In Great Britain, a rare opportunity to see point d'Alencon lace such as Blessed Zelie Martin made and to watch it being made

Altar linens crafted for the Mass of Canonization of St. Therese of Lisieux with point d'Alencon lace such as her mother madeAlencon, the city where St. Therese was born, has a "twin city" in Great Britain, Basingstoke.  The Willis Museum in Basingstoke is sponsoring an exhibit of point d'Alencon lace.  You can see samples of lacework and learn about the technique through which this thread lace is made.  The exhibit opens May 18, 2013 and closes on Saturday, June 29, 2013.  Most exciting of all, on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29, 2013, two of the seven living persons who know how to make point d'Alencon lace will be at the museum to show how the lace is made. Thanks to the Internet Archive, see a brochure in English, "Lace of Alencon, Thread of Excellence," issued by the Musee des Beaux Arts et de la Dentelle in Alencon. 

This unique exhibition is offered by the Ville d Alençon, the Alençon-Basingstoke Twinning Association, and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Basingstoke is a large town in northeast Hampshire, 48 miles southwest of London.  If you expect to be able to visit this exhibit, please e-mail me (see the link "e-mail me" at the right of this Web site) if you might be able to do some favors for this Web site while you are there.  Thank you.