Crochet club makes 1,000 poppies for Remembrance and its centre's 20th birthday

More than 1,000 hand-crocheted poppies have gone on display outside a Coventry community centre ahead of Remembrance Sunday, the work of a small crochet club whose members spent months making them by hand.

The display, called Poppies for Remembrance, was unveiled on Monday at the John White Community Centre in Binley. It also marks 20 years since the centre first opened its doors.

Seven crocheters, months of work

The poppies were made by members of the Hookey Crochet Club, which meets at the centre every Wednesday and is run by Natalie Trudgill. Its seven members have been crocheting the flowers in their own time since January.

The idea came from the centre's chairwoman, 86-year-old Mary Hollins, who wanted to do something special for the anniversary. "We were trying to do something special, so I had this idea," she said.

Each poppy is about four inches (10cm) across and takes between ten minutes and half an hour to make, depending on the maker's skill. Ms Trudgill described the work as "hard going", while Mrs Hollins called the finished display a "big achievement".

Red and purple

As well as the familiar red poppies, the display includes purple ones, which commemorate the animals killed or injured in conflict.

For Mrs Hollins, the project is also a personal achievement. She has gone to the club since it started three years ago. "I couldn't crochet when I first started, so it's all down to Natalie showing us what to do," she said.

A display for the whole community

The poppies will stay outside the centre until the end of November, so passers-by can see them through the Remembrance period. The centre, which runs a range of activities including a pensioners' group, says anyone who wants to get involved is welcome.

Handmade displays like this bring people together to make something with their hands, and give everyone who passes a moment to stop and remember.

Remembrance in Birmingham

Remembrance Sunday falls on 8 November this year. In Birmingham, the city's festive season will pause that morning too: the Frankfurt Christmas Market, which opens on 5 November, will not open until 1pm on Remembrance Sunday as a mark of respect.

The city also has a newly sited place to remember. Earlier this month, Birmingham's Tree of Life memorial to the thousands of civilians killed in air raids on the city during the Second World War was installed in its new home next to St Martin's in the Bull Ring.

For anyone inspired by Coventry's crocheters, the club's story shows it is never too late to learn: its chairwoman picked up a crochet hook for the first time in her eighties.