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

Patients of Minafon GP Surgery, serving Kidwelly, Ferryside and Trimsaran, will be able to hear first-hand about new services and ways of working at public events being held this week. Hywel Dda University Health Board and the practice have organised meetings in each practice area to give patients a chance to learn more about the new service provision and to ask any questions. The health board has worked closely with patients and local council representatives to ensure continued provision of services to the local community whilst there have been significant workforce challenges. Head of General Medical Services Rachel Pompa said: “We are really looking forward to coming out to the communities to inform them about the work that has been going on, to answer any questions and to take any feedback and ideas.” New initiatives to assist patients in accessing the right level of support will include the opportunity to see other clinicians in the practice when appropriate (for example the nurse...

Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi, TRIO, Joy Cornock, Dawnswyr Talog - Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi annual concert at Gwenllian Centre, Kidwelly. There’s a Welsh word that sums up this concert staged by Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi. It is ‘bendigedig’, meaning splendid. You could throw a few other Welsh words into the mix – ‘gwych’ and ‘ardderchog’, for example, and you would get a decent idea of how it all went. Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi have a fine reputation as one of the smaller male voice choirs in Wales. Indeed, they only fielded 19 choristers on Saturday night, but, rather like the Welsh football team, they are a great team unit and #TogetherStronger. Special guests included TRIO (a male vocal group from Snowdonia, North Wales), the harpist and soprano Joy Cornock and Dawnswyr Talog, Carmarthenshire’s traditional Welsh folk dancers. TRIO, formed by renowned pianist/accompanist Annette Bryn Parri, features Emyr Wyn Gibson, tenor, Bedwyr Gwyn Parri, baritone, and Steffan Lloyd Owen, bass-bar...

A major award has been won by Rheilffordd Cwm Gwendraeth Valley Railway, a heritage and community line being developed on a unique disused rail corridor starting in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire. The £75,000 award will enable the establishment of a Velorail (cycle-rail) operation in the first phase, bringing a family tourist attraction to the area. The Velorail project will introduce to the UK a form of activity popular in France, using ‘carriages’ propelled by two ‘cycles’, with seating for another two-three people. Velorails are great fun for everyone and suitable for all ages and abilities. The operation will ‘kick-start’ the development of the entire Rheilffordd Cwm Gwendraeth Valley Railway, which runs between Kidwelly and Cwm Mawr near Pontyberem. The railway was originally built on the tow path of probably the world’s first industrial canal – the first canal in Wales - providing a unique rail corridor with rail, cycle track and long tracts of waterway along the sam...

A 'Vintage Clothing' Fashion Show is being staged in Kidwelly in aid of Age Cymru Sir Gar, the charity which supports the over-50s in Carmarthenshire. It takes place at the Princess Gwenllian Centre on Saturday, April 16. Tickets are £10, which includes a finger buffet. There's a bar available, although drinks are not included in price. Doors open 7.30pm. The event is being staged by Vintage Vision http://www.vintagevision.co.uk   Tickets and further information from - http://www.ageuk.org.uk/cymru/sirgar/contact-us/ Age Cymru Sir Gâr Unit 5-11 LEC Workshops 100 Trostre Road Llanelli SA15 2EA Telephone: 01554 784080 Email: info@agecymrusirgar.org.uk About Vintage Vision We are a not for profit social enterprise, and a company limited by guarantee. We take donated vintage clothes and sell them on line, at events, and in pop up shops We run free sewing workshops and classes in the community and with partners. We develop projects around vintage fashion, soci...

It was a case of kind-hearted contractor Phil Rees to the rescue when the team putting up Kidwelly's Christmas Tree hit a snag. The placing of Kidwelly's main Christmas Tree near St Mary's Church was delayed last week due to the high winds. And when the winds died down, Cymru Christmas Trees owner Roger Hunt discovered another hiccup to his tree installation plans. "It's no-one's fault, but when we arrived on site we found a skip blocking access to the tree site. "Workmen have been busy working on premises nearby and, to be fair to them, they weren't to know we needed access to the site. "In the meantime, the town council had put up the festive lights, so we had to put our thinking caps on to find a way of easing the Christmas Tree into place without snagging on the lights. "I went on social media and appealed for anyone with a spare teleloader, a mechanical lifting device. "To our delight Phil Rees, of M4 Trailers in Cross ...

Ryan Michael Thomas has been elected the new Carmarthenshire County Councillor for the Kidwelly ward. A by-election was held yesterday following the death of former councillor Keith Davies. Results of the by election are as follows: Stephen Royston Bowen – People First – 58 Fran Burke-Lloyd – Independent – 177 Stephen Andrew Davies – Welsh Conservative – 53 Dilwyn John Jones – Plaid Cymru - 248 Vivian Summers – Independent – 28 Ryan Michael Thomas – Welsh Labour – 288 The turnout was 31 per cent.

