess and a roof raising massed voice Welsh favourite of Tydi a Rhoddaist. Funds will be raised on the night for The Kenya Children of Hope, a charity with a wonderful story of how a Wel...

Cor Meibion Llanelli pictured before a performance at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, in the early 19890s. Musical director D Eifion Thomas is centre in the white jacket. Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir musical director Clive Phillips is to the right in the bow tie. If you recognise anyone else, then email the choir's publicity officer, Robert Lloyd, on rlloydpr@btinternet.com

Great voices of Wales will unite in June to help homeless children in Kenya at an exciting event at The Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.  The ‘Brangwyn Hall Gala Concert’ will bring together powerhouses of Welsh song, the Llanelli Choral Society, Morriston RFC Male Voice Choir (pictured above) , acclaimed soprano Adele O’Neill and organist Huw Tregelles Williams for a magical musical journey in aid of an exciting Welsh Kenyan children’s charity, the Kenya Children of Hope. The Kenya Children of Hope is a wonderful story of how a Welsh-Kenyan couple have made an incredible difference to the lives of hundreds of homeless and family-less children on the streets of Nairobi. Clydach-based Heddwyn Williams met his Kenyan wife Lydiah 25 years ago and spent a number of years in Kenya where he saw at first hand the desperate need of homeless children on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. “Seeing young children living and sleeping in rubbish and rotting fruit and vegetables made us see that someth...

Burry Port Town Band have been crowned Welsh First Section Champions, after beating off the challenge of six other bands at the Welsh Regional Brass Band Championships in Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall. Having finished the 2011 season in fine style, winning the last two contests of the year, the band maintained their fine run of form in a result which earned them a qualifying place at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in Cheltenham in September, and which also ensured that they regained their Championship Section status after just two years in the First Section. The band’s Soprano Cornet player Jayne Thomas also added to her growing collection of “Best Instrumentalist” awards, picking up where she left off at the Blaenavon contest in November. Gareth John, the band’s spokesman, said, "The band has really been building towards this performance over the last two months or so. We finished the 2011 season in good form, winning the last two contests of the year and w...