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Duston Remembrance Poppy Cascade

You’re invited to join Fibre Arts Friends to help restore and expand the Remembrance Poppy Display with Duston Parish Council in 2025.

What is Remembrance Day?

Remembrance Day marks the actual day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918, and a period of silence is held at 11am to remember the people who have died in wars around the world on both Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday; which usually falls on the second Sunday in November.

The first two-minute silence in Britain was held on 11 November 1919, one year after the end of World War One, when King George V asked the public to observe a silence at 11am. His request was made so “the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead”.

While this special day was first commemorated to remember the huge losses after World War One, today the anniversary is used to remember all the people who have died in all wars since. This includes World War Two, the Falklands War – which in 2022 marked its 40th Anniversary – and more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You can read more about Remembrance on The Royal British Legion website by clicking here.

Why is the Poppy a Symbol of Remembrance?

During World War 1, much of the fighting took place in Western Europe and the countryside was bombed and left bleak and barren. There was a notable and striking exception to the bleakness – the bright red Flanders poppies. These resilient flowers flourished in the middle of so much chaos and destruction, growing in the thousands upon thousands.

The sight of the Flanders poppies inspired the now famous poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae ‘In Flanders Field. Click here to visit the Brisish Legion website and read the poem in full.

The Royal British Legion, which was formed in 1921 adopted the Poppy as their emblem in the same year, beginning the Poppy Appeal with over 9 million poppies being sold that year.

Duston’s Act of Remembrance

For a number of years, Duston Parish Council has supported the communities Act’s of Remembrance, and in 2018, a Poppy Cascade was created to mark the centenary of the end of WW1. Click here to see how Duston Remembers, and the history of the Duston Poppy Cascade.

In 2025, the Poppy Cascade is undergoing some repairs, with damaged poppies being replaced, and the display being extended to include purple poppies to the service and sacrifice of tens of millions of animals over countless wars.

You can read more about the Purple Poppy Fund by clicking here.

How to Get Involved

We would love everyone to get involved helping to create poppies to be used in the display and if you already knit or crochet, you can find a link to the patterns at the end of this article.

Send Us Your Poppy

Your completed poppies can be posted or dropped off to:

  • FAO Fibre Arts Friend – Duston Community Centre, Pendle Rd, Northampton NN5 6DT
  • Be sure to include your name so your projects can be highlighted on my socials!

Join a FREE workshop!

I am hosting free crochet workshops in Duston Community Centre in May and July 2025 where people can learn to crochet and progress on to learn how to crochet a poppy or learn to crochet a granny square (for the Duston Christmas display)

You can find the details of the free workshops by clicking the workshop name below – July’s workshops will be available to book after 29th June 2025.

  • 10th May 2025 10am – Learn to crochet for absolute Beginners
  • 10th May 2025 1pm – Learn to crochet for absolute Beginners
  • 17th May 2025 10am – How to crochet a Remembrance Poppy
  • 12th July 2025 10am – Learn to crochet for absolute Beginners
  • 12th July 2025 1pm – Learn to crochet for absolute Beginners
  • 2nd August 2025 10am – How to crochet a Remembrance Poppy

Spaces are limited for each of the workshops, so it is advised to book early.

Make a Poppy Your Way!

If you can crochet, knit or sew already, you can get straight to making! We are accepting poppies made in any craft including felting. The only exclusion is paper-crafting, as the display is outside, the paper will not be suitable.

  • Click here to view the Cosy Rosie UK Crochet Remembrance Poppy pattern and video tutorial
  • Click here to view The Royal British Legion Knitted Poppy Patterns

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