Homend potters Caroline and Mark Owen-Thomas are busy producing special mementoes for performers at this year's Ledbury Poetry Festival.

The gifts, in the form of uniquely designed pots, are suitable as posy vases but can also double as pencil and penholders.

Owen-Thomases hope that in this way, their creations will suit both the inspirational and practical aspects of writing verse.

The Homend Pottery has been commission to produce 100 of the pots in time for the poetry festival, which runs from June 29 to July 9.

Mr Owen Thomas said: "As a small workshop, we're ideal for producing limited numbers."

The Owen-Thomases are no strangers to community commissions.

Orders are still coming in for designer wall tiles to adorn the foyer of the new Market Theatre to raise extra funds for the theatre and give the tile-buyers, or their friends, a little piece of immortality.

In 1998, the Homend Pottery was commissioned to produce a limited run of bowls for the poetry festival.