A prize-winning Tenbury knitting team assembled their skilled members once more to craft an enormous woollen exhibit for their town’s annual show.
Green Meal Knit ‘n’ Natter group are the same knitting team behind the spectacular, 20-foot Christmas tree, crafted from 1,500 individual, 15cm knitted squares for Tenbury’s St Michael's Church back in 2021. This year, the Green Meal team took to the Tenbury show for an exhibit to showcase their beautiful town and raise money for this year’s Tenbury Christmas lights.
Green Meal member Mary Jordan said the inspiration for their incredibly impressive centrepiece came from a name provided by the Tenbury Countryside show themselves: “My little town in the orchard” – a phrase fondly used by Queen Victoria to describe Tenbury.
Ms Jordan said they took the title “quite literally” and crafted a depiction of Tenbury in a tree, including a figure of Queen Victoria and the town’s pump rooms, Round Market, the Regal, fountain, museum, church and even public loos! All of the details were sewn, crocheted and knitted onto a supporting structure, built by the local Shed Group.
As with their Christmas tree, it took about three months to complete the knitted Tenbury town tree. Green Meal is made up of around 30 members, with the youngest being 8 and the oldest 90 years old. Ms Jordan said, “it’s lovely to be creative as a group,” all of which are “lovely” and “very supportive”. Among the group’s knitters are carers, people going through bereavement and people who live alone, allowing them time to have a knit and a natter.
Team Green Meal’s 2024 Tenbury Show exhibit won the first prize “shield” in the group exhibit category, marking the second Tenbury show win for the group.
Ms Jordan loved the way there was “something for everyone” at the event. Now in its 165th year, Tenbury Countryside show continues to grow, says the event’s official website.
Taking place on the first Saturday of August and run by Tenbury Agricultural Society volunteers, the show’s main ring events, children’s entertainment, vintage tractors, classic vehicles, tug of war, tractor pulling, trade stands, concessions, local ales and ciders make it “a fun day out for all” and a firm landmark of the Tenbury calendar.
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