A TALENTED needlewoman has restored a historic musical banner.

The original Wensleydale Tournament of Music and Speech Challenge Banner, was first mentioned in a programme of 1902, when it was awarded for Sight Singing for Choirs and Musical Societies.

It was given by Mrs R Coulman, and Bedale Choral Society won it for several years. However, it was not mentioned again after the end of the First World War, and organisers did not know when it was returned to the Tournament archive.

A spokesperson said: "What a magnificent sight the banner must have been 100 ago. Due to fading, the illustration does not do it justice, as the material is linen, the centre panel being deep crimson with a gold surround and the wide multi-coloured braid forming the 'frame' is machine stitched to the linen. All the rest of the banner is hand stitched.

"It is backed with sateen, with a wide buckram type interlining, all badly damaged by moths and damp. The laurel wreath surrounding the date of 1898 is in satin stitch, with a bunch of white heather (for luck?) at the base. The heather at the bottom, now faded, was originally in true Wensleydale heather colour

"We are fortunate in having a very talented needlewoman, Barbara Roocroft, as a member of our council and she has made a wonderful job of renovating and conserving the banner, so that audiences will be able to enjoy it again in the future."

The banner will be on display at the Methodist Hall in Leyburn on March 31 during the Speech Competition and in Tennant's Garden Rooms during a day of music and our Grande Finale on April 1.