Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. This column appears in the South Wales Evening Post, Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star. Website – www.philevans.co.uk
GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE? DON’T BANK ON IT!
I recently related the tale of a friend who almost lost money to a ‘landscape gardener’ whose only written ‘qualifications’ to trade as one were the words ‘Landscape Gardener’ on the side of his van.
Not having parted with any cash, my friend returned to his bank with it in the same envelope the bank teller had put it a few days previously.
As he entered the bank, he noticed the only teller on duty behind the counter stood up and left her post, presumably to avoid the tiresome business of having to serve a customer.
There were two other female staff members standing around, but before he could speak to them, he was approached by a young man wearing a scruffy fleece jacket and a ring through his nose.
For an instant my friend thought he was another customer – until the man asked “Can I help you?”
“Yes” my friend said. “I took £1500 in notes out last week and want to pay them back in over the counter”.
However, the assistant said as counter staff weren’t available he’d have to use the paying-in machine, offering to do the paying-in for him.
It was only after the young man started feeding 10 and 20 pound notes into the machine that he bothered to explain the machine only took 50 notes at a time!
Not surprisingly, a queue built up behind my friend, while the two female staff members remained standing around, not offering to go behind the counter to serve customers.
During the 10 minutes or so it took for all the notes to be slipped into the machine, my friend apologised to the people queueing behind him and asked the assistant why there nobody was serving at the counter.
His off-hand reply was, “There’s very little demand for it. Most people bank online!”
My friend wanted to ask him what new career he intended to follow when the bank eventually closed – as it surely will, given the attitude of the staff – but thought better of it.
I don’t think I’d have been as polite.
Would you?
Are you feeling it?
Can you believe it? Lately, I’ve been struggling to warm up and it’s been quite a challenge. I mean, I might have to go digging for my thermal underwear, which I thought I could retire after my last winter vacation.
But here’s the funny part: the other day, I was strolling through Wind Street in Swansea and I couldn’t help but notice something hilarious.
Most of the people there were dressed like it was a scorching summer day!
Bare legs, flimsy tops, and not a single fur coat in sight.
Even the women were rocking outfits that were more suitable for a tropical beach than a chilly evening.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate their fashion sense, but practicality seems to have taken a vacation.
And you know what? I’ve come to realise that I’ve reached an age where comfort and practicality reign supreme. Some might call it boring. But, hey, I’d rather be warm and happy than freezing and miserable, right?
Can you relate? I refuse to believe I’m the only one who feels this way. I mean, it must have been freezing last weekend. I even saw my local councillor walking by with his hands in his own pockets!
IT’S time to get in the Christmas spirit as choirs and singers announce their festive concert dates.
The popular Lleisiau’r Cwm ladies choir will be centre stage on December 17 for a special evening in Garnant.
Bethel Chapel will be the venue. The concert starts at 6pm and tickets are £5, pay on entry.
The choir will be joined by the outstanding mezzo-soprano soloist Eirlys Myfanwy Davies.
Eirlys is from Trimsaran and has performed with the world famous Glyndebourne Opera.
A Samling Artist and London Welsh Young Singer of the Year winner, Eirlys is a Young Artist graduate from the National Opera Studio, after previously studying at the Alexander Gibson Opera School at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, The Royal Academy of Music, and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff.
Operatic performances include the role of Madame de la Haltiere in Cendrillon, Mother in Madama Butterfly, Annina in La Traviata, all for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Maddalena in Rigoletto for Glyndebourne Touring Opera, and Portia in The Merchant of Venice for Welsh National Opera.
Also on stage in Garnant will be Ensemble Pres Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Cor Meibion Dyffryn Aman male voice choir and pupils of Ysgol y Bedol.
Further west, the team from Span Arts are organising an Advent Concert in Pisgah Chapel in Llandissilio on Sunday, November 26 (5pm).
This year’s event will feature the exceptional talents of Jessica Robinson, a soprano hailing from Pembrokeshire, and Whitland Male Voice Choir!
Jessica, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a distinction in MA Opera Performance, has received numerous awards and accolades during her career.
Her remarkable journey includes standout performances with prestigious institutions like the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and at iconic venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Wales Millennium Centre.
The renowned Whitland and District Male Voice Choir has a history dating back to 1895.
Drawing its members from various areas, including Whitland, Clunderwen, Llanboidy, Maenclochog, Tenby, Haverfordwest, and their surroundings, this choir has a storied tradition of participating in competitions and achieving success, notably at the National Eisteddfod.
Tickets are £12 and £8 for concessions.
In Carmarthen, there’s a chance for people to join the Tenovus Cancer Care Sing With Us choir.
The choir rehearses every Thursday evening at Carmarthen Library, between 6.30pm and 8pm.
Tenovus Sing with Us choirs are dotted around Wales.
The choirs are uplifting and fun and are for anyone who’s been affected by cancer in any way. You don’t need to read music, or even be a great singer. Just be willing to have a go and join in.
The choirs sing a range of contemporary songs from the last 50 years. You’ll often hear modern classics from the likes of Queen, Elvis, Rihanna, The Beach Boys, Take That and Adele.
Sing with Us choirs are free to join, but rely entirely on donations.
In other news, Llanelli Musical Theatre Group will be presenting Puss in Boots in Stiwdio Stepni at Ffwrnes Theatre between December 19 and 23.
Llanelli Musical Theatre Group will present a fresh take on the classic pantomime tale of ‘Puss In Boots’ in the intimate setting of Stiwdio Stepni.
