Leeds Tapestry

Faith in the City - Binns Organ

2011-05-05T11:02:00.003+01:00

This week only. Lidgett Park Methodist Church is having an open week with a small display of Christening Robes and Wedding Dresses belonging to members of the congregation.

I went along to visit and realise they have one of James Jepson Binn's organs, which had originally been designed and fitted at Eldon Methodist Church in Woodhouse Lane.

Apparently there used to be quite a community of organ builders in Bramley, the most notable being "Battleship Binns". One of his instruments was embroidered by Anne Boyle for the Faith Panel but unfortunately the database doesn't include where this organ is housed.

I quote from the Albert Hall, Nottingham website

James Jepson Binns (1855-1928) was one of the most successful and prolific of the numerous Yorkshire organ builders working at the turn of the 20th century. The firm's most distinguished work was produced between the 1890s and the First World War. Binns was initially apprenticed to the Leeds firm of Radcliffe and Sagar, and from about 1873 to 1880 he worked for Abbott and Smith, latterly as head voicer. He established his Bramley Organ Works in 1880.

For those interested in finding more Binn's organs there's a Wiki site listing locations

Education Panel - Garforth Community College

2011-03-14T09:07:00.006Z

Another piece worked in Mumbai by Zuber Mohammed and his team, co-ordinated by Ayesha Dost.

The School was formerly known as Garforth Comprehensive School (until 1992) and since the Tapestry was completed has had another name change to Garforth Academy with specialist Arts College status.

Faith in the City - Medina

2011-03-13T18:35:00.003Z

In celebration of a rare opportunity to watch an entire programme (Hidden Treasures of India, broadcast on Friday BBC2 at 9.00pm - check out iPlayer) devoted to textiles, this piece, mainly of Aari work is today's offering. In the programme it was suggested that this sort of work is no longer made commercially in Gujarat, but it's certainly still made in Mumbai.

Medina is the second most sacred city of Islam and it is located in the Hijaz Region of Saudi Arabia, 360 km north of Mecca. The Prophet Muhammad began his mission in Mecca in the year 609. After 13 years in Mecca he moved to Medina in order to escape the escalating hostility by the polytheists. The people of Medina welcomed him and presented him with land to build a house and a place of prayer, a mosque. After his death, he was buried in his house which was adjacent to the mosque. In subsequent years due to extension of the mosque his place of burial became enclosed in the mosque. The mosque is now know as 'Masjid-un-Nabi' or the Mosque of the Prophet.

Ayesha Dost took this picture of the Masjid-un-Nabi and other pieces to Mumbai, India, and a number of people embroidered them in traditional Indian stitches. Master craftsmen, whose families have been embroiderers for generations, teach young boys to embroider and this piece will have been done by several young lads at the same time, all working while seated in a circle.

Leeds in Bloom - Harewood Estate

2011-02-19T11:56:00.006Z

It's snowing again in Leeds today, though it looks wet enough not to last. This piece of embroidery was hand and machine stitched on printed fabric by Janet Taylor and comes from a photograph taken on the Harewood Estate.

Needle weaving using a wire framework was the technique used to embroidery these leaves. Those above made by Margaret Foxcroft, and those below by Muriel Gabbitas

Education - Leeds Civic Trust

2011-02-16T08:50:00.003Z

Leeds Civic Trust was founded in 1965 and is an independent, non political, voluntary organisation made up of people who live or work in Leeds and are keen to promote its improvement.

The Director of the Trust, Dr Kevin Grady is giving a series of "Leeds in Your Lunch-Hour" talks each Wednesday in February. I apologise for not mentioning these before but there's still time to get to next week's at Holy Trinity Church, on the subject of Lost C18 & C19 Churches and Chapels in the City Centre.

Minnie Woodward spent 62 hours hand stitching this piece on printed fabric.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Madeira Threads

2010-10-28T20:41:00.003+01:00

....and here's a selection of the threads sold at MKC, though in drawers of 1000m spools rather than the smaller quantities.

Madeira is a third generation company established in 1908 in Freiburg, Germany. In 1983 Ian and Sara MacPherson set up Madeira Threads (UK) Ltd with Ulrich and Michael Schmidt, grandsons of the original founders, to meet the growing demands for Madeira threads in the UK. They worked from home at first and in 1988 moved to purpose built premises in Thirsk.
Ian and Sara retired in 2001 and Madeira UK is now headed by Karen Burrows, Managing Director, and Clare Walsh, Company Secretary, who have been with Madeira for 17 and 16 years respectively.

Ann Kirk spent at least as much time tracking down the right coloured threads as actually hand stitching the embroidery.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - MKC & The Bernina Club

2010-10-27T17:49:00.003+01:00

Normal Service can now be resumed.

As many of you may know, MKC has moved from Kirkgate. Originally the rumours were that the owners were retiring and the business would be closed. Then I heard from a friend that some of the staff were re-opening in new premises near The Calls. I finally made the effort to find the new shop yesterday.

Sheila Udakis (who embroidered the piece above on a computerized machine) and Roy are now operating as MKC (Services), Unit 8, 30-38 Dock Street. Simple to find with parking for those who need it, turn left to the left of The Adelphi.

Still the best choice of Madeira machine embroidery threads in Leeds and suppliers and repairers of sewing machines. Phew.

Arts for All - Town Hall

2010-09-23T09:03:00.004+01:00

On the Arts for All panel there's an embroidery of the interior of the Victoria Hall, within the Town Hall, hand stitched by Gill Cooke.

'Directly influenced by Liverpool's St George's Hall and indirectly by the Baths of Caracalla, the basilican form is expressed by coupled Corinthian columns and pilasters separating the bays'

Brodrick also designed the original ten cut glass chandeliers but only three survive and are now in the Civic Hall. The current lights were installed in the 1930s. The organ was the largest ever built by an English firm, at the time, with 6,500 pipes. Henry Smart and William Spark designed it, Gray and Davison (a London firm) built it and the architectural case was designed by Brodrick.

It must have been spectacular for the people of Leeds in the nineteenth century. Reminds me of the Great Exhibition scene in 'North and South'.

Information for this piece from Susan Wrathmell's Pevsner Architectural Guide of Leeds.

Enterprise Panel - Town Hall

2010-09-22T09:58:00.003+01:00

Back with Cuthbert Brodrick, his Town Hall is on the Enterprise panel. This was one of the first four panels, completed before we had the technology to scan each of the embroideries before they were stitched to the background. Hopefully the four will be taken out of their frames to get more detailed photographs which could be posted on the blog.

The Town Hall in the night sky was made in applique by Sue Hodgson. This corner of the panel represents the Valentine Fair which used to be held around the Headrow and City Library.

Quoting Building News in 1858 'Profuse in its adornments, it represents an age in which wealth has passed beyond simple comfort to the enjoyment of luxury. It speaks of abundance and displays it'.

The Town Hall was opened by Queen Victoria on 7th September 1858. As with public buildings constructed nowadays, it cost almost four times the original amount but it elevated Leeds into a town with confidence and civic pride. The original plan did not include a clock tower but the civic leaders insisted this should be added, making the building the tallest in Leeds - a record which apparently was unbroken until 1966.

Nine years after the building had been completed the lions were added. The work of William Day Keyworth they walk around the building each night as the clock strikes midnight, before returning to their plinths. Now that's something worth seeing.

Arts for All - Old Museum

2010-09-19T13:26:00.003+01:00

The original museum in Leeds was in Park Row, designed by Robert Dennis Chantrell in 1821. During World War Two it suffered extensive damage during an air raid. The building was repaired and continued to house the museum until 1965, when it was moved to the Central Library.

From 1999 until 2008 Leeds has been without its museum, but now many of the old favourites are back on show. The museum service also includes The Discovery Centre, near the Royal Armouries, where the majority of the Leeds collections not on display can be accessed by appointment.

Renditions in embroidery of both the new and old museum were done by Godfrey Harland, the one above on printed fabric (73 hours)

Arts for All - Millennium Square

2010-09-18T18:40:00.003+01:00

Continuing with the theme of Cuthbert Brodrick, this embroidery of ice-skating in Millennium Square, by Godfrey Harland, has as its background the Mechanics Institute in its phase as Civic Theatre. The lecture room was re-modelled for this purpose in 1949.

Pevsner's Guide mentions a quote from "The Builder" at the time when the Institute was built

'The internal arrangements... appear, except in some slight particulars, all that could be desired,' while its external appearance was of 'a grand and well-designed structure' except for the upper part of the building which, 'after its inevitable blackening by smoke, would be like a huge leaden coffin and excessively ugly'.

Recently the building has undergone another change of use and is now the long awaited City Museum, opened on 13 September 2008.

The pink building to the left is called Off-Kilter and houses the equipment to regulate the sound and lighting in Millennium Square, it was created by Richard Wilson in 2000.

The Forgotten ones - First Cloth Hall

2010-09-16T08:59:00.003+01:00

This building has been mentioned already on the blog ((26 June, 29 March). Possibly the ONLY building still standing from the Cossins Map, excluding churches. Should there have been a campaign to save it and is it too late? Kirkgate has been closed for its part demolition, I refer you to the BBC website.

Arts for All - Mechanics Institute interior

2010-09-15T11:43:00.003+01:00

The Mechanics Institute, one of the buildings designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and opened in 1865.

Leeds Mechanics Institute was founded in 1824 or 1825 (sources vary) and was first established in Park Row. A competition was announced for the plans for the new building in 1860, almost at the same time as Brodrick had won the contest for the Corn Exchange.

The plan was centred on a circular lecture room fitted in a rectangular shell which contained workshops, studios and a library.

In the early nineteenth century Mechanics Institutes were founded in many cities of the UK, the first being in Glasgow. They were usually funded by industrialists to provide education for working men, particularly in technical subjects. It has been said that one of the main aims was to steer people away from gambling and alcohol.

Very soon after the opening of the new building, in 1868, Leeds Mechanics Institute became the Leeds Institute of Science, Art and Literature, later renamed Leeds College of Technology, and now within the Metropolitan University. Research has also revealed that in 1903 it joined with the Literary Institute to form Leeds College of Art. That's the internet for you. Back to the books.

The embroidery was hand stitched on printed fabric by Hilary Thurlow.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Cuthbert Brodrick

2010-09-14T16:54:00.007+01:00

Included on the piece of pink smocking is part of the bust of one of Leeds worthies.

