ONE of Settle’s Gallery on the Green’s most popular and most imaginative exhibitions returns for this year’s Christmas show at the former telephone box, which forms what is believed to be the world’s smallest art gallery.

Since their first showing six years ago the 78 tiny all knitted figures that act out the words of the Twelve Days of Christmas have amazed visitors and set many of them reciting the lines about what their true love gave to them on each of those days of Christmas.

The eight ladies knitting who produced the exhibition are Settle residents: Jeanne Carr, Catherine Holland, Shirley Crosby, Alison Tyas, Joyce Elliot, Jacqui Lewington, Betty Beesley and Janet Lillywhite. The eight came forward in response to an article in a local community magazine and their work has subsequently been displayed elsewhere in Settle after its initial appearance in the gallery.

The story of the all-knitted twelve days and its creators formed part of the gallery’s tenth anniversary celebration exhibition at the Folly this summer and the gallery curators thought it appropriate to reunite the exhibition with its first home for this year’s Christmas exhibition.

It has long been believed that the words of the Twelve Days of Christmas, did not reflect the rather odd collection of gifts given to a fiancée who would probably have preferred a box of chocolates, but were a device used by 16th century Roman Catholics to convey the basics of their belief without arousing the suspicions of non-Catholics.

The exhibition is now open and runs through, not just to the twelfth day of Christmas but to January 10.

The Upper Settle phone box was purchased by Settle Town Council in 2009 under the BT ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme. As part of the scheme, the phone was removed and the Council were free to use the kiosk as they chose. It was agreed that Cultivating Settle would manage the facility and set up a community art gallery.

This summer the gallery celebrated its 10th anniversary with an exhibition at the Folly Museum.