The Russians are coming! They are heading for Kidwelly for what promises to be a musical treat. An Evening of Sacred and Folk Music is being presented by the Russian Choir Voskresenije (Resurrection) at St Mary’s Church, Kidwelly, on Wednesday October 7 at 7pm Admission is £5 and tickets can be obtained from Mrs Peggy Davies, 6 Maes y Parc, Kidwelly. Telephone 01554 890147. Tickets will also be available on the door. Mrs Davies said: "This promises to be a very special evening. Voskresenije are a small group of singers, but they have an outstanding reputation and we hope that the people of Kidwelly give them a very warm welcome." The vocal ensemble Resurrection -Voskresenije in Russian - was founded by Jurij Maruk in 1993. It consists of seven to 10 professional female and male vocalists. The repertoire of the ensemble includes Russian Sacred Music as well as folk music. Guest performances in Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Austria, th...

The leader of Carmarthenshire County Council has paid tribute to Cllr Keith Davies who died today. Councillor Keith Davies represented the Council Division of Kidwelly in the Gwendraeth Valley. He had been a county councillor since 2008 and following his re-election in 2012, he was appointed to serve on the council’s Executive Board with responsibility for Education and Children, a position he held until earlier this year. Before retiring in 2006 he worked in retail management and was a supermarket manager with the Co-op. He was a Governor of Ysgol y Castell, Kidwelly and Ysgol Glanymor, Burry Port. He was also a member of Kidwelly Town Council and served on a number of other committees within his local community. Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole said: “It was with sadness that I heard of the sudden, unexpected and early death of Cllr Keith Davies and would like to offer my sympathy to his family and to the people of Kidwelly where he was a central part of the community. “Everyone ...

A little known but hard working group of small businesses is celebrating its 21st anniversary. The Carmarthenshire Farm and County Holidays Group was formed in 1994 as a self-help group, to promote their individual businesses and support each other with marketing and advice. Their members offer a range of facilities including bed and breakfast, self catering cottages as well as camping and caravanning. The 20 group members are the most active of their kind in Wales. They recently published a collection of recipes called “Carmarthenshire Farmhouse Fayre” which rapidly sold out and is now only available in electronic format on the group’s website www.carmarthenshirefarms.com . The group will be at the Royal Welsh Show again this year and last year gave cookery demonstrations at Llanelli’s National Eisteddfod. Group chair Sharon Richards, from Abergwili, said the group prided themselves on the use and promotion of the best of local produce wherever possible, giving advice to visitors on...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star - The choristers of Cor Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the choir this summer. A special anniversary concert has been arranged for Saturday, July 18, at the Princess Gwenllian Centre, Kidwelly (7pm). The choir’s guests include celebrated Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion, mezzo-soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies and a folk group from Karelia. The evening will be hosted by the popular BBC Cymru and Radio Cymru presenter Garry Owen. The evening is sponsored by Kidwelly's Gravells garage. Tickets are £10 and available by ringing -01269 860996 or 01554 890956. Website - http://www.cormeibiondyffryntywi.co.uk/ Lleisiau Hardd choir from Llanelli will be celebrating 10 years as a choir with a special concert at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, on Saturday, July 18. Over the course of 10 years, the choir has grown in stature, reputation, and gained recognition on...

The choristers of Cor Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the choir this summer. A special anniversary concert has been arranged for Saturday, July 18, at the Princess Gwenllian Centre, Kidwelly (7pm). The choir's guests include celebrated Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion, mezzo-soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies and a folk group from Karelia, The evening will be hosted by the popular BBC Cymru and Radio Cymru presenter Garry Owen. The evening is sponsored by Kidwelly's Gravells garage. Tickets are £10 and available by ringing - 01269 860996 01554 890956 Website - http://www.cormeibiondyffryntywi.co.uk/

'Broadway' comes to Kidwelly this Saturday, April 18, in the Princess Gwenllian Centre at 7.30pm. Carmarthenshire Youth Opera and the Carmarthenshire Music Service will be providing a 'Big Band' sound and all the glamour of the New York stage. This one off performance has been produced to contribute to the Cydweli 900 celebrations. The Youth Opera's recent production of The Addams Family in the Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, exuded quality. These exciting artists now will bring their talents to Kidwelly with something new. Carmarthenshire Youth Opera, whose patron is the Duchess of Cornwall, is dedicated to developing young talent and delighting audiences in Carmarthenshire and beyond. The company has launched the career of many professional performers in TV, radio, musical theatre and opera. It will be an evening to remember. Further information and ticket details from Harvery Jones, Cydweli 900. 01554 891176 TirHaf@aol.com

People in Kidwelly and surrounding areas will have their general health needs met by six GPs working from the town’s surgery, Meddgyfa Minafon, and satellite sites in Ferryside and Trimsaran. Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) is now supporting the team as a managed practice following the retirement of one of the senior partners Dr J Dundrow and departure of Dr Hartwell. Two of the other former partners, Dr A Al-Abdullah and Dr M Muthuvairavan, have been recruited by the UHB; as well as a former salaried GP Dr S Markham; and two locum GPs Dr K Bathini and Dr R Chumroo, who were already working in the practice. In addition, and an experienced GP who previously worked at Aman Tawe Partnership in Cwmllynfell, Dr L Bernard, has also been recruited, with the six doctors working hours as five full time equivalents. This has ensured a full team and a mix of male and female doctors to serve the area. Other practice staff continue to work at the practice as part of the arrangements. Ela...

