Sudbury Silk Festival

Sudbury 'UK Capital of Silk' is celebrating its long tradition of silk weaving in the town stretching back to the 1780's, with its first Silk Festival on Saturday 7th September. The day includes a free exhibition in St Peter's Church of the silk mills Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company, Humphries Weaving Company, Stephen Walters and Sons and Vanners Silk Weavers, together with other stands connected with silk and textiles in the area. There are talks in the Assembly Room by Neil Thomas of Gainsborough Silk Weaving, Liz Trenow on her books connected with silk and her silk weaving family Stephen Walters & Sons, Mary Schoeser & Kate Wigley (The School of Textiles) on Silk from Spitalfields to East Anglia with silks to handle and a designer from Vivienne Westwood on Vivienne Westwood's designs. There will also be Silk Walks and a Silk Architectural Heritage Walk around the town and the mill shops will open. The Vivienne Westwood exhibition of Costumes Inspired by the 18th Century at Gainsborough's House opens for the Silk Festival and is free on the festival day. Sudbury Heritage Centre & Museum will also be open. Ticket booking will open in July: https://www.sudburysilkfestival.org.uk/