Blogs



Clay Shaw Butler accountant Amanda Russell is running the Cardiff half marathon on Sunday.
She is joining a team of five other runners from West Wales raising money for a small country in west Africa called Burkina Faso.
Amanda said: "The United Nations rates Burkina Faso as the world's third poorest country and so they need as much help and money as we can give to allow them a chance to become self sustainable. The money being raised is specifically being put towards flood prevention so please follow the link below to donate. Thanks!
https://www.justgiving.com/teams/BurkinaFaso
"The situation in Burkina Faso is urgent with thousands facing famine NOW. Please give what you can.
"Remember: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never share them with anyone or send you unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. They'll make sure Gift Aid (an additional 28%) is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer, too. That means more money goes to the charity, faster, with JustGiving."
Amanda Russell ATT FCCA is a Relationship Accountant with Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants in Carmarthen.
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A pair of West Wales businesswomen have set up an innovative lunch-time networking forum for businesses called Beyond20.
Sarah Wynne, of Chartered Accountants and Business Consultants Clay Shaw Butler, and Jo Watson, of Antur Insurance, have established a new Carmarthen-based forum for ladies to meet for business networking.
The first two lunchtime meetings have been held at the Angel Vaults restaurant in Carmarthen and have been a great success, with more than 20 ladies attending the October event.
The next meeting is planned for Wednesday, November 14, at the Angel Vaults, 12.30pm.
There are quite a few business networking meetings and organisations around, but nothing quite like this, said Sarah Wynne, Relationship Accountant with Clay Shaw Butler.
The first pilot lunch was very successful. The group is aimed at getting businesswomen together to network and discuss the key issues facing businesses in West Wales today. We call the group Beyond20, being a nod to the fact that the proportion of women in senior management is only 20% - the group aims to push that boundary.
Its a very novel idea and one which met with widespread approval from the ladies who attended.
The idea is to hold a lunch on the second Wednesday of the month. Basically, we have seen a gap in the market for networking and our idea was to provide a friendly and reasonably informal forum for like-minded businesswomen in West Wales to get together and help develop their business ideas.
Lunch starts at 12.30. There is a fixed menu for food and we are developing a structure for the meeting which meets everyones approval as we go along. Places at the lunch are on a first-come-first-served basis.
Anyone interested in attending can contact -
Sarah Wynne FMAAT ACA, Relationship Accountant, Clay Shaw Butler, 01267 228 500, email, SarahWynne@clayshawbutler.com
The team at Clay Shaw Butler can be contacted on 01267 228500 or through the website at www.clayshawbutler.com

Pictures above of Sarah Wynne and Jo Watson, top.
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An evening with Maureen Madill, the BBC golf commentator, was a hit with the ladies of the Ashburnham Golf Club in Pembrey.
The professional golf coach was the guest speaker at a special dinner to celebrate 100 years of ladies golf at 'The Ash'.
"The evening was great fun and enjoyed by all," said club captain Iris Jacob.
"More than 150 guests attended the celebration dinner at the Parc y Scarlets stadium in Llanelli.
"It was great to see so many past members of the club and so many of our current members celebrating a milestone in the history of Ashburnham Golf Club."
Guest speakerMadill was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. She won the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship in 1979 and the British Ladies Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 1980. She represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup in 1980 and coached the team between 1998 and 2004.
Madill turned professional in 1986 and played on the Ladies European Tour until 1996 where she had limited success, recording two runner-up finishes the 1989 Woolmark Matchplay Championship and the 1990 Haninge Open.
Picture - Top table guests: left to right, Margaret Richards, lady vice-president, Olwen Davies, lady president, Maureen Madill, guest speaker, Lady captain Iris Jacob, Ann Walker, vice-captain, and Louise Fleet, Golfing Union of Wales.
For more pictures see the post below -
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Celtic Couriers backing Burry Port RFC


By Robert Lloyd, 2012-10-14


Delivery firm Celtic Couriers Ltd is supporting Burry Port Rugby Football Club.
'The Blacks' of Burry Port have just received a donation of 'subs suits' for first team players.
Senior coach Matthew Williams said: "The suits are great and help keep the guys on the replacements bench warmed-up and ready for action on the field of play. They are a big boost and they have been welcomed with open arms by the players now that the cold of winter is approaching."
Celtic Couriers business development manager Clayton Moore was on hand to make the presentation of the kit to Burry Port RFC before the match against Laugharne in Division 4 West in the Welsh SWALEC leagues.
Mr Moore said: "We are always delighted to lend our support to a number of different local organisations.
"We have an excellent relationship as sponsors to Burry Port RFC and when they mentioned they needed new kit we were glad to help out.
"We hope the kit helps the club perform well on the field of play and we wish them all the very best for a successful season."
Burry Port RFC website -
http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/burryportrfc/
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A 'Gimme Shelter' plea has been answered by Celtic Couriers.

