Handmade poppy display gets 30,000 donated flowers

A Remembrance Day display of handmade poppies has spread across a town after organisers received almost double the number of knitted and crocheted donations they had hoped for.

Durham Markets called for people to put their needles to work and create 16,386 poppies - one for every soldier of the Durham Light Infantry who died during both World Wars.

After amassing more than 30,000 - the poppies adorn The Light art studio and The Story museum as well as Market Hall.

Louisa McLean from Durham Markets said: "I wanted to do a project the whole community could get involved with, but this went completely viral, with people posting them in from across the UK."

She said: "I just want people to take a look at it, pause, reflect and realise how many people gave their lives."

Volunteers helped prepare the display by attaching the flowers to netting.

Newton Hall resident Joan Hetherington, who came into Durham Market Hall most days over eight weeks to hand-tie thousands of individual poppies, said she had put 104 hours into the project in total.

"But I've loved every bit of it," she said.

One of the poppies represented her uncle Alison Sill from Houghton-le-Spring, who died aged 21 in 1940 during the initial Battle of France and retreat to Dunkirk.

"It's emotional, a lot of work has gone into this, and it's not just me - but I'm glad I was able to help."

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