Alderney Bayeux Tapestry to be exhibited in Bayeux Tapestry Museum

Alderney | News

Alderney's Bayeux Tapestry - 'The Finalé' -  is to be exhibited from 1st July 2014 - mid September 2014 at the Bayeux Museum, French home of the medieval original.  The three metre long work forms the missing final section of the Bayeux original.  It took over a year to sew and depicts the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings, including the coronation of William the Conqueror in London on Christmas Day 1066. It's a little known fact that the Bayeux Tapestry's 58 scenes run out before William's coronation and most experts now believe that a piece between 8-10 feet depicting the coronation, would have been included in the original work. Creating the missing chapters was the brain child of Alderney librarian Kate Russell, Alderney artist Pauline Black and retired teacher Robin Whicker.  The Alderney Bayeux Tapestry became a huge community project with over 400 Alderney residents and visitors contributing to the project. At Bayeux Museum, it will take centre stage in a section given over to displays of different media.  It will be accompanied by photographs and panels explaining the background and community story of the project in French and English. As Kate Russell says "This is brilliant publicity not just for our tapestry, but also for Alderney.  To our knowledge, it is the first time an independently created finalé to the famous original has been accepted to be exhibited in the same museum.  We are immensely proud and honoured." Among those who put stitches into the Alderney tapestry were Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, during their Diamond Jubilee visit to the island.