The annual Festival of the Senses is helping Llandeilo go all hi-tech.

The festival organisers have helped establish a town centre wi-fi service.

And they are getting ready to launch a special App for the Festival of the Senses, which runs from November 16-18

“We want Llandeilo to be in the vanguard of the technological revolution,’ said organising committee member Christoph Fischer.

“Gone are the days when people might think of Llandeilo as being a sleepy rural backwater with no access to the worldwide web.

“We are striving to make sure we have up-to-date 21^stcentury facilities in a beautiful Georgian and Victorian landscape.”

The wi-fi service is already up and running, with booster boxes having been fitted to many town centre shop-fronts.

You can access it at Llandeilo WiFi on your mobile phone, tablet and laptop.

The wi-fi has been set up by Newcastle Emlyn-based Telemat IT.

Up to 80 per cent of the costs are covered by the Government and Carmarthenshire Council.

Up to 20 per cent of the costs are put up by the Festival of the Senses.

Mr Fischer said: “The festival has made a profit over the years and we have been able to invest in valuable infrastructure. We think this is a great boost for Llandeilo and helps make it an even more attractive place to visit. At the end of a two-year period, we are hoping that Llandeilo Town Council and local businesses band together to keep it running.”

Meanwhile, the festival organisers have been working with Cardiff-based App Monkeys to develop an App for the event in November.

Mr Fischer added: “It is still in development, but it will be ready in time for the festival. It will be menu driven and will provide festival updates and information on events and ‘stop press’ details, such as the latest situation with park and ride services.

“Businesses featured on the app will have a ‘click to call or locate’ service.

“Our hope is that it develops further from an App for the festival to one which provides information for the whole town, throughout the year.”

When it is up and running it should also be featured on the Llandeilo website – http://www.visitllandeilo.co.uk

The three-day Festival of the Senses is a weekend of food, fun, entertainment and shopping opportunities – an event which signals the start of the build-up to Christmas in West Wales.

The festival has been running since 2008 and picked up a Carmarthenshire Tourism Association award in 2017.

The festival is the largest event of its kind in Carmarthenshire.

Last year, thousands of visitors and locals flocked to Llandeilo to enjoy the gastronomic delicacies of local and far-away produce.

Visitors danced to the music performed on the stage, gazed in awe at the colourful firework display and were delighted to see Santa and start their Christmas shopping experience.

This year will see a Farmer’s Market in the town centre, behind the Surgery, White Horse pub and NFU offices. There will be fresh and local produce from the Llandeilo Country Market, Black Mountain Food Hub and others.

The Festival of the Senses is a big draw for the way it fits snugly inside Llandeilo town centre.

The festival encompasses the town’s shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants, as well as offering craft and fashion stalls, food stalls, buskers, entertainment and much more.

Festival opening times are:

16th – 11am – 9.30pm

17th – 10am – 6pm

18th – 10am – 4pm

Links –

You can keep in touch with the Festival of the Senses via the social media Hashtag #FoS2018

Twitter – 

@LlandeiloFoS

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LlandeiloFestivalOfSenses/

and the Facebook event page – https://www.facebook.com/events/298921917565370/

Email

festivalofsenses@gmail.com

Website – https://fos.wales

Photos attached of Christoph Fischer using the Llandeilo wi-fi service, booster boxes on shop-fronts and visuals of the App.

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Link to earlier story – http://rlloydpr.co.uk/2018/09/28/countdown-is-on-to-the-llandeilo-festival-of-the-senses/

About Appmonkeys:

We help small to medium businesses grow. Appmonkeys are a team of dedicated, passionate individuals working alongside business owners to increase customer engagement and loyalty. We design and develop tailor made mobile apps bursting with features that your customers will Love to use.

Get in touch with us to find out more – 02922 402 639 | https://www.appmonkeys.co.uk/and on Twitter @appmonkeysuk

About Telemat IT:

Telemat have been providing IT support and related services to businesses throughout Wales for more than 18 years. We pride ourselves in the fact that many of our customers have been with us from the very beginning. Our clients are organisations ranging from start-ups to large established businesses, charities and the public sector and we deliver a complete suite of IT technical support at affordable rates to suit your business needs and budget.

