Commonwealth Games: Queen's Baton Relay marks Dylan Thomas centenary

The centenary of Dylan Thomas's birth is being marked in 2014

The Queen's Baton Relay has helped mark 100 years since the birth of Dylan Thomas when it visited Carmarthenshire on its fourth day in Wales.

The baton visited the poet's writing shed in Laugharne, where events are being held to remember him.

It then travelled to Carmarthen and Ammanford leisure centres, before moving on to Llanelli and Carmarthen.

Baton bearers included Welsh tenor and BBC Radio Wales presenter Wynne Evans and weightlifter Non Evans.

The relay is building up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow which start on 23 July.

During its first three days in Wales, the baton experienced rain and sunshine, along with cheering crowds and excited children, as it headed from the south Wales valleys to Powys and on to the Urdd Eisteddfod in Bala, Gwynedd.

The baton then headed south west to Carmarthenshire, where festivities and entertainment were laid on as specially chosen baton bearers took it around the county on Tuesday.

In Laugharne, poetry was read as the baton visited Dylan Thomas's former writing shed before it went to Carmarthen Leisure Centre and then Ammanford Leisure Centre, where sporting activities were held.

In the afternoon, a parade will welcome the baton to Llanelli town centre before the relay visits Carmarthen for an evening of entertainment in Nott Square and Guildhall.

BATON RELAY ROUTE IN WALES

•Day four: Laugharne, Carmarthen, Ammanford, Llanelli

•Day five: St David's, Machynlleth

•Day six: Llanberis, Beaumaris, Menai Strait, Caernarfon

•Day seven: Rhyl, Moel Famau, Ruthin, Llandegla

On Monday, former Olympic and Commonwealth Games 400m runner Iwan Thomas was greeted by cheering crowds as he paraded the baton at the Urdd, a touring Welsh language youth festival that attracts around 100,000 visitors each year.

It was the first time the baton had experienced the Welsh sun, after two days of rain over the weekend.

It arrived at Cardiff Airport on Saturday morning and was greeted in the downpours by crowds in Abertillery, Ebbw Vale, Tredegar and Merthyr Tydfil.

On Sunday it visited several places in Rhondda Cynon Taf, before heading to Llandrindod Wells in Powys in the evening.

The baton will travel 731 miles (1,176km) in Wales over seven days visiting sights including the summit of Snowdon.

The baton tradition started before the 1958 Cardiff Games and has taken place in some form before every Games since.

Former Commonwealth champion Iwan Thomas carried the baton in Bala