Village fundraising in 1999/2000 for the Millennium project – a photographic record of the village and its residents – resulted in a surplus of funds. It was decided that the village hall should benefit from this and a mosaic was suggested for the main entrance. The mosaic was designed and constructed by a local mosaic artist – Trevor Caley – and is a representation of the village : New Forest pony, oak tree, cricket on the common and the flagon – denoting cider pressing in the village.
“I was invited by the Woodgreen Millennium Committee to produce a mosaic for the village to commemorate the New Millennium. I have always thought it a shame that the village hall, with its wonderful murals within, should have such a bland exterior. I therefore proposed a design which I believed would both brighten up the hall exterior and relate to the murals inside.
Aiming for something quite lively, I thought that banners would look suitably celebratory interspersed with images associated specifically to Woodgreen. These include: the Woodgreen Merrie Trees ; a brook ; footpaths, unusually plentiful in Woodgreen ; a pony ; the Cricket Club ; cider making ; a Palaeolithic hand-axe (Woodgreen being of Special Scientific Interest for such artefacts); sprigs of the common holly and oak trees ; and finally two gold crosses to represent the two churches.
The mosaic which incorporates ceramic, glass and gold mosaic was carried out at my workshop in Godshill and took approximately eight weeks to complete.
I am now beginning a mosaic for the Royal Albert Hall, London, my previous “Village Hall”! which coincidently will be located above the new entrance, of a similar triangular shape to the Woodgreen design, and executed in identical materials. I was approached about it a year ago but made sure Woodgreen’s was finished first ! “
Trevor Caley, 2000