Photos Alan Green
Amazing knitted and crocheted Remembrance displays have appeared in Birchington.
Resident Karen Everest, the village Toppers group and a couple of Birchington evening WI members set to work after a request from the Royal British Legion.
The Birchington RBL had been so impressed with a Tommy postbox topper created by the volunteers last year that they hoped an even bigger project could take place this year.
Kare said: “The Royal British Legion were surprised and delighted with the Tommy postbox topper that was produced in 2022 and Brian Faulkner approached me in April to ask if we would consider working on a larger project for The Square, Birchington.
“I said yes … little did I appreciate the task in hand! However, together with a couple of ladies from the Birchington evening WI, the toppers group met every Monday morning at Birchington library, others worked at home making poppies as and when convenient.
“In total, we made about 1000 poppies which were attached to a piece of mesh that had been accurately marked out by my husband Brian.
“We are extremely grateful to Birchington Library for allowing us to use a large table which enabled us to knit and crochet in a very sociable space and to get the poppies sewn on the large piece of mesh, which measured 5ft top x 12ft bottom. We are also grateful to Brian Faulkner for supplying the correct shade of red and to everyone who contributed a poppy to the display.
“It has taken approximately six months to finish the project and last Sunday, Brian together with Max Houghton and Brian Faulkner -anxiously directed by me and Angela Harman – hauled the poppy display into place onto the gate at All Saints Church in The Square and thankfully it fitted perfectly – much to my relief!
“We have also placed poppies around the War Memorial, made a new postbox topper to honour the Army, Navy and Airforce which can be found outside the Co-op and of course Tommy is back on the postbox at The Square.”
Remembrance commemorates the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.
World War One began on July 28, 1914, ignited by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The conflict lasted four years, three months and 14 days, ending on November 11, 1918.
Almost 7 million civilians and 10 million military personnel were killed during the conflict.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, World War One officially ended when an armistice was signed by Germany and the Allies.
Armistice Day is commemorated each year when people wear paper poppies to remember those who fought and died in conflicts around the world – the red flowers were the only life to flourish on the bloody battlefields of Western Europe.
Remembrance Sunday services take place on the second Sunday in November, this year being November 12.
It was hoped the Great War would be the conflict to end all wars. Just 21 years later World War Two broke out.
Details of Thanet Remembrance services will be published soon
Absolutely amazing! Certainly puts all those Margate and Cliftonville “creatives” who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk to shame!
. . . and not one penny of Arts Council funding !
Fortunately, Birchington has people who just get on with doing things instead of moaning. Another great example is the shelters (and I’ve attended a few fund-raising events like pub quizzes and church sales). Far better than the “art shelter” or boarded-up shelters of Margate and Cliftonville.
What concerns me about all this is that the focus seems to be on the poppies produced by the womenfolk of Birchington, rather than the supreme sacrifice made by its sons in two world wars.
I imagine that all those poppies, at £1 or more each, will have raised a tidy sum for the British Legion.
Fantastic. It all looks brilliant. Well done all those involved
When you say “Well done all those involved”, I assume you’re referring to those who gave their all in two world wars and several other conflicts worldwide?
What is the matter with you? Pick pick! You and MM Rees go well together. I I say well done to these people who have spent their time knitting and crocheting these displays of poppies etc. These people are raising awareness of remembrance of all those that have given their lives. Plus highlighting the poppy appeal which assists those still living and suffering both visible and non visible injuries for defending this country and others around the world.
Bet they’re fun at parties.
I don’t think that the word “fun” immediately springs to my lips when I attend a Remembrance Sunday event.
My concern is that the real reason for Armistice Day and Remembrance is being lost.
In recent years, more and more War Memorials and so on have been draped with vast swathes of knitted poppies, of better or poorer construction.
Coupled with this are stories in the press that eulogize the efforts of the ladies who produce them; about their hard work, about the difficulties and their diligence and dedication in getting the displays completed.
The real reason for the existence of these memorials seems to take second place. The dreadful and tragic loss of life of so many men and women through armed conflict is being upstaged by the knitted poppies.
There already exists an institution that manufactures and distributes poppies: the Royal British Legion. In addition to organising Remembrance Sunday events, they also run institutions supporting ex-service men and women. Maurice Lodge, for example.
At the very least, I would like to think that the poppy ladies, and those who admire their handiwork, make a substantial contribution to the RBL.
I think you will find no war memorial has been draped with,crocheted poppies,anywhere,it is illegal.These women or men ,have done well ,and it is not draped over the war memorial.More power to their needles,
Laurence – very well said – these two individuals have nothing better to do other than nit pick – the ladies who knitted and designed these tributes should be whole heartedly congratulated
I know a couple of them personally, and they work very hard to help maked the village a better place. The bigger towns could learn a lot from Birchington.
It is not illegal to put knitted poppies on war memorials. It happens all over the land.
My daughter works at Sandhurst Military base and her partner is a Paratrooper and I’m telling you they get very little thanks for what they do, putting themselves on the line every day, the worry about what is currently going on in Gaza is very concerning for all those that have family in the Military. 🏅
Anything that gets the sacrifices front n centre is good. M&S don’t sent to agree.
Marks & Spencer? You’ve lost me.
To Phyllis Quot, I think you will find it is illegal to deface a war memorial.On official days wreaths are placed at the foot of a war memorial,not on them.Maybe someone on this site can clarify ,wether it is illegal or not to deface a war memorial
Well done to all. Will that satisfy the Snowflakes?
Lest we Forget! Every year I dread Remembrance Sunday, why? because I want to forget! Its 63 years since my own service, and I, like many thousands of ex servicemen, and probably some ex service women no doubt, are not proud of our service, but rather more ashamed! I still suffer from PTSD of my time in the army overseas, but it didn’t exist at that time, and I am too old now to do anything about it, except keep my head down, and not wear a poppy!