TOC - H Branch Banner Exhibition

[Sepoy]

Thanks to having a wife who is interested in the various techniques used in needlework, we attended a small, but interesting, exhibition of TOC-H Banners being held at the National Needlework Archive at the Old Chapel Textile Centre, Greenham Common near Newbury, Berkshire.

The exhibition consists of about 30 Branch Banners, dating from 1919, which conform to similar designs, with the Branch name and an ornate badge centre on a black background.

The Banner centres show off the skill of the embroiderer, as well as employing other techniques such as stump work, French knots and even paint. Although not on display, two of the Banners, for Northampton branches, were manufactured in leather with painted crests.

Banners displayed include two large impressive examples - the Ceylon Branch banner bearing a head on view of an Asian Elephant, and the Indian and Burma Branch banner bearing a large Star of India crest.

Other TOC – H Branch banners on display include those for the Abadan, Iraq Branch and the South Australia Branch.

This current exhibition runs until Thursday  3rd October, 2019, but it will be on display again next March 2020 at the NEC Birmingham.

Although photography was not permitted, the National Needlework Archive were good enough to provide me with the attached photograph under the following condition
“Please do not use the picture for more than one usage as agreed, and not for commercial purposes of any kind. Its use on the internet should be restricted to closed groups only.”
Accordingly, please do not re-use this photograph.

Details of the Exhibition and also of the current activities of TOC-H can be found at the following links
https://www.nationalneedleworkarchive.org.uk/exhibitions-old-chapel-textile-centre.html

https://www.toch-uk.org.uk/

Sepoy

NB There is a modest entrance fee of £4.00 per person.

[seaJane]

My mum would have been interested in that - all our family holidays in the 60s were to Broadstairs, she having briefly been evacuated there during 1940.