Monday 22^nd March 2004 proved to be a historic day for our workshop when the 10,000^th visitor came to see the embroidery. This milestone was marked by the presentation of a bottle of champagne to the lucky person, Joyce Doggwiler from Ashford. This memento of the occasion was donated by our ‘Keeper of Statistics’ Tim Walters, who points out that as he compiles the records from the visitors’ books, which not every visitor signs, the real total must be considerably higher. And if account is also taken of people who have seen the embroidery at our various exhibitions and outings we can say that many more have had the opportunity to enjoy the skilled work created by over 140 local residents.

Recording attendances is very important, as it allows this information to be used when we appeal to Trusts and businesses for helping to fund our new Centre. In recent months Tim has extended his statistical work by preparing a series of maps illustrating where our visitors come from. Whilst understandably reflecting the local origin of our visitors, the national map shows that people come from all parts of the UK, and the world map shows visitors hale from all over Europe and all parts of the globe.

In mid-March Spelthorne’s Mayor Gerry Ceaser was present at a reception attended by The Queen, and he was presented along with other guests. In the few moments available he was able to greet Her Majesty by saying that we had the pleasure of welcoming her to Sunbury, to which she immediately responded… "Oh yes, the Walled Garden, and the Embroidery. Have you got your building yet ?"… He, like us, was amazed that she should remember the occasion two years ago, particularly as she must have visited many other places since. It’s good to know Sunbury is remembered!

During last year the designer of the embroidery John Stamp conceived a way of allowing those members of our community who are visually impaired to experience the embroidery. He worked with Alan Gifford who runs the local music appreciation group called The Listeners, who subsequently brought some of the members to the workshop to get their opinions of the proposals and to allow them to examine the first of a series of sculpted reliefs depicting elements of the embroidery. It was intended that these would eventually be supported by spoken descriptions of the various panels. These first items were well received and many more have been sculpted since which eventually will be incorporated in the display in the new building. These latest reliefs will be on display in an exhibition of the Embroidery at the Riverhouse Barn in Walton on Thames from 11^th to 23^rd May (see later item).

In just over five years, 10015 visitors from 40 countries have been to the Workshop and signed the visitors’ book. Another 3012 have signed in when we have shown the Embroidery at other venues. Not surprisingly, most of the visitors to the Embroidery Workshop are from the UK - 9188 from 992 different places. This map shows where they have come from. From Sunbury we have received 1710 visitors.

Over 800 visitors have come from overseas. 219 of these are from Europe, with the largest group coming from Essen in Germany.

The United States has provided the most visitors from any single country with 165 coming from 29 of the 50 States. Canada is in third spot with 115 visitors, the biggest contingent coming from Vancouver. From South America we have had callers from Santiago in Chile and Buenos Aires.

Australia and New Zealand have brought us 146 and 50 visitors respectively and provided possibly the remotest visitors which are surely the family from Lord Howe Island – 400 miles off the coast of Australia, with a population of only 401.

Our most northerly visitors came from Bjästa in Sweden; the most Southerly from Dunedin in New Zealand; the most westerly from Honolulu, and the most easterly from Opotiki in New Zealand again – they get everywhere.

The workshop continues to be open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10a.m. and 4p.m., and in February we celebrated our fifth anniversary with an Open Day which allowed us to welcome old and new friends and refresh them with coffee and tea. It was a most enjoyable event. In addition to ensuring a warm welcome for visitors to the workshop, our Senior Embroiderers continue to give talks to all manner of groups in all manner of places. They describe how the embroidery was created and what is intended for its future. Without their support in the workshop and their giving many talks the project could not continue to exist. We are very grateful for all the hard work they put in. Last year they gave over 30 talks with slides and many more are planned for this year, and dates are already being booked by groups for 2005.

During our Open Day we asked visitors whether they thought the foundation of a Friends organisation was a good idea. This was warmly received and we are actively resolving the final details in order to launch a Friends group very soon. In addition to giving the project general support we hope that it will allow people to show their interest in the future of the embroidery and the new Centre when it is completed. Hopefully the Friends will wish to help in fundraising, support our events, and possibly promote events of their own. If a newsletter can be published to keep members up to date, this would help establish the Friends, and when the Centre is up and running they will be able to mount private views of exhibitions and ideally attract guest speakers for special talks. If you think you might be interested in becoming a member of the Friends, or possibly even being on its committee, we would be pleased to hear from you, and if you are visiting the workshop we have forms available there on which you can register your interest.

We have recently received two fund raising boosts - from SE Arts a generous grant of £30,000, and from the Brett Environment Trust Ltd a further grant of £10,000 towards the proposed Embroidery Centre in the Walled Garden. We are grateful to both these organisations for this valuable funding. It means that we have now raised over 82% of the £325,000 estimated cost of the new building, and if we can raise the shortfall within the next three months we will be on site later this year.

