Blogs

The award-winning Evan-Evans brewery in Llandeilo is helping to champion the power of local!
There is a growing consumer trend to buy local food and drink, with the accent firmly on quality products.
Pubs are no different in that respect to your local greengrocer, butcher and fishmonger, said James Buckley, of Evan-Evans.
More and more nowadays customers and consumers are appreciating the value of buying local. They know they are supporting local industries and businesses and they know they are getting quality products for the pound in their pocket.
In the brewing industry in Wales, we have found in recent years that people putting real value on excellence. Here, at Evan-Evans we produce a range of traditional quality ales which are winning awards and building on our reputation for excellence.
Mr Buckley, 22, recently rejoined the brewing team at Evan-Evans and is now helping to promote an initiative from SIBA, the Small Independent Brewers Association.
SIBA will this week (August 2) be launching SIBA Locals, a scheme which will identify Local Beer Champions.
Mr Buckley said: More and more people make a conscious decision to go to pubs selling local produce meat raised on local farms, fish caught in local waters, local fruit and vegetables grown in season and , of course, beer from their local brewer.
Becoming a SIBA Local says a pub cares about its local community, supports local brewers and sells their distinctive, flavoursome craft beers.
Pubs joining the scheme receive a brass plaque, posters and access to a dedicated website ( http://www.siba.co.uk/sibalocals ) designed to help them communicate their local beer champion status.
The initiative is all about championing the good things that are local and I will be doing my very best to encourage the Free Trade pubs in South West Wales and further afield to sign up to the scheme.
SIBA Local pubs will have access to special tasting notes and help in staging special events.
SIBA's Pub Associate scheme is being launched at this year's Great British Beer Festival, which starts in Earls Court in London on Tuesday, August 2.
Weblinks
www. http://siba.co.uk
http://www.siba.co.uk/sibalocals
http://www.evan-evans.com/

At the Healing The Wounds charity, they firmly believe in the title of the Will Young hit Anything Is Possible.
It could even be something of a motto for the charity, which helps treat sufferers of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).
Event manager Amie Phillips is a big fan of Will Young . . . so, on the basis of anything is possible she asked for a favour when he visited a South Wales radio station.
We asked Will if hed be kind enough to autograph one of our Healing The Wounds banners and he was delighted to agree after it was explained to him what the charitys work involves.
His autograph is the first on our banner, but it will be the first of many we hope as we plan to get more celebrity autographs and endorsements.
Then, when weve filled as much of the banner was we can, we will put the finished banner up for auction to raise cash for the charity.
As an auction item it will be a real one-off and of great appeal to celebrity autograph hunters.
Amazingly, in December Will Young will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of his winning Pop Idol.
The singer has sold more than eight million albums worldwide. His latest (fourth) studio album is called Echoes.
Lending his name to our banner was a very nice thing for Will Young to do, said Healing The Wounds executive director Kevin Richards.
We are the only charity working to make sure that veterans and members of the civilian services get treatment for PTSD where they need it, close to their homes in Wales.
The work we do is hugely valuable and important for the brave men and women who serve our country. To see the transformation in PTSD victims after they have attended one of our treatment courses is to appreciate what the term life-changing really means.

