The Wrexham Tailor’s Quilt, 1842–52 Elen Phillips, 2 March 2020 Wrexham Tailor’s Quilt, 1842–52 Collections Online: Patchwork Bedcover Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales is home to over two hundred examples of quilting and patchwork. This vast collection includes a wide variety of styles and techniques, ranging in date from the early 1700s to the present day. The Wrexham Tailor’s Quilt is probably one of the most well-known patchworks produced in Wales. Made by James Williams – a military master tailor from 8 College Street, Wrexham – its design is unlike any other in the Museum’s collection. The quilt’s background is a pieced composition of diamond patches, chevrons, squares and rhomboids. Biblical scenes dominate the centre – Adam naming the animals, Jonah and the Whale, Noah’s Ark with a dove bearing an olive branch, and Cain and Abel. Other figurative motifs include Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge (opened in 1826), a Chinese pagoda, and Cefn Viaduct, complete with a crossing steam train. Details are picked out through embroidery in silk thread. Meticulously pieced, James Williams made his quilt by recycling a variety of felted woollen cloths, possibly off-cuts of broadcloth from military uniforms. In total, it consists of 4,525 separate pieces of cloth, butt-joined with overcast stitches worked from the reverse. Examples of this type of inlaid (‘intarsia’) patchwork found in museum collections are usually the work of professional tailors. The technique requires a high degree of skill and the use of thick cloth that does not fray to accommodate the oversewing required. According to family history, James Williams spent a decade completing the piece, the work being done in his leisure hours between 1842 and 1852. The quilt soon became an exhibition piece; it was displayed at the Art Treasures Exhibition in Wrexham in 1876, at the Palace of Arts in Wembley in 1925, and to much public acclaim at the Wrexham National Eisteddfod of 1933. Census returns for the Wrexham area suggest that James Williams was born in 1818. His tailoring establishment appears in numerous trade directories from the 1850s onwards. He died in 1895, leaving his son to inherit the family business. Forty years after his death, the economic depression of the 1930s prompted Williams’s grandson to sell the quilt to the Museum, stating that “it has always been my wish that the quilt should be sent to [the] National Museum of Wales so as my fellow countrymen should have the opportunity to admire a work of art that today could not be done if you were to pay the most skilful craftsman £1 a minute to do”.
Weaving the Future at the National Wool Museum Ann Whittall, 26 February 2020 Wool is being heralded as the all-natural, planet friendly, renewable and biodegradable future fibre. In an age in which we must question the impact that clothing and fast fashion are having on the planet, a growing number of consumers are returning to natural fibres – not just for clothing, but also to insulate and furnish their home. Preserving traditional skills is an important part of the work of Amgueddfa Cymru, but with this growing interest in natural and sustainable fibres, as well as the upsurge in homespun fashion and textiles, what have for years been considered ‘heritage crafts’ may well become important skills for the future.Visitors to the National Wool Museum in Dre-fach Felindre already enjoy watching the master weavers of Melin Teifi, a commercial woollen mill who are tenants at the museum, weave beautiful fabrics in traditional patterns on mechanised looms. They provide visitors with a fascinating insight into the workings and processes of a working mill. But sadly, Melin Teifi is the last mill in Wales producing traditional Welsh flannel. At the height of the industry in the 20th century there were 217 mills in Wales, mainly producing Welsh blankets, flannel and tapestry cloth. There are currently 7 to 8 woollen mills operating in Wales, and there is a serious danger that these skills will not be preserved for the future, unless a concerted effort is made. That is why Amgueddfa Cymru is especially delighted to welcome three new trainee Crafters to our team at the National Wool Museum. They are James Whittall, Jay Jones and Richard Collins. They joined in December and have already begun their training in heritage craft skills. They’ve recently begun demonstrating some of their newly acquired hand craft skills to our visitors. This helps us bring the story of the wool industry and the museum’s collection alive. As they develop weaving skills over the coming months and years, they may also help us fulfil some of the increasing demand for products with provenance and develop new commercial activity for the museum.Our hope is that such activity could, in the future, support our rural economy and stimulate opportunities