First conceived in 1995 'The Embroidery' has entered its penultimate, and in many ways, most important year. Starting as an idea shared by only two people it has grown into a mature project directly involving over 150 and able to attract over 600 visitors to last November's work in progress exhibition. To a great extent it therefore seems to have fulfilled one of its original hopes that it should become a community project embracing everyone who lives in Lower Sunbury.

The organizing committee are constantly amazed at the level of enthusiasm and support the embroidery attracts. They hope that this Newsletter will maintain that interest by recording last years progress and announcing proposals for this and the Millennium year.

Once again the embroidery is indebted to LOSRA volunteers who have delivered our previous newsletters and exhibition 'flyers' and who have undertaken to do so once again.

The original programme aimed to have all the individual items of embroidery completed by the end of 1998. This needed to be the case if the process of making up could take place this year. Happily the 140 embroiderers' responded to the challenge and almost all the pieces of work were returned to Pam Judd, the chief embroiderer, by the December deadline.

The standards reached by the embroiderers is staggering and everyone who has seen the finished items has been amazed by their intricacy, startling colours and beautiful detail. Together they now illustrate all our local churches, many of the historically important houses, local scenes, public houses and a wide selection of our wild life. With so many items completed and so many embroiderers involved it is impossible, and possibly unfair, to mention any particular person or piece of work, but during this year ample opportunities will be arranged for everyone to see the various items and appreciate the quality and the skill brought to their making.

Being asked to talk to the school children gave the embroidery committee great pleasure as it had always been hoped that all the local schools would somehow be involved. Happily such involvement was ensured when all the schools agreed to tent stitch their insignias as part of the logo panels. We were also delighted by a request from Springfield Primary School for two copies of the drawing of the centre panel (one half size and one full size) for them to use as part of their local history project. We look forward to presenting these to the school in mid-March.

The high point of last year was the November work in progress exhibition at St Mary's Church Hall. St Mary's have been most supportive of the project from its very beginning and we are extremely grateful for their help. Over 600 people managed to visit despite the weather and generously supported the project with voluntary donations, purchases of embroidery cards and paying for teas and coffees.

Following the event many requests for a further exhibition were received and these could not be ignored. We have therefore responded by arranging a further exhibition at St Mary's Church Hall on Saturday 27th March between 10am and 5pm.

Last September we repeated the special garden party held to enable embroiderers to get together and discuss their work and generally enjoy themselves. The appalling weather probably reduced the numbers able to attend but in typically British fashion those able to come stood in the rain to eat cake and drink tea. We hope to hold the event again in the autumn by which time all the panels will be well on their way to completion and be available for inspection by those who have given generously with their time and skill on the project.

At the beginning of 1998 it was decided that a new drawing of the village should be drawn on stable film. Once done this made impressive display material and also allowed the 'Sponsor A Square' scheme to be accurately dealt with. Throughout the year additional items of display were prepared and new small stands constructed. All this was carried out by Robert Shaw as head of exhibitions and display.

The events during the year also provided further video footage for the archive.

The large frame for the centre panel was made up at the start of 1999 and many thanks to Alistair Garratt for his help with the mortices!

The financial support received in 1998 amply proved, if proof were needed, the depth of local enthusiasm for the project. Earlier newsletters explained that we hoped to raise approximately £17000 over the duration of the project to pay for materials, finance the exhibition materials, pay for postage, fund the archive videoing and create a fund for the embroidery's future care and maintenance. General sponsorship, individual donations, the 'Sponsor A Square' scheme, sale of cards and other contributions have helped ensure that we remained financially on target at the end of last year. At the close of 1998 £12,222.91 had been raised. £5000 has therefore been placed on deposit for the embroidery's future care and maintenance, whilst £6166.34 had been spent to meet costs. This leaves a little over £1000 to fund the first few months of this year. The accounts are now being audited, once again we are grateful to Sheila Passey for acting as auditor.

During this year both the 9' 00" long central panel and the eight 2' 00" wide side panels will receive the individual embroidery items. The process requires each item to be cut very precisely from the cloth on which it has been created and given a strengthening layer of backing material. It is then ready to be sewn onto the final canvas which is stretched across the appropriate size frame. The frame for the middle panel is 12 feet long and 4 feet wide and therefore requires a large space in which everything can be laid out at full length.

To meet this need two rooms have been made available in 'Riverbank', Thames Street, and will be known as either 'The Making up Room' or 'The Embroidery Workshop'. It will be formally opened during a small private ceremony on 20th March by the TV and Radio personality Russell Grant who has been asked in view of his great interest in Middlesex and its villages.

The room will be overseen by the chief embroiderer and a small group of experienced embroiderers. 

At the end of 1998 it was felt that it might no longer be possible to give talks or exhibit the work. However with the assistance of photographer and local resident Vic Kettle we have been able to have all the individual items of work digitally photographed by 20/20 Image of Pinner. This provides us with a video and computer facility and slide material for exhibition purposes. It has also been realized that as the making up process progressively applies items of embroidery then many will still be available for display until later in the year. This being the case if there is further demand for talks on the embroidery we will do our best to respond. Please email Robert Shaw (Exhibitions & Display).

Incidentally Vic Kettle has been carrying out his own personal millennium project photographing the less well noticed parts of Sunbury as well as the more familiar ones. He hopes to mount an exhibition of his photographs, 'Portrait of a Village', during 2000.

•Corporate or Individual Sponsorship: The embroidery is happy to accept both corporate & individual contributions.

•The Embroidery Workshop: arrange a visit and buy some cards.