Read All About It!

 A brief report on the trip to the Museum last week. I was glad we got there early - the hi-viz guy at the gate encouraged us to get in the line straightaway. There was efficient management of the queue, quite a lot of walking involved from where you go in to the exhibition to the point where you encounter the tapestry. By that point you are all [in theory] shuffling along at the correct pace. Here are just some of the panels which I particularly wanted to see,

Panel 1 - Edward the Confessor. Famed for his milky white skin, and long, almost translucent fingers. His 'striped' stockings. I am inclined to agree with Mia H. - these only have the papearance of stripes becaus eof the way the couching has been stitched! Also the various pairs of animals in the borders. Moving on to Panel 4, four of Aesops Fables 

The Fox and the Cheese [flattery]
The Wolf and the Lamb [false accusations]

The Pregnant Bitch [Don't give away your possessions too easily]

The Wolf and the Crane [don't fight a predator]

These are in the lower border, and mirror the historical events depicted in the panel above them.

There was insufficient time to study panel 8 and look for the "cigar burn", allegedly done by a Nazi in WW2

Panels 17 & 18 show Harold's bravery when men were in the quicksands, pulling soldiers out of the danger. The border below shows a line of creatures all tagging the one in front..

An eel [out of sight on the left] bites a man, whose foot is in the mouth of a lion- whose tail is in the bird's beak, the birds wing is nipped by a boar , whose tail is tugged be a centaur. A wyvern looks on. I looked at Edward's death

...which was all too rapidly followed by Harold's coronation

There are 15 people named on the tapestry [only one a woman. Huh!] but at the King's left hand stands Archbishop Stigand. Who lived up the road from here. Yes really - prior to becoming archbishop, he was bishop of North Elmham [where our fish and chip shop is] and owned loads of land round central Norfolk. One street in Dereham is actually called "Stigand's Gate"

Obviously I was on the lookout for panel 32, and Halley's Comet - such an omen for them. I love the way they have depicted it!

The remainder of the tapestry I was studying the stitching [it is clear that women worked from both top and bottom of the fabric- so some were stitching upside down. And they didn't always match up very well with their opposite worker - so sometimes the chainmail is round, or diamond shaped, or square...

I mustn't forget to mention the Feast on panel 43, where the Bishop is blessing the food before they eat- lots of detail here. Picture at the bottom of post. Onto Panel 54, where Bishop Odo, believed to be the man behind the whole creation of the tapestry is shown strongly "encouraging" the troops by waving his club/mace at them. Priests were not supposed to shed blood so did not carry swords. Just a Very Big Heavy Stick!!

Panel 55, almost at the end- William lifts his helmet, to show his troops that he is still alive.  Panel 57 is One In The Eye For Harold [or maybe not - will we ever be sure that is him?] and then the whole thing tails off as whatever followed Panel 58 has been torn away. 

It was incredible realising just how old this is, that it was stitched without the aid of decent lighting [or spectacles] These women have done a phenomenal job, and done it so well.

When we came out of the darkened room where the tapestry was, we were immediately in the bright, light Gift Shop [as is always the case with these places!] 

Bob said I really ought to buy the BM Guidebook, as a memento of this visit, and it is indeed very informative and will get its own review here later. 

Apologies if this post is rather long, and picture heavy. Pictures came from Wikimedia, the BBC and the Observer. I can see why the BM has forbidden photography- it would delay everybody.

Bob did take a shot of me in the central area of the Museum by a display panel... just to prove I was there.

The October Calendar Picture

At first I thought the bear was contemplating a field full of cinnamon rolls, but now I realise they are hay bales.
If you have this calendar yourself, please compare that one with this picture, and spot the difference. I was slightly annoyed that there was a spelling mistake on the original. It took me a while to photoshop the correction.

But the statement is true - we all need to go somewhere silent sometimes and shut out the noise of the day. It is good for our mental health. I had not realised just how much I would appreciate the noise cancelling headphones I bought myself at the start of the summer. 

The world can be a very noisy place at times. Silence is golden, and we need to appreciate it, to learn to listen for the still small voice...

Where is your quiet place?

Crafty Conundrum

Perhaps that should be Cone-undrum. Now that Santa is sorted, I have turned my attention to Katie's event next week. She is holding a coffee morning in the chapel to raise funds towards her 2027 London Marathon attempt, when she will be running for Hospice UK. I have been busy crafting since early Friday morning. Here's a teaser collage for you

Wooden pegs
A box of felt
A bowl of ?
Washed glass jars
Stuff for handsewing
A"Dead Salmon" Farrow & Ball Tester tin
A Cardboard Cone
A pack of battery tea-lights
Felt and coloured papers

If this idea works, I shall post photos next week.

