CROWDS gathered in Calne today to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Joseph Priestley's discovery of oxygen while living in Calne and working at Bowood.
A special new peal of bells rang out from St Mary's Church at 10am, marking the beginning of a day of celebration in the town.
The Calne Town Crier Competition drew a fair crowd of spectators on Beach Terrace as Criers came from far and wide to battle it out for the prizes. The competition featured a special Priestley 'cry'.
But the main focus of the day was the official unveiling of the Priestley Community Quilt which has been made by over 100 Calne residents.
Back in January, the project team invited residents to make a patch for the quilt , they created packs with instructions and ready cut squares which could be collected from the library and taken home to work on. Once all the squares were completed it was down to the team to put the finishing touches to the piece.
Today, the co-ordinator of the quilt, Sue Peskett, welcomed everyone gathered at library for the unveiling after months of hard work by the team consisting of Sue, Fran, Lindsay, Ann, Lissa and Deirdre (represented by her husband Richard who also designed and constructed the support frame of the quilt).
Notable attendees included Lord Kerry, who stepped in for Lady Lansdowne to unveil the quilt, Mayor Jon Fisher, Paul Hill, who embodied Joseph Priestley for the day as well as being the person to suggest a community quilt, and Nick Baxter, another bringing Priestley back to life for the celebrations. Direct descendants of the "Discoverer of Oxygen" were also in attendance alongside special visitors from the Joseph Priestley House in Pennsylvania.
Sue praised the participants from Calne and Calne Without involved in the project, whose ages span from 11 to 91 saying, "We have been enchanted with your 'square' stories and in awe of your talent and creativity."
She went on to highlight what the quilt has brought to Calne besides a tribute to Priestley, remarking upon the 'community spirit and friendships made since February', strengthened by coming together to work on the 'commemorative piece of art which has become a tangible symbol of Calne's identity as a 'Town of Discovery'.'
The civic pride brought to the town by the community project was reiterated by Mayor Jon Fisher who then passed over to Lord Kerry for the unveiling itself and cutting of a special cake which depicted the quilt.
We spoke with members of the library team, Claire Dow and Library Manager Joannah Smith who, when asked about the quilt and the role of Calne Library in Priestley 250 said, "We are really pleased to support the community by providing a space to meet for the quilters, collecting the finished squares and holding sewing events. It has been nice to work with John [Boaler] and Sue [Peskett] on the project and it's an honour to launch it in the library space as the hub of the local community. These are the things a library should be supporting, providing a place for people to meet and try something new."
The quilt will be available for the public to view throughout summer in the library.
Priestley Day celebrations moved swiftly to Phelps Parade with the hanging of the Priestley 250 banner by the Rise Trust youth group, overlooked by a recent addition to the town - two new commemorative murals can be seen in the town centre to serve as a reminder of Calne and Priestley's role in the Age of Enlightenment.
The day ended with a guided walk 'In the Footsteps of Joseph Priestley', conducted by historian Nick Baxter, one of two people bringing Dr Priestley back to life for his discovery anniversary.
Then it was over to the Piggy Bank to sample the specially brewed ale - Hidden Oxygen - with which the Stealth Brewery are celebrating the Priestley anniversary. Mayor Jon Fisher had pulled the first pint, and local historian, Nick Baxter, in role as Joseph Priestley, tasted it.
Events will continue across July through to October; an exhibition of Priestley's time in Calne as well as an exhibition of young people's art and writing following their learning in school about Priestley (aided by activity packs provided by the event), mobile science shows, talks and lectures and OXYGENFEST - a day of family activities in the Pocket Park.
With funding secured by John Boaler from Arts Council England, the Royal Society of Chemistry and Calne Town Council, there is sure to be something for everyone to learn and remember the role of Calne in the discovery of oxygen.
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