for our young people to realise the potential of gaining skilled work and fulfilling lives in this region, with the added benefit of supporting the maintenance and development of the Welsh language. The landscape of the woollen industry in Wales is likely to change over the coming years, and there is potential for the growth of ‘micro mills’, providing that traditional skills are retained to enable supply to Welsh designers. We are delighted to be playing our part in reclaiming these valuable skills to support the regeneration of what has historically been one of Wales’s most important industries.Richard Collins, Trainee Crafter, learning to spin on one of the museums treadle wheels.BBC Radio Wales Roy Noble Programme 01/03/2020: National Wool Museum's new Crafters (Listen from 1:12:00)
Why we collect flower data Penny Dacey, 24 February 2020 Hello Bulb Buddies,I hope that you have had a good half term. Have any of your plants flowered over the holidays? Remember to enter the date your plant flowers and the height of your plant in mm to the website. We ask for the flowering date for every single plant to be entered, these are then used to work out the average flowering date for your school.Schools that are taking part in the Edina Trust Extension Project are also asked to note whether each daffodil record they enter is from a bulb planted in the ground or in a pot.We talk a lot about the weather records you take each week, but the flower records are just as important. We are investigating how changes in the weather effect the flowering dates of spring plants. To do this we need to be able to compare flowering dates for each year the investigation has been running.The bar chart below shows the average flowering dates for spring plants in Wales since 2006. You can see from the chart that 2019 saw the earliest flowering dates since 2008. Do you think our plants will flower earlier or later this year Bulb Buddies? Average flowering dates for Wales 2006-2019 The bar chart below shows the average flowering date for each country in 2019. You can see from the chart that plants flowered earliest in Northern Ireland and latest in Scotland. Do you think we will see the same pattern this year Bulb Buddies? Average flowering dates 2019 Watch your plants closely over the next few weeks. Last year the average flowering dates for crocus was 22 February.It’s fascinating to see how your plants change over time. There are activities on the website about the life cycle of plants: https://museum.wales/spring-bulbs/Remember to share your photos with me Bulb Buddies.Professor Plant
Dre-fach Felindre and the Woollen Industry 20 February 2020 A New Way of Life The woollen mill factories produced shirts, underwear and blankets. These proved particularly popular with the workers of the south Wales coalfields. By the 1890s there were over 250 woollen factories in west Wales with 23 in Dre-fach Felindre and the surrounding area. The growth of woollen mills and factories gave birth to a new way of life. The woollen mills remained the largest employer in the area until the 1980s. “Since the inhabitants of the village of Dre-fach Felindre relied entirely on industry rather than agriculture, their outlook became much more akin to inhabitants of the industrial valleys of South Wales, with whom they had constant trading contracts, than of their agricultural neighbours” J. Geraint Jenkins, Welsh Craft: Dre-fach Felindre and the Woollen Industry (2005) Looking down to Ty-Cornel Felindre, c.1920 The village of Felindre Land of song Bands and choirs became an important part of life in Dre-fach Felindre. As the mills flourished the local population grew. Workers formed choirs and bands. Some, like the celebrated Silver Band led by Albert Evans, won many titles. Many competed in annual local and national competitions, known as Eisteddfodau. The Bargoed Teifi Mixed Choral Society was particularly successful, taking first prize at the Carmarthen National Eisteddfod in 1911. The choir received a hero’s welcome when they returned to Dre-fach Felindre. Local eisteddfodau were held in many villages throughout Wales. Dre-fach Felindre’s Eisteddfod was no small event. In 1897 the choir competition, for example, was `for choirs numbering no less than 100 voices`! Dyffryn Bargod Temperance band, 1909 Bargod Teifi Choir, 1922 Built on faith Churches and chapels were an important focus for the community. Many new chapels were built in the industrial areas of Wales to accommodate the growing population. Bethel Chapel in Dre-fach was expanded in 1840 to meet the needs of the burgeoning population. The Lewis family, owners of Cambrian Mills, were deacons in Bethel Chapel. The gas engine at Cambrian Mills provided the electricity for the Chapel! Wealthy mill owners often invested money in their places of worship. Religion was viewed by some as a means of maintaining