Commemorative World War One bench on display

A solid oak bench, designed and crafted by Carmarthenshire schoolchildren and carpentry apprentices, has gone on display in Llanelli.
The bench will be available for the public to view at Ty Elwyn until Friday (November 14).
Pupils from Ysgol Gorslas, Ysgol Saron, and Swiss Valley Primary School all played their part in designing the bench, which was then hand-crafted from Welsh oak by carpentry apprentices employed by Cyfle Building Skills, supported by Coleg Sir Gâr carpentry tutor Paul Norrington.
The project has been supported by Carmarthenshire County Council, and Leader Cllr Kevin Madge and Deputy Leader Cllr Tegwen Devichand were amongst the first to see it on display.
“It was my honour and privilege to allow the bench to be displayed in one of our busiest buildings where it can be seen and enjoyed by many people,” said Cllr Madge.
“As Armed Forces Champion, and Chair of the Garnant branch of the Royal British Legion, I am proud of the great effort local young people, with the support of project partners, have made in this wonderful act of remembrance.”
The bench is inscribed with the words ‘Mwyaf Garw Oedd Marw Ymhell (there is no greater sacrifice than dying away)’ taken from a poem by Welsh poetHedd Wyn, who was killed aged 30 in the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917.
Other features include hand-carved daffodils and a Fleur de Lys, in a nod to the pseudonym he used to submit a poem ‘Yr Arwr (The Hero)’ to the National Eisteddfod, which he won six weeks after his death.
Anthony Rees, Regional Manager of Cyfle, said: “This was a partnership project borne out of the desire to create a legacy to remember those Carmarthenshire men who lost their lives in World War One.
“The project has been brought together by Cyfle, Coleg Sir Gâr and staff from Carmarthenshire County Council’s Building Services department, but all the hard work has been done by local school children from Gorslas, Saron and Swiss Valley – who put their hearts in to the design – and carpentry apprentices from all over the county who have spent countless hours under the guidance of their tutor Paul Norrington to bring the design to life.
“We are proud to display it publicly for the first time on Armistice Day, and now hope to find a permanent home for it, with the support of our local British Legion, at a war grave ceremony where it can be enjoyed by Welsh people visiting relatives that fell during the atrocities of WW1.”
Before its arrival at Ty Elwyn, the bench was taken to Ysgol Gorslas where it was welcomed by Cllr Keith Davies, Executive Board Member for Education and Children’s Services, joined by pupils of Swiss Valley and Saron schools, carpentry apprentices, representatives of the project partners Cyfle, Coleg Sir Gar and Carmarthenshire County Council, and Ken Burton from the British Legion who donated two poppy wreaths.