Knitted scenes put up for Remembrance display

A cascade of thousands of poppies has been unveiled at the Garden of Rest in Whittlesey

Thousands of knitted poppies, soldiers, nurses and aeroplanes have been put up to commemorate Remembrance Day.

Volunteers, from Whittlesey Poppy Blitz, in Cambridgeshire, created the displays which included a dog decorated with over 3, 000 knitted purple flowers.

The scenes took nearly 10 months to prepare and will be kept up at the Garden of Rest until 10 November.

Volunteers felt proud of their work and the group said the community's reaction had been “heart-warming".

Knitted soldiers, poppies and nurses have been displayed across Whittlesey

Whittlesey Poppy Blitz, formed five years ago during the Covid pandemic to support the Royal British, is run by Jackie Fryett, Jenny Palmer, Amy Thompson and Jayne Dando.

It is not a registered charity and relies on sponsorships and donations from the public and local businesses.

This year, it was supported by businesses including Manor Packaging, JCH Aggregates, One Word Graphics, the Conifers Guest House and Silver River.

A knitted dog is one of the highlights for this year's display

Several smaller businesses have welcomed window displays including Muffin Oven.

Poppy’s Coffee Bar has been chosen as the official poppy seller for the duration of the displays, Ms Thompson said.

Carrier pigeons and soldiers were part of the display

“We started putting ideas together since January and the 15 knitters - all local to Whittlesey - started working on their creations," Ms Thompson said.

“This year we have featured a cascade or waterfall of poppies at the garden of rest and also have a life-size dog- created from support of Peterborough College, alongside some cute nurses, aeroplanes in between trees, carrier pigeons and red-top soldiers.

"Last year we had a war horse with over 3, 000 knitted poppies.

Remembrance poppy displays have been placed on railings, bollards and street lamps across Whittlesey

Ms Thompson added: “We feel proud of the efforts that have gone in. It’s a proud remembrance community here in town. There is a lot of respect for this period.

“It is really lovely to see different generations appreciating and getting involved in this tribute for those who fought for us.

“I have seen people stopping and looking at them.. telling kids about its significance and it’s nice to see that.”

Hundreds of red poppies ahve been placed in the town square