Newtown has made its debut on the hit BBC One show 'The Great British Sewing Bee'.

Last week's episode featured one of the town's most famous sons Pryce Jones, who pioneered the world's first mail order business.

Newtown's booming flannel industry and Jones' successful business ideas were the focus of the programme's history segment about the origins of flannel.

Host and comedian Joe Lycett explained that the enterprising local and flannel industry played a "huge part in the way we shop today thanks to a small Welsh town".

Florence Nightingale, Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones and Queen Victoria

Florence Nightingale, Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones and Queen Victoria

Joe told the show's millions of viewers: "He was a man who had set up mail order for the first time. That's more important to us today in 2021 than it has ever been."

Old photographs of the factory in Commercial Street and the iconic Royal Welsh Warehouse were also shown on TV.

Newtown Textile Museum curator John Evans spoke about Pryce Jones' influential customers, including Queen Victoria and Florence Nightingale.

"The business was a huge enterprise with its own post office and three trains packed with flannel products leaving Newtown everyday," he added.

Episode 7 of The Great British Sewing Bee is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.