Town displays more than 15,000 hand made poppies
A cascade of poppies on St Peter's Church in Brandon Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN - Credit: Archant
More than 15,000 knitted, crocheted and fabric poppies have gone on display in a town in Suffolk.
A cascade of poppies on St Peter's Church in Brandon Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN - Credit: Archant
The flowers, to commemorate 100 years since Armistice Day, were installed on Friday, November 2 after months of work by Brandon in Bloom in collaboration with Brandon Crafters, as well as Brandon Council and the fire service.
Installation locations include a canopy over St Peter’s Church as well as poppies inside the building, a trench display at The Wedge on Thetford Road with poppies sewed on to bandages, The Triangle on Bury Road, Brandon British Legion, and a 6ft soldier made of 200 poppies at Brandon Heritage Centre. There are also ceramic poppies created by Ali Barnes on the cemetery gate.
Rachel Sobiechowski, Brandon In Bloom horticultural advisor and secretary, said: “There were lots of volunteers helping at the church and the wedge so the displays where completed at the same time for maximum impact. Brandon Fire Station helped to install the nets on the church.
“The response to the displays has been wonderful, people are very appreciative of the efforts by all of the volunteers, from those who have made poppies, donated wool, and helped create the displays.”
Poppies in St Peter's Church in Brandon. PHOTO: Terry Hawkins - Credit: Archant
St Peter’s Church also features a cut out soldier for each name on the list of the fallen in the church, alongside a tealight made by children in the community.
Community member Sue Nutt said: “Poppies were also used in the heritage centre, outside the scout hut and I used some as table decorations for our veterans’ tea.
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“We could not have done the job without the Fire Service - they were brilliant.”
Poppy stitching sessions took place on Market Hill in September, and the church institute has held multiple meet to stitch events to help with the task.
A trench display at the Wedge in Brandon. Poppies have been sewn onto bandages. PHOTO: Terry Hawkins - Credit: Archant
Approximately 10,000 poppies where used on the 204 square metre net hung at the church, while 1,000 more hang from the arches inside the building.
Just under 1,000 poppies can be found at The Wedge, either on sticks in the ground or sewed on bandages, and 240 purple poppies on garlands are at The Triangle in memory of war animals.
The rest where used to make letters, wreaths, a Union Jack flag on the church and a purple poppy display on the church font.
A cascade of poppies on St Peter's Church in Brandon Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN - Credit: Archant
A solider silhouette in St Peter's church in Brandon. PHOTO: Terry Hawkins - Credit: Archant
