A community art project in Maryport is underway for an extra special Remembrance Day in the town.
The idea is for the community to knit, crochet, felt, paint or make pop bottle poppies to cover the Memorial Gates with poppies this year and make a visually stunning piece of community art.
Championing the project, designed to remember Maryport’s women in war, is Diane Robertson who feels that 2020 was very understated because of COVID-19 and wants to try and make the occasion a much bigger one this year.
She explained: “It would be nice to keep the gates to traditional red colour, allowing, of course, white for pacifists to be added as well.
“They played a vital role in the wars as stretcher-bearers, cooks, nurses, orderlies, burial parties etc – generally all the rotten jobs! Whatever people felt about them at the time, those days are now long done and we can appreciate what they did for their country too.
“There is no reason why the two side panels cannot include purple for pets, multicolour for Pride and also the NHS rainbow. I know that the suicide prevention group in the town have their own colours as well.
“Any old bits of wool or material laying around would help to make a wonderfully colourful display.
“This is a community project and no one should feel excluded because their idea may be slightly different from the next person’s.
“In the next few weeks, I will cover the gates with a netting and people can attach their own poppies leading up to the Remembrance Sunday parades and service.”
Mrs Robertson has paid a special thanks to All Stitched Up, Made By You and Signpost for facilitating the making and collection of the poppies for those who are not able to put them up themselves.
She adds: “Thanks also to Her Citi and Cafe Pixel who are also helping to spread the word in their shops and via their Facebook sites.
“If you can’t make a poppy yourself, then please do your bit by telling everyone you know about this project, either face to face or on your Facebook.”
