L is for The Longest Yarn - The Build-up

I managed to get to the D-Day exhibition yesterday afternoon before work, it was its last day showing at the Garrison Church, here in Aldershot, and it is now off to climes anew, I will post all the current, planned dates at the end of the final post. I had only been told about it the previous evening, and as wool has been in the tag-list for a while now, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to add to that!

 

It is - as hopefully you will see - the most extraordinary thing, at the same time, fun, entertaining and educational, yet also; poignant and very moving, and tells the story of 6th June 1944, in wool. I took 200-odd photo's and rather than add my own commentary, thought I'd let the pictures speak for themselves, but don't think by seeing these, you don't have to see the actual exhibition, it is well worth the time, there is so much to see and take in, and little details hidden everywhere, which are often lost in the flat images here.

 

The work has been done entirely by - I believe - French volunteers, and the exhibition is moving to Stoke Minister, Stoke-on-Trent where it will open to the public on the 21st of November 2020, all being well, if you are in the area, check your local press for details.

 

There is a book available from the website (https://www.thelongestyarn.com/home), explaining the panels and history of the work, that long-day 80-years ago, and the making of the panels, the book is also one of the main fund-raisers, for the moving and stageing of the exhibition, which is entirely self-funded, although also supported by corporate sponsors and volunteers.

Wherever you manage to see it, the exhibition is entirely free, and you don't need to book, just turn up and prepare to queue, the queue was not as great as I had feared, giving it was the last day to see it locally, and I was through in less than an hour, but an hour well spent; Loyal Readers - The Longest Yarn:

 

 

At which point some 195,700-287,000 sailors, nearly 8,000 glider-borne & paratroops, around 156,000 ground-troops, 8,000 RAF & 15,000 (?) USAAF personnel, and countless civilians, from at least 15 countries, in or supporting 7,000 ships, 178,000 vehicles and over 11,000 aircraft, stiffened their war-wearied shoulders and turned, like a dragon of vengence, toward Normandy.