A Parliament of Owls for Leeds 400 🦉

Today I’m heading to the library with a very special delivery: 29 owls, each one lovingly created by members of the ladies from Meanwood, Oakwood and Roundhay WI, along with friends and fellow makers, as part of the Leeds 400 project.

It feels only right to begin with a heartfelt thank you.

To everyone who gave their time, creativity, patience, and imagination to this project—thank you. Each owl is unique, and together they form something even more special: a shared expression of community, care, and celebration.

The collective noun for owls is, delightfully, a parliament—and that feels exactly right for this gathering. A parliament of owls, each with its own personality, character, and story stitched, shaped, or crafted into being by your hands.

These owls will now become part of a larger hanging being created to mark a remarkable milestone: 400 years since the signing of the Leeds Charter in 1626, when Leeds was granted its charter by Charles I. It’s a moment in the city’s long history, and it feels wonderful to be contributing something handmade and heartfelt to the celebrations.

I’ll be taking all 29 owls to the library today, where they will be added to the growing installation. Knowing they’ll soon be gathered together in one place is incredibly exciting—it’s the start of them becoming something much bigger than the sum of their parts.

And the project doesn’t end here. The hanging will be developing over the next couple of months, which means there is still time for more owls to be made and added. If anyone feels inspired, there’s very much an open invitation for this parliament to continue growing.

Once the hanging is complete and on display, I’ll go along with to photograph it and share it here. And I have a feeling there might be a bit of fun to be had too… perhaps a small group outing to play “spot your owl!” and see if we can recognise which creations belong to whom.

What I love most about this project is how it shows what happens when people come together: individual creativity becomes collective joy.

Thank you again to everyone involved. These owls carry your time, your imagination, and your generosity—and soon they’ll be flying together as one parliament, right in the heart of the library.

🦉