Tamworth Castle Heritage Crafts Celebration

The second date circled on my September calendar was the Tamworth Heritage Crafts Celebration which took place on 16th Sept at Tamworth Castle.

I wasn't 100% sure what to expect when invited to join this event other than that members of the community groups involved in the making of the Mercia Flag were also going along.

When entering the castle courtyard my breath was taken away by the sight of our wonderful flag which had been hung from the walkway that runs above it. It was a spectacular setting for such a magnificent piece of art which isn't easy to display given its dimensions.

Pictured here with representatives from some of the community groups involved in the flag's creation.

The meet was held in the Castle's Great Hall which was full of a variety of community volunteers and creatives, all of whom had been part of one of the numerous heritage activities on offer throughout the year. There were those who had sculpted beautiful metal poppies with Richard Salisbury from Reforged Blacksmiths and others who had helped build a coracle from scratch with Cairn Crafts. We saw the unveiling of the beautiful mosaic made up of 64 individual tiles hand painted by members of the community and led by Emma Haywood Curzon of EHC Ceramics along with Pixies Pottery who also

provided workshops. Other community volunteers were thanked for their part in keeping the heritage of our beautiful castle alive including those who help restore the stock of costumes with Maya Howes.

It was then my turn to be called up to the front where a short video described the journey our flag had made from individual pieces, decorated by community groups to one huge Mercia emblem. There were several individuals in the audience who had worked on the project including my partner in piecing the whole thing together, Heide Goody. The thanks and flowers I received that day meant the world but also the incredible support and creativity of so many who made up this amazing flag.

The Mercia Flag will forever remain one of my proudest - and biggest achievements. The fact that it will go on to be one of Tamworth's heritage treasures makes it all the more special.