Match Report – Carmarthen Town v Aberystwyth (22 September 2018)

Carmarthen Town (2)  Aberystwyth (2) 

Never has the expression “a game of two halves” been more relevant – while the Old Gold overwhelmed the visitors during the first 45 minutes and should really have secured more than the two-goal advantage which they actually managed, after the interval the Seasiders struck back and virtually dominated the game just as emphatically.

Town made a refreshingly positive start, controlling the midfield and launching a series of rapid, penetrating attacks that kept the visitors’ defence fully occupied. Briefly Aberystwyth withstood that pressure but soon a stream of scoring chances emerged.

On 5 minutes Sean Hanbury, from close to the corner of the penalty area, struck a fierce free-kick that flew narrowly over the bar.  Moments later Liam Thomas threaded a short pass through to Ceri Morgan who raced towards the by-line then fired a deep cross to beyond the far post where Luke Bowen planted a close-range header just wide of the goal.

Then in the 10^thminute the Old Gold, with a move begun from deep inside their own half, deservedly took the lead.  Morgan fired a long pass forward which Bowen, with defender Lee Jenkin close-by, pursued into the penalty area – the Aber player woefully under-hit an attempted back-pass to his goalkeeper which Town’s experienced striker intercepted and he instantly drilled a smart drive into the back of the net.

Encouraged by that success Carmarthen intensified their attacking momentum, driven to a notable extent by the energy and vision of central midfielders Ceri Morgan and Greg Walters. On 16 minutes a free-kick from Declan Carroll was punched away by ‘keeper Leigh Jenkins then cleared by a defender but the ball fell nicely for Tyrrell Webbe who struck a stunning 40 yard shot which the surprised ‘keeper, well off his goal-line, just managed to turn over the bar.

After 22 minutes the hosts again went close when Thomas sent a lofted pass through to Bowen who, from deep inside the penalty area, released a crisp strike that was blocked in front of goal by a defender.

Throughout this opening period Aberystwyth had been barely able to get across the half-way line – and it was only when they won two consecutive corner-kicks after 30 minutes that the Old Gold defence suffered any noticeable element of pressure and concern.

Indeed, the only worry for Carmarthen supporters was the failure of their team to convert any more than just a single goal from the many scoring opportunities that they had created – but that was remedied in the 38^thminute.

From the centre-circle Walters sent the ball forward to the edge of the penalty area where Bowen played it back to Thomas who from 20 yards clinically converted the chance by firing a smart volley past Jenkins and into the back of the net.

And shortly afterwards the referee blew the whistle to conclude undoubtedly the most exhilarating 45 minutes of attractive attacking football that the Old Gold have produced in a very long time.

After the interval a similar pattern of play soon emerged – but this time it was Aberystwyth, now showing far more urgency and purpose, who took charge of the game with the hosts being forced back on defence as they attempted to protect their lead.

And on 50 minutes they went close to reducing the deficit when, following a corner-kick, Wes Baynes drove the ball into the packed penalty area – a defensive clearance went straight to Joe Phillips but he saw his 20 yard strike slide just beyond the far post.  Then moments later Matthew Jones fired a right-wing cross into the goalmouth where Ryan Edwards, with time and space, produced a close-range header that Lee Idzi was well-placed to claim safely.

The Seasiders were enjoying more and more possession, while the Town defence looked increasingly stretched under pressure.  A series of crosses from both sides of the pitch flew into the home penalty area but due to some solid, albeit occasionally desperate, defending under the guidance of experienced centre-back Lee Surman, coupled with a few moments of good fortune, Idzi’s goal remained unblemished.

However, eventually in the 64^thminute the visitors, almost predictably, snatched a goal. After some good approach work Edwards, on the left flank, crossed the ball into the crowded goalmouth where Ashley Ruane forced a close-range header over the goal-line.

