Ely City Women’s Institute members have been out in force to decorate Ely in honour of Her Majesty, The Queen becoming the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.
The planning, preparation and work behind the scenes has been in the making since 2021 and members have been busing crocheting, making pom poms, creating bunting and constructing foam flower decorations to name but a few. What better way than to make their mark in Ely, paying homage to the WI’s most prestigious member; than to decorate many of the public spaces?
One member commented that they are “absolutely over the moon with the effort and hard work that our ladies have given to this project”. Declaring that it is “our best yet and will have such a great impact on the community who will be joining in with many of the celebrations taking place in Ely over the Jubilee Weekend”.
Sessions House and Palace Green in Ely are just a few of the locations that have been ‘craft-bombed’ in red, white and blue. One member commented that “Her Majesty is very special; she has dedicated the whole of her life to this country, and this is our way of saying that we appreciate what she has done over the past 70 years”.
In-keeping with the Platinum theme, Members have been on ‘sparkling form’ fashioning the craft pieces either as individual projects or in small groups. “To be able to do something in our wider community is fantastic and to honour the monarch who is the longest still-serving sovereign in the world; even better!”.
One of the most eye-catching pieces is the wonderful Union Jack Flag displayed outside Sessions House in Lynn Road. This particular work of art took a whopping five months and comprises of over 650 individually knitted flowers. Creator, President Sheila Willson gathered donated wool and fabric to bring her design to life and says that “it has been a real labour of love. I have lost count of the number of stitches and late nights, but I am so pleased in how it has come together and how it looks, exactly as I had imagined”.
Many of our members are seasoned celebrators of all things Jubilee! Having lived in or around the local area they will have been a part of the community marking the occasions in 1977, 2002 and 2012 for the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of The Queen. However, this festivity brings with it refreshed hope, joy and happiness and will be a powerful symbol of celebration for so many.
The Jubilee Craft Bomb will be on display until 17th June and you can view them at the Old Courthouse, the Market Square, Palace Green and Jubilee Gardens. Why not see just how creative Ely City WI are?
If this inspires you, then perhaps you would like to get involved?
You can visit our website: https://wielycity.wixsite.com/home or find us on Facebook just search Ely City WI). You can also email us at elycitywi@yahoo.com
Press release from Ely City WI
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