Latest news with #BritainatWar
Powys County Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Wool art exhibition celebrating VE Day unveiled in Wales
A wool art exhibition celebrating VE Day was unveiled for the first time in Llanelwedd last weekend. The Britain at War exhibition – The Longest Yarn 2 – was displayed at Wonderwool Wales, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, held at the Royal Welsh Showground. The exhibition consisted of nine panels at its launch, but will grow to 80 as extra panels are added during a tour of the UK over the coming months. The first nine panels include VE Day, Buckingham Palace, The Lorry on the Strand, The Street Party, The Conga at The Ritz with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, War is Declared, Coventry Cathedral is Bombed, Windows Taped up, The Few – Spitfire pilots with their dogs, and Lumber Jills. Founder Tansy Forster and her fellow knitters and crocheters are creating a new installation following the success of The Longest Yarn – an 80-metre, 3D wool art depiction of the D-Day landings in France on June 6, 1944 – which toured the UK last year and is now touring America. More than 1,000 knitters and crocheters from around the world contributed to the first project, which grew from Tansy's original idea of creating a display for a garden wall at her home in Normandy. Event director Chrissie Menzies said: "We were thrilled that Tansy and her group of fellow knitters produced the fantastic VE Day exhibition to be premiered at Wonderwool Wales. "The exhibition attracted huge interest and so many positive comments over the weekend and I am certain it will meet with the same response as it tours the UK." The Britain at War exhibition will be at Wells Cathedral until May 10, before moving to Gosport from May 12 to June 4, Plymouth from June 5 to 29, a venue to be confirmed from June 30 to July 21, Brecon from July 22 to 31, and Chiltern Open Air Museum from August 1 to 31. By September 3, at Southwell Minster, all 80 panels will be on display. The exhibition then moves to Stoke on Trent Minster in October, Sherborne Abbey in November and Leek in December. In 2026, the tour continues to Kilkeel, Northern Ireland in January, Enniskillen in February, Penrith in March, Belfast in April, Lichfield Cathedral in May, Peterborough Cathedral in June, Nothe Fort in Weymouth in July, Gosport in August, Welshpool in September, Wrexham in October and Chorley in November. Ms Forster, said: "Due to the positive reception and success we have experienced with the Longest Yarn, we are excited to further develop our initiatives to ensure these significant commemorations continue to be recognised. "Britain at War examines how Britain navigated the war from September 3, 1939 to VE Day on May 8, 1945. "Visitors to Wonderwool Wales were the first to see the start of 80-panel work we are currently working on. "When I first had my lightbulb moment, I really had no idea that it would lead to this incredible rollercoaster that I've been on for almost two years. "250,000 people have visited the first exhibition and raised the same in monetary terms." She explained that she hopes to double the £250,000 raised so far to help establish a halfway house for British veterans, while also supporting dog charities that assist people with disabilities and medical conditions. Ms Forster is also hopeful that The Longest Yarn will raise enough money in the USA to establish a halfway house for American veterans.
