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Blodwen's Sale Now On


By Ceri Shaw, 2012-07-26

Blodwen's Sale Now On!

School's out and Summer has arrived in Cardigan Bay.

To celebrate, Blodwen is launching a Summer Sale of her beautiful, handmade homewares collection - all designed and made in Wales.

So whether you're heading for the beach, a music festival or sporting event, check out Blodwen's Sale Page and pick up some lovely things to make your holiday even more special.
Nestled in the seaside village of Aberporth in Cardigan Bay at the very Western tip of Wales, Blodwen is a designer-maker who specialises in the manufacture of contemporary, handcrafted homewares, accessories, furniture, Welsh blankets and textiles.
The company is founded on the desire to preserve and revive traditionalrural skills and as such, designs collections that fuse togethercenturies-old craftsmanship with everyday utility - it is a celebrationof craft, community and collaboration.

Blodwen - Bringing thecraftsman's way of life to your way of living

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An idiot on the Romney campaign t old a reporter for the London Telegraph that Romney would restore the unique relationship between the US and the UK and that the Obama White House failed to understand the "Anglo-Saxon heritage" the US and the UK share.

Let's excuse the obvious gaffe that Obama DOES have plenty of British Isles heritage and Irish specifically. How could anyone have missed Obama's rock star visit to Ireland ?! Many African-Americans DO have British ancestry also. Web and radio news are rightfully full of the anti-African American sentiments of this statementbut they're missing the equally prejudiced anti-Brit ignorance it betrays.

Nothing wrong with Germany, I have known and dearly loved many wonderful Germans but the Angles and Saxons were German and aren't the Brits Brits, not Germans?

DNA research has shown that British people are British, that British DNA has been in Britain since about the end of the last ice age or over 10,000 years, which predates the coming of the Anglo Saxon tribes (who contributed a bit of DNA to Britain) and the rise of the Celts in Europe (who also contributed a bit of DNA to Britain) by thousands of years. The differences between English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh peoples are historic, cultural and political, not genetic and they are not German or strictly speaking, European, they are British. (If you're Irish and you don't like being lumped in as "British", sorry, I just mean in the genetic context as in descended from peoples who migrated to the British Isles after the last Ice Age and I do know that Ireland is a separate country and not part of Britain or the UK) (would the right word for this be "Briton"?)

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/1590652.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Sykes#Blood_of_the_Isles

The pseudo-scientific idea that the English were "Anglo-Saxon" and that Scottish, Welsh and Irish people were "Celts" became very popular in the Victorian era and was used to justify discrimination against "Celts," including a once-popular belief that "Anglo-Saxons" were descended from Cro-Magnons and "Celts" from Neanderthals. We now know that we all have some Neanderthal DNA.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100506-science-neanderthals-humans-mated-interbred-dna-gene/

Many great things have come from the Britain and Ireland. What's wrong with Brits being Brits and what's wrong with Welsh, English, Scottish and Irish heritage? I'm personally pretty proud of all of mine, as I would be of German heritage if I had it, which so far I've found that I don't.

What do you think?

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Can anyone figure this acrostic out?

"Last year I had hoped that the medallion hunt would go right down to the wire,
Underestimating a youngster's natural and serendipitous instincts to search and inquire.
Thus as before, weigh each word, line by line, as you scamper over the hills and vales;
Since as you will discover, there is no acrostic this year, n'less ye' be from Wales!

Keep out of fenced in construction areas or those recently sown to become a grassy mat.
No trespassing on or in public buildings, but then most of you already "node" that.
Show respect and appreciation for YOUR public property as you go searching about -
Carry a bag to pick up any litter and trash that you may encounter upon your route."

See the thread here:- https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=433275916717664&id=259493370762587&notif_t=wall

What is an acrostic? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrostic

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Calling all members of the Old Maridunians Association, the organisation for old boys of the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School for Boys in Carmarthen!
It has been decided this year to move the annual dinner from a Friday evening to a late Saturday afternoon and also to use a different venue.
This will hopefully "freshen" things up while also making it easier for Old Boys living away to be able to attend. It will allow more time to socialise and reminisce with old friends.
This years annual dinner is to be held at the lvy Bush Hotel, Carmarthen on Saturday 13 October 2012, 4.00pm for 5.00pm; dress: lounge suit or blazer.
The dinner is open to all former pupils and staff.
lf you know of anyone who has not had an invitation, please pass on this news.
This years guest speaker will be Andy Edwards, who attended the "Gram" from 1972 to 1978 (when the school ceased to be).
Andy trained and qualified as a teacher and started his career in London in the 1980s where, incidentally, he turned out for London Welsh.
Andy is now a director of Morfa Bay Adventure Activity Centre in Pendine and is a keen cyclist, often cycling for charity.
The reunions continue to be well supported and the association officers hope you will be able to attend what is always a convivial atmosphere to meet up with school contemporaries.
Please reply by completing the attached slip and forwarding with your cheque for 18.50 (payable to OMA) by Friday 22 September.
Alternatively, BACS payments can be made to sort code 40-16-23, account number 10686522, with confirmation by email to James Ward at: ward_james@sky.com.
Useful numbers:
Tel: 07967 047993 (Ian Stone); 07792 489477 (James Ward)
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New president for Llanelli Rotary Club


