A STRIKING Yarn Poppy Cascade will be officially dedicated at Bromsgrove Methodist Centre at 11am tomorrow to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.
The church has linked up with others in the area, along with organisations including the Royal British Legion, to create the cascade which is aimed at highlighting the dreadful loss of life during The Great War and many conflicts since.
The organisers have been overwhelmed with the response not only in Bromsgrove but from much further afield, such as Sheffield, Sutton Coldfield, Cardiff and many other places where word had reached about what was being created.
The cascade features more than 10,000 knitted or crocheted red poppies and sufficient white poppies to form the number one hundred as a centre piece.
The red poppies are a direct link to First World War battlefields and the white poppies are representative of a commitment to peace.
Rev Richard Wilde, the minister at Bromsgrove Methodist Church, said there were a variety of reds among the poppies and the sizes were not uniform which was part of its charm.
“Poppies that grow in the wild are not uniform, indeed each is unique for such is the way of nature.
“I think the slight variations enhance the visual impact and give honour to the creator.”
A banner will read ‘Respect the past – pray for peace’.
The Bromsgrove Methodist Knitting Circle usually meets every week to create a variety of items, including toys and children’s clothes.
But during the summer they, and hundreds of others, turned their attention to the poppies of a similar size for the display.
Mr Wilde said: “I have been overwhelmed with the support for this amazing effort and the way it has given so many people a chance to make links between past events and our hopes for the future.”
There will be community singing from 10.30am leading to the dedication of the poppy cascade at 11am.
