A date for the diary in 2012

A treat to look forward to is the arrival at Ely Cathedral in Feb 2012 of the award winning Quaker Tapestry collection, which I had a sneak preview of today.  In Brighton for the Conservative Spring Conference, I discoved the exhibition by chance and popped in to see it at the Quaker Meeting Hall where part of the collection is on temporary display.  It is stunning and thought provoking.

Tapestry tutor Bridget Guest kindly gave me an insight into the collection, and in particular explained two key panels which stood out for me (pictured), one of the anti-slavery movement and the other on banking.

Quakers played a leading part in the movement challenging slavery, led nationally by Thomas Clarkson of Wisbech and supported by Conservative MP William Wilberforce.  There was also a timely tapestry panel on the need for honesty in banking, which current bank chiefs could do to take note of.  Wisbech and Peckover House sit at the heart of Quaker history on banking, and the panel even has the Barclays bank eagle on it.

In total there are 77 panels, which took around 15 years to produce involving 4,000 men, women and children in 15 countries.  More details about the 77 tapestry panels can be found at: www.quaker-tapestry.co.uk

Steve Barclay is pictured with Bridget Guest

Looking at the award winning Quaker Tapestry which is heading to Ely Cathedral in 2012

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