Yes, I ca(e)n!

Following last week's post, this week I'm feeling satisfied that my GCSE French from 30-mumble years ago is still vaguely helpful. Between my daughter, me, and my mum, we cover all levels of French proficiency - from fluent, to very patchy, to not at all! And yet, we've all managed and had a wonderful time together.

Helpfully, as well as just being nice family time, the trip has ticked off a few more badge clauses! I've made a sort of pictoral diary of it (and the progress of my sock knitting!) - not quite an electronic scrapbook but a little more than just a photo album.

Apart from seeing Daughter so happy and relaxed, the highlight of the weekend was definitely visiting the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. We've all heard of the tapestry and seen pictures, but I was keen to see it for real, having discovered how close to Caen it is. Fortunately mum was keen too, so we headed over there on Sunday morning. I don't think we could have chosen a better time - the museum was practically empty, so we were able to get as close as we wanted to the case, and could absolutely see the tapestry properly. I was completely taken aback by its size - somehow in my mind it was about half the height that it actually is.

Detail of Harold's happy horse

The museum provides an audio guide for visitors which starts automatically as you enter the room, and talks through the tapestry scene by scene. With this explanation, the story told by the tapestry is very clear - the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings, and the aftermath. Some details are highlighted - the happy horses on their way across the Channel, a spy eavesdropping on a conversation, the bare legs of the men wading out to the boats as they prepare for the invasion, the change in the designs along the lower edge of the tapestry from general animalistic figures to dead bodies in the battle scenes.

There was one sign in the museum for 'exhibition' but no further evidence of more displays or information, so either we overlooked it or there really is nothing more. According to the website there is a permanent display, but I think the signage for this definitely needs improving since we missed it altogether!

If I were curating this museum, I would want to provide some further exhibitions - perhaps a display of ship-building tools, or recreations of the clothing, or artifacts from the Battle of Hastings... In fact, there are so many options I would actually set up a series of exhibitions in my imaginary museum, to provide more information and illustration of each of these areas and more! I picture them as being a series of small rooms (or at least, separated out areas) so that visitors can explore the ones which interest them and pass by the others.Since seeing the tapestry makes the event so vivid and alive, it seems a bit of a shame that there isn't more tangible evidence of it on display. Having recreations of the clothing which people could handle or even try on, or manequins wearing armour, or a recreation of (part of) a military camp, would bring a new depth of encounter to the experience and could help to engage children's interest.

Another aspect which it would be very interesting to explore and bring to light is around the creation of the work. Although it's not certain who commissioned it, much work has been done to investigate how it was made - the sewing techinques and who actually sewed it. There is generally more awareness nowadays of the invisibility of women in history, and this is a perfect example of that - almost all the people portrayed in the work are men, but it will have been created and put together by women. They don't get mentioned at all, yet without their skill and creativity, this important item wouldn't exist.

I can understand why the current audio guide can't be paused, skipped, or rewound - I'm sure in peak season it's essential to keep visitors moving through steadily - but I would have liked a bit more flexibility, to be able to dawdle and look more closely in some places, and move on quickly in others.

Work is currently under way to develop a new museum for the tapestry by 2028, so I hope that this will provide more scope to include more information about its context, and those behind its creation. And of course, I hope there will be clear signage and an obvious flow through the layout so future visitors don't miss a substantial part of what's available!