ABBOTSBURY'S MILLENNIUM KNEELERS
Taking up the banners story ...
Bear with us ~ the images may take some time to load !
Taking up the banners story ...
Bear with us ~ the images may take some time to load !
The kneelers project began with the idea that Sue had in May 2000, to turn the 48 Millennium banner designs into kneelers for the village church. By the end of that same year, they were all finished and dedicated ~ and a few more on top of the original 48 were on the way, with more to come as 2000 gave way to 2001 and 2002 ! Even now, at the start of 2005, a couple more designs are in preparation, and who knows how many more people will be inspired to add to the collection as the years go by ?
This first row shows the view from Abbey House, a view of Abbotsbury inspired by an 18th century map, symbols of church life, the church tower, the one-time Abbotsbury line, and the logo of Abbotsbury Music.
Next, an ancient door in Abbot's Walk, the Bakehouse, the fund-raising Beachcombers group, the Beavers pack, the Bell Ringers and the Bridge House Singers.
Chapel Lane Stores, Chapel Yard Pottery, the Chesil Bank Garden Club, and the Pre-School, a collage of handprints from every child in the village, and a cottage in Rodden Row stitched by the lady who lives there.
The Cricket Club, the Cub Scouts, the Dansel Gallery, "Dorset Horns" (keen walkers), "Farming on the Fleet", and "The Flight of the Crane", commemorating Harry Vine Norman who became a missionary in 19th century China.
The "Flower Bowl" Post Office: Garland Day, a second Harry Vine Norman image ~ he was martyred by the Boxers in 1900. "Impressions of Abbotsbury", music at Linton Cottage, and the Abbotsbury end of the Macmillan Way.
Old Coastguards cottages, Portesham Church, Portesham School, a second kneeler from Chapel Yard Pottery and a pair of kneelers celebrating the Royal British Legion.
St Catherine, her chapel on the hilltop, the swans on the Fleet, Shaun the sheep representing the Old School House gift shop, the signatures of all 166 banner-makers, and the local Spinners.
The Strangways Hall, the Sub-Tropical Gardens, part of which appears in the next kneeler, stitched by the wife of the one-time head gardener. The Swannery, Technical Graphics, and the Tithe Barn.
The village butcher, three retrievers from Waddon House, our own Wheelwrights kneeler, the Old School House Tea Room, the Chesil Beach, and the Fish Wife's lerret.
The latest kneelers to arrive show St Nicholas (the parish church's patron saint), the Portesham (and Abbotsbury) WI, a second Linton Cottage kneeler, the Flower Arranging group, and Abbotsbury's Jewellery Workshop.
