It’s going to be a busy few weeks for the young choisters from the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers and Angelicus Celtis.

They are staging ‘The Magic of Christmas’ at 7pm on Saturday, December 8, at St Catherine’s Church, Gorseinon.

And the following week (Saturday, December 15) they will be staging ‘Christmas Fantasia’ at Llanelli’s Ffwrnes Theatre (curtain up at 7pm).

Tickets are going fast for the Gorseinon event.

The evening is billed as a chance to embrace the miracle of Christmas, portrayed through massed voices, congregational singing, music and narration with the international broadcast and performance voices of the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers and the acclaimed voices of the Angelicus Celtis.

The evening will also feature the Llanelli Choral Society, organist Huw Tregelles Williams OBE, percussionist Gareth Hamlin and narrator Jeremy Hywel – all under the legendary baton of John Hywel Williams MBE.

The setting will be very festive inside the beautiful candlelit St. Catherine’s Church in Gorseinon.

Highlights of the evening will include great Christmas favourites such as the Hallelujah Chorus, Pie Jesu, O Holy Night, Star of Bethlehem, Ceremony of Carols, Away in a Manger, Silent Night, Benedictus, Gabriel’s Message, Carol of the Bells, Hark The Herald Angels Sing and O Come All Ye Faithful.

Tickets £7 and available from 01792 893631, 07795 236807, Church Members or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/themagicofchristmas

Doors open at 6.15pm. 

The evening will be in aid of Church Funds and Initiatives.

The Christmas Fantasia at Ffwrnes Theatre on December 15 will celebrate the 70th magnificent anniversary of the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers and embrace Christmas in magnificent style.

The Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers will be joined by Angelicus Celtis, stars of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, the symphonic sounds of the British Sinfonietta Orchestra, organist Huw Tregelles Williams OBE, pianist Jane Jewell, percussionist Gareth Hamlin and narrator Jeremy Hywel.

Once again, John Hywel Williams MBE will be in charge of the proceeedings.

Festive highlights will include magical moments from The Nutcracker, The Hallelujah Chorus, Pie Jesu, O Holy Night, Star of Bethlehem, Ceremony of Carols, Away in a Manger, Silent Night, Benedictus, Gabriel’s Message, Carol of the Bells, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, Sleigh Ride and Troika.

Tickets are £20 and are available from 07795 236807.

Doors open 6.15pm.

Meanwhile, in other news, the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers are again planning their ‘Operation Christmas Love’.

This has the goal of delivering a goodwill gift and a song to those in need of a smile this Christmas.

Members of the public are being asked to nominate ‘someone in need of a smile this Christmas’.

Llandyfaelog-based Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi are looking forward to their Christmas events.

They include – 

Tuesday 11th December, Glanmorfa Care Home, Kidwelly, 6.30pm.

Thursday 13 December, Towy Castle, 6.30pm.

Tuesday 18th December, Red Lion, Llandyfaelog, 7pm.

Thursday 20th December, Gwernllwyn Care Home, 6.30pm.

There’s a special concert coming up in December to raise funds for Burry Port Lifeboat Station.

‘Christmas by Candlelight will feature Elin Manahan Thomas, Gary Griffiths and Osian Wyn Bowen.

It is being held at St Mary’s Church, Burry Port, on Saturday, December 22 (7pm).

Tickets for the Bury Port concert are £15 and are available from Cadno Travel or from the following phone numbers – 07795415411 and 07900893150.

Llanelli District Music and Drama Club have a special evening at the Lliedi Suite, Selwyn Samuel Centre on Friday, November 30 (7.30pm).

They will be presenting A Fine Romance, with Tony Jacobs and Catherine Sykes and Jim Barry at the piano.

The evening will feature music and songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.

Tickets are £10 (students £5) and are available from Barrie Lewis, Market Precinct, Llanelli, phone 01554-772594 or at the door.

Crwbin Silver Band are getting ready for Christmas.

Their Christmas Concert will be at Pontyberem Hall on Friday, December 14 (7pm).

The concert will also feature Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth choir and wind band.

Tickets are £8 (children £5) and will be available at the door or from band members.

Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir members are also looking forward to the festive season.

‘Christmas With The Choir’ will be held at 7pm on Saturday, December 1, at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli.

The choir’s special guests will be Burry Port Town Band and the St John Lloyd School Choir.

Also in December, The West End At Christmas returns to the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen with their brand new concert for 2018!

Stars from the West End present a magical evening of entertainment featuring hits from the musicals and the best of Christmas songs.

The talented cast have starred in many West End productions and national tours including Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, South Pacific, Singing in the Rain, Starlight Express, Phantom Of The Opera, Wicked, Godspell, Joseph and Cats . . . to name but a few!

The West End At Christmas will at The Lyric on December 18.