Cuthbert Brodrick was born in Kingston-upon-Hull in 1821. When he was 15 he became articled to Henry Francis Lockwood, an architect in Hull who was influenced by the classical style. After this he toured Europe to study the major cities, then returned to Hull in 1845 to set up his own practice. When he was 29 he won a competition to design Leeds Town Hall, which building was opened by Queen Victoria in September 1858. He also won the competitions to design the Corn Exchange (opened 1862) and the Mechanics Institute (opened 1865).

Brodrick's fourth public building for Leeds was the municipal baths, opened in 1867 and demolished in 1969. There's a strange photograph of the Alpine Sun Baths over on the Leodis site. A bar, named The Cuthbert Brodrick now stands on the site, overlooking Millennium Square.

The piece was hand stitched by Janet Carding (26 hours), love the beard.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Smocking

2010-09-13T20:03:00.006+01:00

Many techniques of manipulation and surface decoration have been used on the Tapestry including smocking used in the background of the Textile panel. These pieces were made by Joan Langfield and Janet Taylor.

Another tenuous link.......

One textile technique not used is intarsia patchwork. If you don't know what it is there's a perfect opportunity to look at an international collection of examples at Leeds Art Gallery (on display until the end of October).

Two textile exhibitions in one building - is Leeds finally acknowledging its history?

Community Spirit - NSPCC

2010-09-12T08:45:00.007+01:00

I should really have mentioned this event before, rather than after the event. A really successful day and still worth including today to make people aware that it may be repeated. I met so many people I know, and haven't seen for years, the common thread? Textiles.

One visitor to the event yesterday embroidered the children for the NSPCC logo. I could remember what she'd made before her name - the danger of being obsessed with databases. So, Julia Cooper, if you're reading this, did you use a computerised machine to make the children? and who stitched the NSPCC?

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was founded in 1884 by Reverend Benjamin Waugh.

Sports for All - Gymnasts

2010-09-08T09:04:00.003+01:00

Intake School students also designed this piece representing gymnasts.

The embroidery was done on a computerised sewing machine, purchased for the Tapestry with the aid of a lottery grant. There were several debates when the panels were being made, about whether machine- and computerised-machine embroidery are a form of cheating. A personal view is that it's like comparing using oils, acrylics and water colours in painting. Each has something different to offer.

One of the gymnasts was scanned into a dedicated software programme on the computer. Areas for sewing were selected, then the computer linked to the sewing machine. The computerised sewing machines are supplied with a hoop for stretching the fabric across, and it's the hoop that moves under instruction from the programme. The programme was run four times to produce the four gymnasts. The sewing machine sews away without interference or need for the pedal but there is a tendency for the thread to snap the minute the 'embroiderer' leaves the room.

Machine embroidered by Barbara Walker (5 hours)

Sports for All - Rugby Players

2010-09-07T09:16:00.003+01:00

I can't identify the rugby players, they are an embroidered version of a cartoon drawn by one of the pupils at Intake School. Apparently the school closed in 2009 and re-opened as Leeds West Academy.

They were hand stitched by Pat Potton.

A very quick posting this morning.

Sports for All - Rugby Stadium

2010-09-06T09:53:00.002+01:00

Not only did the pupils at Intake School contribute to the Sports Panel with their designs, teachers also became involved. One of them, Kathryn Vincent, spent many hours stitching the Rhino's ground which had been chartered by Peter Cowgill.

The team were known as Leeds Rugby League Club until 1997 when they became Leeds Rhinos. The ground is adjacent to the Yorkshire County Cricket Club in Headingley. For more information it's probably better to look at their club website rather than have me burble on.

Sports for All - Darren Gough

2010-09-05T15:04:00.004+01:00

Several famous cricketers from the past were included in the Tapestry and Darren Gough was there to represent cricketers of the present. He retired at the end of the 2008 season.

Despite leaving Yorkshire for a while to play for Essex, he returned to his home county in 2007 to captain the team.

Darren Gough may have been included on the Tapestry for his cricketing skills but since then he has also become quite a celebrity for winning Strictly Come Dancing. In December 2005, he took part in the BBC television show partnered with British National champion Lilia Kopylova. He went on to win both the main series and the 2005 Christmas Special. Two years later he returned to win the 2007 Christmas Special. Following this he took part in the Strictly Come Dancing live tour during January and February 2008.

The piece was hand stitched by Margaret Clark and designed by one of the pupils at Intake High School.

Sports for All - Headingley Cricket Ground

2010-09-04T12:36:00.003+01:00

There are gates at the cricket ground named for Len Hutton.

On 7 March 1861, a Match Fund Committee to run Yorkshire county matches was established in Sheffield, which had by then been the home of Yorkshire cricket for nearly 100 years. It was from this fund that Yorkshire CCC was founded two years later. Yorkshire played their first game at Headingley in 1891 and two years later a major reorganization of the Club saw its centre of operations shift from Sheffield to Leeds.

On 31 December 2005 Yorkshire County Cricket Club purchased the cricket ground for £12 million from the Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Company, parent company of the rugby league club, with the help of a £9 million loan from Leeds City Council. This purchase ensures that Test Cricket continues at the venue with a 15-year staging agreement. On 11 January 2006 the stadium was officially renamed the Headingley Carnegie Stadium as a result of sponsorship from Leeds Metropolitan University.

The piece was hand and machine stitched by Janet Taylor (12 hours)

Sports for All - Len Hutton (1916-1990)

2010-09-03T08:59:00.007+01:00

Sometimes it can be difficult to think of a subject for the daily blog. There are so many diverse subjects on the Tapestry that a link with the news stories of the day can help. Cricket seems to be featuring heavily at the moment, so not exactly linked to the news story, today's offering is Sir Len Hutton.

Born at Fulneck, Pudsey on 23rd June 1916, he first played cricket, with his father, with Fulneck Sunday School and at the age of 13 was chosen to use the ‘nets’ at Headingley. In 1934 he scored the first of 129 centuries for county and country. In 1938, against the Australians at the Oval, he scored 364 runs, a record that stood for many years until Gary Sobers beat it by one run (against Pakistan in 1958). He was awarded his knighthood in the 1956 New Year’s Honour's List.

The embroidery was hand stitched by Merel Jackson (14 hours). I suspect the print was based on a cigarette card owned by Robin Dove.

Community Spirit - Carnival Queen

2010-08-31T09:19:00.002+01:00

This is the final embroidery on the Tapestry from Chapeltown Carnival. Another of the Carnival Queens, this one stitched by Margaret Clark with hand made lace by Audrey Pigeon.

Community Spirit - Injuns

2010-08-30T10:26:00.003+01:00

Machine and hand stitched by Jackie Ford (20 hours), this trio was also involved with Carnival. Yet again we have no idea who the boys (?) are or which year they were dressed like this.

The sun is shining this morning so fingers crossed, the weather stays dry for the procession.

Community Spirit - Carnival Queen

2010-08-29T11:27:00.005+01:00

Another of the pieces from Carnival, this time one of the Queens. Lets hope the weather stays dry for the next two days for this, the 43rd Carnival. See the blog entry for Arthur France for more details of the history of the event.

Hand stitched on printed fabric by Godfrey Harland (17 hours)

Community Spirit - Carnival Boy

2010-08-28T11:38:00.004+01:00

Bank holiday weekend and it's Chapeltown Carnival time. It's a three day event with a procession starting in Potternewton Park on Monday. Not sure which year this boy is from, so if anyone could identify him I would be grateful.

The piece was hand stitched on printed fabric by Godfrey Harland (68 hours).

Community Spirit - Irish Dancer

2010-08-26T17:09:00.003+01:00

An Irish dancer. There are many thriving groups and classes for the dance around Yorkshire and there's a website devoted to the subject, including making the dresses. These dresses must take an age to make with the design in embroidery and applique.

So, an embroidery of embroidery, stitched by Jan Brown on printed fabric. Does anyone know who the girl is?

Community Spirit - Orissi Dance

2010-08-25T09:34:00.004+01:00

The Orissi dance is the Indian classical dance from the Eastern state of Odissa. It has a long, yet broken tradition. Although dance in Odissa may be traced back more than 2000 years, it was brought to near extinction during the colonial period. Therefore, modern Odissi dance is a reconstruction.

There are taster classes in Leeds to learn some forms of Indian dancing and Zoobin Surty's group often have end of year/term exhibitions at the Yorkshire Dance Centre.

The piece was hand stitched by Thelma Manning (30 hours) on printed fabric.

Community Spirit - Bharatanatyam Dancer

2010-08-24T08:54:00.002+01:00

On the Community Spirit panel there are several dancers from many parts of the world. The Morris men and Women have been blogged (see 14th May) already.

Today's offering is Bharatanatyam from South India, not just a dance but a variety of natya yoga which reveals the spiritual through the physical and emotional body. It's possibly more enlightening to check out their website than having me getting things wrong.

Margaret Clark hand stitched this piece (39 1/2 hours).

Education - Leeds Waterfront Heritage Trail

2010-08-21T09:58:00.003+01:00

To promote public awareness & enjoyment of the historic waterfront of Leeds the “Leeds Waterfront Tourist Development Action Programme” was established in 1990. This has involved Leeds City Council, British Waterways, Leeds Development Corporation, and the English and Yorkshire Tourist Boards, as well as the National Rivers Authority and the Leeds/ Bradford City Action Team. Leeds City Museum published a pamphlet showing the Heritage Trail in the early 1990s. The trail starts at Rodley Fall in the west and ends about 8 miles later at Thwaite Mill in the east. Between these two points are museums, Kirkstall Abbey, parks, chemical works, tanneries, rhubarb fields, breweries, hotels and many bridges.

Hand stitched on printed fabric by Lesley Dove in 40 hours.

Education - College of Art and Design

2010-08-20T18:12:00.005+01:00

The logo of Leeds College of Art & Design is taken from a section of the large rectangular double figured mosaic built into the wall above the front entrance of the College in Vernon Street. The colourful mosaic was designed by Professor Gerald Moira (1867-1959) of the RCA specifically for the new art college building. It was made by Rust & Co in their then new vitreous enamel and represents the muses 'Art' and Design' (only Art is represented on the panel). Does anyone know where Rust & Co were based?

The building itself was designed by architects Francis Bedford and Sydney Kitson and was opened in 1903.

