Post 20: First day in Bristol

As I was having breakfast this morning a school excursion was assembling outside the hotel. It was a contrast with excursions in Adelaide.. The students all had coats and hoods, but were seemingly undeterred by the misty rain. I guess they would never go anywhere if they let it stop them.

At about 10.30 I set off for the Museum and Art Gallery in a taxi. The driver wanted to know if it was the one in Clifton - a question I couldn't answer.  As it happens, it was.

The Museum is a fine building. In the foyer is  a reproduction Bristol Boxkite, which featured in the film ‘Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines’. It's almost a perfect place to display it. It hangs free above you from ground but from the balcony on the first floor you can look straight at it.

I made my way straight to the African Textiles Exhibition. It is in a relatively small gallery space, but beautifully displayed.  It is a treasure trove.

There are commemorative banners, like this one from Gambia, or the left one, made in Malawi in the 70s-80s celebrating President Banda.




The exhibition combines some old historic pieces in the museum collection with contemporary designer pieces.

Not all of it is stitched. This old piece is both stitched and fringed with what amounts to hand made tassels.

Kuba cloth from Ghana.

This remarkable masquerade costume was  used by the Igbo people and worn by young men representing the spirits of young women that had died. 



It is mostly appliqued

This  embroidered tunic was made by the Bamendar Tikar people of Cameroon between 1960 and 1980.



























These contemporary designer dresses are often used for weddings or special occasions.

























as, presumably, was this boy's lurex tunic, embroidered in the front.


And there are piles of wax print fabric

The black and bone tunic is part of a corduroy trouser set and the kaftan-like garment is embroidered down the front.



It was a wonderful treasure house. It is of special interest as the World Embroidery Group of the Embroiderers; Guild of SA is studying African embroidery this year. There was, unfortunately, no printed publication from the Exhibition but the shop was selling John Gillow's African Textiles : Colour and Creativity Across a Continent.



I did not want to loose the high I had from the African textiles, but I did walk through the Sea Dragons Exhibition, to gaze at the fossils and models of giant extinct sea creatures -Ichthyosaurs and Plesiosaurs.

The Museum was full of people - any number of school groups. Like the group outside my hotel this morning, they arrived togged up in coats and hats, but the Museum provides teachers with racks on which the class can hang their outer gear to emerge in uniform!

On the way back to the hotel I passed this interesting piece of art.










I spent much of the afternoon stitching the delphinium on Hill Top. I could not find the remains of the metal purl so improvised with the remainder of the guttering gimp! If the purl turns up I can always replace.

My room has a comfortable embroidering chair that I can move close to a good desk lamp. Late in the afternoon I went to the bar, and sat under the skylight. A youngish man at the bar came over as I was packing up and asked to see what I was doing. His daughter, Arabella, has just bought a sewing machine and he is trying to interest her in textiles and sewing. I suggested she look up Jenny's website!

As I write this, the cathedral bells are ringing a peal.
I am pleased with my day. I needed some stitching time this afternoon after being on the move yesterday. I now have only the tripod and new shoots to go. Not sure yet if I will tackle that tonight.

Tomorrow I hope to walk to the Cathedral before meeting cousins for lunch.

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