Community Spirit Panel

This panel represents The Leeds Festival, instigated by Arthur France and originating in Chapeltown. The colorful procession winds down the road with fireworks in the distance and on either side of the road are many and varied community groups looking on.

Collecting images was probably more time consuming than on any of the other panels. Unlike the Civic Pride panel the people here are real and even when groups had expressed interest in being represented (over 1,000 community groups were approached by letter), there was then the lengthy process of getting suitable photographs of their members at events.

Jan Wells, free-lance photographer and video maker, worked with many individuals and groups to produce images of themselves authentically. Martin Banks and Paul Wilkinson were also hired to attend and record other community events. Other photographs were given by the groups themselves or by volunteers already with the Tapestry.

Community Spirit - Louise Read

In the early 1990s Louise took up the challenge set by Leeds City Council to undertake a project on the theme of making the most of retirement. After a lifetime of making clothes for her five children she staged three fashion shows with garments made by herself, with a bias towards clothing for the larger woman of the older generation. A farmer's daughter from Jamaica, Louise was one of 20 children, and came to England in 1955, followed one by one by her children who she has single-handedly put through college or university.

One of her greatest delights was being interviewed by Richard Whiteley after one of her fashion shows.

Photograph taken by Jan Wells.

Sheila Exley was awarded 2nd prize in Arts & Crafts section of North Seacroft Garden show in 2000 for this embroidery, hand stitched on printed fabric (20 hours to complete).