It took Jan Webster fifty-six hours to complete this piece using French knots.

Leeds in Bloom -Butterflies

2010-08-19T18:16:00.004+01:00

Despite the changeable weather since the children started their school holidays I just wanted to remind myself and others that officially it is still summer. Today, briefly, there were some butterflies in the garden, so, in celebration, three small creatures using different embroidery techniques.

Hand made lace by Audrey Pigeon (5 hours)

Satin stitch by Valerie Horner (6 1/2 hours)

Probably machine stitching on vanishing fabric with chain stitch and pearl beads added, worked by Renee Silverman (2 hours).

Environment - Dent Head viaduct

2010-08-18T09:03:00.006+01:00

I'm not sure where this cross stitch of Dent Head viaduct, stitched by Christine Pitchfork, was going to be used but it is included in the book with the pieces from the Environment panel. At least the real thing is in use as part of the Settle to Carlisle Railway.

After writing about the Gascoigne canal not coming to fruition I was sent a quote about another failed attempt at linking towns in Yorkshire with various forms of transport.

"A quarter of a mile above the Wharfe road bridge in Tadcaster, an imposing viaduct of eleven arches spans the River Wharfe.

This was built as part of a projected direct Leeds to York railway promoted by the industrialist George Hudson through the York & North Midland Railway. The construction of the line was authorised in 1846. It was to run from Copmanthorpe to Cross Gates, joining the Church Fenton to Harrogate railway line between Tadcaster and Stutton.

The collapse of railway investment in 1849 lead to the line being abandoned after the viaduct had been constructed. The need for the line evaporated with the opening of the Micklethorpe to Church Fenton line in 1869.

Extract from Tadcaster historical information dated 1890 - "About a quarter-of-a-mile above the road bridge is a handsome viaduct of eleven arches spanning the Wharfe. This was erected whilst George Hudson was the ruling spirit in the railway world, but with the collapse of the "Railway King" the line, which was intended to connect Tadcaster with York, was abandoned. The viaduct was subsequently purchased by the North-Eastern Railway Co."

Between 1883 and 1959 the viaduct carried a siding that serviced a mill on the East side of the River Wharfe. The last time the viaduct was used to fetch and carry goods was in 1955. The structure is now a Grade II Listed Building owned by Tadcaster Town Council for the use and pleasure of the local people."

Quite an expensive mistake.

There's a whole host of disused viaducts, tunnels etc on the Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age website.

Environment - Scarecrow sample

2010-08-17T08:44:00.002+01:00

Another piece not used on the final panels but this time because it was a sample for the rag rugging technique used for the Environment panel. This one was made by Margaret Kenny as a test piece to see if really fine canvas could by used.

On the Move - The Butty

2010-08-14T12:07:00.003+01:00

By the time the full scale cartoon of the panel was put together there were several small sections of embroidery which didn't quite fit in with the overall look. Most of them fitted well with the Textile & Industrial Heritage but the butty above is still waiting for a serendipity panel.

A butty is a second boat pulled by the narrow boat, it has no engine but does need to be manned, to operate the rudder. Apparently they were introduced as late as the twentieth century when engines replaced horses as the source of power.

This particular butty, Ash, is possibly the one towed by Oak and operated as a hotel by Reed Boats.

Pauline Clayden hand stitched the piece on printed fabric.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Garforth Colliery Barge

2010-08-12T08:52:00.007+01:00

Just returned from Hartlepool, where the Tall Ships have been docked over the weekend. A really impressive sight and a great opportunity to catch up with friends who've also left the town. This photograph, though not too good, is included for health and safety issues

Another tenuous link - Leeds may not have the sea but in the past sails may have been seen in the area. Today's offering is Garforth Colliery Barge.

Sir Thomas Gascoigne planned a canal to Tadcaster, to ease transport from his colliery, and even acquired an Act in 1774. Realising that such a navigation would open the Wharfedale market to competing collieries, Sir Thomas abandoned the plan. Presumably, this is an illustration from his scheme of 1774.

The embroidery was hand stitched on printed fabric by Joyce Maynard.

Leeds in Bloom - Elizabeth Bidgood's Garden

2010-08-09T08:44:00.003+01:00

Sometimes the link between embroiderer and subject is even closer (see yesterday's post). Elizabeth Bidgood stitched her garden for the Leeds in Bloom panel. She regularly opens it to the public to raise money for charities and sponsored hers and Temple Newsam's on the Tapestry.

I met her, in her role as Chairman of the Leeds Horticultural Society, at the Flower Show yesterday and she said that the garden is much altered now from the depiction on the panel.

Many techniques were used in stitching this piece including cross stitch, hand stitching and, I suspect, a few french knots.

Leeds in Bloom - Joe Maiden & Gardening Which

2010-08-08T10:05:00.005+01:00

This weekend Leeds Flower Show is taking place at the Grammar School at Leeds up in Alwoodley. Joe Maiden is broadcasting from there this morning for his gardening programme on Radio Leeds.

Renee Davidson stitched the background in counted thread work. A second print of Joe Maiden was made, hand stitched by Merel Jackson (11 hours) and appliqued to the ground. Merel was one of the stalwart helpers at the Show until last year so it's appropriate she stitched Joe.

Quite often there is a link between the embroiderer and the subject.

Community Spirit - Caring Together

2010-08-05T12:57:00.003+01:00

Another community organisation, this one based in Woodhouse and Little London. Caring Together provides support and practical advice to people aged 50+ in the area.

The embroidery was hand and machine stitched on printed fabric by Ena Dunn (10 hours).

Community Spirit - Armley Helping Hands

2010-08-04T15:11:00.004+01:00

Some time ago a friend sent me a link to this site describing an exhibition of photographs at Armley Mills illustrating the hands of women who worked at the mill. Many of those workers now meet at Armley Helping Hands, the local organisation which supports the elderly, with activities and a lunch club helping to prevent social isolation.

A small piece of embroidery but Armley Helping Hands is represented on the Tapestry with this, hand stitched by Barbara Farrugia (3 hours).

LS2000 - The White Rose Centre

2010-08-03T08:29:00.003+01:00

The centre opened on 25 March 1997 and is linked to the M621. It's a smaller version of Meadowhall and The Metro Centre with shops such as Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer and Bhs. There's free parking for 4,800 cars but it still seems an easier option to nip into the City centre on the bus! I must make the effort to go there sometime, but do prefer the option of fresh air between shops.

The building was hand stitched on printed fabric by Renee Silverman and the shrubbery made by resident tree maker, Margaret Kenny.

Faith in the City - Trees

2010-08-02T09:04:00.004+01:00

Machine embroidered trees supplied for the Faith panel by Margaret Kenny.

Faith in the City - Two congregations

2010-08-01T10:49:00.006+01:00

Happy Yorkshire Day.

Several of the volunteers were called upon to provide crowd scenes and trees, at fairly short notice, when the panels were being stitched down and a gap needed filling. These two crowds were hand painted and hand stitched by Gill Cook for the Faith panel.

Arts for All - Grand Theatre Ceiling

2010-07-31T18:08:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was the monthly coffee morning for those volunteers at the Tapestry who still keep in touch. If anyone is reading this who wants to join the meetings just pop down to the Tiled Hall at the Art Gallery/Library on the last Friday of each month at 11 am. The function starts with a drink and often extends to lunch as well.

The tiled hall was a hidden gem of the city while the Tapestry was being designed and stitched but would definitely have been chosen in 2010. The ceiling is magnificent, but photographs taken yesterday were too poor to post here.

Another ceiling worthy of mention is in the auditorium of the Grand Theatre which has recently had a major makeover. This was included on the Arts panel, hand stitched by Godfrey Harland.

The Grand Theatre has its own book, "Grand Memories" by Patricia Lennon and David Joy, published in 2006 which gives a lot of information about the history, performances, performers there and some beautiful photographs.

The first performance at the theatre was Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" on November 18th, 1878. In 1969 there was a plan to destroy the building and replace it with a 22 storey office block - fortunately the planning application was turned down, mainly because of its Grade II listing. Now, back to its former glory it's open for business again with the additional venue of the Assembly Rooms for smaller concerts and performances.

Links to other Millennium Embroideries

2010-07-31T16:23:00.001+01:00

I've found another one in Hull, apparently there's open access to it in the Guildhall.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Elida Faberge

2010-07-30T07:56:00.004+01:00

The final piece on the Textile and Industrial Heritage panel sponsored by Unilever is another rendition of Watson's Matchless Cleanser, this time with the lettering for Elida Faberge.

Joseph Watson's grandson, also Joseph, retired from business in 1917 and sold his interests to Lord Leverhulme but Watson's Matchless Cleanser was still produced with that name until 1933.

Lever's and all its subsidiaries became part of Unilever in 1930 but were not called that until fairly recently. In 1962 the Leeds works were known as Gibbs Pepsodent, then in 1965 as Gibbs Proprietaries. In 1971 they became Elida Gibbs and during the production of the Tapestry were known as Elida Faberge. No wonder that until the move from Whitehall Road in the 1980s they were still affectionately known as Soapy Joe's.

Leeds branch of Unilever is now based at Seacroft, I haven't managed to track down what is made there though it seems that it is Europe's largest aerosol factory and is set up for recycling.

This little chap was hand stitched by Evi Malm.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Pear's Soap

2010-07-28T12:57:00.005+01:00

Soap producers in Britain seem to have been quite inventive with their advertising campaigns. First with free gifts for returned wrappers, then children's beauty competitions and who can forget the free plastic flowers in the 1950s and 1960s. Improved hygiene in the 1800s produced many new soap firms until the industry reached saturation point at the beginning of the twentieth century leading to many of the firms amalgamating, it's interesting though that many of the brand names remain.

Sir John Everett Millais was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which had been founded in his home in September 1848. He often worked to commission, but Bubbles was painted for his own pleasure. He was captivated watching his grandson, Willie James, blowing bubbles and recreated this event on canvas.

Sir William Ingram bought the painting and the copyright thinking that it would make a marvellous presentation print for his Illustrated London News. He in turn was approached by Mr Barrett from A & F Pears with the proposed addition of the Pears soap bar and lettering to be used for an advertising campaign.

When the advert first came out a heated debate took place in a series of letters to the Times, with many believing Millais had painted the portrait specifically for the advert. Eventually many agreed that its use raised the standard of advertising.

