Olympic Pennant Travels Continued

For the month of May, a large number of the Olympic pennants will be hanging at the Stockton Discovery Centre in Luton, Bedfordshire UK, a city 30 miles north of London.  The Centre was formerly the Stockton Park Museum and was refurbished and rebuilt, opening again in July of 2008.  It is situated on the grounds of Stockwood House and has been designed with the best of environmental and sustainable principles.  It is run by the charitable Trust, Luton Culture.

The centre runs many educational programs in conjunction with schools and institutions, featuring geology, archaeology, social history and rural crafts. It showcases the history of the region dating back to Roman and Anglo Saxon times.

The centre also houses the Discovery Gardens which features classical gardens including sculptures, a Sensory Garden, a World Garden and a Medicinal Garden and displays the styles of the various gardens through the centuries.

The Olympic pennant exhibit will be an interesting forerunner to upcoming  events planned at the centre .  There will be an Olympics Opening Ceremony Family Fun Day on July 27th and then a Paralympics Family Fun Day on August 29th.

Upon learning the pennants would be displayed in Luton, I took a bit of a trip down memory lane.  My best friend during my teenage years, Suzy, spent time in Luton on one of her first job forays. At the time, she did not have many kind words to say about the area itself, although she loved the people and the friendships she made there.  I think there has been considerable growth and improvements to the community over the years. I dug through my old box of papers to find a bundle of letters she sent me from Luton and it was interesting to read them again, after the passing of several years had eroded some of the memories.  Tragically, my young friend passed suddenly from this world not too long after returning to Canada from overseas.  To re-read these old letters filled with stories of first loves, fashion of the day and new experiences in another country, while also reminiscing about old times together, was a sentimental journey I had not anticipated would be connected to my participation in the Olympic Pennant project.  How sweet to think my pennant hangs in Luton close to 42 years after my beloved friend's adventures there.

Olympic Pennant Journey

The Olympic pennants will be on exhibit at the Macclesfield Silk Museum In Macclesfield, Cheshire in England for the entire month of April.  The Museum operated by the Silk Heritage Trust has a wonderful history dating back to 1813. 

    Macclesfield is located in the north of England, near Manchester, which is a known textile industrial centre.  In 1832 there were 71 working silk mills operating in Macclesfield.
    There are in fact three museums on the site with the earliest building dated at 1813.  One houses costumes and handles conservation, one is a working Victorian Silk Mill ( with a restored Jacquard loom operated by attendants, many of whom worked in the silk mills which were in operation until 1981 )  and a third site documents Silk Manufacturing and displays, and that one is where the pennants will be exhibited.  This building was built in 1877 and was once The Macclesfield School of Art where many designers were trained for the silk industry.  Just a few facts:  Macclesfield was once the world's biggest producer of finished silk and can be traced back to the silk route to China. The design and production of silk neckwear has been one of Macclesfield's most enduring industries.  During the second world war, silk was created for use in parachutes, maps and powder bags and there is a recently redeveloped display " Secret Work of Macclesfield During the War", which I am sure is fascinating.
    The Silk Museum's vast archive includes working power looms, a huge collection of pattern books dating back to the 1800's, machine embroidery, silk fabrics, intricately decorated and embroidered couture clothing and every day fashion.  The collection and library are consulted by researchers from all over the world.
    What a wonderful place to have your work hung in an exhibit!  Join me next month when the pennants will be exhibited at the Stockwood Discovery Centre in Luton, a city to which I have a sentimental connection.

As an aside: For those of you who might be rhythm and blues fans like myself, Macclesfield is also the birthplace ( 1933) of John Mayall, ( the Blues Breakers )  the father of British Blues                     

Remembering Your Roots - the Olympic Pennant

After an intense few sessions in the studio and staring down a deadline, I am happy to say the pennant for the Cultural Olympiad,  part of the London 2012 Summer Olympics has been completed and is currently winging its way to England. The title of the pennant was taken from the beautiful metal leaf created for me by Jenny Friske- Baer of Divine Spark Designs in Arizona, USA.  Jenny is a very talented lampworker and metal artist whose work I have purchased for some time now and she was gracious in allowing me to use her work and name in this exciting project. 

When I see so many dedicated, enthusiastic athletes competing in Olympic events, I often think of their families and the love, sacrifices and unwaivering support they receive from them.  Also, I think of the countries they represent, their sponsors who have such faith in them, and whose expectations of them are high.
I wanted this pennant to be a reminder to all, that whatever country one may be representing, be it their native land or an adopted country, to remember their roots and to recognize, respect and be proud of their cultural backgrounds and family ties.  I think the majority of athletes feel this way and this is what I wished to represent through my offering.  This pennant was created by me to honour my own family history and the love and respect I have for my Mother and late Father.  As I was born in London, England and my family roots are there, it was even more of an honour for me to partcipate in this project.  Now living in London, Canada, it was fitting to send my gift from London to London:

What would a gift from Canada be without our crimson Maple Leaves front and centre?  Our more youthful Canadian flag and Britain's old faithful Union Jack are represented, along with the everloving emblems of the British bull dog and the Canadian beaver.  The beaver picture also features the Canadian Red Ensign, our former flag, which was flying on Canadian shores when my family first landed here.  The central photo is of my beautiful Mum, quite pale and wan, although bravely smiling, while still grieving for the loss of her beloved Mother, killed in the London blitz of WW11 and my loving, optimistic Dad, holding a tiny, bewildered Léonie, as they waited to disembark from the Empress of Canada decks to our new homeland.
It is with a sense of pride for my British roots and a deep love and loyalty to my Canadian citizenship, that I honour all the participants of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Beginning in early March, the pennants will travel around England to several museums, galleries and textile events where they will be displayed.  They will return to London in July and hang in various Olympic venues and then once the games are declared officially over, the pennants will be distributed to individual athletes and delegations as a lasting and meaningful souvenir of the 2012 summer games.
As more information becomes available, I will give you updates as to where the pennants are being displayed and hopefully, we will find out where  " RememberYour Roots" will finally call home.

Thank you to these two dear souls who have given me such a wonderful life filled with endless opportunities, unconditional love, encouragement and support.

 I am forever grateful.