NEIGHBOURS have come together to share memories of their town through a hand-made tapestry.
When artist Jane Greer suggested a community tapestry – sewn by people living around and using the building in The Greenway, Uxbridge, Mrs Brydges thought it was perfect.
“Jane has spent a lot of time pounding the streets around the centre to engage with local people and ask them to complete a square to combine into one large piece which would hang in the Uxbridge Centre,” she said.
Around 40 people have so far sewn, stitched and embroidered a patch to be added to the tapestry and an exhibition of the completed squares held on Sunday showed off the neighbours’ handiwork.
“People say they have met people who live just down the road who they had never spoken to before just through getting involved in the project,” said Mrs Brydges.
“It was all down to Jane getting the first people to join in and create a square, but since then it has been neighbours talking to neighbours about it and getting them involved.
“We also had people come along on Sunday and ask: ‘Is there still time to add a square, we’d like to get involved.’”
The idea has proved so popular that when the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Allan Kauffman, heard about the tapestry he suggested it be hung in the civic centre.
Mrs Brydges said: “It has a lot of the history of Uxbridge in it and the mayor thought it could be something that would be good to hang there and be enjoyed by more people.”
David Varley, chairman of The Greenway Conservation Area, made a number of historical images available for people to use as inspiration for their embroidered squares.
“He knows a lot about the local architecture and landmarks. It has been a great way of building links,” Mrs Brydges said.
“This is only the first stage; the next stage will be to sew all the squares together to become one piece.”
