Llanelli Community Heritage, formed earlier this year to actively protect and promote the town's historical heritage, unveiled its first Blue Plaque at the Pottery Street entrance to St Elli Shopping Centre on Saturday, July 24 at 10.30am.

The inaugural plaque commemorates Llanelly Pottery, which operated in the centre of the town from 1839 to 1922. The pottery achieved considerable fame and many examples of the pottery's fine and varied products are on permanent display at the Parc Howard Museum.

The plaque is attached to a wall at the Pottery Street entrance of the St Elli Shopping Centre, close to where the Pottery once stood. Llanelli Community Heritage is planning an extensive programme of Blue Plaques, aimed at eventually seeing a number of plaques scattered around the town and surrounding communities.

Where possible, Llanelli Community Heritage is asking organisations, companies and individuals, such as local historians, to sponsor plaques with which they have an association. The pottery plaque was sponsored by the Carmarthen based antiques dealers, Carol and Robert Pugh, whose researches together with the late Gareth Hughes have lead to the publication of definitive works on the Pottery.

The unveiling ceremony was first addressed by LCH Chairman John Wynne Hopkins who outlined the purpose of LCH's Blue Plaque Scheme, described the amount of work that had gone in just to reach this stage and thanked everyone for their support. Next to speak was sponsor Robert Pugh who gave a brief account of his involvement in the researching the history of the Pottery and expressed his delight at being able to work with LCH by sponsoring the plaque. The Plaque was then unveiled by Llanelli's Mayor, Councillor Eryl Morgan who also expressed his enthusiasm and support for the scheme.

Photos from the unveiling ceremony

Llanelli's first blue plaque - waiting to be unveiled	Mr Robert Pugh, sponsor of the plaque, delivering his speech
Robert Pugh (sponsor), Mrs Morgan (Mayoress), Llanelli's Mayor Councillor Eryl Morgan, LCH Chairman John Wynne Hopkins, LCH Vice Chairman Lyn John	Llanelli's first blue plaque is finally unveiled
Local dignitaries	LCH display at St Elli shopping Centre on day of plaque unveiling

Llanelli Community Heritage would like to thank the Management at St Elli Shopping Centre, Mr Gilmore Jones and Mr Andrew Stephens, for providing such invaluable support in establishing a suitable location for the plaque and for their help in organising the unveiling ceremony.

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