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SWP member makes his mark for posterity We are all familiar with the Blue Plaques on buildings where famous people, from Charles Dickens to Jimi Hendrix, lived. Did you know, however, that now these plaques have more than likely been made by Ned Heywood, erstwhile Mayor of Chepstow and long-standing member of SWP? A recent set in Bloomsbury included one for Kenneth Williams.
With the help of assistant Julia Land he has been creating new, and replacing damaged ones, for the City of London and other British towns and cities. Ned expects his plaques to last for centuries however! They can be seen more locally in Wales, in the nave of Tintern Abbey and marking heritage trails in Usk, Monmouth and Chepstow, where he has also installed 94 circular directional indicators, 20 illustrated glazed paving slabs and 65 handmade wall tiles with photographic illustrations and text to tell the fascinating history of his home town.
Ned has run the Workshop Gallery in Chepstow for 25 years. He also finds time to organise the biennial Chepstow Festival, and to be on the managing council of Potters shop in Bristol, set up by SWP in 1995 but now operating independently.
Ned was very active in SWP in the 1980’s & early 90’s, being instrumental in our participation in the Ebbw Vale, Stuttgart and Hampton Court garden festivals where we won Gold, Bronze and Silver Gilt Awards.
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