A special concert is planned to give a boost to the Royal British Legions Poppy Appeal in South West Wales. The Royal British Legion Charity Gala Concert will be staged at The Lyric theatre in Carmarthen on Saturday, October 27.
It will feature Cr Godrer Aran, the celebrated male voice choir from North Wales, and the renowned Richard Williams Singers from Tonyrefail (both pictured above). The man behind the concert is Cerith Owens (pictured top), director of Loud Applause Productions, a firm which devotes a lot of energy to charitable causes. October is the time when our thoughts turn towards Remembrance Day and this concert will be a moving and stirring tribute to the fallen, said Mr Owens. The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal is a cause very dear to all our hearts and I hope the people of Carmarthenshire lend their support to such a worthy charity. Hopefully, the concert will also attract visitors from outside Carmarthenshire as we have a very attractive concert programme.
The guest soloist for the evening will be soprano Adele ONeill.
The evening will also feature the 215 City of Swansea Squadron Corps of Drums.
The compere for the evening will be Monro Walters, known to many as the stadium announcer at Parc y Scarlets, home of the Scarlets rugby region. The evening will close with A tribute to the fallen. Tickets are available from the Lyric box office on 0845 2263510. Prices are 11, 13 and 15, with a 2 child reduction.
South Wales entrepreneur Kevin Green was the guest speaker at the Carmarthenshire Adult Learning Groups annual awards ceremony, but hed be the first to admit that he wasnt the star attraction. The true stars of the evening were the adult learners themselves and it was great to see them receiving recognition for all their hard work. I was something of a late-starter in life, so I think many of the adult learners were interested to learn how Id managed to build my career. Hopefully, I was able to give them some entertaining and informative messages to help them go on to bigger and better things in life. Some of the stories the adult learners themselves had to tell were truly inspirational and the experience of attending the awards ceremony was a very humbling one. It was great to meet so many lovely and interesting people and to find so many people working hard to better their lives and striving hard to help others take the next step up the ladder. The other guest speaker during the awards evening was Joanne Yeo, who was recently crowned Volunteer of the Year. Other guests at the ceremony, held at Llanellis Parc y Scarlets, included Llanelli AM Keith Davies, Llanelli Town Mayor Councillor Winston Lemon and former Carmarthenshire Council chairman Councillor Tegwen Devichand. Musical entertainment was provided by Sophie Brown, a 16-year-old harpist and fiddle-box player. She performed a mixture of foot-tapping music and ended with a rousing rendition of Sospan Fach
Photos attached of Kevin Green with award winners:
Ben and Chris Miller (brothers). They were joint winners in Oustanding achievement in the area of IT.
Jacqui Law - She didn't receive an award at the Adult Learner and Tutor Award ceremony, but received a certificate in recognition of her nomination at the National Awards for her outstanding progress in studying Animal Science.
Paolo Piana is the Senior Project Officer for the CAVS Multicultural Project.
Hannah Oliver won the Learner award for Outstanding Achievement in Community Development.
Open air performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet planned for Aberglasney House and Gardens on June 19 -http://www.aberglasney.org/index.php?page=events Prepare for carnage in the Lloyd household. Pals of my son James about to descend as part of their Beach Break Live tour to Pembrey! Among the special offers at Jenkins Bakery shops this week - 2 custard slices 1.50. More offers -http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/ The news page of website for Clay Shaw Butler (chartered accountants and business consultants) has just been updated -http://www.clayshawbutler.com/news.htm Another excellent half page advert in the Carmarthen Journal today about the services offered by QualitySolicitors Redkite @QSRedkite The Ashburnham Golf Club website has just been updated with latest news -http://www.ashburnhamgolfclub.co.uk/index.html Latest 'Looking After Business' column from Clay Shaw Butler's Nigel Roberts (Carmarthen accountants) is in the Carmarthen Journal today. Good to see the latest gardening column from Aberglasney's Joseph Atkin in the Carmarthen Journal today. My letter (with my vice-chairman of Carmarthen Town AFC hat on) is in the Carmarthen Journal today. The latest 'View from Richmond Park' Carmarthen Town AFC football club column is in the Carmarthen Journal today. Check out the updated website for top West Wales solicitors QualitySolicitors Redkite @QSRedkite -http://www.qualitysolicitors.com/redkite I've favourited an @YouTube videohttp://youtu.be/XBBJcuKbLOM?a Jerome Burke The news page for the Clay Shaw Butler website (chartered accountants and business consultants) has just been updated -http://www.clayshawbutler.com/news.htm
South Wales entrepreneur Kevin Green has launched a mobile phone app for top wealth tips. The app has been launched for both iPhone and Android mobile phones and is free. Its no secret that I love modern technology and am a fan of all sorts of gadgets, said Green. What fascinates me so much is how we can use and develop technology to help generate opportunities to create wealth. If you want to learn the secrets of wealth from a multi-millionaire, then this app is an essential way to get started. The app features a property offer price calculator designed especially for property investors. This is something which will be particularly interesting and useful for people interested in following my footsteps in building a property portfolio, said Green. The app also features training videos by Green, who was featured on Channel 4s Secret Millionaire programme.
