Hundreds of crocheted poppies created by community crafters form Remembrance Sunday display at Cowplain church

Hundreds of knitted and crocheted poppies have been created by crafty local people as part of an outside display commemorating the day World War One ended.

A cross and part of a wall at St Wilfrid’s Church in Padnell Road is now covered with the flowers.

Steve Day had the idea for a waterfall of knitted and crocheted poppies for Remembrance Sunday after reading an article about yarnbombing.

A request for poppies was put out to members of the congregation and the wider Cowplain community.

Steve said: ‘My idea for the poppies was: made by the community, for the community.

‘Word quickly spread and friends and family of those we had asked, started knitting and crocheting poppies.

‘Bags of poppies started to appear in the church vestibule.

‘The furthest bag came from the mother in law of a member of the congregation all the way from Derby.

‘We first covered the cross and then gradually over the next two weeks the rest of the display has grown.

‘The original waterfall has developed organically into a wave of poppies, which represents the wave of soldiers going forward during WWI.

‘The poppies are tightly packed at the top of the display as the tightly packed men leave the safety of their trench as they move forward so men fall and the poppies become less packed until at the front there are very few with large gaps between them.

‘This represents that of the thousands that started to cross ‘no man’s land’ and very few reached the other side. The red cloth represents the blood spilled to get there.’

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Steve has thanked all those who made and donated handcrafted poppies to help make the display.

Rev Ian Snares, vicar of St Wilfrid’s Cowplain, said: ‘I’m delighted that St Wilfrid’s has been able to help Cowplain remember all who have given so much for our freedom.

‘It’s been wonderful to see so many people add their poppies to the display.

‘I also find it so poignant that having the cross covered in poppies reminds us of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for each of us.'

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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