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The town of Llanelli, led by town and county civic dignitaries, will join the Hywel Girls' Choir and Hywel Boy Singers' in their traditional 'The Magic of Christmas' performance.
In the beautiful surroundings of Greenfield Baptist Chapel, Llanelli, Director John Hywel Williams will lead the massed voices of the Hywel Girls' Choir and Hywel Boy Singers, the Llanelli Choral Society, soprano Rhiannon Herridge, pianist Jean Hywel and organist Huw Tregelles Williams in an evening of Christmas song, music and word.
The performance, a tradition in the calendar of the town with popular Christmas music and carols blended with hearty congregational massed singing, promises to greet the Christmas season with a resounding welcome.
Programme highlights will include Once in Royal Davids City, O Holy Night, Ding Dong Merrily on High, Adestes Fideles, great highlights from exciting choruses from world oratorios such as Handel's Messiah ...to name but a few.
The evening will also feature a selection of Christmas readings by Jeremy Hywel Wlliams and organ classics by Huw Tregelles Williams.
"There is no other way to get into the Christmas spirit than with the wonderful sound of childrens voices, hearty roof-raising singing and of course a magical selection of Christmas music", explains John Hywel Williams who will direct the performance.
The Magic of Christmas performance will take place at 7.30pm Saturday 10th December at Greenfield Baptist Chapel, Llanelli.
Tickets 5 and available from The Ticket Office 01269 841658 and from Bizy Fingers, The Market Precinct, Llanelli. Further information on www.HywelChoir.com.
Anthony was President of the club for more than 16 years and could be seen carrying out all kinds of duties for the club.
He could be seen manning the turnstile and selling raffles as well as representing the club at official functions.
Peter Hughes Griffiths, the compere for the evening, paid tribute not only to Anthonys contribution to the football club but also to the community of Carmarthen Town.
Anthony emphasised how far the club had developed during his time as President, noting the visit to Seven Sisters at the start of his period in office and visiting the Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm for Carmarthen Towns first ever away fixture in Europe.
Anthony was presented with a small token of the clubs gratitude for his work by Executive Chairman Gareth Jones.
It is the intention of the current President of Carmarthen Town Football Club, Mr. Jeff Thomas, to make similar awards in the near future to people who have given their services freely to the club.
The Kidwelly-based construction firm Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd has helped plant the seeds for an innovative project which will help children at two West Wales schools.
The project has helped build vegetable plots at Carway Primary School in the Gwendraeth Valley and Swiss Valley Primary School in Llanelli.
And it has also been designed to give important health and safety messages to the schoolchildren.
Weve managed to come up with some very practical ideas which will help the childrens education, said Dyfrig Dalziel, Managing Director of Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd.
There are several strands to the project, which means that we can help promote healthy eating, messages about the environment and recycling and information about health and safety and the need to be aware of potential dangers on construction sites.
On the health and safety side, we are able to engage with the children through Ivor Goodsite, a character from Considerate Constructor, the body which promotes jobs in the construction industry and construction site safety. Ivor helps the children through interactive games and other competitions.
The aim is for the children to have fun, but in enjoying themselves they are also picking up key messages which are part of the school curriculum.
At Carway School, Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd has been working in partnership with building supplies firm Travis Perkins and Carmarthen Garden Centre.
They all teamed-up after the Carway pupils sent letters to local businesses asking for donations to enable them to plan and build vegetable plots within their school grounds.
Workers from Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd constructed three raised vegetable plots after Travis Perkins donated the soil and Carmarthen Garden Centre donated seeds.
The pupils will benefit from the vegetable plots by learning about healthy eating as part of their curriculum. They will be donating their vegetables to the school canteen for school dinners. The pupils will also recycle left-over fruit from the school fruit shop into a compost bin.
At Swiss Valley, Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd, teamed-up with Swiss Valley Garden Centre to plan and build three raised vegetable plots in the school grounds.
The Swiss Valley project also involves an innovative Knowledge Bank with pupils agreeing to teach IT computer skills to their parents and grandparents in exchange for their gardening knowledge.
Mr Dalziel added: I am extremely happy to be able to offer the companys assistance to Carway and Swiss Valley schools.
At both schools, the pupils have worked extremely hard to achieve their objectives.
It was our great pleasure to work with children from our community and to be able to pass on our knowledge and experience of the environment and health and safety issues. We are looking forward to working with more schools from our community next year.
A poster competition at Carway School was won by Saffi Elder and Harley Rooke.
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Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd is a family run construction and maintenance company which was first established in 1981 and became a limited company in 1999. Over the past 20 years the companys commitment to providing a high quality and professional service has allowed to company to develop into a successful business which now has a workforce of more than 30 employees. Quality of work, strong work ethics and excellent customer care, along with a good reputation for meeting deadlines have allowed the company to build strong and successful partnerships with its clients.
Cr Meibion Llanelli will be travelling to The Netherlands next week to take part in special Liberation Day and Veterans Day services to mark a key World War Two battle.
