Blogs

Theres a new team at the helm at The Ashburnham Championship Links golf course in Pembrey.
The new club captain is structural engineer Mel Williams.
And the new ladies captain is Iris Jacob.
Mr Williams, 69, has been playing at The Ash for 53 years, since he was 16.
When I was brought up in Pembrey and most of the local boys in played golf as well as the traditional sports of rugby and cricket, Mr Williams said.
Im really looking forward to my year as club captain. The fellowship and the fun is great here and I am looking forward to all the competitions and activities planned for the year.
Ladies captain Mrs Jacob is a post office worker living in Pembrey.
She started playing golf in 1994.
She recalled: I started playing on the advice of a friend. Id just become a widow and she brought me down to The Ash to try the game. Ive made new friends and been given a new lease of life with a new circle of friends.
Mrs Jacob added: We have a wonderful course here at The Ash and a great community spirit in the club.
Picture: Mel Williams and Iris Jacobs, club captains at The Ashburnham Golf Club.

Award-winning South Wales architects the Lewis Partnership are celebrating winning a place on a UK-wide register which is designed to champion efficiency and best practice.
Constructionline is a partnership between the Government and Capita and is designed to deliver savings for both the public and private sector.
Constructionline isnt a name which is well known among the general public, but it is a real door-opener in business, said Lewis Partnership Managing Director Philip Lewis.
You have to meet key standards for a place on the Constructionline register and weve been successful in achieving Constructionline registration.
Constructionline is the UKs largest register for pre-qualified contractors and consultants.
At the heart of what they do is a national online database. In terms of efficiency, time and cost saving and best practice, Constructionline is proven to deliver for public and private sector organisations alike.
The service is recommended by the Governments Office Of Government Commerce (OGC) and the Local Government Task Force.
Mr Lewis added: We are delighted to secure a place on the Constructionline register and look forward to it paying dividends for us as a successful local business.
For suppliers to the construction industry, Constructionline means that they no longer need to repeatedly fill in standard pre-qualification forms for every construction tender.
Whats more, with 8,000 buyers already using the Constructionline database to source contractors and consultants, Constructionline is a great tool to market businesses.
All suppliers on Constructionline are pre-qualified to Government standards and maintain relationships with a range of industry, ePurchasing and Government partners to ensure that they remain relevant to procurement professionals within the construction industry.
By reducing duplication in the pre-qualification process, Constructionline helps both buyers and suppliers achieve savings in cost and time spent filling in forms.
Constructionline is a Public-Private Partnership between Capita (the UKs leading business process outsourcing (BPO) and professional services company) and the Department for Business Innovation & Skills.
Weblinks -
http://www.constructionline.co.uk
http://www.lewispartnership.co.uk/
On Facebook, search Lewis Partnership Ltd.
On Twitter, look for @Lewis_Architect
The Lewis Partnership of architects was founded in 1995 by partners of established architectural firms based in Llanelli, Carmarthen and Bridgend. The firm has a wide knowledge of the design and project management of a wide variety of building types, and draws on the experience of chartered architects and a complimentary technical and secretarial staff. Projects are prepared and completed using high-tech Autocad computer-aided design The company has gained accreditation to the International Quality Assurance Standard BS EN ISO 9001 : 2000. During 2007, the company gained RIBA Chartered status. The company is one of Carmarthenshire Councils preferred Architectural Practices in their Building Control Partnering Scheme.
The company is based at No13 Park Crescent, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, SA15 3AE.
Telephone 01554 777998.