In 1958 the firm introduced the Miss Pears promotion, inviting parents to send in shots of their daughters, the winners of the competition being photographed by eminent photographers for the advertising campaign. Ten years later an added bonus was introduced with the winner of the competition being painted by a well-known portrait painter.

A & F Pears is now part of the Unilever group, along with Joseph Watson, with a substantial branch of the company at Seacroft.

Joan Holah hand stitched this piece on printed fabric (40 hours)

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Joseph Watson & Sons

2010-07-27T08:46:00.005+01:00

When the images for the panels were being chosen by Kate she was given a small booklet on the history of 'Soapy Joe's' as the firm was affectionately called.

Apparently, as well as wrappers being returned to Watsons there was also a steady flow of correspondence from satisfied customers. I quote Mrs Far of Dudley, writing in the 1890s

'Sir, Your soap is like its name, entirely Matchless and a friend on wash days. It cured all my children's heads of ring worms and one had 28 on his face and neck.'

As the Tapestry grew, Kate found very little time to embroider for the project. This piece however was done by her, hand stitched on printed fabric.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Watson's Matchless Cleanser

2010-07-26T19:26:00.003+01:00

Another prize lead product was Matchless Cleanser. In the nineteenth century Leeds was not only famed for its woollen cloth finishing but was also the greatest leather producer in Britain and one of the tanning factories belonged to Joseph Watson.

The tallow extracted during the process was sold as a by-product until Joseph's sons pursuaded him to use it themselves to make soap. They were so successful that they soon had to build a new factory on Whitehall Road, and it was there that they introduced 'Matchless Cleanser' a product that was advertised in a new and novel way. Everyone who sent in at least 30 wrappers was guaranteed a prize and at its height the advertising campaign employed 250 people in the prize wrapper department, sending out 750,000 prizes a year.

This piece was hand stitched by Betty Laycock (6 hours) on printed fabric.

Sports for All - Bobby Whiteley, Bramley

2010-07-24T11:16:00.006+01:00

The last of the Baines cards and I'm out of my comfort zone. Apparently Bramley, prior to 2nd June 1896, was a rugby union club, so W Bobby Whiteley (born 1871) may have played both Union and League for the club. As a Rugby Union player Bobby won a cap for England in 1896.

According to one of the websites dedicated to these cards Mr Baines offered the boys prizes if they had collected so many and took them back to the base in Bradford. What is not mentioned is whether the cards had to be handed in or were kept by the boys. It reminded me of the Sunday School sticker books in the 1950s. A good way to encourage regular attendance by the children but I think they were handed in for certificates, a shame that we couldn't keep them. Finally found a reference to them, presumably the collector stopped going to Sunday School before the book was finished. I know it's off the point but can anyone else remember them?

Ann Wheatley hand stitched this Baines card on printed fabric.

Sports for All - Jack White, Leeds City

2010-07-23T08:02:00.004+01:00

Another of the Baines cards? This one of Jack (Jabez) White who played for Leeds City between 1908 and 1910. It seems there was some controversy with football and payments to team members and Leeds City was expelled from the Football League in 1919.

The same day as the players were sold off there was a meeting held with more than 1,000 of the current supporters leading to the formation of Leeds United Association Football Club with Elland Road as their home.

Audrey Pigeon hand stitched this piece.

Sports for All - Baron Hawke

2010-07-22T17:49:00.005+01:00

A revelation.

Just been down to the Leeds Museum to see the new exhibition of costume - Heroes and Heroines (well worth the visit) - and happened to stray into one of the other galleries. I've wondered what these images on the Tapestry are, and where they come from. There's a whole collection of them on display and apparently they come from Baines of Manningham, Bradford.

The forerunners of collector's items such as whacky plaques and football sticker albums, they were sold at the turn of the last century (1890s onward) in packs of six for boys to collect. In the flesh they look similar to beer mats, but slightly smaller.

The subject of this particular card is 7th Baron Hawke (1860 - 1938) who was a noted captain of Yorkshire County Cricket. He was born in Gainsborough Lincolnshire, so presumably the rules for playing for the County were changed after he played for the team.

Hawke was first appointed Yorkshire captain in 1883 and held the post for 28 seasons until 1910, he remained the President of the club until his death in 1938.

I suspect the card came from Robin Dove's collection. An appropriate subject given that Muttiah Muralitharan has just taken his 800th wicket in test cricket today.

The embroidery was hand stitched by Joan Holah.

Local Faces - Sue Reddington MBE

2010-07-21T11:51:00.005+01:00

Sue Reddington is the director of Meanwood Valley Urban Farm in Leeds which provides an escape route for inner-city children where they can experience rural life and develop an awareness and concern for their environment. She has worked for the organisation for more than twenty years and in the year 2000 was awarded an MBE for her work there.

She was hand embroidered by Val Gomersall (26 hours)
Above is the Meanwood Valley Urban Farm sign from the Environment Panel, forgotten in yesterday's post. This was hand stitched by Valerie Horner (5 hours)

Environment - Meanwood Valley Farm

2010-07-20T09:41:00.005+01:00

Meanwood Valley Urban Farm was officially opened in 1980. From humble beginnings, operating from two old caravans with bed frames providing fencing, it has steadily grown to become a major centre for community and environmental work.

The farm is open to the public, with a cafe (closed on Mondays), and it also provides many other amenities to the community including holiday play schemes, development programmes for disabled people, and Re-Connect, an alternative for senior school children who have difficulty in main stream education.

There was a lot of photoshopping to get the pig house and animals into the photograph. The background was then printed onto fabric and machine stitched by Betty Bertrand. The animals were printed separately, hand stitched by Valerie Horner (12 hours) and then applied to the background. The large sheep looks a bit odd on the image above, with no front legs, these were omitted in the embroidery to prevent too much bulk behind the lamb when the animals were stitched to the background.

Community Spirit - Skippco

2010-07-19T19:22:00.003+01:00

Skippco is another Charity, this one based entirely in Leeds. They have been working with groups in the community since 1988, devising arts activities to meet the needs of each specific audience.

I believe they're always on the lookout for volunteers, so if you have any spare time.........

The embroidery was hand stitched by Val Gomersall.

Other Millennium Embroideries

2010-07-18T10:29:00.003+01:00

Oh dear, increasingly a list of projects other than Millennium Embroideries but all very interesting.

I've often wondered what happened to the Miner's Banners, now that most of the mines have closed in the North of England and by chance found this link.

It's good to see so many are being conserved and on display

Community Spirit - Youth at Risk

2010-07-17T12:35:00.007+01:00

The logo was hand stitched by Joyce Maynard (5 hours)

The two boys above were hand stitched and appliqued by Hilary Thurlow and the group below were hand stitched on printed fabric by Myra Turner (13 hours).

Youth at Risk is another community programme to help young people, quoting from their website

Youth at Risk is a charity dedicated to young people whose reality has become
crime, exclusion from school, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse and
other self-harm. We support them.We encourage them to choose to get back
on track and give up the habits which are holding them back.

Beyond hope’, ‘no future’ – these are phrases we don’t entertain. We believe,
passionately, that our approach, which is sometimes challenging, will prevent
them from exclusion from school, being benefit-dependent, imprisonment,
alcohol/drug abuse and suicide. There are no “ready-made” solutions. Each
and every young person who comes to us is different. We deal with them
individually. Some are already hardened, others are on their way to being
so.

We respect them. We help them find out what makes them tick, and why they ‘tick’
the way they do.

Community Spirit - Latch

2010-07-16T17:05:00.002+01:00

Latch was started in 1989 and still has the same objectives to rehabilitate houses in Leeds and thus provide homes for young people (16-25) with housing needs. The young people being housed are involved in all aspects of renovating the buildings and given support to maintain their independence after the building is complete.

I've just found reference to one of their properties on a history of Leeds website.

Vivienne Brown embroidered the house and said this of the Tapestry project

"As a workshop leader and occasional volunteer stitcher, it has given me great pleasure to be involved in this project.
Initially I was inspired by Kate's visionary ideas and ideals, and then amazed by her qualities of leadership which resulted in the project gathering momentum, developing, and progressing over the many months.
Many of my students became involved and I helped whenever I could. Always I was impressed by the enthusiasm and friendliness of the helpers.
These stunning panels, which are dedicated to the City of Leeds, also celebrate those who have helped in their making, and symbolise their creativity, their energy and their sustained stamina!"

Jackie Moore hand stitched the logo on printed fabric.

Community Spirit - Audrey Pigeon

2010-07-15T17:32:00.005+01:00

A very satisfying conversation yesterday revealed the relationship between these two. Above is Nicholas, holding an orange at the Christingle Service and making an appearance on the Faith Panel. Below is his grandmother Audrey Pigeon, one of the volunteers at the Tapestry.

Sadly, Audrey died before the first 15 panels were put on display at Harewood, but her family were there to see the work, and to make sure her name was in the database. I presume Nicholas has left school now? A very funny lady who kept us in stitches (sorry) at the workshops and was very tolerant of the fads and fashions of 'the youth of today'.
Joan Holah embroidered Audrey on printed fabric and Audrey Gabbitas (nee Pigeon - no relation) embroidered Nicholas.

Links to other Millennium Embroideries

2010-07-14T11:23:00.003+01:00

Not exactly a Millennium Embroidery, this panel was presented to Harrogate District Hospital by the Harrogate Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild on 26th November 1992.

A friend spotted it while she was visiting the hospital and thanks to Hazel from the Guild for supplying the photograph. I think its a collage of buildings in Harrogate, mainly in petit point or cross stitch. Hopefully one of the Guild members may be able to supply details of why the piece was made and the techniques used?

Meanwhile, enjoy

Sports for All - Leeds Golf Club

2010-07-12T08:07:00.003+01:00

This is the clubhouse of Leeds Golf Club, built in 1909, though presumably enlarged over the years since then.

The men who formed the club were the first to wield a golf club in Leeds, originally playing on Soldiers Field before renting the horse pastures, now the top nine of the present course.

The famous golf architect, Doctor Alistair MacKenzie was a member between 1900 and 1910 and he gave advice on the placing of bunkers and the layout of the course. There's a website devoted to the courses designed by him and even though this course is not mentioned it appears to have been the first he had a hand in.

Another first for the club seems to be that they gave the first professional golf trophy, The Leeds Cup.

