Côr Meibion Llanelli will remember their former accompanist, Gethin Hughes, at annual concert ‘with a difference’ at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli this Saturday (June 30, 7pm).

Gethin was affectionately known as Llanelli’s ‘Mr Music’ prior to his death in 2011.

Following his death, a special Gethin Hughes Memorial Bursary Scholarship was established.

The first winner of the cash bursary was Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama student Megan Thomas, from Trimsaran.

The choir’s annual concert on Saturday will feature the contest to decide the next winner of the £750 bursary scholarship.

The competition will form the centrepiece of the concert by Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir, with the choir performing a wide-ranging repertoire dovetailing the competition.

The Gethin Hughes prize is the brainchild of Côr Meibion Llanelli musical director Mr D Eifion Thomas, a close friend of the late Mr Hughes.

“Gethin was a great friend and a long-serving accompanist for Cor Meibion Llanelli,” said Mr Thomas.

“We travelled the world to concerts and festivals and Gethin was famous the world over for being a real character and a wonderful ambassador for Llanelli.

“Gethin made an outstanding contribution to music in Llanelli and in Wales. It is wonderfully fitting that we should honour his memory and celebrate his life with a musical bursary prize.

“Gethin cared very much about supporting and promoting youngsters on their musical careers. Hopefully, this award will go a long way to encouraging, supporting and developing musical talent in Carmarthenshire.”

The bursary organisers also include Cor Meibion Llanelli chorister Richard Christopher, Gethin’s second cousin.

Mr Christopher explained: “The aim is to perpetuate Gethin’s memory by making this a regular competition for young Carmarthenshire musicians. The prize is a £750 cash bursary to the winner to help them in their studies.”

Gethin died just a few days short of his 76th birthday.

He was closely linked with the famous Triniti Chapel in Llanelli and was a much-respected music teacher at Ysgol y Strade, Llanelli.

He founded the Llanelli Young Music Lovers and spent a substantial amount of his free time taking his concert party on the road to support various charitable events.

For many years, Gethin contributed a regular column in the Llanelli Star newspaper.

The ‘Solo Note’ columns later formed the basis of a book called ‘Always be natural’.

It was a title given to him by the late great entertainer Roy Castle, who told Gethin – ‘Never be sharp, Never be flat, Always be natural’.

Gethin’s stories were always liberally sprinked with stardust. The list of stars and celebrities he met and accompanied was endless. He was lucky enough to call many of them his friends.

From Sir Malcolm Sargent to Gracie Fields, from Betty Driver and Bill Roache of Coronation Street, from Jack Warner to Elsie and Doris Waters . . . Gethin had stories to tell about them all.

Gethin was also known for his sense of adventure.

From scuba-diving off The Great Barrier Reef in Australia to riding a mechanical bucking bronco at a Wild West centre in Denver, Colorado, to playing out his inimitable party pieces at post-concert Cor Meibion concerts, nothing was too much of a challenge for Gethin.

Gethin spent 65 years as an accompanist at his beloved Triniti Chapel in Llanelli.

His work as an accompanist and fund-raiser for various charities earned him an MBE – but it also earned him much more. It earned him the affection and respect of the people of Llanelli and beyond.

The six contestants bidding for the Gethin Hughes bursary prize are all members of Loud Applause Rising Stars, the group set up by Llanelli concert promoter Cerith Owens to help mentor and encourage young talent in Wales.

The talented six are Joseph Cavalli-Price, Osian Clarke, Lauren Fisher, Daisy Owens, Jack Owens and Neve Summers.

Loud Applause Rising Stars (a body directed by Llanelli concert promoter Cerith Owens) is an exciting

The judges will be – Allan Fewster MBE, Eilir Owen Griffiths and Meinir Richards.

The contestants will be accompanied by Jeffrey Howard.

The joint comperes will be Gethin’s second cousin Richard Christopher and Robert Lloyd.

Tickets are available from the Ffwrnes Theatre box office or through the Theatrau Sir Gar website.

Saturday night (June 30) also sees a big night in the Gwendraeth Valley.

Côr Merched Glannau’r Gwendraeth with be joined by some very special guests for their concert starting at 7pm at Pontyates Welfare Hall.

The special guests are Côr Lleisiau Llannerch ladies choir from North Wales and the folk group Tawerin.

The concert will also feature soloist Luke Rees from Pontantwn.

The compere will be the accomplished actor and great West Wales crowd favourite Ioan Hefin.

Tickets are £7, with children admitted free. Tickets from 01269 861922.

In other news, Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi have put together an exciting line-up for their annual concert on Saturday, July 21, at the Princess Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly.

The evening will feature the popular North Wales act Piantel.

