Joy as WI tapestry is finally installed in its new home

The 8ft by 4ft piece of artwork is now on show in the foyer at the Jubilee Community Centre off Chalcraft Lane thanks to Bersted Parish Council.

It was unveiled in a simple ceremony by the council's chairman, Cllr Brian Knight, and June Moran, the vice-chairman of the West Sussex association of WIs.

Cllr Knight said: 'On behalf of the parish council, we are very pleased to put this here and give it a permanent home.'

Mrs Moran commented that the parish council's gesture had ensured the tapestry would continue to be seen by members of the public.

'An enormous amount of work has gone into the tapestry and the social history which is featured on it is amazing,' she said.

WI members from nine institutes in the South Rife group who helped to create the needlework were present at last Thursday'sunveiling.

Among them was Margaret Westlake, the chairman of the South Rife group of WIs, when the tapestry was being created.

'It's nice to see the tapestry back on display,' she said. 'It would have been a shame to have it stuck away.'

North Bersted Village WI member Sheila Roberton, who sewed images of two children playing outside Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital on to the tapestry, said: 'We are so pleased that the tapestry is somewhere where people can see it.

'I remember there was quite a bit of excitement when we were making the tapestry. We were so thrilled to be doing it.'

The tapestry was made between 1979 and 1981 after being requested by an Arun District Council member to celebrate the opening of the Regis Centre. It was handed over to the council in November 1981 to be displayed in the centre. It was placed on a foyer wall in tribute to the women's hard work.

Everyone who entered the centre could see the 33 instantly recognisable sights which had been recreated by the nimble fingers of the women. Buildings captured for posterity included the promenade bandstand, the Regis Centre and Hotham Park House.

The tapestry's position was moved as the centre was redecorated. The last redecoration saw it taken down and replaced by modern art.

WI members who visited the centre noticed its absence. Four months of detective work followed before they traced the tapestry to Bognor Regis Museum.

Its volunteers, faced with too little space to display the tapestry, had rolled it up for storage after they removed its perspex covering and frame.

Arun indicated it was willing to give up ownership of the tapestry to pave the way for a new home to be found for it. The council also paid 150 for the reframing.

The tapestry's latest location is the meeting place of North Bersted WI. The unveiling co-incided with the institute's 38th birthday party.

As well as North Bersted, the other WIs who contributed to the tapestry were Aldwick, Felpham Way, Felpham Village, North Bersted, Nyetimber, Pagham, Pagham Mill and Rose Green.