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

Locals and holidaymakers are busy exploring the Llanybri Heritage Trails, three new circular trails that link with Llansteffan on the Wales Coast Path. The trails bring to life the cultural distinctiveness of the Tâf/Tywi peninsula, a relatively undiscovered part of the county. The accompanying trail booklet features the built heritage, stories and artefacts associated with pilgrims passing by, local characters making a living on coast, river and marsh and farming life in days gone by. Users can find out about the local pastime known as 'fflwca,' why Dylan Thomas appears on the back of Jack Roberts the ferryman and the legend surrounding the 'Pilgrims' graves' at Llandeilo Abercywyn. On the coastal trail, three singing ladies in the form of a bespoke crafted steel seat provide a welcome and attractive resting place. Sited in the Sticks woods near Llansteffan, the seat commemorates the mock-mayor making, concerts and social gatherings that took place in th...

Signs banning dogs from Llansteffan beach have been stolen. Four signs which read ‘No dogs beyond this point’ have disappeared from their posts. The council has condemned those responsible and it has been reported it to the police as criminal damage. The byelaw bans dogs from the beach between May 1 and September 30. Environmental enforcement officers regularly patrol the area and anyone caught breaching the byelaw can be prosecuted. Four people were recently reported for summons to court and if convicted, the maximum fine that can be imposed by magistrates by is £500. Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “These signs will now have to be replaced and that costs money; money that could be much better spent. “Dog mess has been found on the beach so it is obvious people are ignoring the byelaw; but now they have gone one step further. “This is criminal damage and it has been reported it to the police. It will not be tolerated and we will not ...

  Environmental campaigners  Keep Wales Tidy  are calling on volunteers to help out with a clean-up of Llansteffan beach in a bid to restore it to its former glory. The date of the event is on Friday 24th of February at 10.00am, and volunteers are asked to gather next to the recycling bins in the beach car park where they will receive a short informal briefing. All tools and equipment (excluding clothing) will be provided. The event, in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council will be co-ordinated under the banner of the Tidy Towns project; a Welsh Government funded initiative aimed at restoring pride in the aesthetic appearance of villages, towns and the countryside of Wales. Keep Wales Tidy’s Project Officer for Carmarthenshire; Daniel Snaith said, “Unfortunately the beach does suffer from littering, some of which is brought in with the tide, hence the appeal to people living in the surrounding communities to spare a few hours to give the areas a good...

Three Carmarthenshire youth clubs have combined forces to give a community garden a much needed face-lift. Young people from Carmarthenshire, Llansteffan and Abergwilli youth clubs have transformed an overgrown community garden at the rear of the Memorial Hall, Llansteffan into a safe and useable space. The project was made possible through funding from the GwirVol Youth Volunteering Awards, which allowed the groups to purchase the talents of three artists from Arts Care Gofal to help with landscape design, willow work, ceramics and mural art. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Youth Service and the MOBI Project have been working in the area since September 2009 giving young people the chance to participate in fun and informal educational activities. Cath Wilson, Youth Project Worker, said: “The young people worked extremely hard, giving up their time during the summer holidays to complete the garden.” “Despite poor weather conditions the young people showed enthusiasm and commitmen...