Chepstow potter Ned Heywood unveiled his latest creation in Monmouth last week, a large plaque to map a trail of informative blue plaques through the town.

The piece is the latest in the ceramicist's busy schedule as just one of two blue plaque artists in the UK, backed by co-worker Julia Land, who studied at Monmouth Comprehensive School.

Ned has also been working on a special plaque, pictured, to commemorate the life of Alfie the Chepstow Cat. Ned is contributing the memorial to the town after being contacted by Councillor Peter Farley, himself a local man who thought the cat's life should be marked on the corner of Steep Street and Moor Street.

The potter's store, The Workshop Gallery, has recently moved from Lower Church Street to the corner of St Ann Street close to Chepstow's riverbank, and is open for business. The shop sells pottery and ceramics, hand cast using traditional methods. The building also houses the workshop, which since 2004 has been creating some new and modern works.

Ned was contacted by Usk Town Council in 2004 to create the town's blue plaque scheme, and has never looked back. The artist has made the pieces for Chepstow and Monmouth and is now creating the pieces for buildings as far away as London, Manchester and Brighton.

The blue plaques mark historic locations for passers-by. These range from the sombre and commemorative to the quirky. The town councillor is currently working on a project to provide 168 paving slabs and 521 tiles to decorate a memorial garden in Senghenydd, close to Caerphilly, in memory of the victims of Wales' mining disasters.

In contrast, a plaque will soon be erected in London marking the home of: "Stella and Fanny, Victorian cross-dressers".