Day 12: Kendal 1

Windermere was shrouded in mist this morning and there was what the Scots used to (and may still) call 'a wee soft' - light misty rain.

I was hoping to see the pheasant. I caught a glimpse earlier in the week but he moved too quickly for my camera.  No pheasant this morning, but there was a grey partridge below my window.

and then a group of magpies arrived to feed.
Everyone was packing, having breakfast and leaving. My taxi arrived early and I found myself in Kendal well before 11 am. Kay, my driver gave me many hints on what to see and do in Kendal.

My room at the Riverside Hotel was serviced and vacant so I moved straight in. This is the view from my window.



My main motivation in coming to Kendal was to see the Quaker Tapestries. The Museum is also worth seeing. Unfortunately it is closed today, tomorrow and Monday- the three days I am here.

As the Quaker Tapestries are not open to the public on Sunday, I thought I'd go straight there - and probably return again on Monday. The Quaker Meeting House is a five minute walk from my hotel, over the bridge and a block down the road. It takes a bit longer, of course, when you are stopping to take photos!

The tapestries (they are, of course, embroideries, not tapestries, but I can't- won't- fight common usage!). I spent about 4 hours there - talking to the knowledgable, friendly women in charge, examining the panels, listening to the audio commentary, watching videos - and having a bowl of delicious celeriac and apple soup in the cafe.

I knew very little of Quaker history.  This is a wonderful way to learn. The idea for the panels came from a Sunday School child who asked if the children could embroider stories of Quaker history rather than colouring in - and a teacher who knew a good idea when she heard it. I loved the way many of the panels include components of children's work illustrating the particular story.

Perhaps not surprisingly, my favourite panel was the one illustrating the quilt work of Elizabeth Fry, who equipped convict women for their journey, with bags of fabric pieces, needles, thread and spectacles to enable them to make a quilt to sell on arrival.











I love the movement and texture in the clothing, the facial expressions achieved with minimal stitching













the depiction of the one resulting quilt still extant (in the NLA)















the stool, and most of all, the children's work along the bottom depicting "each woman was given a bag of useful things".


There are wonderful details, like the curly hair of Judge Fell.




















I was really interested in the history of trade and Quakers - the Cadbury, Clark's Shoe, Mining, railways, wool, and worker conditions panels.

My granddaughter, Niamh, who has learnt the table of elements, might be interested in this detail.

I looked hard at the detail of the buildings - lovely depiction of lighted windows, lintels and architecture.
















Stance, faces, the fold of cloth and the tilt of a head conveys such a sense of relationship, conviction and connection.







Finally, the New Zealand panels had a wonderful sense of native flora and the connection between Maori and white settlers.

This is all linked together by the prism symbol - light shining through, splitting and unifying.


I could take no more in. I shall return for another visit on Monday and write a little of the Barrett Counterpane, the background fabric (I bought a piece) and the lettering. I managed to buy a book of the stitches -  including Quaker stitch.

Outside the sun was just beginning to leak through the clouds. I returned to the hotel and finished reading my book - Bruce Beckham's Murder at the School, set around Windermere- had dinner and am ready for sleep.

Daylight saving begins tonight. Luckily I do not have an early morning commitment so can afford a little confusion!