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Burry Port firm Celtic Couriers is one of the number of businesses making sure a fund-raising party for the Teenage Cancer Trust goes with a swing.
The courier and delivery business has donated a special prize for the raffle and auction at the Grand Ball being staged at The Diplomat Hotel, Llanelli, on Friday, June 29 (7pm).
"We are very grateful to Celtic Couriers and all the other individuals and businesses who are helping to support this wonderful event," said one of the Ball organisers, Llangennech Councillor Gwyneth Thomas.
"It's a very worthwhile cause and we are hoping for a full house on the night.
"The prize from Celtic Couriers is for a four-ball round at The Ashburnham Championship Links Golf Club in Pembrey.
"The prize has been generously donated by Mr Ivor Skinner and the team at Celtic Couriers and the winner is bound to enjoy the day as The Ashburnham is known as one of our premier golfing venues."
Councillor Thomas added:"The scene is set fora glamorous night of music and dance in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust on June 29.
"We have the Morriston Big Band as the main attraction and they promise to be great fun.
"Other major raffle and auction prizes include use of one of the hospitality suites at Parc y Scarlets for 12 people for a Llanelli Scarlets rugby match.
"There's also a wonderful prize of bed and breakfast, with fishing thrown in."
One of the other organisers isCarmarthenshire libraries manager Mark Jewell, whose son Tom was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2010.
Mr Jewell has devoted himself to raising cash for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity which works with youngsters aged between 13 and 24 to pay thanks for the support his family has received over the past two years.
He said: "I am delighted to be able to support the various activities that are planned, and to give something back in support of the first-class treatment and support we as a family have had from the unit at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff.
"It's a very special place and the dedication of nursing staff and support workers is second to none."
The Morriston Big Bandboasts a repertoire encompassing a wide range of music with something to suit all tastes, including jazz, swing, rock and roll, Latin- American, big band and pop music from the 1960s to the present day.
The band's singers Jeff and Irene are backed by 19 musicians playing four trumpets, five trombones, five saxophones, guitars, keyboards, bass and drums.
With songs ranging from Sinatra's Witchcraft and the smooth swing of Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife to favourites such as Katrina and the Waves' Walking on Sunshine and the Amy Winehouse hit Valerie, the dance floor is expected to be buzzing.
Tickets for the event cost 35 each, and are available by calling 01554 751188 or 01554 820834.
Anyone interested in giving a raffle or auction prize should contact Councillor Gwyneth Thomas on 01554 821637.
Find out what the Teenage Cancer Trust does at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff -
http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/what-we-do/specialist-services/units/university-hospital-of-wales/
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In the news today . . .


By Robert Lloyd, 2012-06-12
In the news . . .
Burry Port firm Celtic Couriers help cancer fund-raiser go with a swing - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/celtic-couriers-help-cancer-fund-raiser.html
Ladies of Ashburnham Golf Club help Heol Goffa School in Llanelli - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/ashburnham-ladies-help-heol-goffa.html
Father's Day special weekend offer at Aberglasney House and Gardens - http://www.aberglasney.org/index.php?page=view_event&event_id=302
AGM of Carmarthen Town AFC being held tonight (June 12) at 7:30pm at the clubhouse and community centre in Richmond Park, Carmarthen.
The latest Newsletter for Aberglasney House and Gardens is now out - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/latest-aberglasney-newsletter-is-now.html
Sandwich of the Week at Jenkins Bakery shops is Chicken and Stuffing, 2.10. For more special offers - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/
Sad to hear of the death of Nigel Harrison-Rees (Sports Aid Wales and dad of former Carmarthen Journal Ed Cathryn Ings). Funeral on Friday.
Dyfed-Powys Police make it into the June edition of Private Eye over station closures - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/dyfed-powys-police-make-it-into-private.html
Burry Port firm Amcanu @AmcanuLtd makes its debut on the social networks - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/amcanu-now-on-social-networks.html
Clay Shaw Butler's Donna Jones celebrates new qualification - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/clay-shaw-butlers-donna-celebrates-new.html
The news page for Burry Port sheet metal tailors Amcanu Ltd @AmcanuLtd has been updated - http://amcanu.co.uk/news-blog/
It's Captain's week at the Ashburnham Championship Links Golf Course in Pembrey this week - http://www.ashburnhamgolfclub.co.uk/
Blog for Clay Shaw Butler, accountants and business consultants, has been updated with news of latest tax events - http://clayshawbutler.blogspot.co.uk/
Celtic Couriers @CelticCouriers and their work on a Mencap initiative featured on the Your Llanelli website - http://www.llanellitown.com/business/business-news/2169-celtic-couriers-work-with-mencap-on-jobs-initiative
ITV Wales spotlight on Evan-Evans Brewery's 'best job in the world' - http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2012-06-09/is-this-the-best-job-in-the-world/
Loaf of the Week at Jenkins Bakery shops this week is the Small Anniversary, *Save 10p* 0.98p. More special offers - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/
Latest special offers from the Jenkins Bakery @JenkinsBakery (inc 2 BBQ Chicken pasties 2) now on company website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/
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For boxing fans everywhere and particularly for fans of Welsh boxing this book is a must read.