Business News Wales
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business News Wales
Wonderwool Wales Marks One of Its Most Successful Years with Record Footfall
Wonderwool Wales 2025 has been declared one of the best ever, with an expected record-breaking attendance. A huge crowd resulted in many exhibitors having to re-stock ready for Sunday, as most customers were on a mission to buy a wide range of wool-related products at the 19th annual event, held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells. The consensus was that the show was a record-breaker, boosted by a bigger than usual Sunday attendance. Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director, said: 'We were delighted with this year's show in terms of both the attendance and the business transacted by exhibitors. 'We received so much positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors which is a tribute to the whole team involved in delivering this annual event, which is probably the largest of its type in the UK and possibly Europe.' One of the stars of the weekend was a special installation to mark this year's 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which is being created by a group of knitters in France and across the world. Wonderwool Wales 2025 was chosen to lunch the 'Britain at War' exhibition, which will now tour the UK for the next 19 months. The exhibition was launched with nine panels but will grow to 80 by September 3 as it tours six other venues. The VE Day project has been organised by Tansy Forster from Normandy and her fellow knitters who also created The Longest Yarn installation for D-Day. More than 1,000 knitters from across the world contributed to that project. Wonderwool Wales had a truly international flavour, as Kimberly Perkins from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts, Colorado, jetted in to showcase her hand dyed, multi-textured, yarn bundles and knitting and crochet patterns. Sheep Walk fashion shows, Woolschool Workshops, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some of the exhibitors all proved popular with visitors. Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process involving wool. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings. Helen Hickman, owner of Nellie and Eve, Llanwrda, which creates plant dyed yarns from sustainably sourced Welsh and British wool, was delighted with the business she secured at the show. 'It's such a lovely, well organised show that gets better every year,' she said. 'The standard and quality of exhibitors is very high. A lot of customers were there for the weekend and many said they were amazed by how much can be done with wool.' Phia Ingham, a fashion designer from family business Window of Woolly Wonders, Bangor, said: 'We absolutely love the show because there is something for everybody and the people here are so friendly.' First time exhibitor Kery Moyle from Ginger Pink Yarns, Frome, said: 'It's like no other yarn show I have been to. I didn't know what to expect but can't believe how big it is. It's fabulous.' Another new exhibitor was Yarn Food, launched by Oliver and Helene Lucas in Buckfastleigh two months ago, after two years of development. They make a specialist yarn crafter's detergent to clean and preserve yarn fibres. 'We want to gain awareness of Yarn Food, so Wonderwool Wales is a great place for us to do that,' said Oliver. 'The response has been brilliant.'
Powys County Times
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Wonderwool Wales in Builth Wells one of the best ever
Builth Wells played host to the 19th annual Wonderwool Wales festival, which has been declared one of the best ever. The event, which took place last weekend, saw a record-breaking attendance as people from all over the country flocked to the Royal Welsh Showground. A large crowd on Saturday led to many exhibitors having to restock for Sunday, as customers were eager to purchase a wide range of wool-related products. Organisers were still finalising the figures from the event later this week, but the general view was that the show had broken records, helped by higher than usual attendance on the Sunday. Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director, said: "We were delighted with this year's show in terms of both the attendance and the business transacted by exhibitors. "We received so much positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors, which is a tribute to the whole team involved in delivering this annual event, which is probably the largest of its type in the UK and possibly Europe." A special installation marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day was one of the highlights of the weekend. The 'Britain at War' exhibition, created by a group of knitters in France and across the world, was launched at Wonderwool Wales 2025 and will now tour the UK for the next 19 months. The exhibition opened with nine panels but will expand to 80 by Tuesday, September 3 as it visits six additional venues. The VE Day project has been organised by Tansy Forster from Normandy and her fellow knitters, who also created The Longest Yarn installation for D-Day. More than 1,000 knitters from around the world took part in that project. Wonderwool Wales had an international feel, with Kimberly Perkins from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts in Colorado flying in to showcase her hand-dyed, multi-textured yarn bundles, along with knitting and crochet patterns. Sheep Walk fashion shows, Woolschool workshops, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions run by some of the exhibitors all attracted strong interest from visitors. Wonderwool Wales showcases every stage of the creative process involving wool, from raw fibre to finished product. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand-dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes, and books can be found alongside finished textile art, craft, clothing, and home furnishings. Helen Hickman, owner of Nellie and Eve, Llanwrda, said: "It's such a lovely, well-organised show that gets better every year. "The standard and quality of exhibitors is very high. "A lot of customers were there for the weekend and many said they were amazed by how much can be done with wool." Phia Ingham, a fashion designer from the family business Window of Woolly Wonders, Bangor, said: "We absolutely love the show because there is something for everybody and the people here are so friendly." First-time exhibitor Kery Moyle from Ginger Pink Yarns, Frome, said: "It's like no other yarn show I have been to. "I didn't know what to expect but can't believe how big it is.
