Crochet novices create cascading poppy memorial

2 hours ago

Rachael McMenemy

Caroline Moore and Wendy Ireland say they were inspired by a poppy display on Southend Pier

Jamie Niblock/BBC Caroline Moore and Wendy Ireland have their arms around each other and are smiling at the camera. Caroline has glasses and her silver hair is pulled back. Wendy has sunglasses on her head and has silver hair pulled back, with a fringe. Behind them are crocheted red poppies hanging down the side of the church. — Caroline Moore and Wendy Ireland say they were inspired by a poppy display on Southend Pier

Novice crocheters have transformed a village church with a cascade of woollen memorial poppies.

Caroline Moore and Wendy Ireland took up their crochet hooks last November with the aim of creating a display for their village of Friston in Suffolk.

The pair said they came up with the idea after "a few glasses of wine" after being inspired by a display on Southend Pier in Essex last November which they saw on social media.

"Many hours of love and thought have gone into this," said Ireland.

The display forms part of the village's Remembrance Day memorial

Jamie Niblock/BBC News A drone camera view from above the top of the church tower shows the full cascade of red poppies. — The display forms part of the village's Remembrance Day memorial

"This has been a year in the making but this is our first time - so we're novices and we've only just learnt to crochet," she added.

Moore said they decided to invite other people in the village which led to a group of women joining for a "knit and natter" over a cup of tea and cake.

The exact number of poppies on the installation is being kept secret, so as not to spoil a competition for people to guess the total.

However, the pair said the amount meant they had slashed their poppy making time from an hour to just 20 minutes per poppy thanks to all the practice.