The choristers will be travelling to the city of sHertogenbosch (known in the Netherlands as Den Bosch The Wood), about 50 miles south of Amsterdam.
The invitation links in with special services and tributes to mark key events from World War Two, said choir secretary Fred Elias.
We are very honoured to receive the invitation to attend the events and looking forward to being proud representatives of Wales in Den Bosch.
Civic officials from Den Bosch attended one of Cr Meibion Llanellis rehearsals at Furnace Community Hall earlier this year.
They were given a taster of what they can expect to hear at our performances in Den Bosch next week, said Mr Elias.
Jan de Wit, chief executive of sHertogenbosch City Council, said: We were greatly impressed by what we heard at their rehearsals and are looking forward immensely to the choir joining us in Den Bosch.
Lieutenant Colonel David Mathias, of Llanelli, has been playing a key role in organising the trip.
He explained: There is a very big Welsh connection with Den Bosch. The city was liberated by the 53rd Welsh Division after a five-day battle on October 27, 1944. The 53rd Welsh lost 146 soldiers killed in action.
A year after the liberation, the Divisional Commander, Major General Ross, returned to the city and presented it with a commemorative shield made of oak salvaged from a bombed Cardiff church. The shield now takes pride of place in the Welsh Room in the citys medieval Town Hall.
The first of a series of Den Bosch Liberation Commemorations took place in 1984. The commemorations today involve Welsh civic representatives and Welsh music, strengthening the links between Den Bosch and the 53rd Welsh Division and between the people of Den Bosch and Wales.
Cr Meibion Llanelli members will take part in wreath-laying ceremonies, special civic events and two concerts.
They will also visit the nearby Uden War Cemetery, the Vught Concentration Camp and join a Battlefield tour.
Choir chairman Mel Harries said the choristers had been moved by the story of the liberation of Den Bosch and were keen to pay their memorial tribute in song.
The choir will be joined by soloist Llio Evans for their concert engagements.
Llanelli Rotary Club members have made a significant contribution to the town's Food Bank.
And last week they received first-hand news about how the Food Bank is distributing food to the needy in Llanelli.
The Rotary club's guest speaker at their weekly meeting at the Stradey Park Hotel was Food Bank co-ordinator Claire Childs, who explained how the food is distributed from Myrtle House in Llanelli.
The Rotary club members, and staff at Llanelli Rural Council, collected more than 65kg of food for the Myrtle House Food Bank.
Club president Graham Williams said members had been shocked to discover the level of need in Llanelli.
Mr Williams added: "Rotary Club members have been impressed with the way the Myrtle House operation is organised. There are safeguards in place to make sure the food goes to those truly in need and everything works very efficiently.
"I know that members of the Rotary Club were shocked to discover the level of need in Llanelli for the Food Bank service. With the recession biting again, it is more than likely that this level of need will accelerate.
"Fortunately, Llanelli is known for being a 'giving and caring community' and I am sure the people of the town will rally around the Food Bank cause and support it in any way it can, be it through donations of food or people giving their time to help as volunteers."
Last month the Food Bank, which is based in Myrtle Terrace, gave food aid to 163 people.
Now it is appealing for urgent help from the public to meet the need.
Co-ordinator Claire Childs told Rotarians: "The problem is massive. We are hearing from more agencies and more people are becoming involved. But we are running out of food quite quickly. We are really struggling at the moment because the demand has got so big so quickly."
Back in May this year the number of needy people seeking essential food aid had doubled to almost 100 people.
Many had literally nothing in the house at all, said Claire.
She said: "We really need food at the moment. If anybody wants to come and donate food or bring it to the food bank, we are open five days a week, from 10am to 1pm.
"We don't buy food, we rely on food donated by local people. It is a case of the community helping itself."
She said there were many reasons for the crises affecting so many people in Llanelli.
"I think there's a general tightening of belts all round. Everyone, whether or not they are vulnerable in society and even people who are moderately affluent are having to tighten their belts.
"It's just difficult for everyone. A lot of people are having benefit delays because of the financial climate we have."
The service started up in March and is helped by the Elim Church.
Donations of tinned and non-perishable food are being sought.
Claire added: "A lot of the people who come to us for help are very vulnerable. We gave out nearly a tonne of food last month. It's a lot of food. A lot of people who would have gone hungry are being helped."
All food aid donations are gratefully received contact Myrtle House on 01554 756051 or visit http://myrtlehouse.org.uk
Six construction companies in South West Wales have joined forces to set up an innovative new project which will help our environment and give a major boost to community projects.
The firms are also helping to spread the gospel about sustainability issues in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.
This innovative project is sponsored by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and supported by Construction Skills.
Working togetheris a very ambitious and novel project bringing together six very well known names in the construction industry in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, said group spokesman Andrew McElwee.
The firms taking part are - Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd, of Kidwelly; HM Building Services, of Narberth; Lloyd & Gravell Ltd, of Pontyberem; Morganstone Ltd, of Llanelli; TAD Builders Ltd, of Llanelli; and T. Richard Jones (Betws) Ltd, of Ammanford.
