Click here to open a larger photo of the tapestry in a separate window.

With the 50th anniversary of the twinning looming, the Committee of the Ely-Ribe Association were anxious to ensure that the event was to be marked by a lasting reminder of this special link with Denmark and Danish people.

In May 2004, the idea was put forward by City Councillor Richard Hobbs that we should commission a special piece of public art from Denmark, to go on permanent display somewhere in Ely. Having seen much of her work on visits to Ribe, it was a straightforward decision to offer a commission to Mona Lise Martinussen - to weave a tapestry illustrating the features of the two towns that regular visitors would recognise. Our hope is that this work will also inspire more Ely people to visit our beautiful twin town and experience its delights for themselves.

The 2 years that followed saw a great deal of hard work - to establish the basis and the funding for the project, to find a permanent home for it in Ely, and of course to agree the design. Both weaver and designer visited Ely in September 2004 and over the months that followed, members of our Association were involved in development of the design and the display cabinet. Of course, we then eagerly anticipated the finished article - and it was worth the wait!

Thanks to the generosity of the City of Ely Council, the main funder of the project, we were able to put the Ely-Ribe Tapestry on display in The Maltings. Thanks are also due to East Cambridgeshire District Council, owners of the building, for their agreement to accommodate it there on a permanent basis.

Click on The Designer's View for a description of the tapestry and the themes within it.