The piece was machine embroidered on printed fabric by Barbara Walker (5 hours).

Sports for All - Moortown Golf Club

2010-07-11T10:44:00.004+01:00

The founder of the club was Frederick Lawson Brown. It was officially incorporated as a limited company on 12 January 1909. Dr MacKenzie laid out and completed the 18 hole course in 1910 and it was officially opened that year by James Braid and Harry Varden, the present club house was opened three years later.
The international recognition of Moortown as a major championship venue has brought many visitors and notable tournaments to the course. The most prestigious event was staging the Ryder Cup in 1929, the first time for England and its first win (George Duncan was captain). Memorabilia pertaining to the match hangs in the clubhouse and attracts much interest. The ladies section plays for the Ryder Cup each year - a cup donated to the Ladies of the Club by Sam Ryder for all their help and support during the 1929 event.

Hand stitched on printed fabric by Betty Bertrand, a member of the club.

Faith in the City - The Silvermans

2010-07-08T18:23:00.003+01:00

Even more of the Silverman family were included on the Faith Panel. Quite often there were not enough photographs of people for the crowd scenes on the panels and the volunteers would be asked to root through their photographs for suitable images.

A lot of the archive material has been put in a 'safe place' and I can't find the story Renee wrote about this particular photograph, but if she's reading this maybe a repeat can be written? Meanwhile I'll keep looking....

Renee Silverman embroidered these pieces of herself and her Mum and Dad.

Community Spirit - Mother and child

2010-07-07T21:39:00.003+01:00

Beverley wasn't the only member of the Silverman family to become involved with the Tapestry. Her mother, Renee, originally came on board to help with the administration and office duties (and is still the minutes secretary for the Board of Trustees). Gradually she began to embroiderer too, with stunning results.

Renee spent hours hand stitching her daughter-in-law and grandson for the Community Spirit panel. She ironed it when finished and the face turned into a shrivelled prune. Fortunately by this time she had become one of the volunteers who printed the images onto fabric so, with a newly printed face, longer hair and higher collar to hide the applique, Hilary and Jonathan were ready to join the audience watching the procession.

Arts for All - Leeds Pianoforte Competition

2010-07-05T21:39:00.004+01:00

This piece, also by Beverley Silverman, represents the International Pianoforte Competition on the Arts for All panel. The Competition is held every three years with the next in 2012.

The technique used is painting on silk and then stitching by hand. Beverley was one of the small band who worked on the Health Panel with Paddy Killer, learned something of her skills and developed her own style in the embroidery above.

Local Faces - Dame Fanny Waterman

2010-07-04T12:12:00.003+01:00

Dame Fanny Waterman was mentioned briefly in the 3rd March 2010 entry but she stars today as the guest on Desert Island Discs this week. Repeated next Friday, you will also have a week on iPlayer after that to catch up with her favourites and her personal story.

Dame Fanny Waterman, DBE (born 22 March 1920) is a piano teacher, and the founder, Chairman and Artistic Director of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition.

Waterman was born in Leeds; her father, Myer Waterman, a Russian Jew, had emigrated to England to work as a jeweller. She began to study with Tobias Matthay when she was 17; she started giving public performances, and in 1941 opened the concert season in Leeds with the Leeds Symphony Society. She won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music and studied under Cyril Smith. In 1944, she married Dr. Geoffrey de Keyser and in 1950, with the arrival of her first child, gave up her concert career and concentrated on teaching. By the early 1960s, Waterman felt that young British pianists needed a goal to give them a competitive edge with foreign pianists.

In 1961, with the help of her friend Marion Thorpe (then Countess of Harewood) she jointly founded the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition. She is artistic director of the competition and, since 1981, chairman of the competition jury. Her contribution to the city of Leeds was recognised in April 2006, when she was given the Freedom of the City of Leeds.

Waterman was Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Piano Performance at Leeds College of Music until 2006.

The above is courtesy of Wikki.

Beverley Silverman embroidered and hand painted this piece using the techniques of raised work and applique.

Enterprise - Two Ladies Eating

2010-07-03T13:58:00.003+01:00

It's Leeds Food Festival this weekend with events going on all around the city. Apparently this is the second year for the event, I wonder if I was away last year or just missed it. Anyway, there are lots of marquees up in Roundhay Park so tomorrow it will be a toss up between the event and Wimbledon Men's Final or both.

There aren't many references to food on the Tapestry so Freda Copley's wonderful piece of raised work is illustrated today. Freda wrote a piece for the book which is quoted here

"I did 20 hours a week for four years, starting at 5pm and often working until 10pm. Sometimes I would look up and discover it was two in the morning, so I would take it, on its frame, to bed with me and work on it a little bit more. I was so much in love with it! I would become totally absorbed. Sometimes I would go all day Saturday and Sunday and just stitch. I would find myself getting more and more desparate to complete a piece and my fingers would fly faster and faster...."

Sports for All - Chapel Allerton Tennis & Squash Club

2010-06-28T09:31:00.005+01:00

I wonder if 'the service' embroidered here is another of Robin's cigarette cards?

Chapel Allerton Lawn Tennis Club was formed in 1880 with 17 male members. The club had 5 grass courts and a wooden pavilion. By 1927 the club was the northern venue for the Wimbledon qualifying event. Since then further courts have been added, totalling sixteen, of which 3 are indoor and three have floodlights.

In 1960 the club purchased a wooden squash court from Huddersfield LTC and due to the popularity of the sport the club changed its name to Chapel Allerton Lawn Tennis and Squash Club in 1963. The club now boast 6 courts of which three are glass backed.

In 1986 a gymnasium was added to the facilities and this area of the club now provides a wide range of equipment not just for the racket players but its own fitness members.

Joyce Fulton (now Howden) and Michael Hann, club members in the 1950s both played at Wimbledon. We have a connection.

The piece was hand stitched by Maureen Carr

Sports for All - Mrs Moody (1905-1998)

2010-06-27T12:30:00.005+01:00

You're quite right, Mrs Moody has no connection with Leeds. Born in California, she was Wimbledon Ladies Singles Champion eight times in the 1920s and 1930s.

She appears on Leeds Tapestry courtesy of Robin Dove's collection of cigarette cards, giving an example of an action shot in tennis. Have any famous tennis players come from Leeds?

She appears on the blog today as a reminder that even though we may think its all over today (World Cup - hope I may have to eat my words) there's still a week of Wimbledon left.

Carol Marshall made this piece in wool on canvas. It looks as if it's petit point or tent stitch, though it's so neat it could be cross stitch.

What's in a name
Pamela Clabburn's definitions -

gros point: "Cross stitch. However, the term is often misapplied to canvas work done with a large tent stitch, and sometimes is even used for the whole piece of work, as 'my gros point'."

tent stitch: "canvas stitch, continental stitch, cushion stitch, half cross stitch, needlepoint stitch, petit point. Can be worked horizontally or diagonally (basket weave stitch in America)."

So, there we are.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Third White Cloth Hall

2010-06-26T17:04:00.004+01:00

So, it was from somewhere near this building that Lunardi set off in his balloon in 1786 (just behind the Corn Exchange now, though that wasn't built until the 1860s).

In the 1770s the Third White (undyed) Cloth Hall was built in the Calls. This was a single storey building with Assembly Rooms incorporated over the northern end at a cost of £2500. The bulk of the trade occurred on Tuesdays and Saturdays and one third of all woollen cloth exported from England was handled by Leeds merchants amounting to £1,500,00 a year at a time when a worker’s cottage cost £40 to £50.

The First White Cloth Hall opened in Kirkgate in 1711 as a response to a new hall in Wakefield threatening to take Leeds trade. Before this cloth, woven at home, was sold twice weekly at an open market in Lower Briggate. Facilities included storerooms for individual townships and hamlets, including Bradford, Batley and Heckmondwike. Trade continued to expand at such a pace that a new White Cloth Hall was needed by 1756 and a third erected in 1776.

The Second White Cloth Hall had a life of only 20 years and was demolished in 1786, the only surviving piece is the cupola which was added to the third hall.

By the time the railway arrived the building was obviously not as important and was sliced to make way for the line in the 1860s. The First Hall, though much altered still survives today.

Was there a Fourth Hall near the Mixed Cloth Hall and the cupola from which of these two now adorns the Hotel Metropole? More research needed......

Consulted "The Illustrated History of Leeds". There was indeed a Fourth White Cloth Hall (1868-1895) on the site now occupied by the Hotel Metropole and it is that cupola on top of the hotel.

This printed fabric was hand stitched by Merel Jackson (11 hours)

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Lunardi's Balloon

2010-06-25T17:20:00.006+01:00

Vincenzi Lunardi (secretary to the Italian ambassador in London) was Britain’s first aeronaut and made a balloon ascent on 4 December 1786 from the area of the White Cloth Hall and descended forty minutes later at Thorpe Arch. Lunardi’s first flight was from London to Standon in Hertfordshire on 12 September 1784, using a hydrogen filled ballooon.

Browsing through Amabel Yorke's diaries of the period I found these entries:

September 16th 1784
"A Mr Lunardi went up in an air-balloon from London on Wednesday; we just saw the Balloon as a speck from hence. We hear that he descended near Ware in about three hours. Mr Cambridge was also here, and he told us that his son George had follow'd Mr Lunardi's Air Balloon last Wednesday and came up just as he was descending in a field near Ware and disengaging his tackle. The accounts in the papers of the cold he felt are exaggerated; the Thermometer was three degrees below the Freezing Point & it is true that a few icicles hung to his sleeve. The dog he carried came down safe, & he descended almost to the ground near Enfield to give out his cat who was ill, then rose again by flinging out a sand-bag carried for Ballast."

September 25th 1784
"Air balloons are all the talk now and another is to go up with two gentleman from Ld Foley's Garden near Portland Place."

October 1st, 1784
"NB a Balloon intended to go up by Fire/ in Montgolfier's Manner/ from Ld Foley's garden under the care of Mr Sheldon a surgeon has been after some disappointment at last totally consumed in attempting to fill it."

October 8th 1784
"Blanchard said he used oars to guide his balloon. Lunardi had also Oars & Wings but they were of no use to him, or at most a very little descending."

An insight into the world before aircraft.