Weblinks
http://www.willyoung.co.uk
http://www.healingthewounds.co.uk

By any standards, its been quite a year for the Ashburnham Golf Clubs teenage golf star Nia Greville.
At just 15, she has chalked up a Welsh title win, represented Wales in the European Championships in Sardinia and she is now heading north to compete in the Home Internationals in Scotland.
In the middle of it all, she is putting her mind to completing 12 GSCE Level exams, anxiously awaiting the results of half of them later this month.
Yes, its been quite a year, the modest Ysgol y Strade, Llanelli, pupil said as she took time out from a practice round at the Ashburnham Championship Links.
The golf has gone really well and I am lucky that its been both a busy and successful year.
In May, Nia won the Welsh Girls Under-16 Championship at Royal St David's Golf Club, Harlech.
In July, she joined the Wales team in the European Girls Under-18 Team Championships in Sardinia.
This week, she will be proudly wearing the Wales blazer once again as the Girls Home International Matches get underway at Gullane on Wednesday.
The Wales team includes the talented North Walian Amy Boulden.
That event starts on Wednesday, when Wales face England and they will be looking to gain revenge for the 9-0 whitewash they suffered in the corresponding fixture last year.
Wales play Ireland on Thursday and wrap up the series against Scotland on Friday.
The Gullane Golf Club in East Lothian offers championship quality links golf courses with dramatic views across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh and Fife. The Home Internationals take place on the Gullane No2 course.
Playing on a links course should suit Nia just fine as she spends her time practicing on the glorious links at Ashburnham.
This is a lovely course, Nia said before teeing off on another practice round. Ive been playing here since I was about eight years old, so I know the place pretty well.
Nia, who plays off a Handicap of 6, is undecided about whether to continue her golfing career at a more senior level.
For now, its an enjoyable hobby and I think Ill leave it at that while Im in the middle of my exams and all my school work. Im really enjoying the challenge of playing golf at an international level. Im very proud to represent Wales and enjoying every minute of it. I just hope I can make a great contribution to the Wales team in the international matches.
The Home Internationals will feature foursomes games in the morning before singles in the afternoon.
Ashburnham club secretary Huw Morgan said: We are very proud of our junior golfers here at The Ashburnham and we are working very hard to encourage the next generation of golfers.
All of us here at the club are very proud of Nias achievements this year and we wish all the very best on her trip to Scotland
Nia comes from one of Llanellis most famous sporting families. Her father, Simon Greville, played for Llanelli Scarlets, and her grandfather is Handel Greville, a Welsh rugby international and a Scarlets legend who was once chairman and president of the club.
For further information about The Ashburnham Golf Club, contact
The Clubhouse, Cliffe Terrace, Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, SA16 0HN
Tel:01554 832269
Fax:01554 836974
Email:admin@ashgolf.co.uk
Website - http://www.ashburnhamgolfclub.co.uk

Today, I bought the cutest little hat you ever saw. Egg yolk yellow, with two enormous cream poppies and a bow. It's a pill box shape but that's about the only connection with Jackie O. Her style was minimalistic, simple. This hat spelt 'OTT'.

Itried it on. 'Everyone' who had seen itlovedit but it was for a small head.That was no deterrent. I have two grand-daughters.

I bought the hat. I would have been wild with myself if I hadn't.(I don'tregret buying things, only not buying things). It cost 4. Yes, all of 4, from a charity shop, Siop Elusennol as theysayCardigan way, where I had it.

Zara Phillips, Princess Anne's daughter was married this afternoon and I've checked thetitfers and none of the guests, but noneof the guests,wore anything that compared with mine.

Cardiganhas some super charity shops. That was not all I bought. (Can't help myself. Got the bug.) One cat, three china kittens, (granddaughters again), 1.

A china cup and saucer, patterned with snowdrops, gold rimmed, new, 'January' written on the saucer, 2. (For me, for my diligence, for my ferreting instincts).

My friend and Ihad tea in Pendre (top of the town) in a gorgeous cafe wherea huge hand-knitted cardigan was suspended from the ceiling. Books from 'Parthian' and 'Seren' were on sale, there was an art gallery and jewellery, the tea was hot, lovely cakes, and smiley waitresses.

The National Eisteddfodisin Wrecsam (Wrexham) this year and I shall be watching it on television this evening.The first National Eisteddfod held in Wales was in Cardigan Castle. It was the idea of the Lord Rhys and people came from all over Britain to compete. (Perhaps the Lord Rhys was into 'Twitter'and 'Facebook').

Cardigan, situated in mid-Wales, in Sir Aberteifi, was once an important town. The weekly market dates from1227 and duringthe 18th and 19th centuries, Cardigan was the most important seaport in South Wales. When the river silted up, boats were unable to sail in and so trade declined.

A 'Trade Directory'of 1830 shows there were six tailors in the town, five dressmakers and two straw hat makers. I doubt the hats were as good as my little chapeau, though.

The government pledged to supportthe campaign to reduce the number of plastic bags shops give, or charge, customers for but thisyear the number of bags used has gone up.

The bagsare a hazard for wildlife andcan remain in landfill for a thousand years.I don't know whether I am being simplistic, but why not make more use of biodegradable bags which, although still a danger to animals, would eventuallydecompose. Putting up the price of carrier bagswould also cut down on their use.

Years ago, peopleusedstring shopping bagsand if they bought more than they expected to, they were given paper carrier bags.The bags werenot meant to carry heavy weights but just the odd thing.

My aunt usually had the oddpaper carrier bag tucked away in a cupboard somewhere. We called it a'cwdin brown', (brown carrier).