Mr McElwee said: The six firms are well respected in the industry and place great value in producing quality work. Traditional values have held true for the firms in their history, but they are also very focussed on building for the future.
With that in mind, sustainability issues are top of the agenda for the firms. Sustainability looks to address issues concerned with social, environmental and economic issues within the communities served by these businesses.
By having a more structured and collaborative approach to addressing sustainability in our communities, the companies will also be able to demonstrate to clients their belief in key corporate responsibility credentials. The aim is to make a greater impact in our communities.
Mr McElwee added that theWorking togethergroup was now preparing a timetable of collaborative ventures.
These will include a whole raft of ideas which have, at their heart, issues of community support and sustainability.
Ideas currently being discussed by the group include -
Volunteering
Sponsorship
Fund raising
Group challenges
Local community action activity
Work experience
In kind giving
Waste and recycling
Mr McElwee said theWorking togethergroup would soon be releasing details of its first community project.
Other ideas include looking at simple methods which will make our communities better places to live, work and play.
For example, the team members are already looking at reducing C02 emission levels on the vehicles they operate.
They are also looking at ways in which their waste and recycling projects can work hand in hand to help our environment.
Sustainability is at the forefront of the six businesses and they are demonstrating this commitment by working as a group together with their communities.
The K Factor is making all the difference for a Llanelli business which is bucking the recession by expanding into a new showroom.
Komplete Interiors is run by Kathy Bowen - and the K puts the kick into a business which has expanded to employ three members of staff.
The latest expansion sees Komplete Interiors moving into a new showroom at Unit D on the Bynea Industrial Estate, Llanelli.
This is a business where we can honestly say we will be raising the curtain on a new era, Kathy smiled.
With the recession and all the doom and gloom about, its nice to have some positive news for Llanelli a business expanding to meet the challenges of the future.
The Komplete Interiors business started in April 2006, with Kathy working on her own, offering painting, decorating and soft furnishings.
The decorating really took off and it has taken a few years to establish the company where soft furnishings are concerned. As the designing and soft furnishings part of the business has grown, I've had to take on staff, said Kathy.
I've now come to the point where I feel it's necessary to have a showroom so that customers can see the range and quality of my work. I've opened accounts with various fabric companies, enabling me to offer a unique range of fabrics found nowhere else in Llanelli. I will also be stocking wallpapers unique to this area.
The showroom will also have samples of flooring (carpets, laminate, vinyl, real wood flooring), lighting and artwork. The artwork is unique and cannot be bought in other shops in the area.
As well as maintaining our very high standards and cost-effective solutions for domestic and commercial decorating, Komplete Interiors now offers the Komplete package, from simple decoration through to a total makeover.
Whether you need curtains, cushions, upholstery, wallpaper or flooring, Komplete Interiors offers quality, design and style. I am able to offer everything from consultation to measuring and fitting, all backed up by many years experience and expertise. Komplete Interiors is a one-stop shop for all your decorating and soft furnishing needs.
Kathy will be stocking goods from celebrated names such as Clarke and Clarke and Hallis Hudson.
Her recent design and furnish projects include work at The Diplomat Hotel and the Taylors Steak House at The Hope and Anchor in Burry Port.
The showroom will be opening on Friday, October 14. Opening hours will be 11am-4pm, Monday to Friday and 9am-12noon on Saturdays.
Kathy Bowen at the new Komplete Interiors showroom at Unit D, Bynea Industrial Estate, Bynea, Llanelli, SA14 9SA.
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Dates for your diary for Cor Meibion Llanelli -
Friday 7th October Concert Theatre Elli Railway Strike
Friday 21st October Fish and Chips Supper Furnace Rugby Club (Ladies Committee)
Sunday 9th October League of Friends of Friends Dafen Church 3.00pm.
Wednesday 19th. October. Meeting Furnace Community Centre 7.00pm.
Tour party visiting sHertogenbosch.
Wednesday 26th October - Sunday 30th October - s'Hertogenbosch Visit to the Netherlands
Sunday 13th November Remembrance Service Town Hall 10.00am.
Monday 14th November Festival of Light St. Elli Centre 6.30pm.
Saturday 26th November Coffee Morning Ladies Committee 10.00am.
Wednesday 30th November Christmas Raffle Draw Stebonheath 7.00pm.
Friday 2nd December Choir Christmas Dinner Stebonheath
Saturday 3rd December Wales v Australia Millenium Stadium
Sunday 4th December Mansion House N.S.P.C.C. (Noon)
Saturday 10th December Winslow Bucks Concert
Tuesday 13th December C.C.T.A. Christmas Service (Noon)
Saturday 17th December Christmas Concert Theatre Elli 7.00
Monday 19th December Christmas Prince Phillip Hospital
2012
Thursday 1st March Concert York House Twickenham
Saturday 3rd March St. Davids Day Concert Theatre Elli 7.00pm.
