For all of you who have been enviously listening to the enthusiastic tales of marvel coming from our previous tour members, you have a new opportunity to get over to Jolly Olde England with Gail for her new 2007 Tour of the Glories of British Textiles.

The Schedule: 3 October noon pickup of travelers from Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 and at the Ibis Hotel to go to our hotel in Bicester. 4 October Day one of tour. 17 October early morning coach departure to Heathrow Airport.

An Overview

♦ We will travel to all venues by private coach.

♦ Jane Lemon, one of the world’s truly outstanding ecclesiastical embroiderers, will personally conduct us through the world-class ecclesiastical textile collections of Wells Cathedral and Bath Abbey, home to some of her own important work.

♦ Winchester Cathedral is on our tour where we will see some incredible art treasures and embroidery.

♦ We will visit the 2007 Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace where you will see Miao embroidery and costumes from Southwest China, numerous contemporary exhibitions—Jeanette Appleton, Val Campbell Harding and many more. Historical work from Turkey can be viewed.

♦ A day out to visit some Cotswold villages such as Stowe -on -the -Wold and Bourton -on- the -Water.

♦ An overnight ferry to France to view the nearly 1,000 year old Bayeux Tapestry as well as a stop at the D Day landing beaches and American Cemetery.

♦ A visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum where we will be able to look at rare and ancient embroideries and other textiles, up close, with a lecture by one the museum’s textile specialists.

♦ We will go to the D-Day museum at Portsmouth where we will be able to view the 34-panel Overlord Embroidery, commemorating the D-Day invasion of France, and inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.

♦ A further trip will take us to Hardwick Hall, the 16th Century home of Bess of Hardwick. The house is the repository of many fine embroideries, some of them are known to have been worked by Mary, Queen of Scots, and Bess.

♦ In addition to all of this, we have arranged some free time for any who wish to take a day to go to London, to meander through nearby Oxford, or to tour some of the lovely old villages in the area.

♦ Gail is still making arrangements for other venues of note, medieval embroidered bookbindings at the British Library and a talk by another textile artist.

♦ Gail and Don Harker will once again lead the tour. They made their home in England for 20 years.