Hand stitched by Joan Holah in 30 hours.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Burton's No. 5

2010-06-24T19:47:00.005+01:00

Is this an illustration of the sort of suit which included shirt and underwear and was possibly the origin of the "full monty"?

Burton's shops are still operating and are now part of the Arcadia Group. One of their factories is still in Burmantofts but serves now as a warehouse.

Hand stitched on fabric fed through a domestic printer, by Audrey Pigeon.

On the Move - Burton's Van

2010-06-23T08:36:00.005+01:00

When the panels were first on display, at Harewood and then at the Royal Armouries, there was a rota of volunteers willing to steward the Tapestry and talk to visitors about the pieces. Some of the anecdotes from this time were recorded and Brian Jackson was particularly good about this.

"My attention was drawn to an elderly gentleman who was looking at the Transport panel. He appeared to be having some difficulty with his glasses. I could see that he was particularly interested in Burtons and when asked he replied "it used to be my firm", by which I understood him to mean that he had been employed by the company.
I informed him that there was another Burton's item on the Textile panel and offered to show it to him. With some difficulty, he was walking with two sticks, we went to the panel where I pointed out the montage including Montague Burton, the man. Again with some difficulty he adjusted his glassed and looked very closely at the piece. Then to my utter astonishment he turned to me and said "that is my father".
I then had a long conversation with him and at my request he signed the visitors book, Raymond Burton."

(written by Brian Jackson 3/11/03)

There are still volunteers willing to provide guided tours at the Tapestry's permanent home in the Central Library in Leeds. Please contact me if you would like to bring a group to see the panels. Any of the volunteers reading this? Remember that a group still meet in the Tiled Hall on the last Friday of each month, the more the merrier.

Barbara Gray embroidered the piece on printed fabric (6 hours).

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Burton Montage

2010-06-22T18:47:00.003+01:00

Now then, what is the link between Frank Parkinson (see yesterday's post) and Montague Burton?

They both owned, at one time or another, the fabulous Art Deco Charters near Ascot and there I was, thinking they made their money in the north and stayed here.

Montague Burton (1885-1952) was a Jewish refugee from Lithuania who became 'king' of the Leeds mass production bespoke tailoring industry. In the second World War his factories supplied a quarter of all uniforms for the Army, Navy and Air Force. The importance of this industry to female employment was enormous and the tailoresses became the nationwide stereotype for all female workers of Leeds. His factory was designed with staff welfare uppermost, including dentistry, chiropody, optical treatment and his staff benefitted from sickness benefit and a pension scheme.

A comprehensive biography of Mr Burton can be found here.

The piece was printed on fabric and hand stitched by Betty Laycock (24 hours)

Education - the Parkinson Building

2010-06-21T09:38:00.004+01:00

The last of Thursday's photographs, the Clothworker's Court arch is just to the left and in the distance is the Parkinson building clock tower. A completely different style of architecture from the second phase of the expansion of the University.

In 1936 The Brotherton Library was opened, but with no real street presence; it was always intended to be set behind a central arts and administration block. Frank Parkinson offered £200,000 for the construction of this building named after him.

Faced in Portland stone it was designed in the distinctive Greek Revival style of Thomas Lodge and was officially opened by Princess Mary in 1951.

A very large piece of machine embroidery undertaken by Janet Taylor and completed in 24 hours (I don't think this was a single marathon effort though)

Textile and Industrial Heritage - School of Textile Industries

2010-06-20T10:04:00.007+01:00

I've found an interactive map of the University of Leeds campus and it seems that the buildings of the Clothworker's Court are no longer devoted entirely to textiles.

While the Tapestry was being designed and made, the School of Textile Industries still existed and images were supplied by Professor Johnson and one of his students Emma Lickfield.

Now some of the disciplines are within the School of Design and there is still a Department of Colour Chemistry. This presumably reflects the loss of textiles industries in West Yorkshire.

The first professors of the School of Textile Industries began to collect samples of fabrics back in the nineteenth century and the collection has been added to ever since. Now this resource has been given its own home in the old Grammar School chapel on the campus and is open to the public. A dedicated textile museum in Leeds, Ulita, now nominated for 'the forgotten ones'.

The embroidery was hand stitched and appliqued by Jan Brown (100 hrs).

Education - Clothworker's Arms, Crest and Supporters

2010-06-19T11:09:00.005+01:00

I'm never very sure about describing coats of arms so have borrowed this description from the Clothworker's Company website. The site also describes the difference between the coat of arms and the crest and supporters, so we now know that the arms alone are on the arch above the entry to the court in yesterday's photographs.

The Clothworkers' arms were granted in 1530 by Thomas Benolt, Clarenceux King of Arms, two years after the foundation of the Company. They may be described as follows: sable a chevron ermine in chief two havettes argent and in base a teasel cob or (a black shield with an ermine fur chevron between two silver habicks above and a golden teasel head beneath). The silver habicks and the golden teasel represent essential tools for the clothworkers' craft, the finishing of woven woollen cloth. The habicks were the hooks used to attach the fabric to the forms on which it was stretched for teaselling. The teasels were used to raise the nap of the fabric prior to shearing.
The crest and supporters were granted in 1587 by Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms. They may be described as follows: crest - on a wreath argent and sable a mount vert, thereon a ram stantant or; mantling - sable doubled argent; supporters - on either side a griffin or pellety (the shield is surmounted by a helmet topped with a golden ram standing on a green hillock with a base of black and silver and draped with black mantling lined with silver. It is supported on either side by golden griffins with spots). The golden ram echoes the ideas of sheep supplying wool and so the ultimate source of the Company's wealth, the Golden Fleece of Greek mythology and perhaps a mild pun on the word 'ram' and the French word 'rame', meaning a clothworker's tenter frame. The mantling is in the Company's heraldic colours, black and white (or silver). The griffins, half eagle and half lion, are associated with the guardianship of treasure and the enactment of good deeds.

The Company's motto, 'My Trust is in God Alone' was adopted at an uncertain, though early, date. It is apparently not taken from the Bible, but expresses a common sentiment at the time of adoption (for example the anthem 'O Lord, in Thee is all my trust', ascribed to Thomas Tallis, popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries).

While the Tapestry was being made, Kate organised a series of professional embroiderers to run workshops and talks for the volunteers. Jane Dew came to speak about the Leek Embroideries, ran several workshops and agreed to work this coat of arms in goldwork. At the moment she seems to be helping other volunteers with work at Staircase House, Stockport.

The arms with crest and supporters on the wall of the Clothworker's Court, an awkward angle but there were skips and workmen in the way.

Education - Clothworker's Court

2010-06-18T19:51:00.008+01:00

The craft of the Clothworker was the 'finishing' of woven cloth. The fuller's part was to cleanse and thicken the cloth when it came from the weaver including removing loose particles and raising the nap using teasel. The shearman then 'set' the cloth, cutting off the roughened fibres with broad shears.

I was over in Headingley yesterday so thought I would go to find the teasel on the building. In the first picture it's obscured by the arch, but it's a sunny picture of the Clothworker's Court from more or less the same angle as the representation on the Education panel.

Below are the three gables in the court, with what looks like an indigo plant on the left, teasel in the centre and madder root on the right.

There are other indicators on the building about its origins, including the Civic Trust plaque

and a wonderful plaque on the 1910 extension showing the size of the donation given by the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers.

Education - Clothworker's Court

2010-06-17T08:33:00.006+01:00

One of the oldest of the University of Leeds, this is the building with the teasel in the previous post and is grade II listed.

Designed by Alfred Waterhouse, it was completed in 1879 and financed by the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers for the City of London, who were anxious to improve the scientific basis of their industry in this country after visiting the Paris International Exhibition of 1867.

The Clothworker's supported setting up the Yorkshire College of Science, which became simply the Yorkshire College when other subjects for study were added. University status was granted by Royal Charter in 1904.

Myra Turner embroidered this on printed fabric (8 hours).

For those who are not male and members of the Church of England and who want to know more about the history of their further education in this country read on..

In 1831, the Leeds School of Medicine was set up, serving the needs of the five medical institutions that had sprung up in the city. Then in 1874, the School was joined by the Yorkshire College of Science, intended to provide education for the children of middle-class industrialists and merchants. Financial support from local industry was crucial (there is a Clothworkers' Court at the University to this day).

The College of Science was modelled on Owens College, Manchester, established in 1851 as a non-sectarian alternative to Oxford and Cambridge, where religious tests were applied and those outside the Church of England were not allowed to receive degrees or were barred from entry outright. Owens College, like the earlier University College London, applied no such tests and was open to Protestant Dissenters, Catholics and Jews.

While religious tests for students at Oxford and Cambridge ceased in the 1850s, northern colleges continued to promote themselves as offering a distinct type of teaching. They took pride in the progressive and pragmatic nature of their scientific education; a field in which the ancient universities, with their focus on general and classical study, were felt to lag behind.

The Yorkshire College of Science began by teaching experimental physics, mathematics, geology, mining, chemistry and biology, and soon became well known as an international centre for the study of engineering and textile technology. When classics, modern literature and history went on offer a few years later, the Yorkshire College of Science became the Yorkshire College. In 1887, the College merged with the Leeds School of Medicine.

Leeds was given its first university in 1887 when the Yorkshire College joined the federal Victoria University on 3 November: the Victoria University had been established by royal charter in 1880; Owens College being at first the only member college. ^[23] Leeds now found itself in an educational union with close social cousins from Manchester and Liverpool.

Unlike Owens College, the Leeds section of the Victoria University had never barred women from its courses. However, it was not until special facilities were provided at the Day Training College in 1896 that women enrolled in significant numbers. The first female student to begin a course here was Lilias Annie Clark, who studied Modern Literature and Education.

The Victoria University was short-lived as the university locations in Manchester and Liverpool were keen to establish themselves as independent universities, unhappy with the practical difficulties posed by maintaining a federal arrangement across broad distances, and spurred by the granting of a charter to the University of Birmingham in 1900.

Following a Royal Charter and Act of Parliament in 1903, the newly formed University of Liverpool started the fragmentation of the Victoria University. The University of Leeds soon followed suit and was granted a royal charter as an independent body by King Edward VII in 1904.

to read more

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Teasel

2010-06-15T08:16:00.005+01:00

So important to the woollen industry of Leeds, teasel was included twice. This rendition is by MT Sanders, hand stitched on printed fabric.

