by Bel Austin

It is certainly big enough to see and could not be more prominently displayed but how many people stop to look at a lace panel hanging in the reception area of Sheppey Healthy Living Centre in Sheerness?

Measuring 16-metres long by two-metres wide, it depicts the Battle of Britain, the aircraft involved, the buildings bombed, badges of Allied Air Forces involved and serves to perpetuate our history as a tribute to the gallant few.

Sir Winston Churchill's famous words "Never was so much owed by so many to so few" are worked into the design and bear out the maxim every picture tells a story. This panel does exactly that.

The Remembrance Day services served as a reminder of this country's debt and the time was right to appreciate this memorial.

Sadly, there are no leaflets available either at the centre or library explaining what it depicts, and those who do pause have to memorise the scant information on a wall plaque.

Hopefully Memory Lane can fill the gaps.

The panel is one of 30 or so created by the Nottingham lace-making firm Dobson and Browne Ltd showing the bombing and air raids between 1942 and 1946 and took two years to complete.

Others are in Australia, Canada and South Africa.

Head designer Harry Cross was aged 73 when he took on the task and worked from postcards and drawings for accuracy.

Apart from the famous buildings which were bombed, he included a mansion and cottage to show rich and poor suffered together.

Borders are of acorns, daffodils, shamrocks and thistles.

The badges include those of National Fire Service, Royal Australian Air Force, South African Air Force, the RAF and Royal Canadian Air Force and the words Battle of Britain are on a background of flames.

Notable buildings are the House of Commons, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and St Clement Danes, Spitfires, Hurricanes, Defiants, Messerschmitts, Stukas and Dorniers are pictured in combat, a reminder of the dog fights in the sky, many over the Island.

Look closely to see pilots standing by their aircraft or baling out, anti-aircraft guns and searchlights.

Next time you're at the Healthy Living Centre take time to look at the floor to ceiling panel – the war in lace is worth a thousand words.