History: Panel depicting the 20th Century
The Millennium Embroideries were commissioned in 1998 at the former Borough Museum by the Curator, Beverley Burford, to produce embroidered panels depicting the history of the borough from the beginning of the millennium to the year 2000.
A team of 35 women and one man volunteered to spend many hours over a number of years to create the eight panels.
Exhibition
Two of the Victorian and 20th Century embroidered panels are now on display in the Heritage Centre's Temporary Exhibition Gallery.
All eight panels are on display to the public from 12 December 2009.
The exhibition has been made possible following successful fundraising by the Friends of Greenwich Millennium Embroideries (FoGME).
The group was set up in 2007 by the embroiderers themselves in order to raise money to buy display cases for the panels.
Generous support
The support of the following individuals and groups have enabled us to acquire our first conservation display case:
- Blackheath Art Society
- Edith and Alec Calver
- Lindsey Dvis
- Len Dayal (ERA)
- Drapers Charitable Fund
- Evacuees Reunion Association (Bexley and Borders Group)
- Greenwich Council
- Peter Kent
- Peter Smith
- Evelyn Standing
- University of Greenwich
- Woolwich & District Antiquarian Society.
A generous personal contribution from renowned screenwriter Sir Antony Jay has boosted the fund and helped secure showcases to display the remaining six panels.
Sir Anthony Jay, whose credits include the legendary Bafta award-winning BBC comedies 'Yes Minister' and 'Yes Prime Minister', is the brother of the late Sally Jenkinson who drew the sketches of the people and buildings that appear on the panels.
Going back in time
The eight panels represent these periods of our local history:
• Celts and Romans
• Anglo Saxons and Vikings
• Medieval
• Tudor
• Stuart
• Georgian
• Victorian
• 20th Century.
Embroideries calendar
The FoGME have produced a calendar for 2010 featuring images of the wonderful embroideries.
The calendar is available at the Heritage Centre’s reception and costs £5 – the perfect Christmas gift!
See a location map to get to the Heritage Centre.