Mr Sumner, from the Clothworker's Guild, provided this and many other images associated not only with Leeds textile industries but also with many of the other ancient guilds.

Trowbridge Museum's website has some diagrams showing teasel at work.

Does anyone out there know how the teasel was collected? Were fields of teasel grown? How often were the heads replaced in the machines? If nothing has been invented to replace them are they still being used? Some questions are answered here in a very informative paper, including the fact that the Romans used both teasel and hedgehog skins for the task.

Education - Fuller's Teasel

2010-06-14T15:05:00.007+01:00

Dipsacus fullonum ssp fullonum. Historically teasels have been used to bring up a lustrous polished nap or pile on certain woollen cloths before the final finishing process. This image was taken from the bas-relief on the Cloth Worker's Court Building at the University of Leeds.

And here they are ready for action at Armley Mills, apparently no mechanical invention has been found to match the teasel.

The image was manipulated in photoshop, printed on cloth and stitched by Elizabeth Thackrah.

Arts for All - Scotland Forever 1881

2010-06-13T11:55:00.005+01:00

Many of the paintings housed in Leeds Art Gallery were given to the City. This was the first gift to the collection, from Colonel Harding, when the building was put up by the city Corporation in 1889 at a cost of over £10,000. One of the great favourites in the permanent collection.

Scotland Forever by Lady Elizabeth Butler.

Probably the best known painting of the gallant charge of the Royal North Dragoons, The Scots Greys at the Battle of Waterloo. According to an eyewitness Alexander Armour at the start of the charge the Greys had to pass through the ranks of the Highland Brigade and Armour recalled The highlanders were then ordered to wheel back, when they did so we rushed through them at the same time they heard us calling Now my boys Scotland Forever.

'When I visited Leeds Art Gallery to find out which piece of work they would allow me to embroider I had hoped to work on The Surgeons by Barbara Hepworth but there were problems. I was told this was the best known picture in the gallery and many people's favourite.
The picture was quite well known to me, it is reproduced in a book of famous paintings which my father owned. I was allowed to look at the pictures on Sunday afternoons.
The work was so detailed I thought that the only way to approach it was to start with a print.
I began to stitch into the print but found that the paint was starting to lift,so the only answer was to stitch the entire surface.
The sky took on an energy all its own, I hope it does no violence to the quality of the original.'

Freda Copley October 2004

Arts for All - Paula Rego Poster

2010-06-12T20:21:00.003+01:00

This painting by Paula Rego was used as a poster advertising the Leeds Art Collections Fund, and thus was included on the Arts for All panel.

The fund was founded in 1912 and is one of the earliest "Friends" bodies in Great Britain. Through subscriptions and fund raising events the LACF enriches the collections of the Leeds Galleries including helping with the purchase of this painting.

1993

Rego depicts a mature artist, a sculptress - as can be seen from the background - having a reflective smoke after setting her two apprentices their daily task to paint a still life of an assortment of cabbages and objects on a table. The work is not a self-portrait as Rego used Lila Nunez as her model. Rego describes her sculptress as 'a type of George Sand character', Sand was famous for smoking a pipe and leading a resolutely independent life in a masculine way, but she also had a very feminine personality. The artist is placed at the centre of the painting with everything else subordinate to it and circulating round it. Imaginative power is what so distinguishes this work and, indeed, Paula Rego's art as a whole.

Included today to congratulate Dame Paula Rego on her DBE in today's Birthday honours list.

Congratulations to Graham Nash and John Cale too.

Joan Holah hand stitched this piece on printed fabric (70 hours)

Environment - Aireborough Shield

2010-06-10T12:03:00.004+01:00

The Aireborough Badge has never been an official coat of arms, but it is made up of the coats of arms of the families historically associated with the Aireborough townships.

Yeadon
This is a combination of the arms of the Stansfield and Crompton families. Robert Stansfield, who died in 1796, bought Esholt Hall in 1755. In 1880 the Hall belonged to Colonel Crompton Stansfield, then Lord of the Manor of Yeadon. The Hall now belongs to Yorkshire Water.

Guiseley
The arms on the badge is an inaccurate representation of the arms of the de Ward family, whose first known member, Osbert de Warde de Givendale, was living in 1130. Simon de Warde founded Esholt priory about the end of the 12th century. Four members of the family were Rectors of Guiseley: Nicholas in 1254, John in 1345, Simon in 1414 and Christopher in 1500. the last known member of the family was Sir Christopher who died in 1522 and was probably buried at Esholt.

Rawdon
The arms for Rawdon are from the Rowden family. A Paul de Rowden probably came to England with William the Conqueror. A John de Rowden, who died in 1350, was buried at Rawdon. The last of the Rawdon lands passed to the monks of Kirkstall, and after the Reformation to the Earl of Cumberland, and later by sale to Francis Layton. Rawdon Church was built in 1684 in accordance with the Will of Francis Layton who had died 20 years earlier.

(Information from the Aireborough Directory of 1997).

Hand stitched by Margaret Clark

Faith in the City - Mill Hill Chapel

2010-06-09T10:13:00.004+01:00

The building is the only survivor in City Square from before 1893. It replaced the earlier chapel of 1674 where Joseph Priestley was the minister in the late eighteenth century. His statue, appropriately faces over City Square to the chapel and there are several memorials within which have survived from the earlier building of 1674.

Designed by Bowman and Crowther of Manchester between 1847 and 1848, it was apparently known at one time as the 'mayor's nest' when it provided four Dissenting mayors in five years.

When the new Mill Hill Chapel was opened it had a congregation of over 1,000. Many of the present congregation helped Margaret Cordell in sewing this piece in cross stitch.

Faith in the City - John and Joan Gamble

2010-06-07T10:31:00.004+01:00

The embroidery is of John & Joan Gamble at their wedding in 1952. Joan is one of the volunteers at the Tapestry and wanted her husband, as a Mill Hill Chapel member on the Faith Panel. He was still alive when Kate talked to the congregation about the idea of the Tapestry and was very keen for the building to be on the panel. After he died Joan suggested he should be represented, initially by himself but as the photographer of the family very few images of him survive so Joan was pursuaded to join him.

John's family connection with Mill Hill can be traced back to before the present chapel was built in 1848. After their marriage they were both involved in the life of the chapel, founding the popular dance club and helping with the dramatic society. John held the post of Treasurer for Mill Hill for 42 years and, as the Minister remarked in his eulogy,

"John was rarely centre stage. He was seen to join me on the roof when slates fell or gutters bunged-up or to pop-in to talk or sometimes argue a point of difference. His great quality was that he was unassuming."

Joan was nervous about doing the embroidery and was assisted with her veil and John's suit by Janet Taylor.

Faith in the City - Leeds Parish Church

2010-06-06T10:35:00.007+01:00

The parish church of Leeds by RD Chantrell for Dr Walter Farquhar Hook, who was vicar from 1837 until 1859. It replaced the medieval church at a cost of £30,000.

The exhibition for Woodbine Willie celebrates 100 years since his ordination as a priest there.

During a diocesan reorganisation in the late C19 the church was denied cathedral status, a fact that historically would have prevented Leeds from becoming a city but the link with Anglican dioceses was broken in 1889 when Birmingham successfully petitioned for city status on the grounds of its large population and history of good local government. So, instead, the church is affectionately known as Leeds Parish Church within the diocese of Ripon and Leeds.

When Pevsner wrote about the building in 1959 he was not enthused by the fact that the railway, in 1869, had cut the church off from the town 'so effectively that it seems to stand at a half-commercial, half-derelict dead end'. We may have all grumbled when the loop route was conceived and in place but at least it made the church more visible and seemingly more accessible to the people of Leeds.

The embroidery was hand painted to the design of James Brown and hand stitched by Joyce James.

Local Faces - Woodbine Willie (1883-1929)

2010-06-05T09:39:00.007+01:00

I read in last night's Evening Post that there is an exhibition about Woodbine Willie at the Parish Church until 13th June. Must visit and report back but its being mentioned now as there's not a lot of time left for others to visit.

Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy was born in 1883 in a vicarage in Quarry Hill, the son of vicar William Studdert Kennedy.

He was an army chaplain during the First World War, serving on the Somme and at Messines Ridge where he was awarded a Military Cross in 1917. He went to Leeds Grammar School and after the war was curate at the Parish Church and St Mary’s Quarry Hill.

His nickname comes from his habit of comforting the weary troops with cigarettes. He was also a poet and his view of the nickname is summed up by him thus:

THEY gave me this name like their nature,
Compacted of laughter and tears,
A sweet that was born of the bitter,
A joke that was torn from the years.

Of their travail and torture, Christ's fools,
Atoning my sins with their blood,
Who grinned in their agony sharing
The glorious madness of God.

Their name! Let me hear it--the symbol
Of unpaid--unpayable debt,
For the men to whom I owed God's Peace,
I put off with a cigarette.

Woodbine Willie died in 1929. He was only 45, but a combination of asthma and overwork brought on his early end. His funeral was in Worcester where he ran a parish. The crowds there were enormous and on his coffin were many wreaths with sentimental notes. One however had no note, just a packet of Woodbines.

Ena Dunn hand stitched this piece on printed fabric (20hours).

A Picture of Health panel

2010-06-04T15:48:00.009+01:00

Consultation for this began in 1996 and the panel was finally unveiled in April 2002. Unlike all the other panels there is no back cloth, all of the work was drawn and painted on silk and the quilted pieces patched together.

Kate invited Paddy Killer to design the panel and teach volunteers to do the actual work. The first workshop was chaotic with many people trying to learn the very precise techniques used in Paddy's work, but as the months passed a small core of embroiderers formed to make the whole panel.

Before making the actual panel, the volunteers had to practice drawing and painting on silk and fortunately we still have photographs of the series of figures made by Anne Cove.

Arts for All - Lotherton Hall

2010-06-03T20:28:00.004+01:00

Just been over to Lotherton Hall where there is another branch of the Flocking Together Exhibition taking place throughout the Museum Service in Leeds. There's also a very comprehensive exhibition of the works of Sutton Taylor, who used to live at Lotherton Old Hall.

In continuous occupation since the 7th century, Lotherton takes its name from an Anglo-Saxon settler called Hluttor whose farm or 'tun' occupied the site in early times. By 1086 records suggest that a hall or manor house had been built here and, during the Middle Ages, a number of tenants are recorded as having lived on the site, including such well known Yorkshire families as the Nevilles and the de Hothams.

