Large Poppy Artwork Commemorates D-Day 80th Anniversary in Meadow

For the second consecutive year, a massive poppy has been painted on a meadow to back the Royal British Legion’s yearly appeal. This 30 sq m (323 sq ft) artwork is visible at Riverside Meadow, located in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Richard Pinches, a drone operator and organiser for the Poppy Appeal, who produced the artwork, stated his intention was to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. “It makes me feel good to give back to the veterans,” he commented. “I’m very proud to have done it.” “I’ve incorporated the shape of the standard British Legion poppy, the two petals, kind of makes an eight and then I designed a big zero next to it to mark 80.” Mr. Pinches mentioned that his father had been a veteran of World War Two, having served in approximately 15 distinct nations, primarily within North Africa. He explained: “My father was what they call a desert rat. “He was eighth Army and he was very vocal about his time in the army and I grew up listening to his stories which was fantastic.” Many relatives of veterans I converse with do not share the same experience; if their family members served in the infantry, they often become reticent and find it more challenging to discuss their experiences. Certain veterans never discuss their wartime experiences; however, this was not the case with my father. He mentioned his father departed for war as a “20-year-old young boy and came back a man, it defined him”. Mr. Pinches stated that his father died in 2015, and subsequently, he has become more engaged with the British Legion Poppy Appeal. BBC Oxfordshire is available for following on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights are reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.