Book details

An extraordinary memoir - told through a hand-sewn tapestry - of a very ordinary English life  As the clock struck midnight on 31 December 1999, Jean Baggott vowed that from that point on her life would be devoted to the  happiness of 'the girl on the wall' - a  1948 photograph taken of Jean when she was eleven, recreated in needlework. Reflecting on her hopes and dreams 60 years on from that photo, Jean stitched a remarkable tapestry looking back on her life and the changing world around her.  The tapestry consists of 73 interlocking circles, giving a unique portrait of everyday life for the working people of the industrialised West Midlands, and the wider world. Each chapter of her book relates to one circle in the tapestry as Jean explores the memories the circle evokes. The result is a unparalleled and hugely enthralling, unforgettable memoir.

Jean Baggott was born in 1937 and lives in Warwick. She has lived in various parts of the Midlands for most of her life and remains passionate about her Black Country roots.