‘Moving’ new poppy display helps Eye residents commemorate Remembrance Sunday

Volunteers in Eye village have created and erected a dramatic display to help commemorate Remembrance Sunday.

The installation of knitted poppies stands seven metres high and cascades down the exterior wall of St Matthews Church, where it flows into a pool of poppies on the ground. Around the pool are two sculpted metal soldiers, solemnly standing guard.

The impressive display was the brainchild of retired local resident Maureen McKenna.

Maureen told the Peterborough Telegraph how the initial inspiration came for the installation came about:

“My hairdresser had found a pattern for knitted poppies and said ‘oh it would be nice if we could do something nice in the village.’

“As the secretary of the PCC (Parochial Church Council), I thought the church would be ideal.”

In a short space of time, Maureen’s mind was brainstorming ideas for a possible poppy display:

“I felt it needed to have quite an impact and I thought about what they did at the Tower of London [in 2014]. So I was really thinking - could we do a cascade at the church?”

Though Maureen liked the idea, she was a little concerned about the time and effort such an undertaking would require, admitting “it would take a lot of poppies and a lot of knitting.”

Undeterred, Maureen took it upon herself to put together a team – made up chiefly of hairdressing clients and ladies from the Eye Mothers’ Union – who committed to making the “few hundred poppies” that would be needed.

“That was back in the spring,” she said, “and we put it up yesterday [31 October].”

Maureen explained that fortune intervened with regards to the metal soldiers who stand guard by the display’s pool of poppies:

“We were lucky with the soldiers,” she admits: “my neighbour (Franc D’Agnano) is the owner of Multifab in Fengate and he offered to make the soldiers for me. They are particularly poignant, I think.”

Serendipity may have played a part here though as Franc is the husband of Annalease D’Agnano - the hairdresser who initially found the pattern for knitted poppies back in the spring.

Maureen, who has lived in Eye village for 16 years, explained how local people have responded to the display:

“The symbolism of it, what it represents and what it is – the remembrance and the poppies – people are quite moved by it.”

She added: “A gentleman walking his dog this morning was saying how lovely it is to see something like this in the village, [he was pleased] that people are remembering and thinking about Remembrance Sunday.”

A volunteer guide at Peterborough Cathedral, Maureen is rightfully proud of the striking display. “It does make me feel really pleased,” she said.

Though she admits to being the “the driver of the project” Maureen is keen to acknowledge the wonderful support she received throughout from the local community. “It was very much a group, community effort.”The cascade will remain on display at St Matthews Church until Sunday, 20 November.