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

  TRIBUTES have been paid to the man whose name was synonymous with shopping and business in Llanelli, Mr TH Gilmore (Gil) Jones. Universally known throughout the town as Gil or Gilmore, he died on Sunday, October 20, aged 82. Gilmore won the Llanelli Star’s Community Champion award in 2010 – an honour which reflected his busy life in retail in the town and his wider interests in supporting community life. Gilmore was President of Llanelli Chamber of Trade and Commerce between 2006 and 2009 and played a key role in supporting the Special Olympics Carmarthenshire club and his award-winning daughter Llinos. His good friend Andrew Stephens, who succeeded Gilmore as manager of the St Elli Shopping Centre in 2014, said: “To say he will be missed is an understatement as Gilmore was part of the fabric of community life in Llanelli.” Andrew, who is now a Llanelli Rural councillor, added: “Gilmore wore his heart on his sleeve and was 100 per cent committed to Llanelli and the people of the ...

Members of Llanelli Rotary Club will be in the St Elli Centre, Llanelli, on Saturday, September 12 as part of the club's annual Back Pack Appeal for schoolchildren in Africa. Members of the public are being asked to donate old back packs or satchels (together with any other school kit) to the appeal. Llanelly House and the Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli will be acting as collection points for the appeal from September 11-19. Llanelli Rotary President Sue Roberts said:" Very often the children we support don’t have even basic things like pens and notepads to allow them to make the most of their education. You can help solve this problem by filling an old school bag or backpack with some everyday educational items. "All help for the appeal is gratefully received." Last year, Llanelli Rotary Club joined the Mary's Meals backpack appeal for the first time. The club members and friends collected 59 backpacks to send to needy children in Africa. Project coordinator...

The members of the world famous Côr Meibion Llanelli will be holding a recruitment day in Llanelli town centre later this month. The choir regularly boasts more than 60 members on stage at performances, but choristers are keen to take on new recruits. "In true General Kitchener Word War One style, we are putting out a big rallying call for new members," said choir vice-chairman Tony Crossman. "Kitchener was the subject of a famous poster which declared, 'Your country needs you!' "In our case, it is 'Côr Meibion Llanelli needs you!' as we cast the net for new members." The choir recruitment day will take place at the St Elli Shopping Centre on the morning of Saturday, June 27. Mr Crossman said: "We are planning three 20-minute mini-concerts during the course of the morning and will be taking breaks in between to mingle with shoppers and explain what it means to be part of a great male voice choir. "There are definite ...

Two young people have been taken on by a Llanelli shop thanks to the Communities First Jobs Growth Wales scheme. Jonathan Armstrong, owner of Emilia May Gifts in the St. Elli Shopping Centre, Llanelli, is one of a number of local employers who have taken advantage of the scheme by recruiting two new members of staff – Kayleigh Brown and Larissa Parton - with the help of Hannah Evans, Jobs Growth Wales mentor for Communities First . The scheme offers young people aged 16-24 full time job opportunities, paid at national minimum wage for a period of six months. The Welsh Government provides funding to local employers for 26 weeks for giving young people the opportunity to gain good quality work experience within their business. The aim is that these jobs will become sustainable jobs following the end of the scheme allowing young people to remain in employment. Kayleigh, from Felinfoel, Llanelli, attended a ‘Have a Go’ event organised by Communities First in January last year to acces...

Llanelli Rotary Club will be holding a Stroke Awareness Day at the St Elli Shopping Centre, Llanelli, between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, April 18. The event is part of a national campaign by the Rotary organisation and the Stroke Association to help save lives. Llanelli Rotary Club President Hywel Bassett said: "Checking your blood pressure on a regular basis is a very important first step to staying healthy. "Llanelli Rotary Club members are delighted to be joined by trained professional doctors and nurses to give members of the public the chance to have their blood pressure checked during a break from shopping at the St Elli Centre. "It is all part of a bid to raise awareness of the link between high blood pressure and strokes. “In previous years, we have assisted more than 200 people in having their blood pressure checked on the day. Obviously, anyone with high blood pressure was given the appropriate medical advice on the spot and told what steps to take next to ...