While Aber continued to dominate possession and also enjoyed significant territorial advantage, the Old Gold were occasionally managing to relieve the pressure with a few spirited counter-attacks – and after 66 minutes they fashioned a decent scoring chance. Mael Davies embarked on a powerful run along the right-wing before slipping the ball forward to Walters who fired it into the penalty area where Bowen evaded his marker then hit an angled drive that defeated Jenkins but was diverted outside the far post by a defender.

A further period of pressure from the Seasiders was successfully negotiated by the overworked home defence but eventually, in the 78^thminute, they were undone by an excellent strike from Declan Walker – he received the ball just outside the penalty area from Baynes’ free-kick then turned sharply past Webbe before releasing a powerful strike that defeated Idzi and left the back of the net bulging.

Having now got back on level terms, the visitors poured forward with even greater intensity as they sensed the opportunity for snatching a late winning goal while Town, only recently seeming to be cruising towards a comfortable victory, were being forced to anxiously defend in depth in order to safeguard their single point. And despite a couple of late goalmouth scares they achieved that distinctly modest aim.

Carmarthen’s next WPL fixture is on Saturday 29^thSeptember (k/o 2.30pm) when they make the long trip up to North Wales to face Connah’s Quay who currently lie second in the League table.

Team:

Lee Idzi;  Mael Davies; Jordan Knott;  Lee Surman;  Tyrrell Webbe (sub Jordan Vickers 81); Greg Walters;  Ceri Morgan;  Declan Carroll;  Sean Hanbury (sub Craig Hanford 70);  Luke Bowen; Liam Thomas;

Unused subs:  Luke Cummings;  Dave Vincent; Jay Woodford;

Goals:  Luke Bowen (10);  Liam Thomas (38);

Cards:  (Y)  Mael Davies (43);  Lee Surman (77).

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.

The taxman at HMRC has published the latest edition of the Employer Bulletin, its regular electronic newsletter offering guidance for employers.

The latest issue includes features on –

• Reporting your payroll information accurately and on time
• Irregular payments and completion of Full Payment Submissions
• Starter Declaration on a Full Payment Submission (FPS)
• PAYE Settlement Agreements
• National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage – are you paying the correct rate?
• Advisory Electricity Rate for fully electric company cars
• Welsh Rates of Income Tax
• Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) webinars
• Postgraduate Loans
• Benefits and Expenses: Company cars
• Tax avoidance loan schemes – settle now
• Completing an EYU in respect of Employee’s National Insurance Contributions
• Employment Income: Draft Legislation
• Deadline for post 16 Child Benefit looms.

For help with payroll matters, you can contact the team at Claw Shaw Butler at our Carmarthen HQ.

The HMRC article on reporting payroll information is particularly useful.

It states –

Accurate and timely reporting of your payroll information is really important; it helps to ensure that your employees pay the right amount of tax, and is vital to the success of Universal Credit (UC).

UC is designed to increase the financial benefits of work and provide you with a more flexible workforce. Late or inaccurate reporting can negatively impact on your employees as UC payments are linked to the payroll information you report.

It is therefore very important to report your payroll accurately and on time, as changes in earnings can affect the amount of UC your employees receive.

The payment date you report on your Full Payment Submission (FPS) should be the earlier of the date an employee is paid or the date they were entitled to that payment, not the payroll run date, or another date from your payroll system.

It is important to check this and make any changes that are necessary to payroll software so that when you report, you use the correct payment date, as we often find that this is the reason why some employers receive a penalty.

If you are unable to report payments on time and have a reasonable excuse for filing late you should use a late reporting reason code.

Include the code for every payment on the FPS where the circumstances apply.

HMRC has again reviewed the effectiveness of the risk-based approach to late filing PAYE penalties and has decided to continue this approach for the tax year beginning 6 April 2018.

This means that late filing penalties will continue to be reviewed on a risk-assessed basis rather than be issued automatically. The first penalties for the tax year beginning 6 April 2018 will be issued in September 2018.

