Kidderminster Carpet Museum invites sons to lyrebird exhibit

By special arrangement, museum curator Geoff Gilbert kindly allowed Jeremy, Martin and Brendon Carvill to view one of the exhibits donated by their late father Patrick. 

The exhibit, which is a full-length sculpture of an Australian Lyrebird, was made by Patrick using salvaged parts from a carpet loom whilst he was working as a loom tuner at Brintons. 

In 1960, the family, who were originally from Redditch, became the second family to emigrate with Britons to Australia after they opened a new factory in Geelong, South Victoria. 

The Australian lyrebird made by Patrick Carvill (Image: Jeremy Carvill) Jeremy Carvill, who now lives in Worcester, said: "We met Geoff at the museum and he revealed the sculpture mounted on a carpet backing and surrounded by a frame. 

"We spent a few minutes taking it all in as none of us had seen the article for many years previously. It used to hang on the wall in Redditch where we lived.

"My father decided that the Museum of Carpet might appreciate it and so he took it across when the museum first opened in its present home and gave it to them." 

Brendon and Martin Carvill with curator Geoff Gilbert (Image: Jeremy Carvill) Patrick Carvill first worked as an engineer at Bouchers Carpets where he met his wife who worked as a secretary in the office. 

He later got a job at Brintons and the couple's son Martin was born in June 1957 followed by Jeremy in April 1959. 

Mr Carvill said: "It was around this time that my father returned home from work one day and announced to my mother that Brintons had opened a new factory in Australia and they were looking for interested families to relocate and start a new life down under. 

"My mother immediately recognised the opportunity and without hesitation, she told my father to put his name down and we emigrated around May 1960." 

The family, which also welcomed Cindy and youngest brother Brendon, were given a home in Tanner Street with Brintons also covering the journey costs and giving them the option to later buy the house. 

The brothers were invited by special arrangement to view the exhibits (Image: Jeremy Carvill)After seven years, the family decided to move back to England in 1967 where they lived in Birchen Coppice and Patrick went back to work at Brintons. 

As well as viewing the sculpture during their visit to the museum, the curator surprised the brothers, who now live in Worcester, Droitwich and Cleobury Mortimer, by showing them photos donated by their father which showed various memories of their time in Australia. 

There were also two reels of cinefilm which they believe showed important event during the family's time down under.