a disciplined workforce. Social prestige was never too far away; the choice and size of some gravestones reflected a person’s standing and income. This can clearly be seen in St Barnabas graveyard. Penboyr Church Entertainment Shift patterns provided opportunities for shared leisure time. The mill workers often formed sports teams. At Dre-fach Felindre these included the Bargoed Rangers football team and a women’s football team. In 1922 the Red Dragon Hall was built in Dre-fach Felindre. Similar to the Workingmen’s Institutes of the South Wales valleys, it provided a focus for the village’s social life. The hall was used for dances, plays, concerts, billiards and card games. Johnny Lewis of Cambrian Mills donated £8,000 to building a new Red Dragon hall in 1964. The land on which the local park, Parc Puw , is now situated was also donated to the people of Dre-fach Felindre by Johnny Lewis. Bargod Rangers First League Champions after the Second World War Drefach Felindre hockey team, 1930-31 Carnival queen, c.1950s Shops and local business Dre-fach Felindre became a bustling village with a variety of outlets to meet the needs of the growing population. At one time the village had three pubs, a shoe shop, butter making business, blacksmith, a tailor’s shop and a general stores. These businesses were in many ways dependent upon the success of the woollen industry. The decline of the woollen mills after the First World War left many unemployed and forced some families to leave the area in search of work. John Jones Cabinet Maker, Gwalia House, Felindre, 1916 William Hindes, Felindre, 1920 Strikes and social unrest The 1880s saw the growth of unions with calls to improve working conditions. Factory workers in Dre-fach Felindre organised a strike in 1889 over poor pay. The strike lasted for seventeen weeks. After the strike the Carmarthen Journal, a local newspaper, suggested ways of developing better working relationships between owner and worker. The Journal encouraged the mill owners to invest in their workers’ education and support the building of a reading room. In 1890 a Reading Room was completed. 520 men and women weavers, from the parishes of Llangeler and Penboyr, formed a Labour Union in 1900. Dyffryn Woollen Mill staff, c.1890 Handloom and spinning, c.1870 Conflict The uniforms of the soldiers were made of flannel during the First World War. The factory mills at Dre-fach Felindre worked twenty four hours a day to keep up with the orders for flannel from the War Office. This new demand brought back prosperity to the area. During the Second World War American soldiers were stationed at Dre-fach Felindre. Some disused factories were used as barracks. The American GIs are remembered fondly by the community for giving gifts of chocolate to local children. A prisoner of war camp was established in nearby Henllan for Italian prisoners. They were sent to work in the local community. They turned one of the camp huts into a chapel and used dyes from the woollen mills to paint frescos on the walls. First World War soldiers from the parish Home Guard, Felindre, 1940-45 Mrs Nesta Morgan, 1912- 2003 Nesta Morgan worked at Cambrian Mills between 1927 and 1965. Nesta’s father was Mr John Davies, the first manager of Cambrian Mills. They lived next door to the mill at Clungwyn. He worked at Cambrian Mills for 58 years. Following his retirement he still helped out in the mill until he died just before his 100th birthday. When Cambrian Mills burnt down in 1919, Nesta was on holiday with her parents in Llanwrtyd Wells. It happened to be her 7th birthday. She remembers her parents receiving a telegram and their upset on hearing the news. When they returned to Dre-fach Felindre the apples on the apple tree in their garden had cooked in the heat of the fire. When Nesta worked at the mill there were around 80 people working there. She worked in the sewing room and carried out mostly piecework. By the age of 18 she was sewing aprons and belts and then spent 10 years in the cutting room and was put in charge of the sewing room. Nesta remembers annual day trips from Cambrian Mills for the employees. They travelled by bus to places such as Builth Wells, Llandrindod Wells and Neath. They had lunch out and these were happy occasions. Nesta Morgan and sewing room staff Cambrian Mills
Farewell to Dippy Ben Halford, 18 February 2020 Sadly, Dippy has now left National Museum Cardiff and continued on his tour to Rochdale. But he won't be forgotten! This video, made by Dippy volunteer Ben, says farewell to the super sauropod, and acknowledges the importance of the volunteers in making the exhibition such a success! Music credit : Cherry Blossom by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3496-cherry-blossom/License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/If you missed it, check out our other volunteer-made Dippy video!
