An 80-metre community-crafted textile installation depicting life in wartime Britain will go on display at Lichfield Cathedral next month.
The Longest Yarn 2: Britain at War has been touring the country and will land at the iconic destination on 1 May, running until 31 May.
Created by makers across the world, the textile exhibition explores life in Britain from 3 September 1939 to VE Day on 8 May 1945 and captures the everyday experiences, challenges and resilience of people on the Home Front.
Knitted and crocheted scenes range from rationing and evacuation to the Blitz, wartime headlines and the jubilation of peace.
The exhibition also includes a life-sized “Army of Duty Calls” figures, honouring those who served both and home and on the front line.
Philippa Hubbard, Public Programme Coordinator at Lichfield Cathedral said: “We are honoured to host The Longest Yarn 2: Britain at War and to welcome such a significant national artwork into our Cathedral.
“The exhibition brings history to life in a way that is both moving and accessible, demonstrating the power of creativity and community in telling shared stories.”
The exhibition follows the success of a debut project called The Longest Day, created to mark the 80th anniversary of D‑Day and viewed by more than 250,000 visitors across the UK, Ireland, and the United States.
Founder Tansy Forster explained the background to The Longest Yarn 2: “This exhibition builds on the success of our first one, which focussed on D-Day. Given the response from the public, we couldn’t wait to create a second exhibition – so this time we’re delighted to tell the story of “Britain at War”, which depicts Britain during wartime, and features memories and stories gathered by our volunteer knitters.
“We’re very much looking forward to coming to Lichfield Cathedral, which we’re sure will be one of the highlights of the tour.”
The Longest Yarn 2 will be available to explore during Lichfield Cathedral’s opening hours. Entry is free, with donations welcome. Click here for more information.
The exhibition has previously been on display at Stoke Minster and Great Wood Community Hall, in Tean.
Other notable upcoming stops in its tour this year include Peterborough Cathedral and historic sea fort attraction Nothe Fort in Weymouth.
