Northumbrian Association

A NEW CONTEMPORARY BANNER TO HONOUR

ST. CUTHBERT, NORTHUMBRIA’S PATRON SAINT

● St. Cuthbert’s banner, under which the people of the North East rallied and fought for centuries, was destroyed following the Reformation.

● Now, in line with Durham’s bid for City of Vision and in a region famous for their banners and the unity they create, the Northumbrian Association is working to replace the original with a processional banner for Durham Cathedral.

● As described in the Durham Rites, it will be a most sumptuous ecclesiastical artefact (4’ x 3’) worked in gold and green threads on red and ivory velvet with silver sackrings, carried on a pole trimmed with silver filials. The whole has been designed, as can be seen on the left, and will be created entirely by Northern craftsmen and women.

● It will then be dedicated and used in the Cathedral at the discretion of the Dean and Chapter and, when not in use, housed in the Treasury for public viewing with a narrative about the process of its creation.

● For centuries to come therefore, this new banner will represent a rallying cry to the North East community to unite, as of old, to honour their Patron Saint and their region.
A ‘blog’ detailing the working of the embroidery can be seen on our web-site www.northumbrianassociation.co.uk or at http://rutholearytextileart.blogspot.com/.

UPDATE ON PROGRESS OF

THE NEW SAINT CUTHBERT’S BANNER

In 2008, Chris Kilkenny, Northumbrian Association’s Historian, mooted the idea for a contemporary banner. Initial research quickly confirmed that this would be a major project and Marion Bridgewood, Vice Chair to The Northumbrian Association, was elected as Project Manager.

The Dean, The Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove, and Chapter of Durham encouraged the initiative, advised when necessary and offered a home for the completed banner.

THE DESIGN

The Rites of Durham gave the basic size and colours of the banner but left two points open to conjecture;

1. The nature of the central cross: a St Cuthbert’s cross was chosen.

2. The nature of the background flowers: Northumbrian wild flowers were chosen.

Fiona Raeside Elliott of Northumbria University, produced over 30 different designs for the whole banner. The Dean and Chapter and the Bannerfolk agreed on the final design.

Ruth O’Leary, past Chair of the Embroiderers’ Guild, Newcastle was recruited as embroiderer.

Caroline Rendell, an Historical Textiles Conservator, was recruited to oversee the integrity of the materials used and source these.

THE ACCOUTREMENTS.

The Rites mention a silver cross and three silver bells. Les Howe, Silversmith, who had already produced work for the Cathedral, and the Northumbrian Association’s Hotspur Award, a solid silver spur, joined the team to make these.

Trevor Duncan was brought in to design a pole; and Ian and Andrew Corrigan, the harness.

Throughout the process, interim meetings are being held by the banner team over such things as how to suspend the banner from the pole, and with the Chapter of Durham as to the final position of the Banner in the Cathedral and its dedication.

BANNER DESCRIPTION The banner will be double sided in red velvet. In the centre of this will be a white velvet square edged with ‘lozenge’ braid in gold and red, with a central red St Cuthbert’s cross appliquéd, and enhanced with sequins and outlined in gold thread. The base will be indented and fringed, a silver bell hanging from each of the three points. The front face of the banner will be sumptuously embroidered with the wayside flowers of Northumbria’s coast and waysides, including geum, avens, ferns, bracken, cowslip, digitalis, St. John's wort, Pearlwort and Sandwort. For insight into the fastidious embroidery of the banner, logon to Ruth O’leary’s blog of her progress: rutholearytextileart.blogspot.com

The banner will be mounted for processions on a turned wooden pole approximately 4 metres in length, topped with a solid silver St Cuthbert’s cross, 6 inches high. The bearer of the banner will wear a white leather and horn carrying harness.

THE COST

It was quickly apparent that the top quality materials of velvets with gold threads, plus silver ornaments, plus the labour costs of skilled craftsmen would make this a costly artefact. This was felt to be appropriate as the Banner is to be placed in the Cathedral alongside other treasures and should last for centuries. The cathedral already holds the oldest extant English embroidery found in Cuthbert’s coffin which is older than the Bayeux tapestry.

A total cost of £35,000 was projected. A profusion of ideas for fund raising were put forward and it was decided to launch the official appeal at the Northumbrian Association’s Annual Dinner at the House of Commons in June 2010. Our Honorary President, the appropriately named John Cuthbert, on that occasion stunned those present by offering the whole amount. We were overjoyed, work could begin.

THE DEDICATION

It has been agreed that the dedication will take place on St Cuthbert’s day, March 20^th. 2011. At the end of the Northumbrian Association’s annual Cuddy’s Corse walk from Chester-le-Street to Durham, the banner will be unfurled for the first time in the Market Place in Durham City and carried aloft (weather permitting) by the walkers to the Cathedral to be welcomed by the Dean. Later, in the evening, there will be an service in the Cathedral to dedicate the banner.

Since St Cuthbert was most definitely a man of the people, the general public will be welcome, indeed ENCOURAGED to join in this event. Advance notice of arrangements will be given.

THE BOOK OF THE BANNER

Marion, Chris and Chairman John are working with the Calligraphy department of Sunderland University to produce a handcrafted, vellum book in which to record, for posterity, information about the banner, its creators and its sponsors. - another costly element. We have already some donations from generous individuals towards this, all of whom will be acknowledged in the Book of the Banner. However, because it demands the highest quality of materials and expert calligraphy and illustration, further donations will be welcomed. It is intended that the book will be on display alongside the banner in the Cathedral.

THE EDUCATION PACK

The final piece in the Banner jigsaw will be an Education pack designed to galvanise the interest of children and adults in finding out about the Banner, its history and future.

We already have several universities and individuals who’ve volunteered to help with the content, the graphics and animation of such a pack and, yet again, we will be trying to raise funds towards its production. Its target audience will be across the age range from children to adults, and with many different elements to explore, will have a huge level of ‘interest appeal. More news on this as it progresses.

FUNDING APPEAL

Anyone interested in making donations to support either the creation of the Book of the Banner or the Education pack could send a cheque, payable to The Northumbrian Association to:

Judith Robson,

Treasurer,

The Northumbrian Association,

9 Haydon,

Fatfield,

Washington,

Tyne and Wear,

NE38 9PF.

Please state clearly your name and address and for which particular element your donation should be earmarked. All donations will be clearly acknowledged by letter on receipt and, long term, in the finished products.

Marion Bridgewood, Banner Project Manager 7^th Nov 2010