The courier and delivery firm depot is just around the corner from the railway level crossing in Burry Port.
The crossing has been home to a shelter for a number of years. The shelter doubles as a bus shelter and a place to seek refuge from the elements when the crossing barriers come down to halt movement over the level crossing.
In recent years, the shelter has suffered at the hands of vandals.
The Burry Port Crossing Shelter Project was set up by the local community to breathe new life into the shelter.
Celtic Couriers came up trumps with a donation to help refurbish and renovate the shelter.
Below, the shelter as it is now, and a 'Thank-you' note from the Burry Port Crossing Shelter Project.


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Driver Kelvin's delighted with his new 'Merc'


By Robert Lloyd, 2012-10-14

Celtic Couriers driver Kelvin Rees has one of the biggest smiles around in the Celtic Couriers depot at Burry Port.

For he's the driver of the shiny new Mercedes Sprinter which has just been added to the Celtic Couriers fleet.
Kelvin said: "I really enjoy my job driving around the SA postal code area and driving the 'Merc' makes it extra special."
Celtic Couriers general manager Gareth Jenkins said he was delighted at the addition of the Mercedes sprinter to the company's fleet.
"Reliability is all important to us here at Celtic Couriers. Adding new vehicles to the fleet is very important. Meanwhile, we also take great care to ensure that all our current delivery and collection vehicles are up to scratch.
"It's all about being about to deliver the goods here at Celtic Couriers and making sure that our fleet is as up-to-date and as well-maintained as possible is very important to us."
Pictures below, Kelvin Rees with the new Mercedes Sprinter van.



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Bosses at the Jenkins Bakery held a special lunch at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, to reward their long-serving staff.
Jenkins Bakery company secretary and director David Jenkins said: "We pride ourselves on recognising our staff with an annual long service awards lunch.
"We are a family business with a great tradition and we take great pleasure in the fact that we have a great relationship with our staff members.
"Their loyal service is one of the pillars on which our business is built."
Staff with more than 10 years of service were rewarded at the lunch.
The fill list of long service staff members and their service -
10 15 years
Helen Allen; Sian Morgan; Anthea Davies; Sheran Davies; Sandra Jones; Linda Jones; Jackie Howells; Barbara Brabant; Susan Jenkins; Sharon Cox; Gino Disalvo; Samantha Smith; Filippo Difede; Delyth Davies; Biagio Borrelli; Christine John; Susan Williams; Carole Podger; Jason Morris; Iora Bailey; Stewart Hickman; Loraine Charles; Angela Crowton; Janette Carlsen; Christine OBrien; Christine Evans; Gaynor Lewis; Lynette Savoury; Sonia Aghazarian; Glenda Jones.
15 20 years
Ingrid Howells; Lucy Rodericks; Christine Thomas; Johanna Twigg; Bethan Howell; Janet Jones.
20 years and more
Rose Dodson; Ann Herbert; Hilary Duggins; Georgina James; Moira Crahart; Vicky Griffin; Fiona Snook; Bernice Jones; Stuart Treharne.
The staff members are pictured withJenkins Bakery company secretary and director David Jenkins.

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.
The company celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2011.
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Llanelli's popular Jenkins Bakery has launched a special range of products to mark Halloween.


"We always like to do something special to mark different occasions throughout the year" said Russell Jenkins operations director at the Jenkins Bakery.

"Our customers have come to expect us to do something special and this year we have six different products for people to enjoy as they party over Halloween.




HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN BISCUIT 90p
Our top quality shortbread biscuit with a hand decorated pumpkin in sugar paste.

HALLOWEEN BAT BISCUIT - 75p
Hand decorated coloured sugar paste bat on our top quality shortbread biscuit.

HALLOWEEN GHOST BISCUIT 75p
Hand decorated coloured sugar paste ghost on our top quality shortbread biscuit.

