Geraldine's Mosaic

The world's largest jumper

It was time to stretch our legs as we swung into Geraldine in the South Island and our eye was caught by a sign advertising an enormous jumper and a mediaeval mosaic. Curious, we entered a shop devoted to knitting - wool, needles, and so on. On one wall hung the record-breaking jumper and out the back of the shop was an astonishing sight: the Bayeux Tapestry hand-painted on millions of tiny fragments of steel.

Enthusiasts are fascinating people and although nothing would induce me to spend twenty-five years sticking bits of metal to sticky paper, Michael Linton proved to be a mine of information on 1066 and all that (his CD of original documents is worth getting if you are a history buff) and one is left gob-smacked at the labour of love represented by his huge mosaic.

If ever you have occasion to pass through Geraldine, the mediaeval mosaic is a must! After all, you'll get to see the two missing panels from the original tapestry.