Knitted Scenes Unveiled for Remembrance Display

To commemorate Remembrance Day, thousands of knitted items, including poppies, soldiers, nurses, and aeroplanes, have been installed. These displays, crafted by volunteers from Whittlesey Poppy Blitz in Cambridgeshire, feature a dog adorned with more than 3,000 knitted purple flowers. The creation of these scenes required almost 10 months of preparation and they will remain on display at the Garden of Rest until November 10. The volunteers expressed pride in their efforts, and the group characterized the community’s response as “heart-warming”. Whittlesey Poppy Blitz, established five years ago during the Covid pandemic to support the Royal British, is managed by Jackie Fryett, Jenny Palmer, Amy Thompson, and Jayne Dando. The organization is not a registered charity and depends on sponsorships and contributions from both the public and local businesses. For the current year, the initiative received support from businesses such as Manor Packaging, JCH Aggregates, One Word Graphics, the Conifers Guest House, and Silver River. Additionally, several smaller businesses, including Muffin Oven, have hosted window displays. Ms. Thompson stated that Poppy’s Coffee Bar has been designated as the official poppy seller throughout the display period. Ms. Thompson reported, “We started putting ideas together since January and the 15 knitters – all local to Whittlesey – started working on their creations.” She further detailed, “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.” She also mentioned that in the previous year, they had displayed a war horse adorned with over 3,000 knitted poppies. Ms. Thompson further stated: “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.” She continued, “It is really lovely to see different generations appreciating and getting involved in this tribute for those who fought for us.” Concluding her remarks, she observed, “I have seen people stopping and looking at them.. telling kids about its significance and it’s nice to see that.”