There’s an accident waiting to happen at Sandy Water Park woods (aka Coed Cefn Padrig) in Llanelli.

Evening and night-time visitors to the woodland have been setting fires for BBQs and drinking sessions.

On Sunday, I counted six sites where fires had been lit. One was still smouldering at 11am.

At every site, you’ll find discarded litter, bottles and cans.

The woodland walk has (over the years) been vandalised. Trail markers and sculptures have been ruined.

The woods have become something of a ‘no-go’ area at evening time as the outdoor drinkers take over.

It’s easy to say it’s a youth problem.

The reality is a little different.

Yes, there are some youths setting fires, but there are also adults setting makeshift BBQs and fire pits in the woodland.

Plainly, there is a fire risk as the weather gets warmer and the woodland dries out.

The woodland is gradually being dismantled as the vandals snap branches from trees and cut down smaller saplings for fire fuel.

What’s to be done?

Well, plainly it’s a difficult area for the police to patrol.

Perhaps, we need some Millennium Coastal Park wardens?

But, one suspects, they would find it difficult to enforce any fire ban in the woodland.

Update to story (May 31) –

Well done to the Wales Wildlife Watch team for Sandy Water Park work

A Kidwelly businessman has been honoured with a British Empire Medal for his charity, sport and education work.

David Gravell, of Gravell’s Car Dealership, was presented with the award by HM Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed Sara Edwards at a ceremony in Parc Myrddin, Carmarthen.

Mr Gravell is a firm supporter of Llandovery College and has served as a trustee for many years.

He has sponsored a young person from Patagonia from the age of 16 to university entry and has helped fund a cultural centre in Esquel which was opened in 2002.

And has since provided the centre with a huge screen and projector so that people of Welsh origin are able to view TV recorded in Wales on S4C.

In 2012 he helped to fund a flat occupied by a young field worker from North Wales who would be spending another year in Esquel concentrating on youth work.

Mr Gravell is also the founder member of Cefn Sidan Rotary Club in 1971 and has since been awarded Rotary Citation in 2004 for raising £200,000 and further awarded with the Rotary’s Highest Award, the Paul Harris Triple Sapphire Award.

He organised an evening that raised £10,000 for Mencap.

He also supports Diabetes UK in memory of his late cousin Ray Gravell and donates to Kidwelly Town Bowling Club every year.

A Past President of Cor Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir and President of Dyffryn Tywi Male Voice Choir, he regularly provides vans to take food and essentials to poor or stricken countries

Mr Gravell is one of the major sponsors of the Scarlets RFC and Kidwelly RFC for more than 30 years and sponsors countless events (including rugby tournaments), regularly providing major prizes for auctions and raffles.

He was instrumental in setting up Kidwelly Trade and Tourism Association by organising various fundraising events.

Gravell’s Car Dealership was set up by Mr Gravell’s late father Tom.

Today, the business has passed into the hands of his sons, Ian and Jonathan, with Mr Gravell remaining as chairman.

The BEM is given for meritorious service worthy of recognition by the Crown.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s civil registration service organises award ceremonies along with its other duties which include births, deaths and marriages.

Spotlight on the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers:

If the traditional saying “experiences make a man rich” is true, then thousands of local children have gained great wealth thanks to the Hywel Girls’ Choir & Hywel Boy Singers.

Born from the baton of John Hywel Williams, the Hywel Girls’ Choir & Hywel Boy Singers have become an institution in choral singing.

With an unequalled heritage of teaching over 8,000 young voices, the choir has enjoyed the extraordinary achievement of more than 200 TV and radio broadcasts spanning 120 countries globally, 25 international concert tours, performing at world leading concert halls to Royalty, World Leaders and The Pope – and all perfectly summed up by British Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. John Major as “Wales’ Ambassadors of Song.”

From its origins in Llanelli in 1948, the Hywel Choir were soon choral pioneers in both performances across leading British concert halls and also in their national television and radio broadcasts.

By the late 1950s, the choir had already enjoyed national and international acclaim with six international concert tours to the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania and three tours to Czechoslovakia.

This included the historic tour which captured national and international press headlines when Llanelli’s Hywel Girls’ Choir broke records in being the first British Choir to tour behind the oppressive communist iron curtain of Eastern Europe at the height of the Cold War.

During this period, the choir also enjoyed television and radio broadcasts from Prague broadcast across Eastern Europe and from Belgium, Romania and The Netherlands.

The choir’s first decade was only a first step in a history of even greater achievements which spans an incredible 70 years.

