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

The deep blue sea of Carmarthenshire’s Golden Coast seems to have sprayed inland since March. Farmer’s fields, roadside verges and woodlands are awash with myriads of bluebells. Visitors and walkers in the county’s countryside have been entranced by the heavy scent from the dancing fields of sapphire bluebells from Tregib Woods, Llandeilo, to St Illtyd’s Walk, Pembrey. County countryside officer Simeon Jones said the bonus profusion of bluebells this year was down to the unusual climatic conditions. He said: “The cold weather affects bluebell flowering with chilly conditions slowing the whole process. March this year was a cold in comparison to previous years. “We’re lucky to see bluebells flower quite early in south west Wales due to the relatively mild oceanic conditions and they are best seen in the morning. This year’s unusual late flowering also means that the bluebells have to compete with other plants and also from less light reaching them as the leaves on the trees start to g...

Carmarthenshire’s tourism section is using new technology and sponsorship to develop the county’s tourist industry. The county council is committed to improving the economic impact of the industry, which is worth around a third of a billion pounds a year and sustains the equivalent of 6,00 full-time jobs. Carmarthenshire is the sixth largest tourism area in Wales and is increasing. A report on progress over the last year has been presented to the council’s regeneration and leisure scrutiny committee. Marketing and tourism manager Huw Parsons said: “Our tasks are categorised into two different sectors - Destination Management and Destination Marketing. “Destination management is about ensuring that visitors to the county have a high quality, varied and enjoyable experience, while destination marketing is about ensuring Carmarthenshire is promoted as an attractive place to visit for selected target audiences.” Tourism officers work closely with other staff in the regeneration and leisure...

Carmarthenshire has taken to the motorway to attract new visitors to the county. The county’s accommodation and attractions will be advertised at a string of motorway service stations throughout Wales and England. Carmarthenshire County Council has entered a partnership with Pear Media which recently bought the exclusive rights to distribute tourism material across all Roadchef Motorway Services in the UK. Under the partnership the council will be sponsoring Magor and Pont Abraham on the M4, Symonds Yat on the M50, Strensham South on the M5, Maidstone on the M20 and Clackett Lane on the M25. As part of the deal the council’s marketing & tourism section will have prominent branding at each of these sites with their “Discover Carmarthenshire” leaflets given priority distribution. Pear Media said: “We have built up an excellent relationship with Carmarthenshire County Council in the last four years and are therefore delighted to announce this deal which will bring Carmarthenshire...