Anne is as vibrant and vivacious as the Cathedral vestments she’s designed and made over the past 30 or so years. From the Chasuble to the Dalmatic, the Tunicle to the Stole, Anne has either designed, made, renovated or revived them all.

 

Anne moved to Cornwall 44 years ago, a little fearfully, it has to be said, “As Cornwall didn’t even have a Sainsbury’s!” Happily, for the Cathedral, Anne was able to overcome the county’s shortcomings by diverting her considerable talents towards their Sewing Guild.

Trained as a dress designer, Anne’s true passion is in the construction and making. So, by spending more time around the Cathedral when her youngest son became a chorister, it was inevitable that she would be drawn to the Sewing Guild, a highly skilled group of volunteers who tend to all the sewing needs within the Cathedral.

For Anne, it was a fantastic opportunity to use all her creativity for the glory of God. She oversaw the production of some beautiful vestments, including the magnificent ‘Mikado’ set, which was touchingly commissioned in memory of her husband Richard, an organist who died in 2001. Anne has also been involved in creating mini replica vestments for visiting children (and teachers) to play dress-up. Most recently, Anne has overseen the creation of the newest white vestment set, which was completed on All Saints Day.

As seems to happen with people who have a lot to give, the church finds many ways to receive, in the nicest possible way. And the Cathedral is no exception. Anne has been a server for 18 years, which she loves, and also a Gospel Clerk. This is a particular pleasure for Anne as she gets to wear one of her own robes. Apart from the honour of serving, she says, she loves the camaraderie there is between the Cathedral clergy.

With Anne’s zest for life, it wasn’t too much of a surprise when she revealed one of favourite recent roles was operating the CCTV cameras for the service. She loves to keep learning and embracing most things new – which happily, in the four decades plus she has now lived in Cornwall, has included plenty of new supermarkets!