The app also contains: Videos of Kevin sharing wealth tips Inspiration from some of Kevins coaching clients Information on Kevins wealth training programmes A short biography on Kevins life story The app has been developed by The App Geeks. The App Geeks are also developing the app to include additional free updates to include calculating yields, net returns and returns on capital invested.
Kevin Green is a self-made multi-millionaire and social entrepreneur. He is one of the UKs largest residential property landlords and a multi-business owner. The 48-year-old dyslexic, who featured on Channel 4s Secret Millionaire, was homeless in 1984. Today, his property portfolio runs into the hundreds. He has a wealth of experience in the property investment world and heads a number of successful companies and other non property related businesses. He is also involved in coaching under his own brand of Kevin Green Wealth (KGW) and is a Dynamo role model for the Welsh Government, inspiring young people in schools and universities to set up businesses. Before making his fortune in business, he was a successful dairy farmer. In 1999 he won a Nuffield Scholarship in agriculture and studied the attitudes and personalities of high achievers. He interviewed Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson. The wealth guru loves to educate, motivate and inspire others and his passion and enthusiasm is quite infectious. His down to earth approach is often referred to by those who know him as exactly what it says on the tin. These qualities have catapulted him into worldwide demand as a speaker at conferences, dinners and seminars.
Laura is just about set to start cutting out this year's Left Coast Eisteddfod Lovespoon, but before she does, I wanted to take this quick opportunity to ask for your support! As everyone is well aware, times are getting tougher and tougher and money is getting tighter and tighter. It's become extremely difficult to stage any kind of event these days as sponsors dry up and potential attendees try to decide whether they can afford to go out or not.
Things are no different for the Left Coast Eisteddfod. As a grassroots production, the Eisteddfod feels even the slightest drop in support in a big, big way. This lovespoon helps to cushion the financial impact of weakening sponsorships by providing a fund-raising opportunity for the Eisteddfod. Anyone and everyone is most welcome to donate to the Eisteddfod and in exchange for their generosity, will have the opportunity to win the spoon when it is drawn for at the Eisteddfod this October. Every dollar helps to ensure the Eisteddfod's continued existence and every dollar could be the one that wins the spoon.
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I urge you to consider donating and to encouraging your friends and relatives to do the same!! Each dollar you donate equals a ticket in the draw...the more you donate, the more tickets you get!! But it only takes one to win and if one is all you have, we are more than happy to accept it! Naturally, we hope that you can give more...but every single dollar helps us out during a very hard time!!
There aren't too many Welsh events in North America...please help us to keep the Left Coast Eisteddfod running!!!
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Donating is easy... just click on the orange "donate" box located to the right side of this blog post. Its completely safe and secure and you will NOT be hassled with spam and further money requests. We do our begging here, in full public view and hope that it is enough to encourage your generosity!!
This spoon will be our best one yet and we guarantee that whoever wins it will be getting a deal and a half!!
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On behalf of the Left Coast Eisteddfod, Laura and myself, we thank you if you have already donated and we thank you in advance if you haven't quite gotten 'round to it yet but are planning to soon!
. Any tourist tips for member Fiona Wilton? Please post in comments below.
I am going to be in South Carolina for the first time in September/October. Can any members suggest a really great place to visit? We have the guide books but would love anything less well known but worthwhile. History, horses, farmers markets, great beaches, great eateries especially seafood. Also anything to avoid! All tips gratefully received!Thanks in advance!
Gruff Rhys will embark on his second investigative concert tour in August. The first, that was documented by Dylan Goch for their award winning feature film Separado! saw Rhys playing detective and singing at shows as he searched for his long lost guitar playing, poncho wearing uncle, Rene Griffiths through South America.
For the latest tour Rhys will follow the trail and search for the grave of his extremely great uncle Don Juan Evans* who left Wales and his life as a farm hand in 1792 to search for a mythical tribe of abandoned Welsh speaking Native Americans. Tired and broke, he eventually died out of his mind at 29 in a disease ridden New Orleans having left a trail of chaos through the USA.