A wealth of national and international broadcasts and recordings:

Performances for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Singing for His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. Performing for His Holiness The Pope at the Vatican.

A BBC televised performance from Russia’s largest concert hall the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire.

A Eurovision broadcast from Belgrade to millions of TV viewers across Europe. The Arad Opera House, Bucharest. The internationally acclaimed Prague Spring Festival. St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Ontario. The Festival of Remembrance with HRH The Duke of Kent. The Royal Festival Hall. St David’s Cathedral. Llandaff Cathedral. Wells Cathedral. St. David’s Hall. Brangwyn Hall. Numerous performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall . . . the list keeps going.

Hywel Choirs continue to shine:

The Hywel Choir continues to shine and inspire audiences at home and around the world.

In the last 12 months alone, the Hywel choristers have enjoyed performances at The House of Lords, Covent Garden, Brangwyn Hall, St David’s Cathedral, Morriston Tabernacle Chapel, Birmingham Hippodrome as well as various performances with their resident orchestra the British Sinfonietta Symphony Orchestra.

However, their busy concert schedule is eclipsed by an incredible broadcast year on television and radio.

This year alone, television broadcasts of the choristers have reached over 30 million viewers and include appearances on BBC, ITV, S4C, Channel 4 and international television channels with highlights including a special feature on the choir on BBC Songs of Praise, ITV Britain’s Got Talent Semi-Finalists, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day appearances on S4C and memorable TV filming from The London Palladium, London’s iconic Elstree Studios, Llansteffan Castle, Manorbier Castle.

National and regional radio broadcasts have reached over 7 million listeners and top online videos of the choristers have recently past 15 million viewers.

In coming months, some of the choir’s many performances include Manchester Cathedral, a televised broadcast performance with an audience of 15,000 from Birmingham’s mighty NEC Arena, a historic WW1 Centenary Festival of Remembrance from Coventry Cathedral, the 20th anniversary Last Night of the Proms with the British Sinfonietta orchestra. The Hywel Choir will also be launching their latest international album in Summer 2018 and will also be recording an exciting new Christmas album during the summer for release Christmas 2018.

The choir is proud of its beloved music and performance team, Director of Music John Hywel Williams MBE, pianist Jane Jewell, organist Huw Tregelles Williams OBE, percussionist Gareth Hamlin, performance trainer Jeremy Hywel and resident quartet and orchestra, the British Sinfonietta.

Links to other information and news –

Spotlight on John Hywel Williams MBE

Army of 200 musicians prepare for ‘Big Mad Proms’ this Saturday

Views are being sought to help inform a review of Carmarthenshire’s gambling policy.

Feedback is wanted from residents, businesses, licence holders and their representatives as part of a survey that’s now running until June 1.

Law dictates that the current gambling policy, formally adopted by Carmarthenshire Council in February 2016, has to be reviewed every three years to ensure views from local communities across the county are regularly reflected.

Guided by the UK Government’s Gambling Act of 2005, the Carmarthenshire policy regulates activities including betting, bingo and gaming machines in places like arcades, clubs, pubs, family entertainment centres and betting shops.

Some of the questions forming part of the survey include whether people are aware of gambling related problems in their communities and if they know of organisations either locally or nationally that provide advice and support for gambling related problems.

Cllr Philip Hughes, Carmarthenshire Council’s Executive Board Member for Public Protection, said: “Maintaining a vibrant night-time economy across the county is important, but we need to ensure gambling doesn’t exploit the vulnerable or become a source of crime and disorder.

“Gambling has to be conducted in a fair and open way, so we’re looking for as much feedback as possible during this consultation exercise to ensure we’re able to maintain an effective licensing system for Carmarthenshire as a whole, while striking the right balance to meet the needs of residents and businesses.

“All views submitted will help inform a revised gambling policy for Carmarthenshire, which will go to Full Council for approval later this year.”

Other questions forming part of the live survey include whether people are aware of any premises where problems have arisen from gaming machines being made available to the public. People are also being asked if they know of problems arising from gambling premises being located close to buildings like schools and treatment centres for drug, alcohol or other addictions.

The survey is now available online on Carmarthenshire Council’s homepage in the ‘Have your say’ section. Hard copies can also be requested by contacting Emyr Jones from the council’s licensing team on EORJones@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or 01267 228717.

Clay Shaw Butler

By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants.

There’s some important deadline news for you this week about benefits and expenses provided to employees and directors.

The forms P11D, which report details of benefits and some expenses provided to employees and directors for the year ended 5 April 2018, are due for submission to HMRC by 6 July 2018.

