The Mount Felix Tapestry commemorates the moving story of the No 2. NZ General Hospital at Mount Felix, which cared for 27,000 New Zealand Soldiers, wounded at Gallipoli and later battles of WWI. The 44 panels of the tapestry were stitched by over 600 volunteer stitchers from the local community of Walton and as far away as the nurses memorial chapel in Christchurch New Zealand.
We need to raise enough money to keep the stories alive by taking the tapestry from Surrey to New Zealand. The target is 30K which will give us enough money to frame, store, trasport and manage the tour. We would like to start the tour in Walton and then travel all around New Zealand.
The stories depicted are of powerful tales of courage and love, the power of community, friendship and family. Preserved in stitch are is the story of a community taking wounded soldiers, far from home, into their hearts and homes.
As well as being inspirational, it is also a beautiful work of art designed by Andrew Crummy and stitched by an extraordinary number of people from every walk of life: ex soldiers, school children, nurses, women's institute members, even the wife of the NZ High Commissioner stitched a panel.
We would love to create more panels to be stitched in New Zealand as the tapestry tours! It all depends how much money we can raise!
The project was devised by Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre in Walton close to the site and this is where it currently hangs.
Thank you for spreading the word and supporting this inspirational project. Please see the TVNZ video to find out a bit more. or visit our website www.mountfelixtapestry.co.uk
'Walton-on-Thames - Keeping the Stories Alive'