Initially landing in Baltimore, he left Pennsylvania in 1794 and walked into the wilderness with $1.75 in his pocket, wrestled river monsters in the Mississippi, hunted Bison with the Omaha tribe, defected to the Spanish in St Louis, discovered imaginary volcanos in Missouri, annexed North Dakota from the British, and created the map that Lewis and Clarke used to go west.
The shows will be documented by Goch again and will be featured in their presently untitled second feature film, album and book project.
Rhys urges any one with any clues to Evans' burial place or any imaginary volcanos, wandering tribes of Welsh Speakers or river reptiles out there to come to the shows where they can be interviewed by Rhys for the movie and help out with his investigations. The general public also most welcome.
A second leg will be added taking in North and South Dakota in a few months time. Also look out for some unscheduled appearances in August in some pretty random yet highly significant locations.
*Born as John Evans, he transformed himself in a Bowie style re-invention in Spanish controlled St Louis, defecting to Spain and becoming Don Juan Evans.
Gruff
Thu-July-05 Exeter Fri-July-06 Royal Festival Hall with Cate Le Bon and Y Niwl **performing Hotel Shampoo in full**
Join the Investigative Concert Tour!
Thu-Aug-02 New Haven, CT Yale University Beineke Library Sat-Aug-04 Baltimore, MD Golden West Caf Sun-Aug-05 Philadelphia, PA PhilaMOCA Tue-Aug-07 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe Thu-Aug-09 Cincinnati, OH CAC Black Box Theatre at Contemporary Arts Center Sun-Aug-12 St. Louis, MO Contemporary Art Museum Tues-Aug-14 Omaha, NE Slowdown Jr. Thu-Aug-16 Columbia, MO Les Bourgeois Vineyards Sat-Aug-18 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone Wed-Aug-22 New Orleans, LA One-Eyed Jacks
Ammanford singer-songwriter Padraig Lalor's debut album has been timed to coincide with the centenary of the Titanic disaster.
Called Ismay's Dream, the album focusses on different characters in Lalor's home city of Belfast.
Lalor takes a keen interest in the history of Belfast.
He provides vocals on all but one track and is accompanied by various combinations of acoustic and bass guitar, piano, drums, percussion, violins, viola, whistles and accordion. The songs on the album focus on different characters who were associated with the Titanic in various ways - those who built her, those who sailed on her, and those left behind.
The songs are all original, but they have a quintessentially Irish feel to them.
Padraig was born in Belfast. He lived his formative years in the 1970s against the backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland.
He worked as a freelance journalist in the 1980s; becoming Northern Irish correspondent for the Irish Post, before gaining a Scholarship to Ruskin College Oxford.
It was in Oxford he formed the Traditional Irish band Henry Marten's Ghost and started writing songs in the late 1990s. A fascination with his country's musical history and a love of the stories that permeate its culture, bring an engaging authenticity to his songs.
Capturing the passion and contradiction of the people and places of Belfast has seen Padraig earn the reputation of a modern day Seanacha.
Not surprising perhaps, that he lists both the great Irish Tenor Josef Locke, and Belfast's Kathleen Largey among his key musical influences. Padraig's music has featured on TV and radio across the world.
He has opened shows for Finbar Furey, the Dubliners, Craobh Rua and has taken his individual brand of Irish music to audiences in France,Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and the Channel Islands, where he is a perennial visitor. His debut solo album Ismays Dream is an evocative journey through Ireland's Titanic history that will appeal to anyone who loves great stories and great songs.
What the critics had to say about the album - "almost like a musical version of James Joyce's Dubliners, this is an album of well-written songs which is bound to appeal to those with an interest in the Titanic". Shelley Rainey Bright Young Folk "In Ismay's Dream he has created a world peopled by complex Irish characters and I look forward to seeing the live show". Aidan OHara Irish Music Magazine. "Padraig Lalor is set to become one of the foremost folk singer/songwriters of his generation". Alison O' Riordan Irish Post "All the songs reveal Lalors gift as a storyteller, with intriguing lyrics woven around instantly appealing melodies that stick in the mind after just one hearing". Pat Kehoe Irish Music Forever "All are amazing stories put into song by Padraig Lalor and his band. I found this album and its content very moving". Peter Massey Green Man Review "Lalor's band combines the foundation of rock with the tradition of folk music and his songs are literate but direct: sometimes dramatic - "Molly Brown" for example - and sometimes melancholy as with "Close your eyes" on which Lowri Evans takes the lead". R2
Gruff Rhys will embark on his second investigative concert tour in August. The first, that was documented by Dylan Goch for their award winning feature film Separado! saw Rhys playing detective and singing at shows as he searched for his long lost guitar playing, poncho wearing uncle, Rene Griffiths through South America.