It's A Sign

 When  I was in my teens, my Dad sometimes took me to the Lamb Inn in Norwich for lunch [its changed in the half century since, and not so good now, imho!]  I was always amused when you went downstairs to the loo by the witty sign on the wall.

This anatine one, spotted in a Hampstead Coffee Shop on Sunday morning seemed less clever. Why is it only a duck who must mind its head? Hampstead seemed a place of inexplicable signs. One area had all roads completely closed off because of some sort of excavation works. Right in the middle was this...

There was only just enough space for a pedestrian to squeeze past - it would be amazing if any sort of vehicle got to that spot, let alone stopped to unload or park.

I have just made a new sign for our local parish church. It replaces the one I made in 2023, which has fallen to bits in the wind, rain and sun.

My Banner-making instructions are here. When you plan a sign, always get someone else to check it before you print, paint, or stick. 
I will never forget laying out fabric letters on a sheet. I was working from the top edge, whilst cousin Gill lay on the sofa. [to keep her feet off the floor] She watched me silently, then said "Ang - you do realise your banner says WELLING BATSPIT CHRUCH don't you?

Making A List, Checking It Twice...

So the neighbours were sitting round at the BBQ, and Helen mentioned the problems Peter was having with his costume. Her husband is a semi professional Santa, and does dozens of gigs every Christmas - hospitals, hospices, care homes,charity functions... He is short and round,with thick snowy white hair, and a long, soft, flowing beard. But Helen said his costume was looking tatty and the fur was dingy and matted. She'd tried sponging it, but the red fabric was not colourfast. Some fur went pinkish...

Can I help? I said. Can you sew? she asked me. Much laughter as other neighbours said Yes, definitely Ang can sew! 

We agreed I'd look at it when I got back from Cyprus [he has his first photo shoot in a week's time] I took the fur off, and made notes and took photos at every stage, so I'd be able to reassemble it properly with new fur.

 

I am glad I made a list, I'd never have managed to get lining, red fabric, interlining, zip, white fur all in the right order. 

The new fur was quite a contrast to the old. 

I did most of the work before we went to London, there were bits of trimmed fur floating about, drifting into every room. Yesterday morning I finished the work, including creating a new bobble for the hat. 

Top Tips For Adding Fur

• Make a list of the order of work
• Use plastic clips, or pins with glass heads. Regular pins will disappear into the fur, and that's not safe!
• Use a contrast colour thread for tacking, it is easier to find and remove at the end.

I have made the new cuffs separate, removable pieces - and hand stitched them in place. If they get grubby, it will be easy for Helen to unpick them for washing.

All that's left is a quick polish of the hat bells with Brasso. I shall protect the fur from polish by putting a piece of card round each bell as I clean it

Peter and Helen are currently on holiday. I hope to get a good photo of him in costume soon! 🎅 🎅 🎅 

Home Again,. Tired But Happy

So they carefully transported the tapestry to England and set it up in the British Museum. And in a darkened room, thousands of people filed past to look at the worked stitched almost a thousand years ago by diligent Englishwomen.

And yesterday, Bob and I were able to see it. It was all that I had hoped and more. [that is an artist's impression - the queue was continuous, no gaps whatsoever!]

I will give a full report soon - but thank you so much for all the encouragements, the lovely messages, that beautiful jug, the article from the New Yorker, and so many other kind words and actions.

I wish you could have all come with me. When I have come down to earth again I will endeavour to share my thoughts.

More tickets go on sale in week or so. My top tips if you have not yet booked...

• log on early in the morning so you get in the system [which does work well] 
• have your preferred dates to hand, when your 'window of opportunity' for booking arrives. I suggest having two or three possibles
• book tickets for as early morning if you can - as the day goes on, the queue builds up, so late visitors may not get in at all!
• make a list of the things you want to see, on a card, so you don't miss it out as you go round [you can't go back if you miss something along the route]
• Buy at least one souvenir, even if it is only a postcard! But you do not need to buy the items costing ££££s

I got to see all but one item on my list - and that wasn't a particularly crucial item. 

I am quite tired from all the excitement, and there are a lot of other tasks to be completed now I am back 

Thank you Bob for doing the driving. Thank you too, to my sister in law Barbara, with whom we stayed from Saturday till Tuesday afternoon. We visited other places over the weekend, and on Sunday evening enjoyed a meal at the home of my niece and her family.

All very very good fun. 

Today's The Day!

10.20am British Museum.

I am quite possibly more excited than a child going off to DisneyLand.