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

Welsh Premier League Carmarthen Town play Llanelli in a friendly today, 2.30pm at Richmond Park, Carmarthen - and it's free to get in!

Busy night recording the latest issue of the Llanelli Talking Newspaper for the Blind last night. We introduced new theme music, cues and stings.

My interview with Susie Hamill, coordinator of the Links project in Llanelli, for the Llanelli Talking Newspaper for the Blind. Links website -  http://links.uk.net/

Burton Boat theft incident: Three arrested | Dyfed Powys Police | Heddlu Dyfed Powys Three men have been arrested in Burton near Neyland following thefts of boat engines from across Pembrokeshire.

My Talking Newspaper for the Blind interview with John (JC) Williams, secretary of the Llanelli Talking Newspaper for the Blind.

Firms join forces for eco boost aim | This is South Wales A Kidwelly construction company is part of an innovative new project looking to give a major boost to community projects and the environment. Dyfrig Dalziel Limited is helping to spread the gospel about sustainability across Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. To do so, it is are pooling its knowledge and resources with five other companies in the county including Pontyberem's Lloyd & Gravell, Morganstone Ltd and TAD Builders Ltd, both of Llanelli, along with Narberth's HM Building Services and Ammanford's T Richard Jones Ltd to help local communities as part of a new group called "Working Together".

Burry Post businessman Gareth Isaac is confident the planned new Tesco store will provide a boost to independent traders in the town. “Burry Port shouldn’t be worried and should get out the welcome mat,” said Mr Isaac, who runs GI Carpets and Rugs in Station Road. The Tesco plan is for a new store on the “Fairground Field” close to Burry Port Harbour. The store could be open by Christmas, 2012. The store will have 15,000 sq ft sales area and a 125-space car park that will be available for all shoppers, regardless of whether they visit the store. Mr Isaac, 43, said: “Yes, I can see why some independent traders will be worried about the arrival of Tesco. “But we have to look at the positives – they will be creating 130 full and part-time jobs and that money, we hope, should be spent back in Burry Port. “The new car park will also encourage more people to visit the town. “With more footfall through the town, we need to show that we, as independent retailers, offer different sorts of

A conference on sustainable development in Wales has been organised by the Institute of Welsh Affairs in association with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The conference is called 'Wales’ Central Organising Principle Legislating for Sustainable Development' and is being held on Friday 27th January 2012 at 9.00am - 4.00pm at the Halliwell Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen. Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones has set out his Government's commitment not only to have sustainable development as its central organising principal but also to enact this through primary legislation. A Sustainable Development Green Paper will appear next May, followed by a White Paper in the autumn of 2012. This will be the first piece of primary legislation dedicated to sustainable development in the United Kingdom and has the potential to be a world leader. This conference addresses what the proposals should contain, how they should be implemented and what the

The Institute of Welsh Affairs is organising a special conference on 'Wales’s Obesity Epidemic'. The event is being held in association Academy Health Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the National Heart Forum on Wednesday 22nd February 2012, 9.15am - 4.00pm, at the Management Centre, Llandaff Campus Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff. More than 50 per cent of adults in Wales are obese or overweight, a statistic that is predicted to increase to 85 per cent by 2020 unless remedial action is taken. Wales is the most overweight country within the United Kingdom where obesity has more than doubled in the last 25 years. It is predicted that on current trends, some 60 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women in Britain could be obese by 2050. This is estimated to represent a seven-fold increase in direct healthcare costs associated with excess weight, with wider costs to society reaching £45 billion a year. Obesity increases risks for chronic disease, including ty

BBC News - Former Bishop of St David's, Ivor Rees, dies aged 85 The former Bishop of St David's, Ivor Rees, has died at his home in Haverfordwest, aged 85. The father-of-three had been ill and passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. Born in Llanelli, he served with the Royal Navy in World War II and was Dean of Bangor Cathedral while Aled Jones was a boy chorister. Ivor was a big Scarlets fan.

Technocamps Aberystwyth and the British Computer Society (BCS) Mid-Wales are to host a free event at Aberystwyth University this month (5pm, Tuesday 24th January 2012) for all those interested in digital literacy and computing education. The first session, aimed at teachers and educators working in STEM related subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), will introduce the Aberystwyth Technocamps hub and its workshops designed to enthuse young people about computing. There will be an overview of the project, hands-on sessions, plus an insight into the wonderful world of robotics. Following this, BCS Mid-Wales will chair a general session considering the broader question of computing education in the UK. A panel of experts and interested parties will lead the discussion, investigating the problem of computing in schools from a variety of perspectives. Dr Emma Posey of Technocamps Aberystwyth said: “We're keen that young people are creators of technology as we

He’s the man who puts the ‘Cwtsh’ into comedy, the resident ‘Hug-meister’ of Wales. Comedian Phil Evans loves his job – and he loves it even more when love is the theme for a show. The comedian is putting a special show together to belatedly celebrate St Dwynwen’s Day at the Pontardawe Arts Centre on Friday, January 27. The show will raise cash for Follow Your Dreams – a charity which makes dreams come true for children. “It’s a great cause and a great occasion,” said Phil, who is one of the most respected comedians on the circuit in Wales. “St Dwynwen’s Day is on January 25, so we may be a couple of days later celebrating it . . . but better late than never! “I’ve hand-picked a team of seven other Welsh comedians for this show, so laughs are guaranteed.” Evans is a favourite warm-up comedian for TV shows on BBC, S4C and ITV. Squeeze him for information on his favourite topic – the Welsh cwtsh (hug) – and he will explain why a cwtsh should always be spelt as ‘cwtsh’ and not ‘cwtch’.

