Have you seen the new Bishop’s Stortford mural? It’s brightening up the walkway between Jackson Square shopping centre and South Street – next to the side entrance to Marks and Spencer.
Each of the seven panels represents a period in the town’s history, from the beginning of time up to 1990. The mural – which has overhead lighting – is a copy of an embroidery housed at South Mill Arts Centre. It’s a joint project between the BID, Bishop’s Stortford Town Council and Marks and Spencer, supported by the government’s Welcome Back Fund.
The Bishop’s Stortford Mural was created in 1990, and was the idea of Leila Riddell, a graduate in design and founder of the Bishop’s Stortford Embroiderer’s Guild, who found, when she moved to Bishop’s Stortford, a wealth of historic and interesting buildings.
The then Mayor, Sally Howard Smith, agreed to sponsor the project and the work began. Some 142 embroiderers took four years to complete the work. They all had local connections and many had a personal interest in the buildings they worked on. The embroiderers included members of the Embroiderers Guild, the Townswomen’s Guild, members of church groups in Bishop’s Stortford and Little Hallingbury, local school children and many other needle workers.
Each of the seven mural panels depicts a period in the history of the town from the Ice Age up to 1990. They show the predominant buildings and architectural details, modes of transport, trees and some of the local personalities. It is made from fine crewel wool on canvas with its texture created by the many different stitches used.
