Wells WI April 2021 meeting report

Things are beginning to happen at last, with members meeting for outdoor coffee, and optimistically booking tickets for The Great Gatsby in the Bishop's Palace garden in July.

The book and gardening groups have been busy; the photography group have been sharing images of Things In Threes, and the discussion group will be exploring Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility in any format: book or film(s).

Volunteers at Wells foodbank were pleased with the Easter donation which included home-made food and chocolate eggs alongside other treats.

We tentatively discussed the possibility of a celebration tea one Saturday afternoon in August and agreed this would be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with friends who prefer not to join Zoom meetings.

We talked about this year's subscriptions and confirmed that half of our £44 goes to National and County WI, leaving Wells WI just under £22 from each member per year to cover all costs.

Despite the shortfall in income caused by subscription collection being deferred until April, Wells WI has managed to put on a packed programme of speakers and classes throughout lockdown.

We have been more fortunate than some other WIs and thanks are due to our treasurer Barbara for her excellent financial management.

Our speaker was Chris Jenkins, Wells Cathedral head guide, who told us about the Quire embroideries.

Normally only able to show the tapestries to three or four people at a time, he said our group Zoom was a perfect opportunity to examine photographs in detail.

The embroidery project was started in the early 20th century and continued for decades, involving 107 women – and men – making individual panels, undeterred by wartime wool shortages.

Chris showed us stitching detail, how different coloured threads were combined to suggest shading, and how cleverly people had crafted three dimensional objects like olives and jewels.

He explained the symbolism in the banners behind the senior clergy's seats. The Dean's is a special shape and features ornate stonework.

That of the Precentor (responsible for music and worship) includes King David's harp, angels playing bells, choristers and musical notes; while that of the Chancellor, responsible for learning, shows the animals associated with the four writers of the gospels.

The Treasurer's shows the precious silver vessels and the Archdeacon's the arms of Wells, and the seal of King John. Chris pointed out examples of St Andrew's cross, St Peter's keys and St Paul's sword.

Other banners commemorate historical Bishops. Bishop Kidder's shows angels blowing winds from each corner as he was killed when a storm brought down the palace chimney in 1703.

Bishop Peter Mews' banner has cannons and pikes as he was involved in the 1685 Battle of Sedgemoor.

Literal symbols were sometimes used on Bishops' tombs for the benefit of the illiterate, so the hares and wells on Bishop Harewell's tomb are echoed in his banner. Bishop Beckington's name is spelled out with the flames of a beacon and a tun (barrel).

Bishop Bubwith became Treasurer of England, so his banner has a purse drawn up with strings. It is said that Bishop Beadon wore a cope made from his wife's pink silk ball gown, so his banner has a mitre of pink silk.

Bishop Kennion was from Australia, so his banner features the southern stars and a kangaroo. We finished with some photos of the altar frontals and vestments that were made in 2000 to commemorate the millennium, with Chris pointing out the tiny penguin stitched into the Trinity frontal – the favourite animal of the donors who funded it.

We were amazed at how much we had learned and look forward to impressing visitors with our new knowledge.

New women are always welcome – see our Facebook page for more information visit https://www.facebook.com/Wellssomersetwi/.

By Veronica Howe