In the 1540s the farmlands surrounding the hall were purchased by John Gascoigne of Lasingcroft to form part of his newly acquired Parlington Estate. The Hall itself did not become the property of the family until 1825 when both house and park were purchased by Richard Oliver Gascoigne. Some attempts were made to re-fashion the existing building at this time but it was not until Richard's grandson, Colonel Frederick Gascoigne, inherited the property in 1893 that the house took on its present form. Together with his wife Gwendolen, Colonel Gascoigne extended and remodelled the house and gardens to create a charming home for his family. After his death in 1937 the estates passed to his son and daughter-in-law, Sir Alvary and Lady Gascoigne, who retired here in 1953 after an active diplomatic career.

In 1968 they presented the Hall to the City of Leeds, together with its park, garden and art collections. These, along with items brought from Temple Newsam House and Leeds City Art Gallery and objects bought specially for the house since it opened as a museum in 1969 are what visitors to the house see today, a lasting testimony to an ancient Yorkshire family and support of the arts by the people of Leeds (I've extracted this from their site).

The embroidery was hand painted and stitched by Anne Cove. I'd forgotten that Anne made a larger, similar hanging for Lotherton Hall and at present it can be seen in the entrance porch.

Sports for All - John Charles CBE (1931-2004)

2010-06-02T09:28:00.008+01:00

The ‘Gentle Giant’ was born in Swansea in 1931 and was signed by Leeds on his 16th birthday. In 1953-54 he scored 42 League goals to set a new United seasonal record, breaking another record 3 years later when he was sold to Juventus for £65,000. Charles returned to Leeds in 1962 but left for Roma after only 11 league games. He is said to have been Leeds greatest player outside of the Revie era and he earned his nickname by never being sent off or cautioned.

He has been honoured in Leeds with one of the stands at Leeds United being named after him and as we saw yesterday the South Leeds Stadium, once the home of Leeds Reserves is now renamed in his memory.

Hand stitched on printed fabric by Janet Carding(42 hours), all is not as it appears in the embroidery. Thanks to pictures in a 1950s football annual and a bit of photoshopping, his right arm (borrowed from Gary McAllister) and the football were added out of the frame.

Sports for All - John Charles Centre for Sport

2010-06-01T08:10:00.007+01:00

This would appear to be the best all round sports centre in Leeds, but finding information about it on any website other than Wikki is like finding hen's teeth. The Council website gives the impression that it is only a Tennis centre, though controversially it is a difficult site to search.

So, the few facts found are that it was opened as the South Leeds Stadium in 1996 and renamed the John Charles Centre for Sport, possibly in 2006. The swimming pool is olympic standard and replaces the Poulson pool formerly in the City centre. It also seems that for the first time ever the election results were announced there, rather than at the Town Hall.

Hopefully no sportsperson was relying on this site for information about the venue and I will endeavor to find out more.

For swimmers there's this link, courtesy of Doncaster Dartes.

The embroidery was hand stitched by Joan Holah on printed fabric.

Post script

courtesy of Leeds Live it Love it

"Sporting excellence is part of the Leeds heritage, and with this in mind the John Charles Centre for Sport has been designed to the highest standards.

The stadium offers a wide range of activities for all ages and abilities. It has a 2,500 seat grandstand and four floors of top-class sporting and hospitality accommodation. Facilities include Leeds' first ever indoor bowls centre, indoor athletics centre, eight-lane all-weather outdoor athletics track conforming to full International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) specifications, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and multiple all-weather and grass surface pitches.

The centre has also been home to the Hunslet Hawks rugby league side since it opened in 1995.

Facilities:
2,500 seat grandstand
Indoor bowling centre (open seven days a week from 10am to 10pm for both competitive and casual bowlers)
Indoor athletics centre, for track running, all four jumping disciplines (triple jump, long jump, high jump, pole vault), and an area for javelin, discus and hammer.
Weights area
Eight-lane all-weather outdoor athletics track
Tennis courts, indoor and outdoor."

Sports for All - young cyclists

2010-05-31T09:50:00.005+01:00

More cyclists on the Sports panel, again unidentified people. Possibly this was taken from one of the photographs in the collection kept by Gill Keddie at South Leeds Stadium and loaned to the Tapestry for action shots. Since the panels were completed the Stadium has been renamed the John Charles Centre for Sport, which possibly provides a clue for tomorrow's blog.

Children when the photograph was taken and the embroidery stitched, I wonder if they're still cycling?

This piece was hand stitched on printed fabric by Cynthia Jackson.

On the Move - cyclist

2010-05-30T17:41:00.007+01:00

I've found another cyclist on the Transport Panel. Is he smiling for the cameras, or because he's not stressed sitting in his car in traffic queues or because he's cycling downhill on his way from work?

There's another image of a cycle path just below him on this panel, and there's a website dedicated to the cyclists of Leeds.

Both were hand stitched by Joan Holah on printed fabric.

Textile and Industrial Heritage - Smeaton's Engine

2010-05-29T09:52:00.004+01:00

John Smeaton has already starred on the Local Faces panel, above is a sketch of one of his engines which appears on the Textile and Industrial Heritage panel. The writing on the top is 'sketch of a (steam?) engine by J Smeaton about the year 1741'.

The subject is believed to have been drawn at Garforth Colliery c1741 (Royal Society). Thomas Newcomen designed a steam engine in 1712 mainly for draining mines. This is one of Smeaton’s drawings for an improved version of the engine. He improved the sealing on the cylinders and paid more attention to the measurements of the individual parts of the machine.

Mr Smeaton is being mentioned again now because there's a portrait of him at Temple Newsam, at the bottom of the stone staircase. If anyone is going to the Flocking Together Exhibition he or she can kill two birds with one stone and see the painting too.

The embroidery was hand stitched on calico which had been stained with tea and ironed when still wet to give it an old, stressed look. The material was then printed on a domestic printer - not a technique advised if you value your printer - giving an image which isn't colour-fast but fine if the whole piece is stitched. Anne Boyle embroidered the piece.

On the Move - Leeds Coat of Arms

2010-05-28T18:41:00.010+01:00

Another magnificent rendition of Leeds Coat of Arms, this one hand stitched by Beryl Smith in 40 hours.

21st April entry describes the history of the Leeds Coat of Arms so I'm linking this one to "Flock Together", bird inspired Exhibitions and Events across the Leeds Museums Service. One of the most interesting exhibits at Temple Newsam has been borrowed from a library in Scotland. It is a priceless Audubon "Birds of America", volume 1 published in the early C19.

Lady Hertford had a copy of this book but it didn't last long. In 1829 she cut out some of the birds to add extra life to her Chinese wallpaper. For the duration of the exhibition at Temple Newsam (28th May - 30th November) the normally roped off Chinese Room has been opened up to give closer access to spotting these American birds in the Chinese landscape.

Flock there and wing your way to the bullion room - particularly this month when the open page of Audubon reveals magnificent Great Horned Owls.

On the Move - Bicycle

2010-05-27T09:44:00.006+01:00

Another sort of bike altogether.

"The Transport Panel was almost complete, it lay horizontally on the trestles. Kate and Brian were laying out the completed pieces on the canvas, endeavouring to obtain balance whilst putting them in approximate date order. Brian drew Kate's attention to the fact that there was no bicycle and offered to sponsor the missing item as his family's contribution. The result can now be seen right in the centre of the panel, a shop delivery cycle with a large basket at the front.

Brian rode such a bike as a teenager, delivering shoe repairs for the family business. In 1936 his father, Harry Jackson, set up in business as a shoe repairer at 220 Harrogate Road. The lock-up shop was built on the site of the yard of the former Queen Hotel.
Brian's wife Merel and sister, Marian Mouncey worked the frame and wheels while Brian completed the basket."

(notes from Brian Jackson 3/11/03)

Sports for All - Beryl Burton OBE (1937-1996)

2010-05-26T08:34:00.007+01:00

Continuing the cycling theme today's offering should be a well known athlete, Beryl Burton. She absolutely dominated the sport winning the national pursuit champion 13 times and the road title on 12 occasions.

Moving on to time trials, the numbers go up a whole other level. She was 18 times the national 100-mile champion, 23 times the national ‘50' champion and 26 times the 25-mile champion. Burton was already in her 40s when the Road Time Trials Council introduced a national 10-mile title. Yet she also won that four times.

One of her great achievements was the 12 hour time trial.

Mrs Burton, born Beryl Charnock, came from Morley and spent the major part of her racing career with Morley Cycling Club.

Could you imagine a tennis player, footballer or snooker player with so many individual achievements within the sport being so little known in his or her own city, let alone country? Fortunately several people nominated her for the Tapestry and Morley has it's own memorial garden dedicated to her.

The embroidery was hand stitched on printed fabric by Anne Boyle.

Sports for All - Leeds Albion Cycling Club

2010-05-25T08:35:00.007+01:00

I've searched the internet and can't find anything about this club. Presumably it's no longer running and that Robin Dove found it in one of his many reference books? One of the many things to research down at the Reference Library.

Lesley Dove hand stitched this piece in layers. It's not very big and I imagine it required great dexterity.

The skater below were designed at Intake School and embroidered by Dorothy Wrench.

Sporting Life panel

2010-05-24T14:59:00.005+01:00

Made between 1995 and January 2002, the Sporting panel was designed with the help of the students of Intake School and represents a colorful comic newspaper. The base is a sports net, screen printed at Leeds College of Art, with the Leeds United colours in the background.

Many students at Intake were involved with the project designing graffiti-style logos, cartoon rugby players, gymnasts and skateboarders. These included Angela Lambert, Leon Barham, Lisa Dickinson, Natalie Gains, Tana Massey and Gemma Stocks.

Some of the people on the panel were chosen by guests at fundraising events, others were chosen by the volunteers working on the project.

When visitors come to see the sixteen panels on display at the Central Library some ask why some of the sportsmen and women of Leeds are absent from the panel (similarly omissions on other panels). The answer is usually as simple as no-one putting a particular name forward when the panel was being planned, or that no suitable image could be found. The most commonly suggested people for this panel were Len Hutton and John Charles. Some sportsmen also appear on the Local Faces panel.

There is always scope for others to be included in "the forgotten ones" if anyone takes up the challenge.