Below is an excerpt from a recent announcement by our platform provider. We are looking for ways to utilize this on AmeriCymru. I have had discussions with Gaabriel, Swansea Jack, Brett Hull and others and between us we have so far failed to come up with a concrete idea for adopting this interesting new functionality. That's not to say we haven't had a few bright ideas but nothing as yet that we want to commit to. So...dear readers and members, we are turning this over to you. How might we adapt this for use in this community? Remember that this could be used as a basis for all sorts of competitions, rankings etc etc. I have also investigated a user points system which could be used in conjunction with it and I suppose "the possibilities are only limited by the power of our imaginations". Well.....maybe that's a bit over the top, but I'm sure you know what I mean

Anyhoo if you have a bright idea please don't be reticent...drop a communique in comments below and lets see if we can do something with this....Diolch

The excerpt beginneth:-

"Categories
Create up to 50 categories and assign members to them. All of your members will begin in the default category, called Members. You can create and edit new categories via the Member Categories tab in the Member Management section. A couple of important limitations to note up front: the default category can't be edited, and members can only belong to one category at a time.

Listings
When you create a category, you have an option to create a listing page exclusively for the members in that category, and you can create listing pages for up to 5 10 categories. When you do this, a new submenu item for the category will appear in the submenu items for Member pages. You can choose the text for the submenu listing, so that you can pluralize or customize it. This is a great way to highlight specific members on the network.

Image and Text Badges
Each category that you create can also have an optional image or text badge that gets added as an overlay on a member's profile picture. Whether you create badges of honor or badges of shame, this is an excellent way to identify admins, reward special members, or just make it easy for visitors to identify different types of members. Text badges are based on the category name, and can be placed at the top or bottom of the profile picture. You can set the text color, background color, and the background opacity for each badge.

Images badges can be positioned in one of the four quadrants of a member's profile picture. We've included 22 badges to get you started, and you can upload and manage up to 50 of your own custom badges.

Text and Image badges will appear in most places in your network, but not everywhere. Right now they won't appear in Chat and in a couple of other places, like the profile images on sign in and sign up pages.

CSS Tricks
Designers and Network Creators who are comfortable with CSS will be pleased to know that each created category is associated with a CSS class that we're adding to the #xg_themebody div in profile pages. This means you can create CSS styles that will be applied to the profile pages of members in a category. This will let you do things like adjust the background or color scheme of every member of your network who's in a specific category.

Messaging
Once you've assigned your members to categories, you can use new functionality in the Broadcast Message feature to send a broadcast message to just those members. Choose any category you've created and proceed from there. The current broadcast message includes a subheader with the words "A Message to all members of Network Name". Now that you can target individual categories for messages, that text is no longer accurate, so we'll be removing it with this release. If you like that message and want to retain it, you can add it in manually like this:
<h3>A Message to all members of Network Name</h3>"

The presentation was made at the launch of a Paul Harris Society for the South Wales District 1150 area of Rotary.

The latest 'View from Richmond Park' Carmarthen Town AFC column is in the Carmarthen Journal today.
The latest Red Kite Law Business Brief column is in the Carmarthen Journal newspaper today.
Lovely picture story in the Evening Post about Jenkins the Bakers making Wales rugby biscuits ahead of the big Grand Slam crunch match!
Splendid story on page 9 of the Evening Post about Llanelli firm Morganstone's latest building award success - for The Mews, Port Talbot.
Splendid story in the Llanelli Star about Jon Tregenna's Buggerall play being featured at the Laugharne Festival.
Nice piece in the Llanelli Star today about Cor Meibion Llanelli performing with top tenor Wynne Evans at Parc y Scarlets on Friday night.
Llanelli Star puts the spotlight on construction firm Morganstone's latest award - for a project in Port Talbot.
Smashing picture story about the Healing The Wounds charity helping PTSD victim Darren Martin in the Llanelli Star today.

Soon to be finished with book, "Hello Past", where woman comes face-to-face with person from many years ago.