From the introduction we learn that:-

"For such a small country, Wales has made a significant, if largely unacknowledged contribution to the sport of boxing. While most boxing fans can probably name a handful of Welsh champions, it is unlikely that many will be aware that at the dawn of modern boxing in Britain the three greatest fighters to be found anywhere in the United Kingdom all came from Wales.

Yet in 1909 when the Lonsdale belts were first offered to establish the best boxers at lightweight, middleweight and featherweight weight classes, all three championship belts were quickly scooped up by a trio of remarkable boxers from South Wales."

You'll have to buy the book if you want to learn more about these, and other , fascinating characters from the history of Welsh boxing. Lawrence Davies' meticulously researched biographies of the dozen or so fighters featured in this book are a pleasure to read and I hope to write a fuller review some time soon.

Meanwhile to buy your copy of 'Mountain Fighters' please go to:- http://www.gwales.com/latest/?tsid=6

If you are keen to know who the Welsh holders of those first Lonsdale belts were, please go to:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonsdale_Belt

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Harriet Davis suffered from a rare degenerative metabolic disease, and lived for just 11 years. Seaside holidays, in the company of family and friends, were a source of great joy and enrichment to her and thus to all who knew her, and in 1992 the Harriet Davis Seaside Holiday Trust for Disabled Children was established as a tribute to her shining and indomitable spirit.

This year marks an important anniversary for the Trust; it is twenty years since Harriets parents, Kit and John Davis, established the charity as a tribute to her memory. To mark the occasion they will be launching a book, From Harriet with Love, which tells Harriets story and how Kit and John came to form the Trust, and includes contributions by a selection of those who also loved and cared for her, and the fun they had along the way.

The thirty years since Harriet was born have included a lot of stress and anxious times, says Kit and John, but overall we remember the fun, laughter and good times, and have been constantly grateful for the kindness of strangers.

As the principal carers of an increasingly frail child, Kit and John were constantly reminded of the lack of suitable holiday accommodation which would allow a severely disabled child to take part in a real family holiday. Therefore, they founded a registered charity in Harriets name that aimed to provide properties in seaside locations that are suitably constructed to offer families with disabled children the opportunity to enjoy seaside holidays. The needs of these families for rest and recreation have been provided for in remarkably creative and imaginative ways through the four houses owned by the Trust.

Harriets wish was that everyone should have a holiday as she was able to enjoy, adds Kit and John, and we suppose that what the book illustrates is that, whatever the disability, a holiday at the seaside can be uplifting and a healing place for all the family, and this underlines all that we have tried to provide since Harriet died.

From Harriet with Love is a remarkable story, one the authors believe should be told for the benefit of others as well as to provide a suitable tribute to their daughters life. All proceeds from the publication will be donated to the Harriet Davis Seaside Holiday Trust for Disabled Children (Registered Charity No. 1015096).

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With England kicking off their Euro 2012 campaign at the Donbass arena in Donetsk against France on Monday a few will realise that the host city was originally called Hughesovka and was created by Welsh capitalist John Hughes and his team of seventy Welsh miners and steelworkers. Its transition from Hughesovka in Russia, to Stalino in the Soviet Union, and then to Donetsk in the newly-independe nt Ukrainian nation, is a story of Russia, Ukraine and the Soviet Union in microcosm.

Welsh publishers Y Lolfa recently released a book Dreaming a City: The Story of Hughesovks/Stalino/Donetsk that traces the towns growth from patriarchal beginnings through the Russian revolutions, Bolshevism, Stalinism, Nazi occupation and the collapse of Communism, Nineties rising Ukraine nationalism, to Ukraine post-independence in the present market economy. Partly a revisiting of the making of the television series Hughesovka and the New Russia , this book is Russian and Welsh social and political history; travel journalism, and a tribute to Welsh historian Gwyn Alf Williams. Above all, though, it explores the tensions between a belief in social change and the danger implicit in utopian visions. Probing important themes such as capitalism and communism; internationalism and nationalism, in addition to freedom and exploitation, the author uses the city as a metaphor to explore a retreat from political idealism, and the nature of hope and disillusion. It also includes a DVD of the award winning documentary.