The process of gathering the necessary information can take some time, so it is important that this process is not left to the last minute.

Employees pay tax on benefits provided as shown on the P11D, generally via a PAYE coding notice adjustment or through the self assessment system.

Significant changes were introduced to the rules for reporting expenses from 6 April 2016.

Some employers ‘payroll’ benefits and in this case the benefits do not need to be reported on forms P11D, but employers should advise employees of the amount of benefits payrolled.

In addition, regardless of whether the benefits are being reported via P11D or payrolled the employer has to pay Class 1A National Insurance Contributions at 13.8% on the provision of most benefits.

The calculation of this liability is detailed on the P11D(b) form. The deadline for payment of the Class 1A NIC is 19th July (or 22nd for cleared electronic payment).

HMRC produce an expenses and benefits toolkit. The toolkit consists of a checklist which may be used by advisers or employers to check they are completing the forms correctly.

If you would like any help with the completion of the forms or the calculation of the associated Class 1A NIC please get in touch with Clay Shaw Butler.

Internet link: HMRC guidance Toolkit –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-expenses-and-benefits-from-employment-toolkit-2013-to-2014

In other news, the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) allows selected employees (often key to the employer) to be given the opportunity to acquire a significant number of shares in their employer through the issue of options.

An EMI can offer significant tax advantages as the share option scheme allows options to be granted to employees which may allow the shares to be received without any tax bill arising until the shares are sold.

HMRC have warned that EMI share options granted in the period from 7 April 2018 until EU State Aid approval is received may not be eligible for the tax advantages presently afforded to option holders, and accordingly share options granted in that period as EMI share options may necessarily fall to be treated as non-tax advantaged employment-related securities options meaning that the options may be taxable when exercised.

To read more, please visit the link below or contact Clay Shaw Butler for specific advice.

Internet link: GOV.UK EMI Bulletin –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employment-related-securities-bulletin/employment-related-securities-bulletin-no-27-april-2018

Finally, HMRC have issued details of the updated VAT fuel scale charges which apply from the beginning of the next prescribed VAT accounting period starting on or after 1 May 2018.

VAT registered businesses use the fuel scale charges to account for VAT on private use of road fuel purchased by the business.

Please do get in touch with the team at Clay Shaw Butler for further advice on this or other VAT matters.

Internet link: GOV.UK fuel scale charges –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-road-fuel-scale-charges-table/vat-updated-valuation-table-road-fuel-scale-charges-from-1-may-2018-to-30-april-2019

You can find out more about money matters on the Clay Shaw Butler website (under our news for business section) –

http://www.clayshawbutler.com/news/latest-news-for-business

We have a strong and experienced team with great local knowledge all geared-up to helping you get the very best from your finances – whether that is as an individual or as a business.

We stay ahead of the game by putting great store by continual professional development for our staff.

With Investors In People status at Clay Shaw Butler, we care passionately about making sure our staff have all the tools they need to serve you, our customers.

Weblink – http://www.clayshawbutler.com

The team at Clay Shaw Butler can be contacted on 01267 228500.

The team at Clay Shaw Butler are on Twitter. Look for @clayshawbutler.

The final plans for the seventh Llandeilo Jazz Festival are well underway.

With more musicians than ever playing on three stages and more than 20 bands, Llandeilo Jazz 2018 is set to be the best yet.

Musicians from all over Wales, France and the USA are heading to Llandeilo.

Festival organiser Simon Buckley said:

“After a slow down in 2017, we have reinvigorated Llandeilo Jazz, with more bands, more music, and a reduced ticket price.

“2018 is set to be the best jazz festival yet.

“Llandeilo Jazz is now a major musical event on the West Wales festival calendar.

“This year, we have more bands than we have ever had, a wider choice of music, and something for everyone.

“It’s a great line up and the festival team have worked hard to bring some of the best names in Welsh music to our town.

“The programme is set to allow people to stroll from venue to venue and enjoy what Llandeilo has to offer.

‘We have managed through the generous support of our sponsors to keep ticket prices down to £12 per adult for the weekend of three days of music – and children go free up to 8pm in the evening.

“This is incredibly good value and something everyone can afford. There is no excuse for not being here – and there are buses to get you home on Saturday evening.

“This is the people’s festival.”

Tickets are due to go live online shortly.

The festival runs from July 6-8 and is based around the White Horse and Angel Hotel, Llandeilo.

For further information email jazz@llandeilo.com or ring 01558824455.

Link to Facebook page –