Aberystwyth University is advancing with the process of procuring new halls of residence which is expected to provide accommodation for 1000 students in modern self-catering accommodation at Penglais Farm. The University has been engaged in a competitive dialogue tender process since March 2011 when a contract notice was posted on the Official Journal of the European Union inviting expressions of interest from potential developers. The University received three excellent submissions at the end of Phase 2 of Competitive Dialogue. Following the evaluation by the Project Team, Balfour Beatty and The Miller Consortium have been selected to participate in Phase 3 which will commence mid January 2012. The unsuccessful participant was Sir Robert McAlpine. The Project Team reported that all the submissions were of a very high standard. The University thanks Sir Robert McAlpine for their interest in the Project and would very much welcome submissions from them in the future. To furth

Researchers at Aberystwyth and Newcastle Universities have shown that they can determine which foods and in what amounts people have eaten over the last few days by analysing their urine. What we eat has a big impact on our health but it is very difficult to measure exactly what, and how much, people eat in everyday life - and people find it difficult to record honestly. Measuring what people eat can help prevent illness by showing definite links between particular kinds, and amounts, of foods and specific diseases. By testing urine for the chemical ‘fingerprints’ of different foods, the scientists’ recent research demonstrated that they could determine whether individuals are eating healthy diets or not. The chemical ‘fingerprints’ they identified are substances called metabolites which are unique to different foodstuffs – those for healthy foods such as raspberries, salmon, broccoli and orange juice have already been identified. The next stage for the scientists at Aber

They weren’t shouting ‘180!’ at a charity darts match in Pembrokeshire. They were shouting ‘1000!’ For the darts tournament held at the Abergwaun Hotel in Fishguard raised more than £1000 for the Healing The Wounds charity. In fact, the grand total was £1,044 for the charity which helps treat victims of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) in Wales. “It was a magnificent effort and greatly appreciated,” said Alun Richards, the new fund-raising coordinator for Healing The Wounds in West Wales. “Charitable events such as this darts match provide much-needed funds for the charity as we continue our frontline work in treating PTSD sufferers. “We treat everyone from acting servicemen and servicewomen to veterans from all conflicts. We have a waiting list of people to treat and the funds raised by events like this help us to keep on top of the growing demand for our treatment services in Wales.” The charity darts match was organised by the North Pembrokeshire Ladies and Men’s Darts Leag

Aberystwyth University has appointed Dr Jamie Medhurst as the Head of the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies. Dr Medhurst is an alumnus of the University and is an expert on broadcasting history with a particular interest in early television and the BBC (1923-39), ITV in the 1950s and 1960s, media history and historiography. Dr Medhurst joined the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies in 1996 as a Lecturer in Film and Television Studies. Since joining the Department he held a number of positions and was promoted to a Senior Lectureship in 2010. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the Editorial Board of Media History and a member of the AHRC’s Peer Review College. Speaking of his appointment, Dr Medhurst said: “I’m delighted to be offered this exciting role and I look forward to leading the Department in the future. Courses within the Department prove to be consistently popular amongst s

The latest 'View from Richmond Park' Carmarthen Town AFC column is in the Carmarthen Journal today. More coverage for the debate over Picton's courtroom painting (first highlighted by Red Kite Law solicitor) in the Carmarthen Journal today. The latest Clay Shaw Butler 'Looking After Business' column is in the Carmarthen Journal today. Spotlight on the Carmarthen Mayor's Fun Run races (May 7) in the Carmarthen Journal today. Spotlight on Llanelli Rotary Club's January meetings in the Llanelli Star today. Splendid picture spotlight on Burry Port businessman Gareth Isaac in the Llanelli Star today. Nice old photo of the Ashburnham Golf Club Ball (1950 version!) in the Llanelli Star today. Nice picture story about Miss Wales visiting Aberglasney in the latest issue of Carmarthenshire Community Life magazine.

Llanelli Rotary Club has announced the date of this year's Rotary Ball - always one of the top social nights of the year in Llanelli. The ball will be at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, on Friday, March 23. Tickets are £35. For more information/table reservations contact Llanelli Rotary Club secretary Anthony Jones c/o TAD builders, Temple Works, Furnace, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, SA15 4HT, Telephone 01554 752884, Fax number 01554 745005. Email: anthony@tadbuilders.co.uk

The tragic death of Lance Sergeant Dan Collins has put the work of the Welsh charity which treats victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) into even sharper focus. The Healing The Wounds charity was already struggling to cope with demands for its treatment programmes. “Since the tragic death of L/Sgt Dan Collins on New Year’s Day, we have been inundated with yet more requests for help. Dan’s death is obviously a huge tragedy, but it has left a massive legacy in raising awareness of PTSD.” said charity founder and executive director Kevin Richards. “The case of L/Dan Collins highlights that PTSD treatment is a life or death issue. If the legacy of Dan Collins is saving one life, then that is a start. We are convinced, however, that his legacy will save many lives as PTSD sufferers come forward to receive treatment. “We have a waiting list for treatment and that cannot be right for the brave men and women who have served our country. “We are trying our best to cope with deman

Off to see the team at the Healing The Wounds Welsh PTSD charity in Bridgend.

Off to Aberglasney House and Gardens for a pow-wow this morning.