Living in the country, not off the beaten track but close to a main road, tramps often knocked on her door, askingfor hot waterto make tea in their billy cans. Whether or not Auntie Mary believed that Elijah would come back as a beggar, she always cut some sandwiches and added cake, biscuits, whatever she had to hand, to give to the tramp. The food was put in a 'cwdin brown'.

I was looking at an article about decluttering recently (it's so nice to sit back andlearn how to simplify life, without moving from the chair). It claimed that the last thing women will disposeofare paper carrier bags from dress shops. I hold on to mine, likingto be reminded of different places I've shopped, especially when I've been on holiday.

Last year, one evening, we walked along the quay in Cannes, looking at the yachts that had tied up.

Lights were twinkling, people were eatingsupper on deck. One yacht had a liveried butler serving food (we acted casual, made it appear as though it was an every day story of country folk to us).

We noticed someone had left a Hermes paper carrierby a bin, ready for therefuse collection. Now, that's a bagI would have liked to peek in.

Princess Anne's daughter, Zara, is marrying on Saturday and has beendiscouragedfrom selling photos of the nuptials to 'Hello!' a celebrity magazine. What with William and Kate and the goings on in Monaco, marriage is not only popular but an expensive activity.

In the old song 'Daisy, Daisy, Give me your answer, do, It won't be a stylish marriage, We can't afford a carriage, But you'll look sweet, Upon the seat of a bicycle made for two', the groom makes his financial position clear. Nowadays, he would probably be shown the door ifthat was all he had to offer.

Iwas in the IvyBush, Carmarthen today, having a baked potato with my mother.Two men wereinconversation, one of whom was flying to Los Angeles in the next few days for his wedding. His wife was English, from Hertfordshire, andthe in-laws were accompanying them. The groom-to-be enthused about bungee jumping and 'helicoptering' during the honeymoon. He made it sound as though the main point of the wedding was to have a great holiday and perhaps it was.

IfI could have given him one word of advice about weddings it would be:'Think simple' and the same goes for the dress. I would tell the bride that, if marrying in church, try to rememberyou're not in a nightclub. If youlike bare shoulders and lots of cleavage keep it forthe reception, if you must.

My daughters and I chosesilk for our wedding dresses, which fades over the years butwe're never wearing them again, anyway. Actually, Emmacouldn't, even if she wanted to.They moved house a fewyears ago. Her husband was 'sorting'the bags.Ie wir, yes, indeed. Hethrew his wife's wedding gown away. By mistake.Never mind. They'restill together.

Everyone's wedding memories differ. At ourreception, the photographer wanteda photo of us cutting the cake. A waitress broughta hugesilver knife,which we both held, angled at the cake. When the photographer had finishedPeterfrowned at the cake.

'I can't rememberthe number of guests', he whispered. 'How many slices do we have to cut?'

He couldn't understandwhat I was laughing about

St Mary's Church, Fishguard, has an exhibition of wedding and christening gowns dating from the early 19th century and I went to see it this afternoon. Run by the 'Saints and Stones' group, donations go towards the education of young people in the Congo.

Fifteen hundred years ago pilgrims arrived here from Europe andfounded religious communities. The 'Saints and Stones' group was formed in Pembrokeshire in 1995toretrace their footsteps.

'Pilgrims from the Sea' and 'In the Shadows of the Preselis' are two of the routes taken. There are Pilgrimage days and an annual supper and Pilgrim Evensong in St David's Cathedral. (Two pilgrimages to St. David's equals one to Rome).

Pilgrimages were meant to be spiritual journeys but Chaucers Pilgrims, on their way to Canterbury,were a very mixed bunch. In the 'Age of Saints' pilgrimages were akin to package holidays, though more dangerous but, if you did not feel up to the trip, it was possible to send someone instead of you. In1352 a London merchant paid a man twenty pounds to go on pilgrimageto Mount Sinai for him.

Pilgrimsoften wrote theirwills as a safety precaution before setting out, because they were likely to be away for months, if not years. St Mary's Church, Haverfordwest, has an effigy of a pilgrim witha scallop shell on his bag. This shows that he journeyed to Sant Iago de Compostella, in Spain.

In his 'Description of Wales', Geraldus Cambrensis described miracles said to have happened in St Almedha's Church, in 1195, where people appeared to becured of St Vitus's Dance, an uncontrollable twitching of the limbs.