The approach will also include continuing to not charge penalties automatically if a FPS is filed late but within 3 days of the payment date and there is no pattern of persistent late-filing. This is not an extension to the statutory filing date which remains unchanged. Employers are still required to file their submissions on or before each payment date unless the circumstances set out in the ‘Sending an FPS after payday’ guidance are met.

Employers who persistently file after the statutory filing date but within three days will continue to be monitored and may be contacted or considered for a late filing penalty.

Similarly, late payment penalties will also continue to be raised on a risk-assessed basis rather than automatically, focussing on penalising those who persistently pay late and are of greatest risk.

HMRC will continue to review their approach to PAYE penalties beyond 5 April 2019 in line with the wider review of penalties and will continue to focus on penalising those who deliberately and persistently fail to meet statutory deadlines, rather than those who make occasional and genuine errors for which other responses might be more appropriate.

Internet link to the HMRC Employer Bulletin –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-bulletin-august-2018

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.

Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir members are back in rehearsal sessions after their summer break.

Choir chairman Tony Crossman said: “We are looking forward to a busy autumn and winter, with ‘away trips’ mixed with ‘home games’.

The date for the choir’s popular Christmas concert has been fixed and tickets are now on sale.

‘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.

Mr Crossman said: “We are giving everyone a very early ‘heads-up’ on the Christmas concert date as we know tickets for our festive special always go well and many people will want to book their seats early.”

The choir’s guests, the Burry Port Town Band, have had a long and very successful association with Côr Meibion Llanelli.

The band has a long and colourful past, with the first historical mention of the band, originally named the Elliots Smelting Works Band, found in 1896.

Since 2001, the band has six times claimed the title of “Welsh League Champion Band of Wales”, four times won the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and three times represented Wales at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert Hall in London, competing against the country’s top 20 bands.

In recent years, Burry Port Town Band members have enjoyed performing alongside Paul Potts, John Owen Jones, Richard Allen, Timothy Richards, Lleisiau’r Cwm, Cor Curiad, Twrw Tawe, The Tenovus Cancer Care Swansea Sing With Us Choir, Cor Aelwyd y Waun Ddyfal and former S4C Cor Cymru Champions, Parti Llwchwr.

The band has a new conductor in Gareth Robinson, who took up the baton in the spring.

Gareth made his conducting debut with Burry Port Town Band at the SEWBBA Spring Championship in April this year where the band claimed Second Prize in the First Section Contest.

Côr Meibion Llanelli, meanwhile, are launching a major recruitment drive.

Chairman Mr Crossman said: “Just like many of the larger male voice choirs in Wales, we are always looking for new members to strengthen our ranks.

“This is a great time for people to think about joining a male voice choir. The camaraderie in a choir is something special and it’s been proven that singing in a choir gives you health benefits – improved breathing, a more active, challenging and stimulating lifestyle. It keeps the mind active and singing is good for the soul.

“So, if there is anyone out there thinking of joining a male voice choir, then please get in touch.

“Anyone interested can pop along to our sessions at Furnace Community Hall at 7pm on Mondays and Thursdays.”

Mr Crossman added: “Now is a great time to join as we have a couple of away trips planned. The choristers are great ambassadors and always look forward to spreading the singing gospel to other parts of the country.

“On Saturday, September 22, the choir will travel to Brailes on the Warwickshire/Oxfordshire border.

“And, at the end of October and the start of November, the choristers will be embarking on a mini tour of the Isle of Wight.

“So, my message to the proud men of Llanelli is, Come and join Côr Meibion Llanelli and enjoy to the power and energy of choral singing at its best.”

As mentioned in last week’s column, the popular Voskresenije (Resurrection) Choir of St Petersburg are on their way to West Wales.

They will be performing at St Mary’s Church in Kidwelly on Wednesday, October 10 (7pm).

This is the choir’s second visit to the area.

The choir is a Russian ‘a cappella’ ensemble of eight singers (two sopranos, two altos, countertenor, tenor, bass and basso profondo). The conductor is Jurij Maruk.

