The Idea

In 1972, Joan Le Carpentier, from Abernant in the Cynon Valley, South Wales, not long married and with a baby daughter, became interested in needlepoint tapestry and bought herself a kit depicting the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. This was a large canvas for a beginner but she made light work of it and it hangs in its picture frame, among many others, at her home to this day. It was during that time that her husband suggested an original tapestry should be created showing aspects of the Cynon Valley. He had the Bayeux Tapestry in mind as a basis for the style, with a main theme running along the centre, from left to right, and borders top and bottom showing peripheral subjects. As you read this, you can probably imagine the familiar soldiers and war-horses replaced by coal miners in various hard working poses wielding pick and shovel, loading drams with coal and leading the pit ponies along the dark workings. The top border would show pit surface buildings and winding gear with terraced houses in the background. The bottom border, other items of historic interest.

Take-off

The idea lay dormant for years and during this time Joan became a tutor at evening classes, teaching tapestry and embroidery. She also opened a sewing craft and haberdashery outlet, Aberdare Spinners, in the Aberdare Market Hall. Then one day in 1998 the "local tapestry" idea was mentioned at evening classes, at a time when the Adult Education Department was looking out for some prestigious project to represent evening classes and celebrate the approaching New Millennium. The suggestion was seized upon with enthusiasm and the project took off within days, with the blessing of everyone concerned and of many who weren't.

The highly regarded Cynon Valley History Society was invited to become involved. Thankfully the members agreed and they formed a sub-committee to work on a list of subjects to be included. In meetings held subsequently to discuss these matters, it became obvious that the difficulty was in deciding what to leave out rather than in what to include.

Brilliant lateral thinking

One example will suffice to illustrate a typical problem. A rugby game was to feature prominently, but there were at least half a dozen clubs in the valley. Which teams were to be left out? After much wringing of hands and head scratching, the History Society Chairman, Bryn Davies, solved the puzzle. There were, he pointed out, only two grammar schools in the valley, so the rugby scene would feature a game between them. This would surely not upset any adult club. Problem solved.