St Albans Cathedral Textile Guild Celebrates Contribution to National Exhibition The St Albans Cathedral Textile Guild is celebrating its contribution to Circle of Life, a remarkable national embroidery project bringing together faith, history, craftsmanship and remembrance. Created by the Worshipful Company of Upholders to mark the 400th anniversary of its Royal Charter, the exhibition centres on a stunning circular artwork measuring more than 2.3 metres in diameter. Designed by iconographer Aidan Hart and created using the ancient embroidery technique Opus Anglicanum, the project brought together the Royal School of Needlework, Fine Cell Work and embroidery teams from just twelve English cathedrals. We were delighted to be among those twelve cathedrals invited to contribute. Our Textile Guild created two embroidered panels for the project. One commemorates Lieutenant Commander Malcolm Wanklyn VC and HMS Upholder, one of the most successful British submarines of the Second World War. The second is a striking depiction of St Albans Cathedral, worked in gold on a rich blue background, representing our cathedral within this unique national collaboration. The beautiful outline of the west end in delicate gold thread. An illustration depicting Lt Commander Wanklyn VC and HMS Upholder. Used as the basis for the second panel contribution from our textile guild. The exhibition was officially unveiled on 9 July, with members of the Guild invited to London for the opening celebrations, including a gala dinner and the opportunity to see the completed artwork alongside fellow contributors from across the country. It was a well-deserved chance to celebrate a project years in the making and enjoy seeing their work take its place within this extraordinary national display. While visitors to the exhibition will admire these beautiful pieces, the project also highlights the dedication of our Textile Guild, whose work is usually carried out quietly behind the scenes. Throughout the year, members devote their time and expertise to caring for vestments, repairing and maintaining copes, and preserving the textiles that support the Cathedral's worship and life. Circle of Life has provided a wonderful opportunity for this talented and humble team to showcase their skills on a national stage. We are enormously grateful for the countless hours they invested in the project and for their continuing service to the Cathedral. Their contribution is a fitting reminder that traditional craftsmanship remains a living part of cathedral life today — and a chance to celebrate the talented people who spend so much of their time keeping the copes coping and the Cathedral looking its very best. The Circle of Life Artwork will be on display at 101 Gallery, The Salvation Army International HQ,1 01 Queen Victoria Street, EC4V 4EH from Friday 10 July to Friday 24 July (8am – 4pm Monday to Friday) Manage Cookie Preferences