Knitted soldier army marches into city's minster

Janet Roberts, who knitted some of the same figures to display at her home, urged people not to miss the exhibition while it is in Stoke

A 3D woollen exhibit telling the story of the D-Day landings has gone on display.

The Longest Yarn tells the story of when allied troops attacked German forces on the coast of northern France, on 6 June 1944.

It comprises 80 woollen scenes with each one depicting an individual moment from the invasion and was created by more than 180 knitters from across the world. It was the idea of Tansy Forster, who wanted to commemorate the 80th anniversary.

The display will be at Stoke Minster until 5 December, before continuing its tour of the UK, Europe and later the USA.

The woollen exhibit was described by organisers as a “modern Bayeux Tapestry”

Freddie Scragg, from Trentham, was one of the first visitors to the exhibition.

It was a good way to display social history, he said, and added it reminded him of stories his dad used to tell him of his grandfather, who fought in World War Two.

The scenes depicted are taken from original photos of the time

Janet Roberts, who knitted some of the same figures to display at her home, said she knew how much detail had gone into them.

Putting all the pieces together had taken hours, she said.

“It’s amazing, you can’t miss it. If you’re a knitter you can’t miss it.”

The Longest Yarn was created with guidance from historians to ensure accuracy, and some scenes depict real veterans.

The display will be at Stoke Minster until 5 December

The scenes depicted are taken from original photos of the time, or from the film “Le Jour Le Plus Long” (The Longest Day), which helped inspire the name of the project.

“It is an amazing way to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and great way to bring people into the heart of Stoke,” said Paul Adams, parish warden for Stoke Minster.