Amazing display of 17,000 poppies to be unveiled at Hayling Island church this weekend

A '˜CASCADE' of more than 17,000 hand-made poppies will be unveiled this weekend in a bid to pay tribute to those who died during the First World War.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Oct 2018, 18:09 BST
Updated 2nd Oct 2018, 19:19 BST
Members of the Northney Textile Crafts Group holding one part of the poppy cascade. Left to right, Sally Kelly, Sue Palmer, Pat Beresford, Sylvia Philips, Kerry Jarman, Jan Grealish and Carol Carter. Picture: Portsmouth DioceseMembers of the Northney Textile Crafts Group holding one part of the poppy cascade. Left to right, Sally Kelly, Sue Palmer, Pat Beresford, Sylvia Philips, Kerry Jarman, Jan Grealish and Carol Carter. Picture: Portsmouth Diocese
Members of the Northney Textile Crafts Group holding one part of the poppy cascade. Left to right, Sally Kelly, Sue Palmer, Pat Beresford, Sylvia Philips, Kerry Jarman, Jan Grealish and Carol Carter. Picture: Portsmouth Diocese

Turned into a spectacular piece of art, the creations will hang from scaffolding outside the 12th century St Peter's Church in Northney, Hayling Island, from 10.30am on Sunday.

Coleen Jackson, churchwarden at St Peter's Church, said: '˜We were only planning to use around 6,000 poppies, but this has really taken off, and engaged the whole of the island.

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'˜More than 1,000 leaflets were circulated around the island and within days handcrafted poppies came flooding in. At one point the local wool shop ran out of wool.

'˜Some have been knitted, some crocheted, and some carved out of a branch that fell off a yew tree in our grounds.'

The poppies have mainly been made by people on Hayling Island, but have also come from friends around the globe.

Alongside the cascade will be an exhibition put together by Hayling's University of the Third Age, which will highlight life on the island during the First World War.

The cascade will remain in place for six weeks, until Remembrance Sunday, and is available for viewing between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Saturday.'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related topics:Hayling IslandUniversity of the Third Age