Resurrection was founded by Jurij Maruk in 1993.

The repertoire of the ensemble includes Russian Sacred Music as well as folk music.

Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi Male Voice choir members are looking forward to events in September and October.

On Sunday, September 30 (7pm), Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will be staging a special concert at St Maelog’s Church in Llandyfaelog.

The choir will perform alongside a guest choir from Cornwall, the Tamar Valley Male Choir.

Other guest artists include soprano Llio Evans, with guest accompanist Kim Lloyd Jones.

Guest singer Llio Evans hails from the famous village on the island of Anglesey,

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

With her sparkling vocal tone and charming stage presence, Llio particularly revels in coquettish and comic roles.

Recent highlights include Iris (Semele) for Garsington Opera, The Little One in the revival of Music Theatre Wales’ critically-acclaimed production of The Golden Dragon (Eötvös) and her English National Opera debut as Celia in Iolanthe.

The President for the Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi evening will be Tinopolis TV company boss and founder Ron Jones.

Tickets are £7 and are available from telephone number 01269860996.

Proceeds from the evening will go towards St Maelog Church and the chemotherapy unit at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.

On Saturday, October 13, Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will join Carmarthen Male Voice Choir for their 60th anniversary celebration concert at the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen.

Crwbin Silver Band will be performing at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne as part of the “Big Bands, Brass Bands and Concert Band Bonanza” on Sunday, September 30 from 11am to 1pm.

On Saturday, September 29, Crwbin Silver Band will be performing at a Gala Concert at Salem Chapel, Llangennech with BBC Radio Cymru’s Beti George, Lleisiau’r Llan Ladies Choir, Côr Ysgol y Strade and soloist Ffion Haf Jones

On Saturday, October 20, at 3pm, Crwbin Silver Band will be taking part in a Parade and Service in Llanarthne for the statue unveiling of World War Two hero DT Davies.

In other news, Côr Meibion Dinefwr Male Voice Choir will be holding their annual concert at Capel Newydd, Llandeilo, on Saturday, October 27 (7.30pm).

The special guests will be Côr Meibion Llandybie Male Voice Choir.

The conductor will be John Williams, the accompanist will be Sara Morgan and the chairman for the evening will be Eifion Davies.

Other special guests include tenor Osian Wyn Bowen, soloist Martha Harries and accompanist Gareth Wyn Thomas.

Admission is £8 and £3 for children and students.

Proceeds will go towards the choir’s funds.

Guest tenor Osian Wyn Bowen is from Burry Port.

Currently he is an undergraduate student, studying under English National Opera Tenor Jeff Stewart at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

Osian has already performed in concert with Sir Bryn Terfel, Soprano Rebecca Evans, Soprano Elin Manahan Thomas, Baritone Gary Griffiths, Tenors Aled Hall and Rhys Meirion.

Venues include the RWCMD Dora Stoutzker Hall, St. David’s Hall, The Principality Stadium, Wales Millennium Centre, Llandaff Cathedral, Venue Cymru, The O2 Arena, The Queen’s Theatre, London, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the Milford Haven Music Festival.

He has worked with some of Wales and the world’s best coaches and accompanists including, Jeff Howard, Simon Lepper, Joseph Middleton, Kathryn Harries and Dr. Laura Osgood Brown.

Choral performances and concerts include ‘Gloria – Vivaldi’, ‘Beethoven’s 9th Symphony’, ‘Mozart’s Requiem’, and ‘Stabat Mater – Szymanowski’.

Osian is also a popular soloist for various concerts and oratorios under the baton of Edward Rhys Harry, the most recent being Saint Sëan Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes De Confessore.

Television appearances include S4C’s ‘Heno’,‘Les Mis – Y Daith’, Cyngerdd y 10 Tenor, Noson Lawen and BBC’s Songs of Praise.