The Kidwelly Festival Ladies Choir will be performing at a Grand Christmas Concert and Vintage Fashion Show at Carmarthen Museum, Abergwili, on December 15 (6pm). Tickets are £10 adults and £5 children. It promises to be a fun night.

Finally, in case you missed the news about Russell Watson . . . 

His Carmarthen concert has been re-scheduled to Tuesday November 27 at the Lyric.

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

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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

“If you want your children to be intelligent . . . read them fairy tales.

“If you want your children to be very intelligent . . . read them more fairy tales”.

That’s a statement that people uninterested in books might not agree with.

Nevertheless, there’s plenty of evidence that children who are read fairy tales by their parents, grandparents or guardians, soon develop a love for books.

They also gain a basic understanding of language, emotions and the difference between right and wrong.

Being ‘read to’ helps them develop skills in reading and writing much faster than children who haven’tbeen ‘read to’.

You may well say, “It’s not rocket science!” 

Go ahead. I can’t hear you.

But itdoeshave a scientific connection because the person who made that statement at the top of this article was none other than Albert Einstein – and even people who don’t read books have heard of him.

This time of year, with Halloween just behind us (Hooray for that!) and the pantomime season about to begin, (an even bigger hooray for that!)witches, fairies, mermaids, giants, evil wizards and beautiful princesses are in the ether.

Traditionally, fairy stories and their pantomime adaptations are based around a pretty heroine being rescued by a handsome hero.

Who would question a formula that’s worked for centuries?

Actress Keira Knightley, that’s who.

She’s banned her three-year old daughter from watching Disney films in which the heroine is rescued by and eventually marries a prince . . . because “These films are about waiting around for a rich guy to rescue you! No, rescue yourself!”

Frankly, I’m not sure a three-year old would understand such a heavy message and if her mum threatened to throw away her “Cinderella” and “Little Mermaid” DVDs she’d probably have a tantrum.

Then, the only way Keira could get her to sleep would be to read her a fairy tale about a princess and a handsome prince . . . 

…………………. 

Local achievements:

Last Saturday, I hosted a special community awards event, the Business Network International (BNI) Annual Awards Dinner at the Diplomat Hotel, Llanelli.

For the third year in a row, this event was another extremely well-supported success. 

Worthy members of the BNI Group were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the Llanelli chapter’s success (a local business group that has been established for over 12 years).

The very worthy winners were:

Graeme Fox, of Davies Craddock Insurance Brokers, Llanelli. 

John Dray, of Cloud Genius, Llanelli.

Steffan Thomas, of Property Maintenance, Llangennech.

Business makes the world go round and the BNI members do their best to keep business ‘local’ and keep the West Wales economy moving and growing.

The event was supported by Llanelli councillors and other VIPs, including Ms Suzy Curry, Miss Molly Curry and Mr John Prosser.

There is so much good out there in our local communities and we are surrounded by people who make this world just a little bit better every day.

I was lucky enough to meet many of them on this unforgettable evening. 

—————-

You can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales and www.philevans.co.uk

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Llandeilo’s derelict former market hall is to be transformed in to a rural centre for employment and events, creating up to 45 new jobs in the town.

Carmarthenshire County Council is behind exciting plans to bring the historic building back in to use.

Agreed by Executive Board yesterday (November 19, 2018), regeneration officers will now work closely with various funding bodies to secure the finance to deliver the project.

Early plans include employment space for small to medium rural businesses and a new rural enterprise academy, venue hire with flexible space for events and markets, and a cafe.

Subject to planning permission, it is anticipated that the project could get underway early in 2020.

The 19^th century Grade II Listed building stands in the centre of Llandeilo.

Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of the council and Executive Board Member for regeneration said its location and scale make it an ideal venue for businesses and community groups.

“We have been working with a number of interested parties on a development that would bring this historic building back into economic use, however the cost of developing the historic listed building significantly exceeds its likely end value and as such a number of these parties have been unable to deliver their vision,” said Cllr Dole.

“However an opportunity has arisen for us to access external funding to bring forward a transformational project that will bring this historic building back into economic use.

“Following yesterday’s executive board decision officers will now liaise with funders to secure the finance to deliver the project whilst obtaining the necessary consents to bring forward the project with a view to commencing construction early in 2020.”

Cllr David Jenkins, Executive Board Member for Resources, said: “This decision to invest £562,000 in capital funding was a no brainer. The funding is going to be used as match funding to lever significant further external funding to the County Council which will bring the building back into beneficial use creating up to 45 new jobs and creating a modest income stream for the authority.”

Cllr Edward Thomas, local member for Llandeilo, said he was delighted about the plans.

“The former provisions market is a prominent building that has played an important role in Llandeilo’s economy over the years,” he said.

“Sadly, since 2001 the building has fallen into disrepair and a number of proposed developments have come and gone. As such I am delighted that Carmarthenshire County Council is now pursuing directly a project that will not only benefit Llandeilo’s economy moving forward but will also protect the future of a historically important building.”

