A poignant Remembrance Day display has been installed in Queen’s Park, Loughborough, using over 6,000 handmade poppies.
Around 6,500 handmade, sewn poppies have dressed a tree in front of the town’s war memorial, the Carillon Tower.
Picture credit: Charnwood Borough Council
The project, led by Loughborough in Bloom with the support of volunteering groups and individuals has taken around 3,500 hours of volunteering time to complete.
The tree has been dressed ahead of the annual Remembrance Sunday service on Sunday, 10 November at Queen’s Park in Loughborough.
The Mayor of Charnwood, Cllr Dr Julie Bradshaw MBE, said: “This display of thousands of handmade poppies is a moving tribute to those who have lost their lives and served our country.
“The eye-catching poppies are a real centre piece of this year’s Remembrance Sunday service and I would like to thank Loughborough in Bloom and all the volunteers that have contributed.”
Pat Cook, chair of Loughborough in Bloom said: “Each year Loughborough in Bloom wants to pay its respects to those who have served and lost their lives in the armed forces and this project has been our biggest one yet.
“It has been a long process with lots of hours put in by so many different groups but seeing it in place in front of the Carillon Tower is a proud moment for the whole of Loughborough in Bloom.
“A huge thanks goes out to all the volunteering groups and individuals that have helped handcraft the poppies and help us during the project.”
A number of groups and organisations have supported the project which has been ongoing through the year. They include Charnwood Borough Council, idverde, Loughborough Ladies WI, Forest Road Green Belt Gardeners, Friends of Queens Park, Watermead Day Nursery, Purple Pumpkin Patch, various local scout groups as well as Individuals from the local community.
The bottom of the tree also includes recycled bottles which have been painted to by children at Watermead Day Nursery to resemble poppies.
The display was installed in Queen’s Park on Monday, 4 November by the Council’s open spaces partner, idverde.
Volunteers involved in the project were invited down to place the additional poppies around the tree.
The display also includes purple poppies to mark the service of animals in conflicts and two white poppies to represent peace.
The annual Remembrance Sunday service takes place on Sunday, 10 November at Queen’s Park in Loughborough.
This year’s parade will start from the Market Place at 10.20am and make its way through the town centre and to the Carillon Tower, where the service will start at 10.50am.
