Two Years Ago ... where was the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry?

SCARBOROUGH, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANDA .. that's where …

… and it was about to be displayed there in St Andrew's Church on the reproduction Thomas Telford's Menai Straits Bridge depicted in the tapestry …

This acclaimed, wholly exceptional exhibition was the brainchild of retired Professor of Civil Engineering, Bill McCowan who donated all the wood for the bridge which was prepared in his own sawmill! Jenny Bruce was there from Scotland pictured with him below as our Global Tour Director.



… and here's the Scarborough Team … the structure and the finished result ...






Stitched by Edna Barker (Bradford)

Thomas Telford (1757-1834) is one of Scotland’s greatest engineers,famed as a road, canal and bridge builder. He was born in Dumfriesshire andbecame an apprentice stonemason aged 14. He moved to Shropshire where he builta bridge to carry the London to Holyhead road, the first of many in the countywhich secured his reputation. Future projects included designing and buildingthe Ellesmere Canal, the Menai Suspension Bridge (1819-26), and even the Göta Canal in Gothenburg, Sweden. In lowlandScotland alone he was responsible for 184 miles of new road construction. Forsuch feats Telford was dubbed “the Colossus of Roads”.

GBE11 Tòmas Telford
Is e Tòmas Telford (1757–1834) aon den hinnleadairean as cliùitiche a bh’ ann an Alba, ainmeil airson togail rathaidean, claisean-uisge agus drochaidean. Rugadh e ann an Siorrachd Dhùn Phris agus bha e na phreantas clachaireachd aig aois 14. Ghluais e a Shropshire far an do thog e drochaid airson an rathaid eadar Lunnainn agus Holyhead, a’ chiad fhear de mhòran anns an tsiorrachd às na choisinn e cliù. Am measg phròiseactan eile às dèidh sin, bha dealbhadh agus togail Clais-uisge Ellesmere, Drochaid Chrochaidh Menai (1819–26), agus fiù Claisuisge Göta ann an Gothenburg san t-Suain. Ann an Galltachd na h-Alba leis fhèin, bha e an urra ri 184 mìltean de thogail rathaid ùr. Airson gnìomhan den t-seòrsa sin, fhuair Telford an tiotal neo-oifigeil “the Colossus of Roads”.