A new safer cycle route into Pembrey Country Park is being created thanks to the Big Lottery Coastal Communities Fund. A total of £300,000 has been secured to link up the Pembrey Canal Route with Pinged through to Kidwelly with a significant spur to create a safer cycle route to the country park. The new one-mile of cycleway will link Pembrey to Pinged Road joining the existing network. Executive board member for transport services, Cllr Colin Evans, said the celebrated Sustans Cymru M4 cycle route along Llanelli’s Millennium Coastal Park was one of the most popular in the country. He congratulated Sustrans and council officers for their successful bid adding: “This new funding will allow significant spurs off it to link up communities and create more safer cycling opportunities. “It will tie in the communities of Burry Port, Pembrey and Kidwelly to the immensely popular Sustrans coastal cycleway that enters the county at Bynea. “The existing route, was completed from Burry Port Harb...

Two contrasting concerts in Kidwelly will bring cheery notes to the months of January and February. The concerts are part of celebrations marking the 900th anniversary of the historic town of Kidwelly. The celebrations are under the Cydweli 900 banner. On January 24 at the Princess Gwenllian Hall , beginning at 7.30 pm., the Cwmbach Male Voice Choir from Aberdare will be singing. This fine choir will be joined by young instrumentalists from Carmarthenshire for an evening of entertainment. On February 21 at 7.30 in St Mary’s Church, Kidwelly, the brass section of the Royal Welsh College of Music, Cardiff, will be performing. This outstanding group of musicians will play a wide variety of music from Glen Miller to Handel and Purcell. Tickets will be available on the door and from the Kidwelly Town Council offices, mornings only, Tel. 0154 891104. E-mail towncouncil@kidwelly.gov.uk Local residents can buy from Cydweli 900 committee members Music, sport, drama, and a farm fun da...

Hywel Dda University Health Board would like to reassure residents of Kidwelly, Trimsaran and Ferryside that their GP provision will continue. The university health board has been in discussion with the practice for some time to ensure services continue in the area when the Senior Partner (GP) retires at the end of the year. Following these discussions it was felt that the best way to continue the service would be for the university health board to take over management of the practice from January 4, 2015. It is hoped this arrangement will be a temporary solution to ensure continued delivery of services and to reassure the local people and the staff who work there. A spokesperson for the GP’s at the surgery said: “Due to problems with GP recruitment we have been having discussions with Hywel Dda University Health Board and they have agreed to take over the management of the practice from January 2015. We will continue to work closely with the university health board to ensure a smo...

A Carway man has been fined £600 for throwing a cigarette onto the floor in Llanelli. Dean Ward, aged 30, of Maes y Wern, Carway, was convicted at Carmarthen Magistrates Court in his absence of an offence under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £200 and a victim surcharge of £60. The court was told that environmental enforcement officers were on duty in Vaughan Street, Llanelli, on Wednesday February 26 when at about 11.20am they saw Ward standing outside the British Heart Foundation shop smoking a cigarette. They saw him finish the cigarette and throw the end on the floor before walking away. When they approached him and asked if he knew why he had been stopped he said ‘It’s obvious, isn’t it, you haven’t got anything better to do’, the court heard. He was given a Fixed Penalty Notice for £75 and when he did not pay this he was prosecuted. Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones ...

The Kidwelly Beer Festival is being held on Friday and Saturday, September 5 and 6, at the Princess Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly. One of the organisers, Harvey Jones, has kindly sent me some information from the 'match programme' about the Cydweli 900 celebrations and beer in Kidwelly -  This section of the programme is to advertise Cydweli 900 and to give you some interesting facts about beer and in particular the history of beer in Cydweli. Cydweli 900 is about celebrating 900 years of our history, give or take a few years. There is disagreement about dates, but this may be due to drinking an excess of beer and can probably be best resolved over a beer! In any case in 2015 we will be celebrating. Watch out for events from concerts to a Farm Fun Day, sporting events, and surprise, surprise a BEER FESTIVAL, and we have our own celebration ale:- Cwrw Cydweli You will probably be enjoying Cwrw Cydweli as you are reading this. If not, stop reading. Go to the...

Kidwelly struck by power cuts | Llanelli Star : 565 properties were reportedly without electricity in the Kidwelly and Ferryside areas yesterday. Power was reportedly down from just after 2pm

Football players united in grief at loss of much-loved Jonathan 'Butty' Evans | Llanelli Star Football players from Kidwelly and Llanelli came together in a minute's silence to mark the death of a "gentle giant" who died a fortnight ago. The match, which had been organised by Kidwelly Town against Llanelli Reds to mark their 30th anniversary began with sadness as players linked arms at the centre circle in respect of dad-of-two Jonathan Evans. Mr Evans tragically lost his life in a farming accident at the age of just 43.