Jenkins the Bakers are doing their bit to add to the Wales rugby roar for the big Grand Slam match against France at the weekend.
The Llanelli-based business has produced patriotic Wales rugby biscuits to mark the event.
With the crunch game against France approaching, we wanted to do our bit to generate hwyl and passion and support for our rugby team, said Jenkins Bakerys Operations Director Russell Jenkins.
The biscuits are made using top quality ingredients a bit like the way Warren Gatland has mixed together a first class Welsh rugby side!
The biscuits are topped off with red sugar paste icing in the hope that red will be the colour of the winning team as we claim the Grand Slam.
Already, the biscuits are a great hit with fans.
They are a nice way of showing support for Wales in the workplace. You can enjoy your mid-morning mug of tea and coffee with a Wales rugby biscuit!
Mr Jenkins said the biscuits had already caught the eye of Llanelli Scarlets rugby players.
One of the Jenkins Bakery shops is in The Avenue in Llwynhendy, just a short training jog from the Parc y Scarlets rugby stadium.
Mr Jenkins added: We are very passionate about our rugby here in Wales and we thought this would be our way of showing our support for the rugby boys on their Grand Slam mission.
The Jenkins bakery employs 300 people, full and part-time, across 25 different stores in South Wales.
The company has the Gold Standard Welsh Food Hygiene Award and the Investors in People award.
The business employs 70 people at its Trostre HQ, while the Jenkins shop network stretches from Carmarthen to Bridgend. There are 13 shops in Carmarthenshire and even one as far afield as Powys.
Picture: Llanelli Scarlets rugby player Phil John pictured with the Jenkins Bakery Wales rugby biscuits and Jenkins Bakery Area Manager Fiona Snook at The Avenue shop in Llwynhendy.

Hello, I am trying to contact someone at American Gorsedd and cannot find a contact on the main website. Many years ago I was given a photo of a gathering of people in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh. It was given to me by a friend, since I had gone to Carnegie Mellon university, and it had the university in the background.

The photo is somewhat time worn, but everything is legible. It has always been in the frame and the photo measures approximately 10" high x 42" length. In the lower left corner is written "Annual Conclave of the American Gorsedd June 7, 1919 Photo by Fallert."

While some of my past relatives were from Wales, I do not know anything about the American Gorsedd Association.

Could you please forward this email to someone in your association that may have an interest in this photo?
Thank you,
Richard Long

rich@emaillong.com

Melin Consultants, the fast-growing South Wales firm of environment and sustainability experts, has expanded its operation into England.
The Llanelli-based company has opened a branch office in Bristol.
Its a move which puts us on the map nationwide, said Melin director Jamie Best.
We offer specialist technical services which are earning us a great reputation here in West Wales, but it is time to make our mark on the wider world east of Cardiff.
We are in the market to win contracts further up the M4 corridor and the Bristol office should put us in a position to do just that.
Mr Best said 2012 was shaping up to be an exciting year for Melin Consultants.
We have a team of eight based in Llanelli and now in Bristol, at Park House in Park Street.
We specialise in all the things which people value in the construction industry today getting environmental issues right and making sure buildings are as sustainable as possible.
We are right up there in the vanguard when it comes to technical expertise in this area.
Mr Best, 37, added: In building today, sustainability is high on everyones list of priorities as we have all come to appreciate the need to make sure everything is as environmentally sensitive as possible
Our client list includes a wide range of construction companies, architects and local authorities.
To mark the opening of the new Bristol office we will be offering clients free seminars and workshops on some of areas of technical expertise.
For example, we offer sophisticated air testing services, which is a way of testing for heating leakages and as good a way as you can get to ensure that a building has been built properly.
And we are experts in BREEAM, the worlds foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings. BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design.
Planning for the future is also very important to us here at Melin and we are members of CCTAL, the Carmarthenshire Construction Training Association.
We recognise that the future of the industry depends on investing in the skills of the engineers, technicians and experts of the future and we have been heavily involved with delivering sustainable construction courses in Carmarthenshire.
We are very proud to be a Carmarthenshire-based firm, employing Carmarthenshire people. We have high standards and are probably recognised as the biggest independent consultants in our field in South Wales.
Our expertise in sustainable building will now get a wider audience with our expansion into Bristol.
Weblinks:
http://www.melinconsultants.co.uk
Twitter: @melinconsult
Facebook: Melin Consultants Ltd
LinkedIn: Melin Consultants
Photo: Mel and Jamie Best, seated, with some members of the Melin team.
Melin Energy Consultants has been providing SAP & SBEM calculations for local authorities, architects, builders & developers over a number of years.
All Melin technicians have a wealth of experience in dealing with individual requirements.
The company motto is "10% calculation 90% solution".
As a building consultancy specialising in Part L of the Building Regulations and environmental assessing of new buildings, Melin technicians are qualified and accredited to issue certification in all the following fields BREEAM, Code for Sustainable Homes, EPC, SBEM, SAP, air-tightness testing.
The new Bristol office is at Park House, 10 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5HX. Telephone 0845 0941279. Email: bristol@melinconsultants.co.uk
Llanelli office contact details: Melin, Llys Aur, Llanelli Gate, Dafen, Llanelli, SA14 8LQ Email: llanelli@melinconsultants.co.uk
t: 0845 094 1593
m: 07800 634804
e: jamie@melinconsultants.co.uk

