St. Barnabas' Millennium Tapestry
"Nation's Finest Millennium Tapestry"
Introduction and Participating Churches
As a contribution towards the Millennium celebrations the congregation at St. Barnabas Church, Heaton produced a 'tapestry' depicting 2,000 years of Heaton village - from the Bronze Age onwards. Councillor Stanley King, a member of the congregation, Lord of the Manor of Heaton and recent Lord Mayor of Bradford, suggested the historical themes.
The aim was to involve as many people in the area as possible and it became a project for the wider community. Participants were from various religious groups, both in the village and beyond.
Church of England
St. Barnabas' and St. Martin's, Heaton
St. Paul's and St. Mary Magdalene's, Manningham
St. Peter's, Shipley
Roman Catholic
St. Cuthbert's and First Martyr's, Heaton
Polish Church, Great Horton Road
Baptist
Heaton Baptists
Methodist
Haworth Road, Heaton
Aldersgate, Low Moor
United Reform
St. Andrews, Little Lane
Other
Sunbridge Road Mission
Judaism - Bowland Street Synagogue
Islam
Children from local schools also participated:
St. Barnabas' and Shipley (C of E), St. Cuthbert's (RC) First Schools. Stoney
Lee and Drummond Middle, Manningham (Muslim 10 - 11 year olds). Rossefield, Shaw
House, Bradford Girl's Grammar and Bradford Grammar. St. Bede's, Salts Grammar,
Beckfoot Upper School and St. Joseph's
College (RC).
Interest and help was also given by Heaton Township Association, Heaton Woods Trust, St. Barnabas' Guides, Brownies, Cubs, Scouts and Youth Club, Bradford Art Club, Embroiderer's Guild, Flower Club and village shopkeepers (of whom some are Muslims). BBC Radio Leeds and the Telegraph and Argus newspaper also supported. A great deal of enthusiasm was generated throughout the village and beyond. Several people who now live outside the parish asked to participate because they felt associated with the village or St. Barnabas' through marriage, baptism, friends or relatives. They came from Allerton, Argyle, Baildon, Bingley, Burley in Wharfdale, Harrogate, Haworth, Helston in Cornwall, Idle, Ilchester in Somerset, Kettlewell, London, Low Moor, Manningham, Oakenshaw, Saltaire, Shipley, Southry in Lincolnshire, Stoney Ridge, Wilsden Woking and Wrose. We never realised there were so many talented people associated with Heaton.
Originally perceived as a small tapestry in which everyone in the congregation could take part, it grew into a 53 feet long community project which crossed the boundaries between Churches and Faiths. This time line, in 357 individual pieces, tells the history of an urban village, just 2 miles from the centre of Bradford, West Yorkshire, in many styles of needlework.
Fact File:
Overall dimensions: 53ft x 20 inches in 13 framed panels.
53 picture panels (9 x 14 inches) tell the main story.
66 vertical borders (2 x 14 inches) link them together with additional details.
53 top borders (2 x 9 inches) number the panels.
53 bottom borders (2 x 9 inches) give information.
130 corner pieces (2 x 2 inches) complete the picture with extra theme details.
2 border strips (1 x 18 inches) frame the 'Participants' picture.
Project duration 18 months.
427 people - aged from 6 to 93 participated in many ways. About 200 sewed in styles they personally enjoyed: - appliqué, blackwork, cross stitch, embroidery, needlepoint Participants came from Helston in Cornwall to Argyll in Scotland, Fishguard in Wales to London and Albuquerque in New Mexico, USA.
Participants from churches, other faiths, schools, local community groups (art, embroidery, environmental, floral art, uniformed organisations etc), businesses, newspapers, and radio.
Funded by donations from the community.
Visitors from all over the world have admired the tapestry in St. Barnabas' Church. Bradford school students - many of Islamic origin - use it as a wonderful resource for History, Religious Education and Design Technology. It has appeared on Anglia TV's 'Sunday Morning' Programme. It has been 'on tour' appearing at venues such as Bradford City Hall, The Colour Museum, Bradford Cathedral and East Riddlesden Hall, a 17th century National Trust property, as part of a major textile exhibition. It has visited places such as Magna in Rotherham, Harrogate, Halifax and Bournemouth. It has also visited tourist hotspots such as Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales.
In November 2001 the tapestry was awarded the title "Nation's Finest Millennium Tapestry" at an event held in Bournemouth.
'…..a brilliant community initiative.' Lord Rosse 'Well worth the journey.'
Thank you for your prayers for the successful completion of this important community project, which is providing such a wonderful outreach as well as helping us understand and preserve our inheritance.
An explanatory book let "The Millennium Tapestry - Celebrating 2,000 Years of Heaton" is now available at £2.50 per copy including postage and packing within the UK from:
Mrs Dianne Excell, Project Co-ordinator 32 Park Drive, Heaton, Bradford BD9 4DT dianne_excell@hotmail.com (01274 542609).
The tapestry is much in demand as a resource and is regularly on "tour". Please contact Mrs Excell to arrange to borrow the tapestry for exhibition or if your group would like a guided tour of the tapestry or a talk about the vision for and the implementation of the project. Demand for tours is growing as the reputation of the tapestry spreads and 2007 is expected to outstrip 2006 in terms of demand. You are advised to enquire in good time for specific dates either during 2008 or 2009. Six years after its unveiling it continues to grow in demand as more people become aware of it
Groups are welcome to visit the tapestry and both cream teas and wine and cheese are available by prior arrangement. Please contact Dianne Excell for details of cost and availability.
A worksheet is available as a resource to guide school children around the exhibition.
Greeting cards/Notelets are also available depicting:
Heaton Royds - Six Days Only (Panel 17)
Heaton (Panel 19)
Earl and Countess Of Rosse -Scientists (Panel 25)
Toll Bar on Toller Lane (Panel 26)
First St Barnabas' School 1870 (Panel 28)
Tram (Panel 33)
The Choir (Panel 35)
Centenary of St Barnabas' (Panel 42)
Christmas (Panel 43)
Heaton Woods (Panel 47)
Ecumenical Easter Service (Panel 52)
This web site has been produced with the help of Mathew Excell. We are very grateful for his efforts in preparing it.
For further details please contact Dianne Excell dianne_excell@hotmail.com (01274 542609) or the webmaster, Ian Fletcher ijf@fgco.com (01274 492839).
