Surrey churches display thousands of knitted remembrance poppies

St Mary’s Church in Worplesdon and St Alban’s Church in Wood Street Village have installed thousands of handmade poppies in their grounds ahead of Remembrance Sunday. The two locations now feature a combined total of 3,000 knitted and crocheted flowers.

Janet Sutton coordinated the needlework project. She said Radio Surrey that more than 60 residents contributed to the effort. The collection period began in Easter and continued for six months. Sutton noted that communities across the country are adopting this style of remembrance, which inspired the local initiative.

The volunteers included a wide range of ages. Sutton said that both young people and older residents participated enthusiastically. Catherine Mirmak helped store the finished pieces in her garage. She described the process as a time for reflection. Mirmak noted that the colors vary among the flowers to mimic the appearance of wild poppies.

Ros Davison crocheted approximately 50 poppies for the display. She took her wool on holiday and assembled the flowers on an airplane. Davison said the visual nature of the display allows the community to see their collective contribution. The flowers are attached to stems and embedded in the ground beside the churches.

Jenny Shaw and her friends knitted more than 100 poppies combined. Shaw described herself as not a strong knitter but said her results were fine. Dan Shaw, a member of the churches' committee, called the project a blend of a new activity and a tradition that has lasted over 100 years. He observed that community members responded well to the request.

The churches plan to reuse the poppies for displays in future years. The installations are now in place for visitors to view during the remembrance period.