Llandovery goes live on Aussie TV

Mayor Ivor Jackson and town crier Joe Beard welcome their visitors

The west Wales market town of Llandovery has enjoyed a day of fame Down Under after grabbing a star role on Australia's Channel Nine.

A film crew from the Sydney-based station's Today morning programme spent a day in the town as part of a UK tour.

Weatherman Steve Jacobs said they picked the Carmarthenshire town after researching how to reveal rural British life to their 1m-plus viewers.

He said: "It's one of the most beautiful places we've been to."

This is what I'd had always hoped and imagined what a traditional Welsh village would be like Today weatherman Steve Jacobs

He and rest of the six-strong team arrived after driving from Liverpool, where they had retraced the Beatles' story for the previous day's show.

The crew started their week-long series of live broadcasts in Edinburgh and finish in Bath. A studio team is also based in London.

Llandovery, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, has a population of just under 3,000, but still manages some Australian links.

Llandovery's heritage includes Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan

Mr Jacobs said: "Driving into the town, it was just so village-like and hospitable.

"The people have been fantastic. It's stunning.

"This is what I'd had always hoped and imagined what a traditional Welsh village would be like."

Traditional or not, Llandovery certainly has its fair share of Wales' heritage on display, including a Norman castle and a statue of the resistance fighter Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan, who was executed in 1401.

The film crew were helped by the county council's tourism team to find links between the town and Australia, but they did not need to go far.

Llandovery's town crier, Joe Beard, 56, has a sister he has not seen since she emigrated to Australia when he was seven. He rang her in Tasmania to let her know he was to be interviewed for the show.

He said: "I have not seen my sister for 40-odd years. She moved from Windsor, where we lived (and) she has never come back home. We still keep in touch through Christmas cards and letters.

A Today programme cameramen gets a view from Down Under

"We phoned her up the other night just to let her know I would be on Channel Nine.

"She was pleasantly surprised. She's going to have to be up very early."

Llandovery Male Voice Choir and ladies' choir were also #asked perform during one of the half a dozen live links with the programme.

It was filmed from 2100 BST to midnight on Tuesday in Wales, for transmission in Australia from 0600 - 0900.

Carmarthenshire tourism development officer Lisa Bancroft said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Carmarthenshire to show off its best assets to friends on the other side of the world.

"We have a county of beauty, majesty, intrigue and adventure and all of these elements are captured in Llandovery.

"Of course we hope this programme will encourage an influx of Australian visitors to our county."