Recent highlights include performing as part of trio in a live broadcast on BBC1 to mark the Passchendaele Centenary at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium. The tribute to Welsh poet Hedd Wyn was performed in the presence of members Royal Family and European Ministers.

Other highlights include playing the lead role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables as part of the Urdd’s National Theatre company’s 10 Year Anniversary production at the WMC, Cardiff.

In addition to his busy schedule, Osian is a patron of the charity Welsh Hearts and is an active volunteer crew member of Burry Port Lifeboat Station.

His list of awards includes – 2017 & 2018 – Minnie Morgan Scholarship Recipient. 2018 – Douglas Rees Young Opera Singer of the Year – Finalist.

On Saturday, October 13, there’s a special concert at Pontyberem Memorial Hall (7.30pm).

Sinfonia Cymru and and soloist Caroline Pether will breathe new life into well-known classics.

The concert will feature Eric Whitacre’s October Suite, Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Op. 40, Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

Sinfonia Cymru will be back in Pontyberem on Friday, March 8 (7.30pm) with a concert featuring cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

The concert programme includes – CPE Bach Symphony 1 in D major H663; Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major; Ives Unanswered Question; Beethoven Symphony No. 1, Op. 21.

The conductor for Sinfonia Cymru will be Jonathan Bloxham.

In October, one of Carmarthenshire’s finest will be returning ‘home’ for two special concerts.

John Owen-Jones is a Burry Port boy who has gone on to be an award-winning West End and Broadway star.

He will play Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, on Wednesday, October 3 and the Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, on Sunday, October 7.

John has played the lead role in The Phantom Of The Opera more than any other West End actor.

He was the youngest actor to ever play Jean Valjean in Les Misérables.

He will release his brand new album, called Spotlight, in the autumn.

John trained in acting at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama and, after a varied career so far, is probably best known for his portrayals of the iconic leading characters in The Phantom of The Opera and Les Miserables.

He has a long and happy association with ‘Les Mis’ in particular, for, at the age of 26, John became the youngest actor ever to play the role of Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables.

He is one of a handful of actors to have played the role of Valjean both in the West End and on Broadway and was the first British actor to do so.

In an online poll, John was voted the “Best Ever Valjean” and “Best Ever Performer in Les Miserables” by fans of the show worldwide.

John returned to play the role of Jean Valjean in a brand new production of Les Miserables for its 25th anniversary tour and was awarded the Manchester Evening News Award for the Best Actor in a Visiting Production for his performance as Jean Valjean.

The Manchester Evening News described his performance as “a truly astonishing achievement that must be one of the greatest stage performances of all time.”

John was also part of the Valjean quartet featured in the finale of the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 Arena, London.

He has played Jean Valjean to great acclaim twice on Broadway and most recently appeared as Valjean in the show’s Middle East premiere at Dubai Opera, Dubai.

He can be heard playing Jean Valjean on the official cast recording, Les Miserables Live! (2010)

John originally played the role of The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera between 2001 and 2004 in the West End production to great acclaim.

The Daily Mail said he was “better than all the actors that preceded him in the role”.

He returned to the role of The Phantom in the West End in 2011 culminating in a performance as part of the Phantom quartet in a special finale at the Phantom 25th Anniversary Concert at The Royal Albert Hall.

He is the West End’s longest running Phantom with nearly 2000 performances in the role.

He appeared in a special finale of the show at the Majestic Theatre, New York to celebrate Phantom’s 25th year on Broadway and is the first British actor to have appeared as The Phantom in Russia – in a special excerpt from the show commissioned for the 2014 Golden Masks Awards at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow.

After reinterpreting the role of Valjean on the 25th Anniversary tour of Les Miserables in 2010, John was asked to reinterpret the role of The Phantom in the brand new production of The Phantom of the Opera for its 25th anniversary UK tour in 2012.

His performance on the tour earned him a nomination for Best Actor in a Visiting Production from the Manchester Theatre Awards and he is in the unique position of being the only actor to have the opportunity to reinvent Valjean and The Phantom – two of the greatest roles in musical theatre history.