Piantel are pianist Annette Bryn Parry and harpist Dylan Cernyw. They are described as ‘a magical musical experience not to be missed!’

The concert will also feature the much-acclaimed Tywi Valley musical duo, the husband and wife team of Aled Edwards and Eleri Owen Edwards.

The compere for the Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi concert will be Ioan Hefin

On the same night (July 21), Burry Port Town Band are scheduled to stage their annual summer concert.

The band’s special guests will be Tenovus Cancer Care Swansea Sing With Us Choir and Burry Port Junior Band.

Curtain up is at 7pm on July 21, with tickets £10, under 16s free.

The Burry Port Town Band will be looking to perform an entertaining programme featuring popular classics and music from the stage and screen.

They will also feature their Eisteddfod programme ahead of the Royal National Eisteddfod at the Wales Millennium Centre on Saturday, August 4.

It has been a successful year for Burry Port Town Band, reaching the semi-finals of S4C Band Cymru and again qualifying to represent Wales at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain taking place on September.

The compere for the Burry Port concert will be Robert Lloyd.

Looking to the autumn, Côr Meibion Caerfyrddin Carmarthen Male Choir’s 60th anniversary concert will be held at the Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, on Saturday, October 13.

The choir will be joined on stage by four other choirs – Mynydd Mawr, Burry Port, Dyffryn Tywi and Dyffryn Aman.

This will create a combined choir of around 150 voices under the baton of Wyn Maskell, musical director of Côr Meibion Caerfyrddin.

Also taking part will be well known soloists: Jessica Robinson, soprano, and Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, tenor.

The MC for the evening will be television and radio personality Garry Owen.

Finally, here’s another date for your diary for later in the year. The Annual Royal British Legion Charity Gala Concert will be held at the Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, on October 27 (7pm).

This year, 2018, marks a significant year for our Armed Forces. It is the centenary of the end of The Great War (First World War) and also commemorates 100 years of the Royal Air Force.

The prestigious annual Royal British Legion Concert has become one of the landmark events in the calendar of South West Wales, providing a platform for the Royal British Legion to pay tribute to the fallen of current and past conflicts.

It also helps the British Legion launch the Poppy Appeal in South West Wales.

The concert features leading soprano and TV and radio personality Shân Cothi, one of Wales’s premier choirs in the form of Dunvant Male Choir, the highly popular Carmarthen-based mixed youth choir Côr Seingar, Swansea-based Dancerama performing arts group youth choir, the stirring sounds of the City of Swansea Pipe Band and the unforgettable Corps of Drums of the 215 City of Swansea Squadron.

The compére will be Brian Sullivan and the guest accompanist Jeffrey Howard.

The evening ends with the poignant Tribute to the Fallen and a Service of Remembrance.

The Royal British Legion is being supported with this event by Loud Applause Productions, the production company run by Llanelli’s Cerith Owens.

Robert Lloyd works as a media consultant – www.rlloydpr.co.uk

If you have any news about the choral scene in Llanelli, the please contact him on 07777 683637 or email rlloydpr@btinternet.com

A free tool to find out all the available community facilities on offer in the county is being launched by Carmarthenshire County Council.

The council’s Property Division is currently contacting the county’s public sector, town and community councils, third sector and local businesses, in order to create a ‘one-stop-shop’ of all the locations in Carmarthenshire which provide venues for meetings, events and more.

The project is being supported by One Voice Wales.

All the information will be available to view on the council’s website in coming months.

Cllr David Jenkins, executive board member responsible for resources, said: “This will be a great free service to promote many venues in the county, which will hopefully increase business and provide additional income to them. “It will also make it easier for those who are searching for meeting or venue locations in the county to find them all with one click of a button.”

For more information on how to provide your details please contact the Property Records Team on 01267 246222 or email envpropertyassets@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

The quality of the customer service provided by Aberystwyth University’s Information Services (IS) department has been acknowledged by an independent review.

IS, which provides a broad range of library and information technology services across all areas of the University, has been awarded its Customer Service Excellence accreditation for three more years.

The review by Customer Services Excellence assessor Anthony Lishman also concluded that Information Services went beyond what would be expected in eight areas.

As a result, the team has been awarded Compliance Plus status for engaging and consulting with customers; leadership, policy and culture; the quality of information provided; cooperating with other providers, partners and communities; and the professionalism and attitude of staff.

First awarded to IS in 2015, the government-backed Customer Service Excellence accreditation assesses organisations on the basis of delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude.

Considered an indication of quality and excellence in customer service, participating institutions are required to undergo a full review every three years.

Highlighted for praise in the review’s findings are the ‘sophisticated communication channels that [IS] uses to interact with its customers’, including the recently launched ApAber

As part of the two day review, students and staff were consulted on the quality of services provided by IS.

