Nine volunteers in Ramsgate have been busy creating knitted and crocheted poppies for the town’s latest Remembrance displays.
The Crafty Poppies group have adorned St George’s Church gates and next to the Sailor’s Church in the harbour with the poppy creations put together in just four weeks. A display has also gone up at the Destiny statue in Albion Place Gardens.
The display at the Sailor’s Church is a new site for the group and has been made with some 2000 poppies.
Crafty Poppies member Maxine Morgan said: “This was a last-minute project, believe it or not, made in 4 weeks. Nine volunteers were sewing every Tuesday evening with six of the ladies being completely new to the Poppies group.
“We posted a possible project on our group and within weeks poppies were arriving on my doorstep.
“With the help of Ramsgate, Town Council, we were able to install this wonderful new creation.”
The group has also been sewing pins onto mini Poppies that are proving popular at Petticoat Lane Emporium and The Homefront Tearoom. So far, the Emporium has raised £105 and the tearoom £30 with fresh deliveries now going to each venue.
Crafty Poppies was founded by resident Jo Hanchett and formed in 2017 with the aim of making the poppy display that year to remember those brave men and women who died in World War One.
The first display was on the railings of Albion Place where a young boy had been killed in April 1942. This was just a few red Poppies. By August of that year the group began making Purple Poppies to commemorate the animals who had been killed during the wars.
In November 2018 Crafty Poppies were ready for their first major display and filled the railings around Destiny in Albion Gardens with over 1,000 red poppies. The displays are now created each year and often encompass thousands of poppies.
On Sunday 12 November there will be a Remembrance Parade and Service, St George’s Church, Ramsgate.
His Majesty the King has appointed Sunday 12 November as a Day of Remembrance for those who died in the World Wars of 1914-1918 and 1939–1945 and subsequent conflicts. Arrangements have been made for the representation of ex-Service Organisations and other bodies at a Divine Service at St. George’s Church, Ramsgate. The Town Mayor, Councillor Pat Moore, Ramsgate Town Councillors, and other guests will attend.
The parade will leave the Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School, Chatham Street by 10.35am and will march via High Street, King Street and Broad Street.
The service at St George’s will commence at approximately 10.56 am.
