top of page
Search

LONGEST YARN II



Another brilliant exhibition arrives at Peterborough Cathedral on Wednesday June 3 when the Longest Yarn II: Britain at War display begins its run through until June 27.


There was an extraordinary response to last year’s exhibition, The Longest Yarn, which we thought was just incredible – in this sequel every panel captures an episode of national memory.


It’s a powerful and deeply human retelling of the Second World War through handcrafted knitting and crochet.



The exhibition brings together 80 intricately created panels of ‘wool art’, each one metre in length. Together they tell the story of life in Britain from the declaration of war on 3rd September 1939 through to VE Day on 8th May 1945, not only the battles fought, but the lives lived at home.


The detail is just incredible and you’ll see moments that shaped a generation: the King’s Speech, the Blitz, evacuation, D-Day, the bombing of cities, rationing, the Home Guard, the Women’s Land Army and the quiet resilience of communities across the country.


This time there’s the addition of The Gang, eight life-size figures representing the people whose courage sustained Britain during the war, from a Land girl to a Spitfire pilot.



The Very Reverend Chris Dalliston, Dean of Peterborough said - “The amazing popularity of The Longest Yarn was a testimony to the creativity and skill of the many extraordinary people involved in its creation, as well as the ways in which it honoured those men and women whose service and sacrifice in time of war it commemorated. We so look forward to welcoming The Longest Yarn II: Britain at War and the many visitors who I’m sure will find encouragement and renewed inspiration from this exhibition.”



Visitors from across the region and beyond are expected to come and experience the exhibition while also discovering everything the Cathedral and the city have to offer.


There may be some queuing at busy periods so booking in advance is strongly recommended to help minimise waiting times.



You can also enjoy the 'Poppy Drops' hung from the Upper Levels, each panel has been lovingly created by local groups. Every flower within the cascade carries meaning:

·        Red poppies for remembrance.

·        Blue cornflowers for France.

·        White carnations and marguerites for Belgium and the Netherlands.

·        Allied flags woven throughout for all the nations who stood together.

·        Purple poppies for the animals of war.

·        Yellow poppies for the Canary Girls who worked in the munitions factories.

·        Forget-me-nots remembering the ordinary German people caught in the tragedy of war.


Comments

bottom of page