Tapestry will be a lasting tribute to war veterans

A vicar’s daughter has sewn a tapestry recording all the names of the fallen First World War veterans from the Horsham Roffey parish.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Nov 2014, 12:00 BST
JPCT 061114 S14470413x Foffey, All Saint's Church. Vicar's daughter has created a tapestry recording the names of 42 servicemen after the church's war memorial became eroded over time. Family - grandmother, Marie, Lucy, Father Stephen, and Lucy's brother James with tapestry -photo by Steve Cobb SUS-140711-090925001JPCT 061114 S14470413x Foffey, All Saint's Church. Vicar's daughter has created a tapestry recording the names of 42 servicemen after the church's war memorial became eroded over time. Family - grandmother, Marie, Lucy, Father Stephen, and Lucy's brother James with tapestry -photo by Steve Cobb SUS-140711-090925001
JPCT 061114 S14470413x Foffey, All Saint's Church. Vicar's daughter has created a tapestry recording the names of 42 servicemen after the church's war memorial became eroded over time. Family - grandmother, Marie, Lucy, Father Stephen, and Lucy's brother James with tapestry -photo by Steve Cobb SUS-140711-090925001

After hearing her parents talk about the eroding stone war memorial at All Saints Church, Roffey, Lucy Buckman decided to embroider each of the 42 the names into a tapestry 2.6ft squared.

It took her just three weeks in the summer to complete.

Lucy, 20, said: “My mum taught me the basics of doing tapestries when I was 13. I enjoyed it so much that I have been doing them ever since.

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“This is the biggest tapestry I have made. I have done more complicated tapestries for other people. The hardest ones I’ve done are Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ and Monet’s ‘Waterlilies’. I did it because this wasn’t just a picture; it’s about real people.”

She presented the church with her creation at last weekend’s Remembrance Sunday service.

She added: “I feel pleased and excited that it will be in the Church for many years to come. I am very happy that people like it so much.”

Father Stephen, vicar of the church said: “I am really proud of the beautiful memorial that Lucy has created for the church. It is wonderful to see her make such a striking and lasting contribution to the history of Roffey.”