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

Paul Summers, vocalist, will be at Llanelli Conservative Club on Saturday, April 15.

The Curtain Up Theatre Company are doing their annual show at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, on the June 10th this year. It is a 'SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES'. It is in aid of the MIND charity. The inimitable Denys Jenkins (Denny Twp) will be compère.

A number of exciting events are in the pipeline for Carmarthenshire following the launch of the County’s Event Organisers Circle. Event organisers from across Carmarthenshire gathered to discuss plans for the newly formed initiative. The inaugural meeting of the network, which was attended by over 60 of the county’s event organisers and organised in partnership with the Carmarthenshire Tourist Association, marked the beginning of a series of events and activities planned to give support to event organisers. Participants were given the opportunity to shape the future of the project through discussion workshops highlighting where their upskilling needs lay. The circle, which has more than 100 members, aims to establish a network of people responsible for running all types of events in the county, encouraging them to connect and collaborate and to facilitate upskilling. Activities such as seminars, training workshops and one to one surgeries will be on offer to all who sign up to the s...

Carmarthen's legendary Merlin Festival is planned for a relaunch this year. The event aims to celebrate the “Year of the Legend” in Carmarthenshire, one of a series of themed years being spearheaded by Visit Wales to promote what the country has to offer to tourists. In 2018 it will be the ‘Year of the Sea’. A range of activities are being planned by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Marketing & Media team to mark the year locally, one of the highlights of which will be the Merlin Festival, centred in Carmarthen. The event is scheduled to take place on March 24 and 25, and aims to celebrate the legend of Merlin and other Arthurian characters said to have lived in the town and given it its name. Originally called Caerfyrddin, which means Merlin’s Fort; the town also has Merlin’s Oak and Merlin’s Hill, plus many tales of the wizard associated with the area. The festival aims to feature street entertainment, magic, a local produce market, plus a community/ schools sculpture trail...

Llanelli Library is putting on a range of great activities for the Christmas holidays. The fun kicks off this Saturday (December 17) with Christmas-themed crafts taking place throughout the day, followed by a showing of the Christmas film ‘Nativity’, which is suitable for children of all ages, on Monday at 2.15pm. On Tuesday there is another film show, ‘Finding Dory’ at 2pm, along with Pre-School Storytime and Crafts at 10.30am and 2.30pm on Tuesday and Thursday. This activity is suitable for children under five. Don’t miss out on Christmas Crafts on Wednesday and the second in the trilogy of the film ‘Nativity 2, Danger in the Manger’ at 2.15pm on Thursday (December 22). Follow on Facebook and Twitter for further details of activities.

Latest news from Aberglasney House and Gardens in the picturesque Tywi Valley -  Aberglasney's Winter Fair ~ one of Wales' biggest festive events Friday 2nd December ~ 11am-4.30pm (parking at Aberglasney, no park and ride) Saturday 3rd December and Sunday 4th December ~ 10am-4.30pm (parking at Aberglasney and free park and ride from Coleg Sir Gar’s Gelli Aur campus) A must-do of the Christmas season! Be inspired by our Mansion and two large marquees which will be packed with over 100 stalls offering a wide range of Christmas gifts and decorations, crafts, homeware, toiletries and clothing: you'll be sure to find some special things for you and yours Warm up with mulled wine or spiced apple juice and a mince pie included with entry Enjoy delicious local artisan food on the day and to take home, with a hog roast, vegetarian pies, 'Coaltown' coffee and hot chocolate, and much more Feel festive with music and choirs across the event ( see our website for the programme...

Latest news from the team at Span Arts in Narberth -  What's coming up at Span Arts this month! John S. Davies Ensemble Sunday 27th Nov Launch into the festive season with an atmospheric and uplifting advent concert at Pisga Chapel performed by candlelight, with mulled wine served afterwards. Book Here Singing Workshop Monday 14th/28th Nov Led by tutor Catriona Fothergill, member of the NVP (National Voice Practitioners), the group is friendly & open to all abilities, ages & interests. Just turn up and join in! 7-9pm Span Arts Building. Book Here SpanJazz: The Nigel Price Organ Trio Thursday 1st Dec Winner of the 2010 Parliamentary Jazz Awards for ‘Best Jazz Ensemble’. “The real thing” – Jazz News. Food available - order before 8:30pm. Book Here Xmas Bonanza: The Correspondents Thurs 17th Nov Join us at our Xmas Bonanza and spend an outrageous evening with the UK's most eccentric and energetic electro-swing duo! + local support & DJs TBC. Book Here Comed...

Thousands of families turned out to enjoy the biggest ever Llanelli Christmas Carnival on Friday. The spectacular parade wowed the crowds who lined the route from Sandy, right through to West End and Town Hall Square where there was also a huge funfair and live music on stage from Heart FM DJ Jason Harrold and a host of singing stars. Street traders and local businesses have reported booming trade as people stopped to pick up refreshments and early Christmas gifts. The event was topped off with a dazzling firework display over Llanelli Town Hall and the switch-on of the Christmas lights. Organisers, Carmarthenshire County Council, Llanelli Rural Council, Llanelli Town Council and Llanelli Round Table, reported a successful event with everything running according to plan. Llanelli Christmas Carnival is famous as being the largest carnival procession in Wales, with visitors descending on the town centre from far and wide to enjoy the festivities. The Leader of Carmarthenshire County Co...

