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

Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is a lead partner in a new five-year project aimed at combating the losses experienced by two of the UK’s most economically valuable vegetable crops. Oilseed rape and Brassica crops have a combined UK market value in excess of £1bn, but suffer annual losses of up to £230m, primarily due to increasingly unfavourable and unpredictable weather patterns. The ‘Brassica Rapeseed and Vegetable Optimisation’ programme (BRAVO), funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), aims to combat these crop losses by unravelling the processes that control key aspects of plant development. This knowledge will then be applied to help develop new, more resilient varieties of Brassica crops that can achieve superior field performance whilst reducing yield loss and industry wastage. The BRAVO project, led by Professor Lars Østergaard of the John Innes Centre (JIC), brings together th...

It’s a full house for Llanelli Indoor Market - offering shoppers even more choice. Shoppers can take advantage of the huge variety and choice on offer from 68 businesses all under one roof, including two new stalls. A pet stall and a cake shop and ice-cream parlour have taken up the last of the vacant units adding to the market’s variety. The Honey Bear Cake and Ice Cream Parlour has moved into the former Bizy Fingers unit, near the entrance to St Elli Shopping Centre, and offers a wide range of mouth-watering desserts. The Pet Pantry sells a selection of pet supplies including Burns, Royal Canine, James Wellbeloved, Bakers and Pedigree foods as well as offering a home delivery service. It is situated near the centre of the market (behind the card shop). The council’s executive board member responsible for markets, Cllr David Jenkins said: “It’s great to see new businesses opening up, not only do they offer a greater choice for shoppers but they complement existing traders too....

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...

Businesses in the construction industry will get a chance to hear about the major opportunities open to them as part of the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework. A contractor engagement event is being held at Llanelli’s Parc Y Scarlets on February 9, giving local businesses the opportunity to find out about forthcoming projects that they could be a part of. The Framework is used for the delivery of construction, design and project management services across the Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot council areas. More that £103million worth of projects have been awarded amongst the 23 contractors on the Framework since February, with a further £177million worth of projects in the pipeline. The event will bring these contractors and potential sub-contractors together, allowing them to network and discuss future business opportunities. Buyers of the Framework services will also be in attendance, and there will be free workshops to support ...

A Carmarthenshire Youth Council member has shadowed the Carmarthenshire County Council’s executive board. It is part of a wider initiative on behalf of the authority to engage with and take on board the views and opinions of the young people of the county represented by the youth council. Executive board member for education and children’s services Cllr Gareth Jones hosted youth council member Amman Valley Comprehensive pupil Stacey Taylor for a day. Other members of the youth council will be following in her footsteps in the next few months. Stacey said she had been looking forward to the opportunity since the youth council first started trying to improve their links with the executive board in November last year. Link Executive Board

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in Carmarthenshire) from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star - Tickets are now available for a very special charity concert being held in Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, in February. The concert is being organised on Saturday, February 4, 2017, by the Chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council, Councillor Eryl Morgan, to support his chosen charities for his year of office. Councillor Morgan is raising cash for the Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli and for a new MRI scanner for Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli. Top of the bill will be the sensational Valli Boys, South Wales based performers who specialise in the ‘Jersey Boys’ catalogue made famous by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The Valli Boys are made up of four very talented West End performers. The Valli Boys members have appeared in musicals such as Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, The Lord Of The Rings, Merrily We Roll Along, Starlight Express, Miss Saigon and, of course, J...

Poor dab. This dead swan was at the entrance to Sandy Water Park in Llanelli today. As I am a 'regular' at the park, it hadn't been there for more than 24 hours. It's taken as read that we are all on alert for outbreaks of avian flu. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre in Llanelli was shut for a short while before Christmas as a precautionary move following the discovery of a dead wild duck (next to the Llwchwr Estuary) with H5N8 avian influenza (‘bird flu’). Earlier this month, The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales confirmed Avian Influenza H5N8 in a backyard flock of chickens and ducks on a premises near Pontyberem in the Gwendraeth Valley. Prior to confirmation, it was decided to cull the birds on strong suspicion of disease. It's important not to get too alarmed about all this. Avian flu is a concern for birds – not humans. This is NOT a strain of bird flu that has ever transferred to people. But, after today's discovery, I decided I would do a ...