There will be music, dancing and laughter throughout for the Purrr-fect traditional family pantomime for Christmas!
Tickets are £13 each, £45 for a family of four, or £10 each when booking 10 or more. Last year’s run sold-out very quickly, so you are advised to hurry and get your tickets.
There’s a treat in store for lovers of rock’n’roll as Showaddywaddy arrive at Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli as part of their 50th Anniversary concert tour.
The show is on November 18 and tickets are £27 & £26.
In Carmarthen, The Mersey Beatles will be performing at The Lyric Theatre on November 24.
The Mersey Beatles have been rocking sold-out shows around the globe since 1999 with their authentic and widely-acclaimed celebration of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Tickets are £25.
Finally, if you are a fan of ballet, Swan Lake will be coming to The Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen on November 10.
The Crown Ballet will present Tchaikovsky’s great work.
Swan Lake is regarded as one of Tchaikovsky’s best works, featuring some of ballet’s most memorable music and breath-taking dance.
Swan Lake is a tale of two young women, Odette and Odilie, who resembles each other so strikingly one can easily be mistaken for the other.
It is the compelling legend of a tragic romance in which a princess, Odette, is turned into a swan by an evil curse. Prince Siegfried chances upon a flock of swans while out hunting. When one of the swans turns into a beautiful young woman, he is instantly captivated – will his love prove strong enough to break the evil spell that she is under?
Swan Lake is full of mystery and romance and has captured the imagination of generations over the years and it continues to attract worldwide audiences, young and old.
For more information please visit: www.crown-ballet.co.uk
The impact of the conflict in the Kurdish borderlands of Turkey will be the focus of new research at Aberystwyth University following the awarding of a prestigious fellowship.
Over the next two years, Dr Dilan Okcuoglu will study state-building and control in the war-torn region in the south-east of the Turkish state.
Hosted by the Department of International Politics in Aberystwyth, Dr Okcuoglu’s research is financed through the UK Guarantee funding for Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Speaking about her project, Dr Okcuoglu said:
“My research examines the everyday lived experiences of people in the remote and mountainous Kurdish borderlands of Turkey, where decades of conflict between the Turkish government and Kurdish insurgents have imbued everyday life with a constant sense of threat.
“By gathering and analysing narratives gained through qualitative interviews with villagers, internally displaced people, activists, lawyers, and state officials in Turkey’s Kurdish borderlands with Iraq, Iran, and Syria, I hope to deepen our understanding of the complex formal and informal mechanisms that the state uses to control people and territories in these contested regions.”
“My research will shed light on how the Turkish state’s authority and legitimacy in its borderlands is shaped by the complex relationships between territorial control measures, competing claims over authority by different groups, and people’s everyday experiences. I also intend to map the gendered dynamics of the relationship between the state, people, and land, filling an important gap in the existing literature.”
The outcome of Dr Okcuoglu’s research will be of interest to policymakers, scholars, and practitioners committed to peace and conflict studies.
During her two-year Fellowship, Dr Okcuoglu will work under the mentorship of Berit Bliesemann de Guevara, Professor of International Politics at Aberystwyth University. Okcuoglu will also be seconded to the Global (In)Security Centre and the Centre for Advanced International Relations Theory at the University of Sussex.
Dr Dilan Okcuoglu
Dr Dilan Okcuoglu has an interdisciplinary background in politics, economics and philosophy. She received her PhD and MA in political studies from Queen’s University in Canada. She also has another MA degree from Central European University, and an undergraduate degree in economics from Bogazici University.
She is currently a non-resident visiting fellow at the CUNY Middle East and Middle Eastern American Centre in New York. She is also a project-based consultant for the Council on Strategic Risks in Washington, DC.
Prior to joining Aberystwyth University as a postdoctoral fellow, she was a postdoctoral fellow in Global Kurdish Studies at the American University, School of International Service in Washington, DC (2019-22) and a visiting scholar at Cornell University, M. Einaudi Center for International Studies (2019). In the first half of 2023, she has also done project-based consultancy for the The Center for Climate and Security, an institute of the Council on Strategic Risks on the issues of climate change, security and conflict in the Middle East (see: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ee50271b81644419c7cd5902300ed8c)
She has also been affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Research Center on Democracy and Diversity at the Université du Québec à Montréal since 2018.
Her teaching and research interests primarily lie in the politics of the Middle East and North African region, conflict and peace studies, qualitative research methods, comparative territorial and border politics, democratisation, global justice, ethnic politics, and nationalism, as well as state-minority relations in conflict zones.
Okcuoglu’s has published articles and book chapters in TheOxford Handbook of Turkish Politics, Democratic Representation in Plurinational States: The Kurds in Turkey (in part of the book series Comparative Territorial Politics); policy briefs on security and conflict in the Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy, and Peace Insight; as well as op-eds in The Conversation, Jerusalem Post, Daily News, and National Post. She is currently working on article manuscripts and a book proposal on informal control, and delivering talks on her work.
Aberystwyth University aber.ac.uk Established in 1872, Aberystwyth University is a leading teaching and research institution. Named Welsh University of the Year for 2024 by The Times & The Sunday Times Good University Guide, it has been rated the top University in Wales for overall student satisfaction for the past eight years, based on the National Student Survey. 98% of the University’s research is of an international standard or higher with over 75% being ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ according to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. The University is a community of 8,000 students and 2,000 staff committed to delivering inspirational education and research in a supportive, creative and exceptional environment. Registered charity No 1145141.
