100 Hearts for 100 Years

A lovely exhibition has opened in the South Transept of Ely Cathedral, where I usually sit for school services.
100 hearts for 100 years is part of the commemorations of the centenary of the end of World War One. It is organised by the Armed Forces Charity SSAFA and has been at several other cathedral venues before this. It will be around for the month of February which, with the link to St. Valentine's Day, is perhaps the best month of the year to be hosting it at the cathedral. Worth popping in if you're in Ely.

Pincushions were made by wounded soldiers to send home to their loved ones. Known as 'Sweethearts' these moving momentos, made with love, proved to be excellent therapy for troops recovering from the horrors that they had experienced. Using a modern interpretation of the theme, the Armed Forces charity, SSAFA Wiltshire, have created one hundred hearts, one for each year since the Great War, which are on display in this exhibition.

Images: Alan Parkinson