It has been a hectic two days down at Tilery; lanterns have been finished off and papered at quite a rate.
There are now some mighty creatures at home in Portrack Lane. The carp is finally ready, with paper outlines on its fins and orange cellophane-tinted lights. Its makers have been debating the finer points of design and lighting as the days have gone by… This morning, there was a tired cry of
Next year we’ll go for something simple…
Swiftly followed by acknowledgement that that won’t happen.
There has been a purposeful, collaborative atmosphere in the workshop for the last couple of days. It has been so full that at times we have had to ask folk to return the following day.
At one point, we had a Stegasaurus in the tea room. We have school staff seconded to help us this week, including Mrs Robinson, who was one of the parents/staff that Mr Repton brought to visit Southwick Lanterns over five years ago and who said
We’ve got to have this at Tilery!
The Tilery Team is a big one – artists, school staff, pupils and their families – and we all roll along together, getting things done. Today’s tasks included Years 5 and 6 covering their large lanterns and helping younger children get theirs finished; a host of parents and families finishing their creations; covering the Star of Remembrance and affixing the messages that have been collected.
Appropriately enough, Mrs Robinson, a Yr 6 girl and I worked on the latter at the end of the day, when the workshop was quieter than it had been all day. We gently glued the messages on, one by one, carefully and respectfully reading them as we went. Some anonymous, some generic, some poignantly specific. This lantern will be carefully sited in the yard – it won’t be taken on the parade but will stand sentinel until we return.