Town councillors are looking into the possibility of holding a co-ordinated celebration with Tenby Museum to honour the 500th anniversary of the birth of Robert Recorde, who was born in Tenby.

This year sees the anniversary of the birth of the Welsh physician and mathematician, who passed away in 1558.

Recorde, the second son of Thomas Recorde, a Mayor of Tenby in 1519, is most famous for introducing the 'equals' sign in 1557, and is widely known as one of the outstanding scholars of the 16th century.

At Tuesday night's meeting of Tenby Town Council, members received correspondence from Tenby Museum and Art Gallery who plan to celebrate the life of Recorde with a number of events, including a major art exhibition, a display of the works of Recorde and a lecture about his life and works.

Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown felt that it would be something that the town council could support and the whole town, with local schools also getting involved.

"It can't really be stressed enough how important this man is, it's one of the most significant things to have happened in Tenby for 500 years," remarked Clr. Paul Rapi.

Clr. Mike Thorne explained that Tenby Chamber of Trade were also planning to mark the anniversary of Recorde's birth with a proposed tug-of-war competition to signify the 'equals' sign.

Councillors agreed to donate £500 to support the museum's planned events on Recorde.

Deputy Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Julie Evans, also said that the town council should consult fully with the museum to see what their plans were and see how they could help further.

"It would be a worthwhile event for Tenby and a great celebration of Robert Recorde's life," she said.