By Robert Lloyd, 2012-07-25


Llanelli Rotary Club installed their new president at their annual handover dinner held at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli.
Alan Owen, centre, took over the chair from Graham Williams, second from left.
The new junior vice-president is Hywel Bassett. The senior vice-president is Ken Abban, who was unable to attend the handover evening.
Pictured to the right of Mr Owen are club secretary Anthony Jones and club treasurer Carl Lucas.
Mr Owen has been a Rotarian for 10 years.
Born in Burry Port, he was educated at Llanelli Grammar School and Staffordshire University.
He worked at the Calsonic factory in Llanelli for a number of years as a computer manager.
He later ran a computer consultancy.
Today, Mr Owen is the postmaster at the Llanelli Docks Post Office in New Dock Road.
A Welsh speaker, he is a member of the Cor Baroc choir in Llanelli and a passionate Llanelli Scarlets rugby supporter.
Married to Mary, the couple have two children.
Rotary website -
www.llanellirotary.com
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The latest 'View from Richmond Park' Carmarthen Town AFC column from the Carmarthen Journal newspaper -

Carmarthen Town are delighted once again to be able to offer fans the opportunity to purchase tickets for the forthcoming Wales 2014 World Cup Qualifying Campaign home matches.
Bookings are now being taken for the following two games:
WALES V BELGIUM Friday 7th September 2012
Cardiff City Stadium Kick off 7.45pm
WALES V SCOTLAND Friday 12th October 2012
Cardiff City Stadium Kick off 7.45pm
Tickets for each game are as follows:
Adult - 20
Senior Citizen (age 65 and over) - 5
Junior (age 16 and under) - 5
There is no booking fee when you order from the club and no limit on tickets for yourself and family and friends (subject to availability of course).
Booking form available on our website page www.carmarthentownafc.com/walestickets.html where you can specify what tickets youd like.
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Carmarthen Town AFC is looking to put together a team of ground staff for the coming season.
The work involves the preparation, maintenance and repair of the football pitch for all matches involving the various teams representing Carmarthen Town.
In particular, grass cutting, divot repair/replacement, chain harrowing, pitch marking and grooming work will ensure that the best possible playing surface is available for the teams.
New recruits will work as a coordinated team with Richmond Parks current groundsman.
Anyone who is prepared to be part of the team should contact Jonathan Lewis on 0772646106 or Anthony Parnell on 07989448629.
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Dates for your diary. Pre-season matches (home matches in capitals)
July
28 Sat 2:30pm SWANSEA CITY XI
August
4 Sat 2:30pm Taffs Well
11 Sat 2:30pm Cwmbran Town
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Tote: July 17 draw Winning numbers, 02 and 39. There was no winner of the prize of 300. The draw for a prize of 400 was being made on Tuesday night.
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For the latest news on the Carmarthen Town AFC, check out the clubs website - http://www.carmarthentownafc.com
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The Iechyd Da beer column from the Carmarthen Journal by Simon Buckley, chief executive of the Evan-Evans Brewery in Llandeilo.

