W.I. Tapestry/Sampler

  • W.I. Tapestry
  • W.I. Tapestry
Archive Notes:

W.I. Tapestry (also referred to as Mrs. May’s sampler?) hanging in the Merry Bells.

The centre text reads:

“Wheatley – that most bullbaitingest and cockfightingest of villages – as its inhabitants describe it.” This quote appears in the Oxford Mail, May 1975.

According to W.I. minutes the tapestry was already being made in December 1971. It was shown to the public at a W.I. coffee morning in May 1973. It is thought to have been submitted to a county exhibition/competition entitled ‘Tomorrow’s Heirlooms’ in Spring 1974. Mrs May was congratulated on being awarded a ‘Silver Star’with the judges comment "...& the whole makes a splendid co-operative entry". It is thought it may later have been part of a national exhibition/competition in the Spring of 1975.  The W.I. was given permission to display the tapestry in the Merry Bells in January 1975, originally in the coffee room and later in the main hall.

The 38 names embroidered around the edge are thought to have been involved in its creation or members of the W.I. at the time.

Top: Tull, Knight, Green, Audley-Miller, Hodge, Kerr, Course, Berry, Sheldon, Shrimpton.

Left side: Panting s, (2 members named Panting?) Robinson, Spittal, Powell, Badcock, Thomas, Griswold, Hargreave,

Base: White, Clark, Tabor, Hassall, Wheeler, Arthur, Crick, Oake, McGowan, Underwood.

Right side: Coles, Evans, Trinder, May, Godley, Fletcher, Woodward, Barrett, Harris

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