The hunt is on for news of an artistic apprentice who created a sign saved during the demolition of the old YGG Lôn Las Primary School.
A hand painted crest on a wooden board was spotted by Council officers and saved by contractors Dawnus before the old buildings were taken down to make way for a multi-million new school project.
They found the sign hanging in the old music room/staff room, which was signed on the back by an apprentice named J. Harris in May 1929, which was just a few months before the buildings officially opened as Llansamlet School in August 1929.
It appears he was one of the people working on the school building, which was being developed by the Council to replace an old school which used to stand opposite the church in the village but was old and no longer able to meet demand for education in the area.
Almost 100 years on, the Council has stepped in again to provide a new school when that building needed to be replaced because it is no longer fit for a modern education and unable to meet demand for Welsh medium education.
Andrea Lewis, Cabinet member for Next Generation Services, said: “Llansamlet has a proud history of providing education to generations of youngsters adapting to the needs of the time.
“We have worked closely with contractors Dawnus to save important plaques and signage from the old school and will be looking to find them a home in the new build to celebrate that history of education on the site.
“It would be lovely to know more about the apprentice who crafted the crest sign and find out what the project meant to him.
“Our new school project is providing training and work opportunities for local people and has apprentices on site too. Perhaps they are following in the footsteps of workers almost a hundred years ago for whom the school build meant a chance of employment and picking up skills to better their life too.”
The Lôn Las project is funded by Swansea Council and the Welsh Government as part of a 21st Century Schools programme upgrading school facilities across the city to help improve education and boost pupil attainment.
The scheme is also one of the ways the Council is investing in and meeting demand for Welsh Medium Education. It will house around 500 pupils when complete in around September 2017.
An image of the apprentice’s sign and images of the development of the new school are available athttp://www.swansea.gov.uk/newygglonlasbuild
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