We are proud that we are able to offer a fully bilingual service. It is important to us that our customers have the opportunity to discuss their requirements in the language of their choice. Our skilled bilingual technicians have extensive experience in planning and implementing network and server infrastructures, as well as the implementation of and migration to Cloud based technologies.

Website – https://www.telemat.co.ukTwitter @TelematICT

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By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. The Money Matters column appears in the Pembrokeshire Herald, the Carmarthenshire Herald and the Llanelli Herald newspapers.

Yes, it’s still dominating the news headlines. The B-word, aka ‘Brexit’, is likely to dominate the news agenda for many more weeks.

‘Deal or No Deal’ sounds like a quiz show.

But the Brexit issue isn’t fun and games; it’s serious stuff.

Which is why everyone must start thinking about the possibility of a ‘No Deal’ Brexit.

Following the issue of some ‘No Deal’ Brexit technical notices (back in August), the Government has issued further notices.

The aim is to provide some help for both businesses and individuals to prepare in the event of a UK-EU agreement not being realised.

The second and third batches of notices cover topics such as passports, driving licences, data protection and mobile phone roaming charges.

The full list of topics covered can be found here. Just follow the internet link for plenty of background and advice – https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/how-to-prepare-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-with-no-deal

The Government has confirmed they plan to issue further technical notices over coming weeks.

Although reaching a deal remains the ‘overriding priority’, unless a Withdrawal Agreement is ratified by the UK and European Parliaments, the possibility of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on 29 March 2019 remains.

Meanwhile, a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has revealed that:

• Only 14% of small businesses have started planning for a ‘No Deal’ Brexit.
• A further 41% believe that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit will have an impact on their business but have not yet started planning for the possibility.
• 10% believe that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit will have a positive impact on their ability to do business whilst 48% believe that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit will have a negative effect on their ability to do business. This figure rises sharply to 66% for those small firms that trade with the EU and to 61% for those that employ a staff member from the EU.

FSB National Chairman, Mike Cherry, said: “Looking at this research, it is obvious that our small firms are not prepared or ready for a chaotic ‘No Deal’ Brexit and the impact that it will have on their businesses.

“If you sell your products to the EU, buy goods from the EU or if your business relies on staff from the EU, you now see this outcome as a clear and present threat to your business.”

As always, the team here at Clay Shaw Butler will aim to keep you informed of developments.

In other news, the taxman at HMRC has published an updated list of deliberate tax defaulters.

The list includes details of taxpayers who have incurred a penalty because they have either:

• deliberately provided one or more inaccurate documents to HMRC
• deliberately failed to comply with an HMRC obligation
• committed a VAT or excise wrongdoing.

HMRC’s criteria for publishing this information also states that ‘These deliberate acts have resulted in HMRC establishing an additional amount of tax of more than £25,000. HMRC only publish the details where the taxpayer has not made a full and immediate disclosure when HMRC started to investigate or prior to any investigation.’

The list of defaulters can be found at – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/publishing-details-of-deliberate-tax-defaulters-pddd/current-list-of-deliberate-tax-defaulters

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.

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Around 230 homes and businesses are now known to have been affected by the floods that hit Carmarthenshire over the weekend.

Teams from Carmarthenshire County Council have been visiting and supporting the hardest hit areas this week, offering practical and financial support to help people get back on their feet.

The council set up a £100,000 hardship relief fund on Monday morning, offering support to residents whose homes had been affected by the floods, including a £200 advance to those in most need.

The council has used its powers under Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000 to offer the financial assistance.

Teams of officers have been supporting people to apply for the fund, both online and in person, with the council’s mobile customer service for rural communities ‘Hwb Bach Y Wlad’ visiting hardest hit areas.

Around 160 homes were affected by the floods, some of them uninsured.

The council has also worked with Xcel Furniture in Johnstown, Carmarthen, to launch a furniture donation appeal to help people who have lost much of their household items.

An additional £200,000 fund is being made available to businesses, allocated from the Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund.

Business Support Officers have visited 110 businesses in affected areas and are currently supporting 67 businesses to apply for this grant support.

Early estimates reveal that affected businesses may have lost in the region of £3-4million, not including loss of earnings.

Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole said he was proud that, in addition to practical support, the council is able to offer financial assistance to families and businesses.