Whereas 'All roads lead to Rome', many pilgrimages lead to St David's Cathedral and I was interested to know that 'The American Friends of St David's Cathedral' are highly supportive of the work of the Cathedral.

Harry has been on Poppit Sandslately, on Lifeguard duty.

Close by is Gwbert and flicking through the 'Nita Sybil Evans' cookbook, I found this recipe for 'Gwbert Cakes'. It was written about 1940 and is very plain, probably because it was war-time. These cakes aresimilar to 'Welsh Cakes', but without the currants and spices.

Gwbert Cakes

Ingredients:6 oz- (150 gm)SR Flour

2 oz - (50gm) sugar

1 oz- (25gm) butter

1 egg

Pinch salt

Method: Rub butter into flour. Add the rest of the ingredients. Roll out and cut into circles. Fry in a little butter. Serve sprinkled with sugar.

Now try some Welsh cakes:

Welsh cakes: (War-Time Recipe)

Ingredients:

8 oz (225 gm) SR Flour

3 oz (75 gm) butter

2 oz (50gm) sugar

A few currants

1 egg,

Milk to mix

Pinch of spice

The method is the same as for Gwbert Cakes.

('Frimpan' is whatI call the frying pan in Welsh).

The writer, T. Llew Jones, died in January, 2009. In his book, 'Lawr Ar Lan Y Mor', I read the story of a famous smuggler.

Cwmtydu issituated on the coast between Llangrannog and New Quay,Ceredigion.It was here, to a derelict cottage overlooking the sea, that the man known as 'Sion Cwilt',came, bringing with himtwenty or more ponies.

Visitingone of the innsclose to the beach, he confided that he was expecting a boat from Roscoffto arrive within a few days. He neededmento helphim unload the cargoquickly, under cover of darkness, in order to avoid the government's 'Excise Men', whopatrolled the area.

One afternoon in September, 1797,a luggerfrom Roscoff dropped anchor in the bay.When night fell, the boat drew closer to the shore, where Sion Cwilt andhis menwere waiting with the ponies.By daybreak,the French boat had sailed away and the kegs of brandy werehidden incaves.

Soon, storiesbegan to circulate that smuggling was taking place, but no-one in Cwmtydu, when questioned, was prepared to speak to the Excise Men. Sion Cwilt's activitiescontinued, untila man named Daniel Ifan tried to sell brandy in Llangrannog.Daniel Ifan's capture and subsequent hanging brought an end toSion Cwilt's reignin Cwmtydu and he left the area.

I spent the afternoon in Llansteffan,a small village a few milesfrom Carmarthen. Llansteffan inspired much of Dylan Thomas's work andhis grandparents livedhere.

Preparing blackcurrants for a sorbet earlier in the day, the 'Pears and redcurrants' in 'Poem in October' came into my mind.

As a child, weholidayed ina B@B overlooking the beach.People cockled hereand I haddonkey rides every day. There was a mockmayor-making ceremony, too, dating since 1875.

Llansteffan's Norman castlelooks out to seaand my mother remarked that, at night, the castle is floodlit, 5 donations paying for the electricity.

In 1200, King John granted Llansteffan a Charter, which allowed fairs and markets to be held, essentialfor trade. There were two fairs a year, Ffair Fawr and Ffair Fach, a Big Fair and a Little Fair.

It was sultry and warm today, so we decided to sitoutside the beach cafe, under a parasol. There was a good selection of homemade cakes, including coffee and walnut sponge,and we had ice-cream and chocolate.

I told my mother about thesummerwe took the bus from Sant Agata, Sorrento, to Marina del Cantone, the dancer Rudolf Nureyev's favourite beach, though I didn't know it at the time.

Marina del Cantone has apebbledbeach and a cafe thatjuts outto sea.Sitting at a table there, I saw the sea below the boards as weate chocolate and ground almond cake, rich and very sweet.

In a lemon grove in Sorrento, a few days' earlier, we'dsampled Limoncello and Maudie had been given a large lemon, which she kept a tight hold on.This lemon was beginning to resemble a prune, but Maudie, three at the time, included it on every jaunt we had.

When we left the cafe, we stood on the beach, marvelling as thewater crashed on the shore. My daughter seized her opportunity, suggesting that Maudie throw the lemon in the sea and let it bounce all around the world. Surprisingly, she agreed.