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Poppy cascade 'better than I thought' says knitter

Joanna Taylor,Cambridgeshireand
Tom Jackson,in Eye
TOM JACKSON/BBC Maureen McKenna is smiling and looking at the camera to the left of the image. She is wearing a dark fleece with a zip and a black gilet over the top. Behind her is an outside wall of St Matthew's Church in Eye with black netting over a buttress covered with red and purple knitted poppies. To the right of it is a free standing black metal figure of a soldier with his head bowed. TOM JACKSON/BBC
Maureen McKenna, 78, was one of the chief architects of the St Matthew's Church poppy cascade

A cascade of woollen poppies displayed at a village church turned out "better than I thought", one of its chief knitters said.

Maureen McKenna, 78, said she was inspired to create the installation at St Matthew's Church in Eye, near Peterborough, after visiting the Tower of London, which displayed thousands of ceramic poppies each November.

The poppies, which were knitted by Ms McKenna and other local people, including members of a branch of the Mothers' Union, were displayed this year to mark Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.

She said they will be taken down later this week before "they're taken to the launderette and washed".

"They will then be dried in my friend's kitchen and packed away for next year," Ms McKenna said.

She added that the display is "moving" and has "held together surprisingly well" over successive appearances.

TOM JACKSON/BBC One side of St Matthew's Church in Eye can be seen. It has light, sandstone-coloured bricks, arched windows and buttresses, one of which is covered with a black net onto which is attached red and purple knitted poppies. These are also pooled on the grass at the bottom of the cascade alongside two black metal soldier figures. To the right of the image is part of another, red-brick, building. TOM JACKSON/BBC
Most poppies in the display are red, but some are purple, which represents animals that served in wartime

Second World War veterans were "disappearing as a generation now," she said.

"It's important that these come up to remind young people," Ms McKenna added.

"They fought for our freedom and the peace we have in this country."

Over in Ely, knitted poppies were displayed in the city's market square and at Sessions House, made by members of a branch of the Women's Institute (WI).

These included red poppies as well as purple to represent animals that died in service, white to honour conscientious objectors and black to highlight the legacy of Afro-Caribbean soldiers, WI member Sheila Willson, 55, said.

TOM JACKSON/BBC Sheila Willson is smiling and looking at the camera to the left of the photo. She is wearing glasses and a navy double-breasted coat with a large hand-made red poppy with a black button in the centre. Behind her is metal railing packed with red and purple knitted poppies, with artificial green leaves between them. In the background are shop fronts. TOM JACKSON/BBC
Sheila Willson, 55, said displays in Ely were made in "loving respect" by the Women's Institute

"Ely City WI members make these displays in loving respect of all people; men, women and animals who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in conflicts since the First World War," she said.

The traditional paper poppy was still popular in the city, too, said 82-year-old Patricia Canham.

She has sold poppies around Remembrance Sunday for the Royal British Legion for 17 years, to commemorate her late husband, who served in Kiritimati (Christmas Island), her father, who served in World War One and her uncles who served in World War Two.

TOM JACKSON/BBC Patricia Canham is standing to the left of the photo and smiling at the camera. She is wearing a light-coloured jacket with a red paper poppy affixed on the left-hand side. Behind her is a sandstone-coloured wall with a war memorial in an alcove including the figure of a black metal solider with his head bowed and several poppy wreaths. There are also poppies adorning a nearby railing and one attached to a lamppost. TOM JACKSON/BBC
Patricia Canham, 82, has been selling poppies for the Royal British Legion for 17 years

"People are so generous and it's also sociable," she said.

"It makes you feel grateful for how things are today.

"You learn about [the world wars] at school, but knowing we had family that were involved years and years ago, it's just so nice to remember all the people that lost their lives and fought for the country."

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