The island’s famous Roman mosaic inspires … a regatta hat

The 1,700-year-old image of a man with a rooster’s head discovered at Brading Roman Villa will be the motif of a spectacular hat being made for next month’s Sandown Bay Regatta.

Work on the headgear begins this week at the Regatta Hat Factory, which opens on Wednesday.

The valuable Gallus Mosaic was unearthed from a field in Brading in the late 19th century and is one of the island’s most fascinating treasures. Sarah Girling, the villa’s conservation and education officer, is delighted with the collaboration and says:

“At Brading Roman Villa we love to inspire creativity, so it’s wonderful to be involved in hat creation at the Regatta Hat Factory.

“It was great to see this Sandown tradition revived last year and we think the introduction of our truly unique mosaic Gallus – our man with the rooster’s head – fits the theme beautifully.

“We don’t know if he’s wearing a mask or a hat or if it’s maybe a caricature, but he’s a lot of fun and we can’t wait to see the hat he inspires.”

Hat Factory artists Teresa Grimaldi and Joel Lines will work with the community over the coming weeks to create the giant hat, which will be showcased at the Grand Regatta Hat Parade on Sunday, August 11.

Lead artist Teresa said:

“Is the character satirical? Mythical? A caricature of a native islander in costume or an unpopular Roman emperor?

“It will be great fun to bring Gallus to life as an oversized hat and it will be exciting to see an interpretation of this iconic Brading mosaic as a spectacular headpiece on Sandown Beach.”

Other giant hats honouring Sandown are also in the works for this year’s regatta. Milliner Keely Hunter has designed a headdress inspired by the nature of Culver Down and the local meadows, while Brighton-based artist Kate Phillips will pay tribute to the town’s past with a hat honouring John Wilkes, the 18th-century radical politician who made Sandown his home in a house called Villakin.

The revival of the Regatta Hat is an initiative of the Sandown Carnival, supported by Arts Council England.

Carnival chairman Paul Coueslant is pleased that the 135-year-old citizens’ group has secured another round of funding to revive the city’s hat tradition.

He concluded:

“The Arts Council’s support for the second year in a row is a real boost for Sandown.

“This means we can build on previous successes when our hat workshops and hat parades appealed to all age groups.

“Inspired by Sandown and the bay, we hope even more people will get involved this summer and we look forward to creating all kinds of weird and wonderful hats over the next few weeks.”

The Regatta Hat Factory is located at Boojum & Snark, 105 High Street, Sandown and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 17 July to 11 August from 12pm to 8pm.

It’s completely free to join in the fun. Materials and instructions are provided and no previous experience is necessary.

Larger groups or community organizations can send an email (email protected).uk to plan your visit.

The Sandown Bay Regatta takes place on the weekend of August 10th and 11th, with the Grand Regatta Hat Parade on Sunday 11th at 2.30pm.