"Bishop Blaize" was the the patron saint of woolcombers as he was martyred with iron wool combs. In the 18th and 19th centuries, during the boom in the British worsted and woollen industry, his feast day was widely celebrated with parades and festivals especially

Today's the feast of St Blaise, a 4C Bishop. He's the patron saint of woolcombers (you really don't want to know why) but he's surprisingly rare in East Anglian churches. He's here on the left, on the fragile screen at Hempstead, Norfolk. St Francis looks on, showing his stigmata.

If you're ruggie and in Suffolk this week, head for Bildeston with its rather unexpected Rug Festival. It's in the garden of this agreeable house wherein is pitched a 100-year-old Turkmen yurt suitable furnished.

From woolcombers, to spinners/weavers (usually a core family, but often with some extra spinners, as it took several to feed one loom) to tenterhookers, and shavers, and fullers.

All of whom were declared "redundant" so that entire villages were suddenly forced into penury.

For #StBlaise day patron saint of #woolcombers. On left, wool comb. On right stamps of wool merchants to seal bales after quality has been checked before sold @RAMM