The Sunbury Millennium Embroidery is programmed to be complete for installation in St Mary’s Church on Midsummer’s Day 2000 AD.

Since the inaugural exhibition in February of this year much embroidery has been completed, display material created, funds sought and found, and the project taken out into the community whenever an invitation was received or an opportunity created.

The project was conceived as one that would appeal to many Sunbury people, drawing them into it so that it belonged to the community as a whole. This objective continues to be central and it is hoped that this Newsletter, intended as an annual publication, will help ensure that the achievements and future plans are as widely broadcast as possible.

The inaugural exhibition in February was a splendid success. More than 250 people attended, and largely as a result many embroiderers were recruited, with work starting soon afterwards. (All the embroiderers who are contributing to the work are recorded later in the Newsletter).

The embroidery is in two parts - firstly the main panel which depict important buildings, the river and wildlife in the central part, with events in eight side panels - and secondly, the smaller panels which carry hassock patterns alternating with symbols representing Sunbury related organisations. The former is mainly carried out in fine needlework with some applique, whereas the smaller panels are all tent stitched onto canvas.

By the end of 1997 it is hoped that almost all the hassock patterns and the symbols will be finished and ready for making up into complete panels.

Many of the houses and other buildings planned for the central part of the main panel have been started, and some finished, as have many of the embroidered animals, birds, flowers and fishes. The side panels illustrating events and places have also been started. The work is of a very high order and it has been most exciting to see pieces coming forward and to appreciate both the quality and the vibrant and colourful effects of the silks.

It is not intended to bring all the individual items of embroidery together until 1999. It is believed that the process of so doing will take at least a year, as not only the mechanics of attaching individual pieces but also the method of hanging have to be resolved and the resulting construction executed.

In March Pam Judd and John Stamp recorded an item for Thames FM describing the project, and this was duly broadcast on the 27th of the month. In June the project was taken to the LOSRA AGM at the request of Paul Watts their Chairman (who also helps administer this project), and in August to the Sunbury Regatta. In October some of the work was exhibited at the Riverside Arts Centre as part of the local History Society’s annual event. It was again exhibited at the Arts Centre in support of the Arts Centre’s Craft Fair. Other presentations have been made to Rotary, the Lions, and the 4th Sunbury Guides.

Though Pam Judd, the Chief Embroiderer, spends much of her time keeping in touch with all the embroiderers, they very rarely see each other or come together as a group. In order to allow them to meet, to show each other their work and discuss technique, a Garden Party was held in September which was graced by the Mayor and several Councillors. Help was given by the 4th Sunbury Guides, and our local police helped with traffic. It was a great success and everybody found the opportunity to exchange ideas most helpful.

All these events have taken the project to different sections of Sunbury’s population, but it is surprising to find that many people are still not aware of its existence. Please mention it to your friends. The exhibits have been vastly assisted by the display system, designed and constructed by Robert Shaw and David Brown, which is capable of being easily transported and erected. If you belong to a local organisation or firm and would like to have a presentation, we would be delighted to attend, and in doing so hopefully reach people who have not yet heard of the embroidery. 

Administering the project, providing literature, printing patterns, providing materials, creating display information, as well as the inevitable postage, all cost money. These costs will continue in varying degrees in subsequent years, but to them will be added the hanging system and the endowment of a Trust which will be formed to care for and maintain the embroidery in the future. In addition there is the creation of the archive of the project, its recording on video, and a book intended to document the process and the many things not otherwise covered. All these will need financial support.

It has been estimated that the overall cost will exceed £15,000 which we hope to raise at the rate of £5,000 for each of the years 1997 to 1999. So far this year we have managed to raise over £4,000 from individual and corporate sponsorship.

Next year we hope to produce a new sponsorship scheme which will enable individuals to sponsor a small area of the embroidery for a modest contribution. In the meantime if you would like to support the project with a large or small donation or in any other way, please email Gerry Cook (PR & Publicity)

During 1998 the embroidery work will continue in readiness for the making up in 1999. The video record of the project will continue - Paul Rutherford has already shot over 3 hours of material - and hopefully the written support document will be started. The project will be displayed as part of the Spelthorne Festival, and again at Sunbury Regatta in the Summer and we will have another Work in Progress Exhibition in November. In addition we hope to be asked to present it to other local organisations as well as taking it to the London Irish Rugby Club and Kempton Park Racecourse. We will also hold another Garden Party Event to bring together all the embroiderers etc.

The embroidery by its nature focuses on Sunbury and its environs, but the human borders of towns are not quite as fixed as the architecture and the landmarks. There are a number of other Sunburys worldwide and we felt we ought to contact these, and in the event that there is an historical link between the two communities record this in some way in the embroidery - ideally a small piece of work done by embroiderers in the other Sunbury and sewn onto the panels.

The local History Society have kindly made available to us archive material relating to some of the other Sunburys and this strongly suggests some local connection in their early history. We know, for instance, that Richard Penn, the brother of William Penn the founder of Pennsylvania, at one time lived in Batavia House (now demolished) situated near the present Batavia Road, and that he spent time in America in the late 17th century.

John Williams has very generously taken an outline of the project to Sunbury in Georgia USA (a former port and now an historic site) and we are also making contact with other Sunburys in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, and in the state of Victoria, Australia.

An application was prepared and made to the Charity Commission for the Sunbury Embroidery to become a registered charity. Initial enquiries to the Charity Commission were positive, but having formally considered the matter they felt that the creation of an embroidery would not be considered charitable - although they did say that the project fell into something of grey area and that the definition of what does and does not constitute a charity is not well defined. They urged us to make further representation if we felt they had misunderstood our position and we are present engaged in this.

Administering the project takes a great deal of volunteered time and there are some specific things we would like some help with.

• Do you have a van, and are you occasionally willing to help transport the display material? These normally need to be moved on Saturdays or during the evenings.

• Could you audit our simple account books once a year?