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

Now that the weather is taking a turn for the worse, more people will be reaching for the thermostat or stoking up their wood burners for extra warmth. But Carmarthenshire County Council is urging people to ensure their gas and solid fuel heaters are safe and serviced. Teams from Public Protection, Property Services and Housing are all playing their part in encouraging tenants, landlords and homeowners to check that their boilers, gas and solid fuel fires are properly maintained. Failure to do so could be deadly - on average, 50 people a year across the UK are killed by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning due to faulty heating appliances. Carbon monoxide is known as a ‘silent killer’ as it is odourless, colourless and tasteless, making it difficult to detect. It can be given off by appliances that burn fossil fuels such as gas, coal, wood or oil if the appliances are not working properly, the flue is blocked, or the room is not properly ventilated. But simple annual maintenance and regula...

The cold snap hasn’t quite hit yet but doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are urging local people to be Winter Wise and prepare for the season. ​Staff in Hywel Dda University Health Board – from those working in main and community hospitals, to those visiting patients at home or seeing them in community facilities such as pharmacies – expect to be kept very busy helping sick patients this winter. The organisation has worked with the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, local authorities and the third sector to prepare for the busy period ahead with a Winter Plan. This is published on the health board’s website and sets out how the organisation is preparing to run services as smoothly as possible to ensure patients’ needs continue to be met 24 hours a day. There is also a wealth of useful information for members of the public on the Winter Wise webpage ( www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/winterwise ) including how to: get your flu jab and protect yourself and your community ...

'Get ready for winter’ – that’s the advice today for over 65s from an older people’s charity and the Welsh Government’s warm homes scheme. Age Cymru and Nest are teaming up to give away handy ‘Winter Wrapped Up’ guides which contain advice on preparing for winter. The ‘Winter Wrapped Up’ guide has information about issues including: · Getting your central heating system serviced by a Gas Safe-registered engineer · Insulating and draught-proofing your home · Making sure your smoke alarms are working properly · Installing carbon monoxide alarms in your home It’s part of Age Cymru’s annual ‘Spread the Warmth’ campaign to help keep older people across Wales warm, safe and well over the winter. “With winter just around the corner it’s a good time to plan ahead to make sure we are able to keep ourselves warm, safe and well over the colder months” said Age Cymru’s Spread the Warmth coordinator Angharad Phillips. “Working with Nest, we have put together our ‘Winter Wrapped Up’ ...

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...

Road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists is offering weekly motoring tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger. This week he is advising motorists on how to get going in the bleak midwinter. IAM chief examiner Mr Rodger said: “It can take a bit longer to get yourself going on a cold, dark winter morning, and getting the car going is no different. Give yourself the time to deal with the extra things involved in getting on the road.” He offers six tips to avoid seasonal car problems: * A modern car does not need to warm the engine up before being driven, so avoid wasting fuel by not switching on the engine until you are ready to go. But do run it if you need to use the heater/demister before you move off, so you can start with a nice clear screen. * Clean any snow off the car’s roof and bonnet as well as windows – it seems obvious when you see it all blow off someone else’s roof, but in the early morning rush it’s easy to think it won’t matter, when it does. ...

Defrosting the car – a safety message | Dyfed Powys Police | Heddlu Dyfed Powys With the onset of the colder winter weather, motorists are being advised not to leave their cars running unattended in the mornings in order to defrost windscreens.

Carmarthenshire residents and road users are being reassured that the council is well prepared for this winter with double the amount of salt compared to two years ago. The Environment Scrutiny Committee heard that the Street Scene section has 13,000 tonnes of salt in stock ready to grit the roads in icy weather - rising to 16,500 tonnes by the end of October. There is also 1050 tonnes of quarry gritstone in storage for use in extreme conditions. Members were told that planning was well underway for this winter and as well as an increase in salt, a review had been carried out of the routes and the number of 4x4 vehicles in the council fleet. A full inventory of grit bins has also been carried out and the 1100 grit bins in the county will be re-filled as necessary. The council’s Building Services division established ‘hit teams’ to respond to schools, care homes and main council buildings. Following the first major snowfall last winter an internal ‘Gold’ command was set up, chaired by t...