THE harsh reality of running local public amenities was spelt out in no uncertain terms to members of Cwmaman town council last week.

With Carmarthenshire county council facing cutbacks on an unprecedented scale, the responsibilities on town and community councils will inevitably increase.

In practical terms, this will mean the closure of public toilets, bus shelters and even play areas if “grass-roots” councils cannot give a commitment to run them.

Ammanford and Cwmaman town councils have nowstaged exploratory talks over the possibility of working together to safeguard such amenities – both authorities deserve credit for identifying and pursuing what is surely the only realistic way forward.

The combination of resources could mean the difference over whether essential facilities survive or not.

●REMEMBRANCE Sunday appropriately falls on the 11th of the month when the nation will mark the sacrifices made by those fighting for their country.

This week we run the story of one Ammanford soldier – Private Arthur G Williams of the Royal Welch Fusiliers – who paid the ultimate price “on some corner of that foreign field”.

Pvt Williams – and many others like him – will be in our thoughts at 11am on Sunday.

●RUMOURS of a secret passage somewhere amid the overgrown remains of Ammanford Castle may seem fantastic – yet it has been proved that such underground escape routes were a regular feature of such structures.

And while a subterranean route extending all the way to Carreg Cennen may be stretching credulity, who can state for certain that a more modest tunnel does not lie down there somewhere?