Progress is well advanced towards seeking tenders for the proposed building. We intend obtaining building regulations approval shortly and are currently preparing all the documentation necessary to allow us to obtain tenders for the building works.

We continue to approach corporate organisations and Trusts, sell our merchandise and hold regular fund-raising events, and are grateful for the continued support of our local community.

Our community has been wonderfully supportive and largely responsible for helping us reach our present funding total. In making our many approaches to firms and Trusts it seems that so many bodies believe that because we are administered by the County of Surrey we must be immensely wealthy – but we are NOT St. George’s Hill or Guildford, which makes it all the more remarkable that our own community has been so generous in supporting us as well as the worthy fund-raising efforts of St. Marys Church and the Riverside Arts Centre. Please continue to support us by attending our events, joining the Friends once it is up and running and visiting the workshop. Any donations you feel able to make will help us towards achieving our building and also if you are a tax payer you are able to complete a Gift Aid form. We are able to claim back from the Inland Revenue an additional 28% of your donation, which is a great help.

In October of last year we were delighted to receive £1000 from The Mercers’ Company. Established in 1394, the Mercers’ Company is the premier Livery Company of the City of London. Appropriately, the Mercers' were traditionally involved in the trading of woollen materials, and the importing of luxury fabrics such as silk, linen and other fine cloth.

We plan to run or support many fundraising and other events during 2004 and tickets for all of them can be booked through the Box Office in the workshop. When the workshop is closed telephone bookings can be made on 01932 788101, and provided a return number is left your call will be answered when the workshop is open. It would help us enormously if we could receive payment before the events actually take place, as from past experience this would avoid any confusion on the day.

‘Soul ‘N Blues’ at Kempton Park - Friday 23^rd April. We will be repeating last year’s enormously successful evening at Kempton Park. Our Events Organiser Gerry Cook will again lead the band and everyone will be able to enjoy an evening’s dancing.

Orchard Meadow Village Fair - Bank Holiday Monday 3^rd May. After last year’s very successful, (but bitterly cold) day this event is to be repeated, and hopefully the weather will be kinder. We will have a stand and will endeavour to contribute to the ‘Wild West’ theme adopted by Laurie Maskell, who is once again organising the event.

Exhibition of the Embroidery at The Riverhouse Barn, Walton – 11^th to 23^rd May. The Barn at Walton has invited us to exhibit the embroidery for a few days and we have accepted, as it may help our fundraising and give us the opportunity to reach a wider audience. Luckily we are able to transport the embroidery safely as we now have five protective covers for the panels. The exhibition will also allow us to display John Stamp’s new sculpted reliefs which should add greatly to the overall impact. Anyone who would like to visit the exhibition can reach The Riverside Barn by turning left after Walton Bridge, bear left again into Manor Road and you will find it on the left hand side just after The Swan PH, and you can park behind the building.

Open Gardens Day on Sunday 20^th June. Following the success of last year’s Open Gardens Day we are repeating the event, and once again the day is being organised by Malcolm Hill who is arranging for a new group of gardens to be opened. We will have tickets for sale before the event together with a map so that you can plan your route well in advance. Hopefully this will become a regular annual village day, and become as established in the calendar as is the Regatta in August which we will once again attend.

Picnic in the Walled Garden – Saturday 4^th September. Last September’s Picnic in the Park promoted by the Mayor with the kind permission of our Local Authority was a great success. Happily we have received permission to repeat the event this year. The Linden Orchestra will once again provide the music. Tickets will be available during August, and everyone will be encouraged to bring their picnics and seats etc., to enjoy the splendid Walled Garden atmosphere. Last year some who attended came complete with tables, table cloths and even candelabras ! Kevin Knight has again kindly agreed to set up the stage, and Ian Dow and his Youth Theatre Technical Team have agreed to provide the spectacular lighting. Please come, but book early as there is a limit to the number of people who can be safely accommodated.

Monksbridge Open Garden Day – Sunday 12^th September. Alan and Della Pascoe have invited us to hold our third garden party at Monksbridge in September and we are grateful to them for supporting us in this way yet again. There will be stalls, teas and hopefully boat trips, so please come along and support what is usually a lovely occasion.

Throughout the year we will be holding regular fundraising events, and all will be publicised well in advance. These are very important to our fundraising strategy and help considerably towards achieving our Walled Garden Centre.

MELDA PEMBERTON. It is with great regret that we have to report the death of one of our staunchest supporters, Melda Pemberton. She was an inspiration to all who met her. She had suffered from multiple sclerosis for over 22 years and had been confined to her wheelchair for a long time. However this did not prevent her from enthusiastically embracing the idea of the creation of the embroidery, to which she contributed her considerable skills. She attended many of our events, and with her husband Leo allowed us to include their garden in last year’s Garden Day. Whenever you met her at one of our events her radiant smile encouraged us to put aside our own worries and carry on more actively with the project. We will miss her warm and happy personality, and send our sympathy to Leo. A memorial service was held at St. Mary’s Church on Thursday 25^th March 2004.