Christmas is coming early to one Llanelli shop. There may be 'only' 139 days to Christmas, but the Card Factory in the St Elli Shopping Centre in Llanelli is getting ready for the festive season. The Card Factory is the first high street store to launch Christmas and shoppers are getting into the spirit by flocking to buy their festive cards. A spokesman for the Llanelli Card Factory shop said: "Lots of our customers like to spread the cost of Christmas, so we make sure we launch our Christmas ranges in plenty of time. "They seem to be going down very well with customers - and the staff are enjoying getting into the Christmas mood." The Card Factory, a business based in Wakefield, is the UK’s fastest growing specialist greetings card retailer, with more than 650 stores nationwide and new stores opening all the time. Weblink -  http://www.stelli.co.uk/

The St Elli Shopping Centre, the trading hub of Llanelli, is moving into the fast lane. The centre is to have an innovative mini car showroom featuring cars from Sinclair Volkswagen Swansea. “It’s something of a novelty when it comes to what we offer as a shopping centre,” said centre manager Andrew Stephens. “It’s very different to our more customary ‘shop’ operations, but Sinclair Volkswagen Swansea were keen on the unit and we think it brings something new and fresh to the shopping centre. “What is interesting is that there are companies out there willing and prepared to invest in Llanelli. “You get all this doom and gloom talk on occasions about Llanelli town centre as a shopping destination, but the High Street and the shopping experience is changing all the time. “It’s good news for the St Elli Shopping Centre that Sinclair Volkswagen Swansea are coming to town – and they are likely to be followed very quickly by another new tenant at our shopping centre. “Negotiatio...

Representatives of the Hywel Dda Health Board are in the St Elli Shopping Centre in Llanelli today talking about medicine waste. Wasted medication is costing the NHS millions every year – including an estimated £2.7million for the Hywel Dda Health Board, local health chiefs have revealed. The potential money wasted on unused or partially used medicines could pay for: 106 more nurses OR  2,700 more drug treatment courses for Alzheimers OR  178 more drug treatment courses for breast cancer OR  728 more hip replacements  A campaign aimed at reducing unnecessary waste was launched on January 14, 2013 across Hywel Dda, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University, Aneurin Bevan and Cardiff and Vale Health Boards. The campaign asks patients to: Only order what they need  Return their unwanted medicines to their pharmacy for safe disposal  Take their medicines with them when they go into hospital  GPs and pharmacists across the region have joined together in...

The Chair of Carmarthenshire County Council has supported Llanelli and District Guide Dogs for the Blind at the St Elli Centre, Llanelli The Chair Cllr Siân Thomas is pictured with Betty Harmer and her guide dog Cathy who were taking part in the branch’s efforts to raise funds and raise awareness of the charity during Guide Dog Week. Cllr Thomas said: “The Branch was very grateful for Carmarthenshire County Council’s support in this special week. They were also supported on the day by Llanelli Rural Council and Nia Griffith MP along with many regular and new supporters.” Llanelli and District Branch fundraise all year round and if you would like to help them or your local branch please contact Mari on 01554 755467 or Sandra on  sandrajfrancis@btinternet.com.

Let’s jump to it and get right behind Carmarthenshire’s Olympic Gold hopeful Dai Greene. Carmarthenshire council is inviting all-comers to St Elli Shopping Centre on June 2 to lend their support to Dai Greene ahead of his quest for gold in the 400-metre hurdles. It will be a day packed with free activities, especially appealing to youngsters, including a mini decathlon under the centre’s glass pyramid, a chance to try out the first hurdles Dai Greene ever hopped over as a pupil of Llanelli’s Coedcae School, a free children’s art workshop and much more. ‘Good Luck Dai Greene’ wristbands will be given away, as well as a host of other goodies. His strict training regime means Dai will not be there on the day, but there will be a 6ft 1inch cardboard cut-out of Dai for picture opportunities.

Llanelli's   St Elli Shopping Centre is up for sale with offers invited in excess of £33 million. And a bidding war has started such is the interest in the busy centre. Owners Axa have already had two potential investors for the Centre which attracts electronically recorded footfall figures in excess of seven million a year-that’s 135,000 a week. The investors have visitors the Centre and the Llanelli Showcase which illustrates the dramatic £60million developments in the town. The 130,000sq ft Centre which has 24 units anchored by the 70,000sq ft Asda Store attracts an annual net rental of more than £2.5million. Carmarthenshire County executive board member for regeneration Cllr Clive Scourfield: said: “The marketing of St Elli by Axa is a really exciting development and shows a great confidence in Llanelli. “Ownership of shopping centres often passes from company to company as a result of changing circumstances. The Centre is being marketed because it is well let and to b...

Buyers set to battle for centre | This is South Wales Llanelli's St Elli Shopping Centre is up for sale — with rival buyers said to be gearing up for a bidding war. AXA Retail Estate, which manages the centre, confirmed the owners were now seeking offers in excess of £33 million.