HALLOWEEN KRISPIES - 1.10
Chocolate Krispie Cake with edible figure.

HALLOWEEN CUP CAKES 90p
Our top quality chocolate muffin topped with coloured frosting and decorated with sprinkles and sugar plaque.

HALLOWEEN MALLOWS 1.10
Chocolate covered marshmallow.

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Hello to you all.


By Peter David Gowen, 2012-10-12

Hello to everyone in the world of AmeriCymru. AmriCymru virgin Peter here. Just want to break my duck with a posting.

Tomorrow (Saturday) sees the arrival of a rugby team from Leinster in Ireland, to be absolutely pounded into the ground by the might of Pontypridd Rugby team. All I can say is "Welcome Leinster to the House of Pain".

I don't know if any musician out there in AmeriCymru world is interested but I've written a folk song linking Wales and USA. If you want to see it, I can send it? You can use it with one condition, if you record it and it sells squillions- I want a cut.

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What To Write? Try Getting Passionate!


By philip stephen rowlands, 2012-10-12

Let me make it clear from the outset that this is not intended to send every one of you off to write another version of Fifty Shades. Actually my wife is probably smiling a little at the title right now. This article is about fire in the belly rather than fire in any other part of your anatomy.

As writers we often struggle to get motivated to write or perhaps we experience the dreaded mental blockand feel like giving up completely. Why not take a step back and look around? There are so many issues personally, locally and globally that can arouse our emotions.Issues wecan get passionate about. Issues we can write about. I recently joined a site called AmeriCymru.net. One of the members,nicknamed Swansea Jack, is prolific in the number of issues he flags up. Prolific and passionate. The world could do with a lot more like him.
When writing my play-based early years math program I was driven by the numerous comments I had read from children and adults on internet forums.Most of them were very passionate in their intense dislike of math and the horrible experiences they had endured. It motivated them to write about it. Open your local newspaper and you will inevitably find someone with something to say about a local issue that affects the community. It could be the local authority's intention to chop down some well loved trees or a decision to close a hospital annexe. Remember we are not only authors but part of our local community. Get fired up. Get engaged. Create your own story.
Something I, and most people,feel passionate about is the wilful murder of children. This was again sadly brought to the forefront of our attention in my own native Wales recently by the abduction and murder of April Jones. Perhaps this is not the time or place to comment but it is something I feel very strongly about. My view is that people like Ian Bradey and Myra Hindley should face the death penalty. Why should they be allowed to live when they carry the memories of the last terrible moments of the life of someone else's child in their head, able to replay it over and over whenever they please. I accept the argument that people can genuinely change but as far asI am concerned once they have murdered a child they have abrogated their right to live. Please don't bombard me with arguments to the contraryI am really not interested. This is an issue I just feel too passionate about.
Other issues that I have written about with passion include the wanton destruction of the coal industry by the Margaret Thatcher led Tory government. It was a time when the police were unleashed against communities such as mine like a paramilitary force. Communities that had endured decades of deprivation. Communities that sacrificed countless lives and drove the industrial revolution. Communities that the likes of Margaret Thatcher could never understand because she never grasped the true meaning of community. It inspired me to write a poem that will probably never find its way into any anthology but at least it made me feel better!
On a lighter note I recently wrote a novella entitled 'A Christmas Carol Revisited' as a tribute to Charles Dickens a man I not only admire as an author but as a social commentator and reformer. He exposed the social injustices and malpractices of his day with a passion suffused with humour. As an indie author I knew I had to promote the book myself. One of the things I did was email the secretary's of Charles Dickens' societies around the world. The most polite responses were inevitably from American societies.
As a consequence I was contacted by the Secretary of The Entertainment Committee (The City Bar) in New York asking my permission to perform a staged reading on the 19th December in the City Bar Building, Manhattan. Proceeds of the event go to charity. There are 1500 seats and attendees willbe asked to voluntarily contribute something in a '5' denomination for a children's charity. Say no more! I hastily point out that I will receive no monetary compensation if this goes aheadbut the fact that my book could be read in such a prestigious venue in the very place it is set is enormously exciting. It is also being performed on thedate 'A Christmas Carol' was first published. I hope you also appreciate the promotional aspect. I could never have afforded to pay for such publicity. The lesson has to be start networking with people - get passionate and promote your book.
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