A couple are appealing for help to solve a century-old mystery following a charity shop find.

In December 2018 Anne Ward, from Powys, found a mystery double bedspread whilst looking for a 'nice tablecloth' in a bag of assorted white goods in the Brecon British Red Cross Shop.

Her find has taken her and her family on a virtual time-travelling and international journey of incredible historical discoveries, but still there are questions to be answered about the bedspread We have been to villages and towns in the UK and Wales, to Flanders Fields, the Somme at 1916, Hollywood USA, a Benedictine Abbey in Ireland, and to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa- and all during a world wide lockdown.

This bedspread is hand embroidered with twelve regimental badges that were all active in World War One. It is entirely, and uniquely, in white work and bordered with machine made filet lace- 26 metres of it. It has been dated to have been made between 1916 and 1920 and by very skilled hands, as confirmed by the Royal School of Needlework and the British Embroidery Guild.

But there is no information on who, why or where it was made as there is no label or signature on it.

"We have been doing extensive research, trying to find these answers so as to give it as much provenance as possible so that its story, whatever it is, can be told by the museum we are donating it to,," said Anne. "The charity shop could not tell us how they came by it and local appeals to try and find its donor/last owner have been unsuccessful."

The couple have now written a book about their research: Twelve Silent Voices, A World War One Mystery, available from aspect-design.net or or anneward77@icloud.com, priced £10.

But Anne and Damian are still looking for the golden answer to the question: What is its provenance?

If South Wales Guardian readers can help contact Anne at the email address above.