And Cllr Cefin Campbell, Executive Board Member responsible for rural affairs, added: “We are committed to transforming Carmarthenshire’s Rural Economy and working with key stakeholders in our county’s market towns. It is envisaged that the centre will offer businesses a quality workspace which will help sustain and create new jobs for the rural economy of Carmarthenshire and I’m confident this will be welcomed.”

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Video clips from the Llanelli BNI Business Awards Evening held at The Diplomat Hotel, Llanelli.

Featured are host Phil Evans and singer Jimi Webb.

See full story at – http://rlloydpr.co.uk/2018/11/20/bni-awards-a-big-hit-in-llanelli/

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Major plans for a state-of-the-art Wellness and Life Science Village in Llanelli will soon be in a worldwide shop window for international investment.

The UK Government has added the project to its multi-billion pound High Potential Opportunities scheme, which is designed to fast-track investment into regions and sectors of the economy.

This means the Village will be promoted to 108 countries, helping further raise the global profile of a development that’s already projected to create close to 2,000 jobs and boost the local economy by £467 million.

The news was announced by Dr Liam Fox MP, International Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade, which brings together prominent business leaders from across the UK to champion the country’s very best projects. 

Combining advanced life science research and business development facilities with a world class leisure centre, extra care housing and nursing care, Llanelli’s Wellness and Life Science Village will be among the first developments of its kind.

Planned for a site at Delta Lakes, the Village project is being led by Carmarthenshire County Council, in partnership with Swansea University and Sterling Health.

Cllr Emlyn Dole, Carmarthenshire County Council Leader, said: “The addition of the Village project to the UK Government’s High Potential Opportunities scheme speaks volumes about the planned development’s quality and viability.

“The innovative nature of this groundbreaking project means international interest in the Village has already been considerable, but this news will further raise the profile of the development across the world, helping attract even more interest from the business community.

“Promotion in 108 countries is a major coup for the Village. This will help put Llanelli, Carmarthenshire and the Swansea Bay City Region on the map as a global centre of excellence for life science and well-being innovation.”

Supported by the Hywel Dda and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards, the Village is due to be part-funded by the £1.3 billion Swansea Bay City Deal – a major investment in 11 transformational projects across South West Wales.

An outline planning application for the development will be considered for approval in January, with construction on site also due to start in 2019.

A Wellness Hotel to meet demand for wellness tourism is among the other developments planned for the Village, along with landscaped spaces for walking and cycling, a children’s play area, and spaces for outdoor performing arts.

Cllr Dole said: “The first phase of the Village project is anticipated to be ready in 2021, with overall project completion earmarked for 2023.

“Collaboration with education providers across the Swansea Bay City Region will focus on training opportunities for all levels of employment at the Village development, helping ensure that benefit for local communities is at the heart of the project.

“The City Deal Joint Committee will hopefully sign off the business case for the £40 million City Deal funding for the Village next week. We then hope that the governments will release the funding quickly so we can proceed with this much-anticipated development, which is already attracting international interest.”

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People are being encouraged to have their say on draft proposals drawn up by Carmarthenshire County Council as it works towards saving £28million over the next three years.

The council’s Executive Board yesterday agreed for a public consultation to begin, allowing members of the public, businesses and stakeholders the opportunity to make their views known about a series of saving proposals.

The council has warned that there are tough decisions ahead and no easy answers.

Suggestions include ending the Education Welfare Service for schools, making changes to branch libraries and museums, reviewing the planting of town centre roundabouts, making changes to gritting and scheduled sweeping of rural roads, closing the Pendine Outdoor Education Centre and a review of household waste recycling centres.

People can give their feedback by completing a budget consultation survey online on the council’s website www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales.

Carmarthenshire, like other councils in Wales, has faced annual reductions in its funding from Welsh Government year on year whilst having to meet rising costs and increasing demands for services.

To set a balanced budget, the council expects to have to deliver nearly £10million of savings in the next year alone.

Councillors will meet in February to discuss the saving proposals and public feedback before setting the budget and Council Tax for 2019-20.

Internally, council staff have been told to make £5.5million of savings by 2020.

Executive Board discussed the council’s medium term financial plan at its meeting yesterday (November 19, 2018).

Cllr David Jenkins, Executive Board Member for Resources, said: “Whilst the headline provisional settlement was better than this council had forecast, it was a reduction on the current year’s settlement. When inflationary factors, demographic and demand changes are considered there is a significant negative impact on the council’s resources.

“This medium-term financial plan will form the basis of our budget consultation over the coming months. This will ensure that essential services can still be delivered whilst maintaining Council Tax at a reasonable level.”

He added: “Our reserves will be used to support our capital programme and sustain future growth in the county.”

 Link:

• Budget Consultation 2019/22

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