It was General MacArthur who said, Beware, retreat often ends in defeat!
Well, I am not a general facing a massive retreat and the consequences of that.
But I am a brewer facing the impact of a long wet summer.
This is the time of year that pubs make money to see them through the winter and the weather is killing off the summer day-time trade
The Royal Welsh and the National Eisteddfod normally mark the beginning of the final run out of summer and the run into autumn.
We hope that these landmark events are going to herald the onset of summer and a few weeks of dry and sunny weather. The positive impact that this will have on both morale and takings will be tangible.
Ever the optimist, heres hoping!
I am not taking the bet and am off to France for a battery charge.
Much is talked about the new concepts of brewing and the marriage of beer to food, and creating new flavours for new food matches.
Anyone would think that this is something new, but beer has always been the drink of the nation, with cider coming a close second.
Our new bottling plant will be up and running by the end of September and we are then going to launch a series of new bottled beers that will provide a whole new range of flavours to match even the most demanding beer drinkers and flavour aficionados.
For all those CAMRA members, there will be a new range of specialist bottled-conditioned beers.
We will be the only brewer bottler in Wales that can produce bottle-conditioned beers professionally.
So what are bottled-conditioned beers?
My dear mother always used to drink bottle Guinness back in the 60s and in the bottom of that bottle would be a sediment.
The sediments were for the most part natural yeast, which worked its wonders in the bottle, fermenting the sugar in the beer. It was that sediment that gave the beer its natural carbonation.
Many people try to produce great bottle-conditioned beers, but the simple fact is that its not an easy process.
The process involves removing yeast from the beer by cold filtration and then dosing the clear beer with a set amount of clean yeast.
Too much and the beer explodes, too little and the beer is flat.
Get it right, and you will get a beer that is fresh and will deliver a wonderful range of flavours.
Most of the bottle-conditioned beers in Wales are simply bottle-conditioned because the brewer fills them straight from the fermenting vessel. That is not the way to do it!
So, you can expect, new organic ales, bottle-conditioned dark beers and a flavour to match a host of new recipes being devised for the Autumn and Christmas by our team of Evan-Evan chefs.
Also, look out for a new desert beer, to match the nutty dessert wines, softer carbonation and intense flavours from the malts.
So, if summer does not happen, we will have something to look forward to in the autumn.
But as I finish this article, the sun is beaming into my office in the brewery, and perhaps, we may just be seeing the start of our long awaited summer?
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Looking after business, the business page column from the Carmarthen Journal
By Ann Thomas, senior consultant with Clay Shaw Butler, chartered accountants and business consultants of Carmarthen
They say that charity begins at home and Ive got the aches and pains to prove it!
Currently, I am in training for a marathon Paris to Swansea bike ride to raise cash for the Maggies cancer centre in Swansea.
Getting ready for a 400-mile marathon means you have to spend hours in the saddle getting fit.
Take the aches and pains out of the equation and you can actually get some thinking done on those practice rides. For example, I was thinking about how to make tax-effective gifts.
You can get tax relief on gifts to UK charities if you give:
  • under Gift Aid
  • through a Payroll Giving scheme, run by your employer, or
  • by making a gift of certain shares or land.
In subsequent columns, Ill look at other issues, but, for now, lets concentrate on Gift Aid.
If you pay tax, Gift Aid is a scheme by which you can give a sum of money to charity and the charity can normally reclaim basic rate tax on your gift from the taxman, HMRC.
That increases the value of the gift you make to the charity. So for example, if you gave 10 using Gift Aid in 2011/12 that gift was worth 12.50 to the charity.
You can give any amount, large or small, regular or one-off.
If you do not pay tax, you should not use Gift Aid.
How does a gift qualify for Gift Aid? There are three main conditions. You must:
  • make a declaration to the charity that you want your gift to be treated as a Gift Aid donation
  • pay at least as much tax as the charities will reclaim on your gifts in the tax year in which you make them (tax credits on dividend income will count towards the tax paid)
  • not receive excessive benefits in return for your gift.
You should keep a record of payments made under Gift Aid for each tax year. The time limit for claiming tax relief on Gift Aid donations is four years. This time limit applies to the charity and the individual making the gift.
If you would like to help a charity financially, it makes sense to do this in a tax efficient way. We can provide assistance in determining this for you. Please contact us for more detailed advice.
The team at Clay Shaw Butler can be contacted on 01267 228500 or through the website at www.clayshawbutler.com
If you want to sponsor Ann on her bike ride, see the JustGiving website http://www.justgiving.com/Ann-Thomas27
Or if you want to sponsor Ann directly, call her at Clay Shaw Butler on 01267 228 500 Email - AnnThomas@clayshawbutler.com
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Points Reward System Latest News


By Ceri Shaw, 2012-07-24

Here are the latest updates from the Points Reward System dev:-

NEW! Now you can set the amount of top scoring users to be displayed on Points Ranking Table in the leaderboard page of your network.(Configure it in leaderboard settings tab of control panel)
NEW! Old posts tracking system , currently it is able to track old/previous blog posts,photos,videos submitted by user thus rewarding them points automatically.
We are still finding a way to track old discussions made by user.(1)

SO ...if you go to your homepage you should see a significant increase in your points and ranking. ALSO if you go to the Leaderboards page you will now find the Top 20 members displayed in the chart.

Leaderboards Page

This is still very much a work in progress so there will be a few bugs still to be ironed out .

Any suggestions,observations or complaints please post in comments below.

(1) N.B. Old discussions and groups are not tracked. Also status updates do not count for points.

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Take a look at this a new home the Lewis Partnership architects have just completed inFronwen, Graig, Burry Port.
As a leading firm of architects, they pay as much attention to smaller projects as they do to large school and university builds.
They undertake a wide range of extensions and alterations to houses and bungalows, no matter how big or small, including sun lounge extensions, family rooms, garage conversions to habitable rooms and many more.
For example, heres a list of some of their recent projects -
Pencoed Road, Burry Port Sun Lounge extension to existing dwelling house and detached detached sauna.
19 Gwelfor, Penygraig, Llanelli New bedroom, bathroom and conservatory
Oak Tree Lodge, Saundersfoot Sun Lounge extension and double garage.
30 Glynhir Road, Llandybie Two storey extension to dwelling house.
19 Lon Brydwen, Gorseinon Detached Sun-Room extension to dwelling.
Garreg Lwyd Alterations and extension to dwelling.
Rhodfar Capel Conversion of garage to habitable room.
Plas Kenrhos, Burry Port Extension and alterations to Grade II listed house.
Chapel House, Bishopston Extension and alterations to dwelling house.
Sandpiper Road Conversion of garage to habitable room.
Clos Yr Hesg, Swansea Vale Sun Room / Family Room extension to dwelling house.
Fronwen, Graig, Burry Port
See the small works page on their website -
http://www.lewispartnership.co.uk/small-works/
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