When King Charles III is crowned Athena’s finance assistant Vicki Boatwright will be watching on with pride, while looking out for the colours and standards being paraded by His Majesty’s armed forces.
Vicki works in the central office of Athena Care Homes, supporting teams within our five homes across East Anglia, but her first ever job saw her embroidering Army colours and RAF standards like those that will be paraded during the Coronation.
She joined the now defunct Hobson & Sons in Benfleet at 17, taking on a full-time job in the embroidery team.
Vicki explained: “The colours would take up to six months to complete and all the stitching was done by hand, ‘two sides alike’, meaning each side of the colour or standard had to be the same, no knots or untidy stitching showing on the back.
“The scrolls that appeared obviously had to be stitched twice, so the lettering was the same on each side. These were then stitched on the front and back so they were in the correct order on either side.”
The colours were then presented to the troops during elaborate ceremonies performed by senior members of the Royal family.
“At one presentation the Queen Mother presented my colour and the next time Princess Margaret,” said Vicki, who was fortunate enough to be invited along to some of the ceremonies.The mum-of-three continued: “The colours are highly respected and highly valuable to the troops.”
Vicki left Hobson & Son in 1997 to raise her children and pursue her dream to become a photographer and later pursued a career in accounts. She joined Athena Care Homes in 2015, working in the Laindon offices alongside the finance director. However, she remains proud of her achievements at the very start of her working life.
Vicki, who has two grandchildren, said: “Whenever I see national celebrations like Royal weddings, and the upcoming Coronation, I am reminded of those days I spent hand embroidering the Army colours and RAF standards.
“Seeing them being trooped always gave me a great sense of pride that I still feel to this day. I am excited to see the Coronation and will be looking out for the different designs, appreciating the many hours they would have taken to create by skilled needleworkers.”
Vicki kept some samples and trials from her embroidery days and will be sharing them with residents across the Athena family. Sharing these memories helps residents recall their brushes with Royalty and their previous jobs, especially those who are living with dementia.
FInd out more about one of our residents’ memories of meeting the late Queen here
