September 29, 2007
Remember me telling you about my McKnight/Arrowhead Regional Art Council fellowship grant trip to England last year?
That was where I worked on weaving the 14 ft. willow effigies Gog and Magog with my host, Olivia Elton Barratt, and several of our fellow members of the Basketmakers’ and Seatweavers’ Association (BA).
As you might also recall, Olivia now holds the highest position of being the first woman Prime Warden in the history of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers, which is a guild going back to the 1400s.
Olivia is not only the first woman ever to hold office she is also the first actual working basketmaker in the position for many, many years.
I just ran across this article from the September 29th edition of the Business London Times Online and thought you might enjoy reading it also.
It looks like Gog and Magog, the 14ft. tall willow effigies, made by members of the Basketmakers’ Association, will soon have their own willow barnyard friends to keep them company.
I hope to see pictures of these two new willow friends soon! Maybe the BA will have some on their website and in the newsletter.
BUSINESS LONDON TIMES ONLINE–“It is a pleasant tradition that the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers makes a present for the Lady Mayor each year.
This year’s incumbent, Lesley Stuttard, is a keen gardener and she requested two full-size wickerwork pigs for her garden.
The company made those wicker statues of the legendary giants Gog and Magog that were in the Lord Mayor’s Show last year (2006), and so the pigs were duly christened Hog and Mahog.
Visitors to the Lord Mayor’s office this week were startled to see the pigs installed in chairs there, ready to be taken home. ‘It was like something out of Animal Farm,’ says one.”
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~~Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much ~~
Happy Weaving, until next time!