Some 60 children from the Morfa area joined in a Halloween party at Carmarthenshire Council’s Morfa Integrated Children’s Centre enjoying dance sessions with numbers like Ghost Busters and Monster Mash. They were joined by Scooby Doo, and a snow machine added to the shivers for scary-faced painted children and plastic spiders abundant in the fun session. All the children received prizes for their fancy dress and party tricks. County executive board member for Carmarthenshire Council's Children Services, Cllr Gareth Jones, said :"The centre is extremely innovative putting a number of these fun events together at holiday times to engage with the children from the community."

There’s fun for all the family this Saturday when all roads lead to Parc Yr Aman for the sixth annual Cwmamman Carnival. A traditional carnival parade and Mardi Gras style procession will kick-start the festivities at midday, bringing everyone in to the park where there will be fun and games galore in the main arena, including the presentation of the carnival King and Queen and parade prizes, live music from brass and samba bands and local acts, circus performances, and sporting skills. There'll also be a children's funfair and bouncy castles, as well as food and drinks stalls. The event has been organised by the Cwmamman Fayre Committee, Cwmamman Community Council and Carmarthenshire County Council, and is expected to attract hundreds of families from the Amman Valley and beyond. Jo Stephens of Cwmamman Fayre Committee said: “Quite a few people, including myself, were disappointed at the prospect of not having a carnival this year so a new committee was formed at short notic...

Latest news from the team at the Introbiz business network in East Wales -  May has arrived which means a new month filled with exciting events. This month, we have a power group events, a ladies power lunch event as well as a very exclusive complimentary breakfast event at Hensol Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan on Friday, 20th of May from 7:30am. This event is very different as we welcome guest speaker Hugh Morris. He played three cricket Tests for England and is the CEO of Glamorgan cricket club. You can find out more below. News This month's ladies power lunch will be held at Le Monde, Cardiff on Friday, May 13th from 1-3pm. This is a great opportunity to connect with businesswomen from a range of industries and sectors. There's a delicious menu on our website where you can choose what you'd like. Find out more. Our very own Tracey Smolinski will be hosting a webinar on Monday, 9th of May from 8pm GMT. The webinar will focus on how to grow your busin...

Latest news from the team at Span Arts in Narberth - What's coming up at Span Arts! Children's Theatre, Hip-Hop, Comedy & More! The Tap Dancing Mermaid Tue 29th March Tessa Bide performs as the tippety-top dancer, offering stunning puppetry, original music and magical storytelling for a truly fantastic show. Comedy Night with Steve Gribbin Thur 14th April Not only will Gribbin be causing laughter with his comedy songs, daughter of 80s comedy icon Jimmy Cricket will be the MC for the evening! Book Here! Monarch at Colby Woodland Gardens Thur 7th April The award-winning Feral Theatre introduces this family-friendly outdoor production, that comes complete with exploration and superb storytelling. Book Here! T'Pau Fri 22nd April T'Pau are one of thebiggest and most successful bands of the 1980s. Audiences can look forward to all of T'Pau's biggest hits on this acoustic tour! Book Here! Singing Workshop Mon 11th/25th April Led by tutor Clara Cl...

A series of events are being held across Aberystwyth University in the week leading up to and following on from International Women’s Day on Tuesday 8th March. The varied programme of events provides opportunities for students, staff and members of the local community to come and celebrate women and their achievements. Highlights from the full programme of events include can be found here and includes: ‘Women and care: Empowering Women in Wales’ ; a talk hosted by the Women’s Equality Network. ‘A life in Fresh Water – Kathleen Carpenter (1891 – 1970), a pioneering freshwater ecologist at Aberystwyth University’ presented by Catherine Duigan and Warren Kovach. ‘Beyond the binary: All the genders we are’ presented by Aberration. On International Women’s Day the National Assembly for Wales presents ‘Women in Wales 2016 – Vote for your future’. All of these events are open for all to attend. As well as events on campus, women of all ages are invited to come and celebrate International ...

Latest news from Aberglasney House and Gardens in the Tywi Valley -  Aberglasney 2016 Calendar Aberglasney's beautiful new calendar is now available to buy in our shop and through our website . Featuring 12 months of gorgeous images taken by Nigel McCall and top tips from Aberglasney Head Gardener Joseph Atkin for getting the most from your garden. £4.95 in our shop and £5.95 online (£1 postage and packing charge included). Christmas Gifts and Decorations We now have a range of fantastic festive gifts for family and friends and delightful decorations for your home in stock. In Maryellen's Tearooms... Winter Lunchtime Deal Dish of the day Dessert of the day Both for £8.95 Offer available until Sunday 20th March 2016 excluding 4th, 5th and 6th December Members' Winter Deal Soup of the day Sandwich Cake All for £8.95 Offer available until Sunday 20th March 2016 excluding 4th, 5th and 6th December for Aberglasney Membership Ticket holders. Maryellen's Chr...