John has performed extensively in other theatre productions throughout the UK and he has appeared on television and radio numerous times. He has performed as a soloist in concerts all over the world.

John has released six solo albums.

The independently released ‘Hallelujah’ (2006) and on the Sain Records label ‘John Owen-Jones’ (2009) and ‘Unmasked’ (2011) and ‘Rise’ 2015; and two compilation albums – “Bring Him Home” (2017 Sain records) and the Japan only compilation “Music of the Night” (2015 Sony Records Japan).

John’s very busy diary for 2018 also includes the following appearances –

September 22-24, Concert, Yomiuri Otemachi Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

Monday, October 8, The Best Of The West End, Royal Albert Hall, London.

October 15-19, Floating Festivals: Stages, Navigator of the Seas, Amsterdam to Southampton.

In October, Carmarthen will also see another big name singer roll into town.

Russell Watson will be performing his new show, Canzoni d’Amore, at the Lyric on October 19.

Having sold more than seven million albums worldwide, Russell Watson is firmly established as the UK’s best-selling classical crossover artist of all time.

To date, his illustrious career has included performances for Her Majesty The Queen, The Pope and two US Presidents.

Russell is widely regarded as “The People’s Tenor”. Captivating to watch and enchanting to listen to, Russell Watson continues to wow audiences with his enigmatic and entertaining live performances.

The New York Times said of Russell Watson, “He sings like Pavarotti, and entertains the audience like Sinatra”.

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

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

………………………….

There’s a song by Frank Sinatra that begins “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning . . . When The Whole Wide World Is Fast Asleep . . . ”

It’s a favourite of mine, despite the fact that in real life it’s impossible for the whole of the worldto be asleep at the same time – due to international date lines and different time zones!

BTW (as the kids say, or By The Way to you and me): Did you know that Canada has six different time zones?

You didn’t?

Then you should get up early and watch repeats of ‘The Chase’ on ITV 4, because that’s where I learned this fact.

Even though the song is factually incorrect, in the middle of the night, if you find it impossible to sleep, it can feel like you’re the only person who’s awake, if not in the whole wide world, then certainly in your street.

A few weeks ago I stayed overnight in a hotel and, even though I’d had a small night-cap downstairs in the bar and read for half-an-hour (in bed, not in the bar) before I switched off the light, I just could notfall asleep.

I had nothing on my mind apart from the same thought that swims through everyone’shead as it hits the pillow . . .

“What doesITV One Wales’ presenter Andrew Jones do between his final 30-second news bulletin on ‘Good Morning Britain’ and his lunch time bulletin at five to two?”

I did consider counting sheep, but even if I’d phoned a farmer friend and asked him to bring some to the hotel, the lift only held a maximum of 10 farm animals, so it hardly seemed worthwhile.

Besides, their bleating would have prevented me from sleeping, as would the sound of the night manager banging on my door.

I decided watching TV might help and did eventually start to doze around 6.15 a.m. to the sound of . . .

“Goooood Morning! I’m Andrew Jones with the news from Wales . . . ”

——————

Call me old fashioned, but I’m a big supporter of please and thank you.

It costs nothing to be polite and to appreciate an act of kindness.

Far too often I witness such acts being totally ignored.

Take last week, for instance.

I saw a young man hold a door open for a middle-aged lady in a busy Swansea shop and was shocked to see that this gentlemanly gesture was totally ignored.

Fair play to him, he just smiled and went on with his day.

This also happens on our busy roads.

If I’m stuck in traffic, I often let people in if safe to do so, but, unfortunately, very few people acknowledge the gesture.

Are we becoming a nation of arrogant individuals, or is it that we are so preoccupied in our own little world that others don’t matter or deserve acknowledgment for being polite and courteous anymore?

Write and let me know your stories if this has happened to you.

The best story will win an extremely popular gift from Evans HQ!

Good luck and get writing!

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

Please again include www.philevans.co.uk