Student feedback included an appreciation of how helpful staff are, with one student remarking that ‘nothing was too much trouble’ for staff, and there is always a ‘willingness to see a solution’.

Nia Ellis and Elizabeth Kensler, Customer Services Managers at IS, said: “We are very proud of all the efforts by our staff and partners at the university for achieving this award, and it reflects Information Services’ continued commitment to putting the customer at the heart of everything we do.”

In January 2018 Information Services completed a £1m refurbishment of the University’ iconic Hugh Owen Library, with its panoramic views over Aberystwyth and Cardigan Bay.

As well as a bright new welcome area, the development has provided significantly more study spaces for students along with more efficient lighting and ventilation systems.

Further information about the Customer Service Excellence award is available here.

Photo: Left to right: Information Services staff Faye Ap Geraint, Joy Cadwallader, Julie Hart, Jamie Harris, Elizabeth Kensler, Sarah Gwenlan and Jan Litton celebrate the renewal of the Customer Service Excellence accreditation for a further three years.

Links:
Customer Service Excellence
http://www.customerserviceexcellence.uk.com/homeCSE.html

Information Services
https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/

Refurbished Hugh Owen Library opens
https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/news/archive/2018/01/title-209127-en.html

Carmarthenshire County Council is starting a £4m programme of major road resurfacing on a number of roads around the county.

Carmarthenshire has the second largest road network in Wales and has secured £2.2m in funding from Welsh Government to add to its own budgets to enable a substantial investment in the county’s roads.

The works being undertaken will repair many existing roads and help sustain the highway network for the future.

Nearly 100 sections of road will be resurfaced in total with some of the routes selected to support the forthcoming 2018 OVO Energy Tour of Britain cycle race in September.

Motorists are urged to exercise patience when works are being undertaken and to be aware of any advance warning signs and diversion routes which are put in place to help motorists.

All of the works should be complete by the end of October and further details of roadworks are available through the County Council’s website.

Executive Board Member with responsibility for environment Cllr Hazel Evans said: “Our road network is of vital importance to Carmarthenshire and we need to keep it fit for purpose. This investment will help ensure good quality road surfaces and maintain road safety. I would like to thank road users for their patience whilst these works are being carried out.”

Latest Carmarthenshire roadworks information on this link –

https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-services/travel-roads-parking/

Scarlets Team Manager Mark Taylor will leave the region, with immediate effect, for personal reasons.

The 52-times capped centre, and British and Irish Lion, joined the region ahead of the 2016-17 season.

Well-respected by Scarlets colleagues and peers across the rugby fraternity, Taylor was a part of the management team when the Scarlets were crowned Guinness PRO12 champions in May 2017.

A replacement will be recruited in due course to ensure preparations for the forthcoming season are unaffected.

Everyone at the Scarlets wishes Mark all the very best for the future.

Carmarthenshire’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) has been launched today (Monday, June 25)
In accordance with statutory requirements, under the Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013, Local Authorities are required to prepare a Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP).

Carmarthenshire’s WESP was approved by Welsh Government in March 2018 following full statutory public consultation.

Carmarthenshire’s WESP aims to ensure that all pupils are given the opportunity to be able to become more fluently bilingual by the end of primary school (Key Stage 2) to their expected levels and then develop this attribute through to secondary school, whilst also ensuring the acquisition of other languages, as set out in the New Curriculum for Wales.

The Plan reflects the Welsh Government’s wider strategy for the Welsh language which is to realise ‘A million Welsh speakers by 2050’. To achieve that, the Welsh Government believes that several things need to happen, one of which includes ‘more children in Welsh-medium education’.

Executive board member responsible for education and children’s services, Cllr Glynog Davies, said: “We are proud that here in Carmarthenshire we are making great strides towards helping the Welsh Government to fulfil its vision for a million Welsh speakers by 2050 by implementing our Welsh in Education Strategic Plan. We intend to move every primary and secondary school along the language continuum, so that each school plays its particular part in realising this ambition. For those schools which are already on the journey the timescale will be comparatively short, for others, it will be a longer term aim.

“Support will be available to train staff in order to improve their linguistic skills, where required, and also to offer professional development, thus enhancing teaching provision across all age groups. We will be developing the skills and confidence of teachers to teach through the medium of Welsh whilst also upskilling support staff to lend assistance in the classroom.”

Guidance will also be offered to school governors and school leaders.

Leader of the council, Cllr Emlyn Dole said: “I recognise the importance of creating opportunities for the pupils of Carmarthenshire to become confident in Welsh and English.

“All our young people, from all walks of life, should have the opportunity to be bilingual when they emerge from our education system, proud of their identity and able to celebrate both languages.”