There was a green theme to Valentine’s Day in Llanelli with the launch of Carmarthenshire’s new recycling website. The council’s waste awareness team were at the St Ellli Shopping Centre to promote the new website  www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/recycling People could even send their loved one a fun ‘Greenie’ Valentine’s ecard – a more eco-friendly alternative to a shop-bought card! There was also some half-term fun in Llanelli Market with Carmarthen-based scrap store Trysordy making baskets, badges and crowns from recycled materials. The new recycling website is packed full of information, news and advice on what householders can do to reduce their waste, reuse and recycle. Residents can also order more blue bags or find their nearest recycling centre - all at the touch of a button. There is information on all of the council’s waste services as well as advice on real nappies, home composting and food waste. The website is also fun, educational and interactive with four online ‘Green...

Trostre Camera Club Annual Exhibition runs from tomorrow until Saturday, 9 to 5, in the St Elli precinct in Llanelli. Vote for your favourite picture!

A campaign against smoking-related litter has helped clean up Llanelli. Carmarthenshire County Council, supported by Tidy Towns, is encouraging people to put their cigarette ends in the bin. A campaign has been launched to raise awareness of this type of litter which not only looks unsightly but is also very difficult and expensive to clean up as the ends fall into grates and cracks in the pavement which makes them almost impossible to remove by normal cleaning. Discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire with visible evidence of smoking-related litter found on 83 per cent of the streets inspected by Keep Wales Tidy. Council officers were in the St Elli Shopping Centre giving out free pocket ashtrays to help keep the town clean and to warn people that anyone caught dropping a cigarette end in public can be fined. The council’s environmental enforcement officers regularly carry out patrols and anyone caught throwing litter can be issued with a fi...

Mums and dads in Carmarthenshire with babies in nappies are being urged to help set a world record. A Guinness World Record Nappy Changing Challenge is being held at the St Elli Shopping Centre in Llanelli on Saturday, April 23. Carmarthenshire County Council is hosting the event and is appealing to mums and dads to come along and join in the fun. As well as hopefully setting a new world record on the number of real cloth nappies changed simultaneously around the world, there will be fun and games for all the family. Children’s entertainers ‘Entertainment Explosion’ will be leading the fun, kids can get arty with Trysordy, and there will be stalls including Mothercare and Nappy Go Lucky, as well as lots of information and advice. Council waste minimisation/recycling officer Karen Fulham said: “The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the benefits of using real nappies instead of disposables, not only are they better for the environment but they are better for baby and cheaper in t...

Today is International Rotary Day and members of Llanelli Rotary Club will be explaining their work at a stand at the St Elli Centre, Llanelli. Some facts and figures - £62,000 - Llanelli Rotary Club’s contribution to the Foundation charity, the international Rotary movement’s own charity fund. £149,859 – the amount Llanelli Rotary has raised for charities (at home and abroad) since 1990. 33,000 – the number of Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries. 1.2 million – the number of men and women who donate their expertise, time, and funds to support local and international projects that help people in need and promote understanding among cultures. 106 – the number of years Rotary has been operating. It was founded in Chicago in 1905. 2.1 billion – the amount in US dollars which the Rotary Foundation has awarded in grants, which are administered at the local level by Rotary clubs. 800 million – the amount in US dollars that Rotary International has contributed to PolioPlus – a programme to...

Staff from Carmarthenshire Children’s Partnership used National Family Week as an opportunity to engage with families in the Llanelli area. The partnership, made up of key statutory and voluntary organisations including Carmarthenshire County council, hosted an information stall at the St Elli Shopping Centre. Staff had the opportunity to inform parents and families about the range of family support services on offer within the county, such as Sure Start, Flying Start and Genesis. Information bags and freebies were given out, and a range of activities, including face painting and hand painting, were laid on. Janine Patrick, Sure Start development officer, said: “It was a great opportunity to get out and meet families during a half term week. We spoke to many families, some of who were not fully aware of the many support services we offer. “Hopefully this will lead to further engagement, and will provide us with an opportunity to support more families towards a better future.” For furth...

Carmarthenshire Children’s Partnership is holding an awareness event at Llanelli’s St Elli Shopping Centre during the half-term, as part of National Family Week. The partnership, made up of key statutory and voluntary organisations including Carmarthenshire County council, is hosting an information stall at the shopping centre. Staff will be on hand to talk to parents and families about the range of family support services on offer within the county. Information bags and freebies will be given away, and a range of activities will be laid on. Janine Patrick, Sure Start development officer, said: “National Family Week provides us with an ideal opportunity to get out there and speak to local families about the services that may benefit them. “During half-term week, we expect to see lots of families with children shopping in the town centre, and we will welcome the opportunity of meeting with them.” Staff will be highlighting services such as Sure Start, Flying Start and Genesis. Sure Star...