The award-winning South Wales construction firm Morganstone Ltd is giving the popular Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre a facelift.
The forest park is one of the leading tourist attractions in the Neath and Port Talbot area, catering for walkers, leisure cyclists and expert mountain-bikers.
Its a hugely popular venue and we were delighted to win the contract with Neath Port Talbot Borough Council to carry out the refurbishment and extension of the visitor centre, said Morganstone managing director Ian Morgan.
There is a great deal of pride in the area about the forest park and it is widely recognised as one of the leading mountain-biking attractions in the UK.
The works we are carrying out there will be very important to the future success of the forest park and we are sure visitors will be delighted with the finished result when the project is completed in the spring.
The renovation is part of Cognation mtb trails South Wales, an exciting new partnership project between Neath Port Talbot CBC, Caerphilly CBC, Merthyr Tydfil CBC and Forestry Commission Wales.
It is funded by the EUs Convergence European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, with match funding coming from the Welsh Government and partner organisations.
The caf area at the visitor centre will be transformed with folding glass doors overlooking the valley, leading out onto a covered terrace and creating an inviting outside seating area.
The foyer will be redesigned as a more open and appealing space, giving visitors a warmer welcome, better access to the South Wales Miners Museum and new toilet facilities.
There will also be a new meeting room and general improvements to the building.
A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Borough Council said: These improvements will further enhance what Afan Forest Park offers locals and visitors alike. Cognation mtb trails South Wales has already built new sections of mountain bike trail in Afan Forest Park and more will be created over the next few years aimed at families and beginners.
The refurbishment work to Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre shows our continued support for the tourism industry in Neath Port Talbot.
Council Leader Councillor Ali Thomas said: Spectacular views across the Afan Valley can be seen from the visitor centre and the splendid glass feature will bring a new chapter to its history.
The renovations to the Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre will result in great improvements to one of Neath Port Talbots main tourist attractions. We are pleased that we are able to maintain a service for our visitors during the renovation work and look forward to welcoming visitors to a new-look centre in the spring.
Morganstone MD Mr Morgan added: We are delighted to work with Neath Port Talbot Council on this exciting project to rejuvenate such a great visitor attraction.
For visitor information during the renovation works, visitors to the Afan Forest park should contact the Tourist Information Centre on 01639 636674 or visit www.afanforestpark.co.uk
Photo:
Morganstones Mervyn Dowrick (Contracts Manager) and Chris Weaver (Site Manager) discussing the roofing works at the Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre
Weblinks
http://www.morganstone.co.uk/
http://www.afanforestpark.co.uk/
http://www.npt.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=2482&pr_id=4618
On Facebook, search Morganstone Ltd.
On Twitter, look for @MorganstoneLtd