Dreaming a City  is available on www.ylolfa.com for 9.95

A preview of the documentary can be seen here:-

"The name of Colin Thomas...a guarantee of intelligence and scrupulous integrity" (The Financial Times)

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Clay Shaw Butler's Donna Jones is celebrating gaining the AAT qualification with the professional body for accounting technicians.
The AAT is the UKs leading qualification and membership body for accounting staff.
Donna is 28 and from Lampeter.
She is a former pupil of Lampeter Comprehensive School.
She gained a Business Management Degree from Aberystwyth University.
Donna is keen to add to her list of accountancy qualifications and is planning to start her ACCA qualifications in September.
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. ACCA aims to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.
The association currently supports 140,000 members and 404,000 students throughout their careers, providing services through a network of 83 offices and active centres.
You can contact Donna at Clay Shaw Butler, chartered accountants and business consultants, of Lammas Street, Carmarthen, on 01267 228500.
Email -
donnajones@clayshawbutler.com
Website -
www.clayshawbutler.com

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Burry Port firm Amcanu has joined the social media networks of Facebook and Twitter.
You can find them on Facebook by looking for Amcanu Ltd.
You can find them on Twitter by searching for @AmcanuLtd
Check them out dont forget to Like the Facebook page and Follow the Twitter feed.

About Amcanu -

Amcanu is a design and manufacturing business.
We provide tailored sheet metal solutions, with the emphasis on quality, attention to detail and precision.
We have more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Based in West Wales, we produce tailored sheet metal solutions which are used around the world.

Website -
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In the news today . . .


By Robert Lloyd, 2012-06-08

The Llanelli Rotary Club website has just been updated with latest news - http://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=936
Pictures from the Carmarthen Town AFC Youth Presentation Evening at Richmond Park are now up on the club website - http://www.carmarthentownafc.com
Want to work at the National Botanic Garden of Wales? We are looking for an Assistant Horticulturist http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/support-us/job-vacancies/ #GardenOfWales
Beer tasters ready to get down to work for the Evan-Evans Brewery #beer #realale - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/beer-tasters-ready-to-get-down-to-work.html
Carmarthen artist Mark Cox starts a new exhibition run at Aberglasney House and Gardens in the Tywi Valley - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/mark-cox-starts-new-exhibition-at.html
Lee Trundle mulls legal action against Neath on 'substantial' unpaid wages http://ow.ly/brxNZ
Retweeted by Robert Lloyd Expand
Catch up on news about the latest events at Aberglasney House and Gardens in the Tywi Valley - http://www.aberglasney.org/index.php?page=events
Euros Childs at St Peters Hall,Carmarthen 23rd June Tickets here:- http://www.wegottickets.com/event/171418
Congratulations to Radio Glangwili ( @RG_GarAng ), celebrating 20 years of broadcasting. #carmarthen
Llanelli's MP ryou.co.uk/t/8Nw3ql
Melin Consultants @melinconsult looking for a new team member for Llanelli - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/melin-consultants-looking-for-new-team.html
Posters are out for the Llandeilo Jazz Festival (July 6-8) - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/posters-are-out-for-llandeilo-jazz.html
Time Machine has kicked in again - we are back in February! Can't hear myself think for the wind and the rain on the attic office roof!

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Two new members for Llanelli Rotary Club


By Robert Lloyd, 2012-06-08


Two new members were inducted into membership of Llanelli Rotary Club at the weekly meeting at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli.
Dr Kevin Jones (left) and Mr Simon Rowley (right) were welcomed into the club by President Graham Williams.
The two new Rotarians were proposed as members by Rotarian Jeff Wheeler.
Dr Jones was born in Llanelli and attended Llanelli Boys Grammar School before receiving his medical training at Cardiff University and St Andrews in Scotland.
He returned to Llanelli in 1982 to join the Ty Elli medical practice.
He is a senior partner in the practice.
Mr Rowley is a retired surgeon. Born in Leeds, he was brought up in Zambia.
He was educated at Shrewsbury and at Birmingham and Heidelberg universities.
The next meeting of Llanelli Rotary Club is the annual Club Assembly meeting on Wednesday, June 13, 7.30pm at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli.
Website -
http://llanellirotary.com/
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Mark Cox starts new exhibition at Aberglasney


By Robert Lloyd, 2012-06-08


Carmarthen artist Mark Cox has a new exhibition at Aberglasney House and Gardens.
The exhibition started today and runs through to 21st June.
The show is made up of more than60 original paintings, mainly of West Wales, together with prints and cards.
Below, is Mark's view of Druidstone Beach.


Mark's own website describes him as 'an eclectic artist who enjoys working on a variety of subjects, producing landscapes, marine and coastal paintings. He works in both oils and watercolours'.
Mark, who has been painting all his life, gained an honours degree in fine art at Trinity College Carmarthen.
Mark has exhibited widely in Carmarthenshire, Bristol, Brecon, Dublin, Mid and South-West Wales, including Cardiff and the National Assembly for Wales.
His work has been sent as far as Australia and USA.
Mark can be seen working on his latest paintings most Wednesdays in the Lounge Gallery, Waverley, Carmarthen.
Mark is well known to visitors to Aberglasney House and Gardens as he exhibits there on a regular basis.
For more on Mark Cox, see -
http://carmarthenartist.blogspot.com/
www.markcoxpaintings.co.uk
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