I have made it a rule of my blog only to use my own photographs. However, I have recently been sent these three photographs of the most extraordinary craft work – and rules are there to be broken! They were posted to me by an elderly aunt, who I know would not have been able to take the photos and with no details of who did. So, anonymous person, thank you and I hope you don’t mind me sharing them with the rest of the world: they are too good to hide away! And if you do read this, do let me know who you are so that you can receive full credit.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of NAFAS, the National Flower Arrangement Societies, this banner – which is 4ft x 2ft – was created by (I think I have this bit right) a friend of my aunts. It took her over three months and the finished work was hung in Westminster Abbey (London) along with twenty-one others.

In recognition of the work of BBOWT, the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trusts, the banner shows the reintroduced Red Kite at the top. Also included are many of the three counties famous buildings – Windsor Castle, Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, river bridges – and other symbols.

Created from individual grains of rice, seeds, dried leaves and other plant material, the future of this banner is uncertain. It will be sad if it disappears from view and I, for one, have no idea where it is now. I shall have to write to Aunt for an update….