“Storm Callum has had a terrible effect on the lives of many people who live and work in Carmarthenshire,” he said, “I have witnessed this for myself when I have visited some of the worst hit communities.

“I also know how grateful communities have been, both in terms of the help our crews have given them to clear their damaged property and clean their homes and streets, but also with the financial assistance we have offered to help them get back on their feet.

“Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000 allows a local authority to do anything that it considers would be likely to promote or improve the economic or social well-being of any person living in the county.

“We are pleased, having regard to the council’s corporate strategies and our statutory powers, to have set up this hardship fund to help those residents and businesses in most need.”

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Carmarthenshire is beginning to count the cost of the clean-up that is needed to get the county back on track after Storm Callum.

Hundreds of homes and businesses were affected by the worst flooding seen in the area for over 30 years, and whilst a clear picture is yet to emerge about the true cost of the recovery, Carmarthenshire County Council said it will take millions to put right.

It is now calling on the Welsh Government to assist.

An initial assessment estimates that £3million will be needed to repair highway infrastructure alone, although all bridges and roads – other than the A484 at Cwmduad which was closed due to a landslide – have been re-opened.

The council set up an immediate flood recovery relief fund of £100,000 to support residents whose homes were damaged, offering a £200 advance to anyone in need, and offering practical help to people by collecting damaged furniture and household items, support to complete insurance claims, electrical safety testing, and in some cases temporary accommodation.

It is also working with Xcel Furniture in Carmarthen to appeal for donations of household items to help those affected get back on their feet.

Officers visited over 100 businesses in affected areas on Monday and is continuing to support them, including around 40 businesses who will be applying for grant support from an additional £200,000 fund established to assist businesses.

Leader, Cllr Emlyn Dole, said: “Over the last few days our teams have visited hundreds of people and businesses to let them know that help is at hand. We will do everything possible to help those affected get back on track.

“However the true cost of the recovery is set to run into millions. Our initial impact assessment of highway infrastructure alone estimates that there is around £3million of repairs needed.

“Whilst we have already made two hardship relief funds immediately available to homes and businesses, we are now seeking assistance from Welsh Government to ensure that appropriate resources are available.

“I will be pleased to meet the First Minister later today to put our request to him in person.”

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Fines totalling £700 have been handed out for littering offences in Carmarthenshire during September.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s enforcement officers have been following up reports from the public and catching some people in the act, both littering and failing to clear up after their dogs.

The Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued in September were:

• £100 FPN issued to a resident of Bury Street, Llanelli, for leaving black bags out during blue bag week despite previous warnings
• 2 x £100 FPNs issued to two males for failing to clean up after their dogs
• £100 FPN issued to a female for failing to comply with a dog ban at Havelock Park, Havelock Street, Llanelli
• £75 FPN issued to a male for leaving a cardboard box on the floor next to recycling bins at Dylan Recycling Centre, Llwynhendy
• £75 FPN issued to a male caught dropping a cigarette butt in Carmarthen Town Centre
• £75 FPN issued to a Carway resident for depositing a carrier bag of household waste on the floor at Carway recycling site
• £75 FPN issued to a female for depositing boxes on the floor at St Clears recycling centre

In addition, four FPNs were issued to people dropping cigarette butts in Ammanford Town Centre during the Ammanford day of action –  three were to females and one to a male.

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Armed forces veterans in Carmarthenshire are being offered discounted rates to use the council’s leisure centres.

Carmarthenshire County Council is keen to continue its commitment to the Armed Forces Community Covenant and to both serving and former members of the community by promoting  discount cards for ex-forces members.

Veterans can use their discount cards at any Carmarthenshire leisure centre in order to receive discounts and free benefits.

Veterans simply need to present a valid forces card to register on the system to gain instant access to all the available benefits.

There are several benefits, including free swimming during recreational swimming times.

Veterans can also enjoy up to 40 per cent discount off activities including gym sessions, fitness classes, and court bookings during off peak hours.

Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, Executive Board Member for Culture, Sport and Tourism, said: “Being able to offer our local veterans these benefits is positive and as part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Community, we can support their physical and mental well-being.”

Cllr David Jenkins, Armed Forces Champion, added: “This is a commitment through the Armed Forces Covenant made to the serving and former members of the Armed Forces and their families working and residing in Carmarthenshire.”

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