Let's knit Mansfield red for our heroes

Residents across Mansfield are being urged to pick up their knitting needles and turn the town red once againfor in honour of our military heroes.
The Old Town Hall in Market Place, Mansfield, was blanketed in poppies for Remembrance Day 2018.The Old Town Hall in Market Place, Mansfield, was blanketed in poppies for Remembrance Day 2018.
The Old Town Hall in Market Place, Mansfield, was blanketed in poppies for Remembrance Day 2018.

It may just be the first week of August, with the sun shining, children enjoying their long summer break and families flocking to enjoy Mansfield beach in Market Place, but thoughts are already turning to what Market Place will look like in November.

Mansfield District Council is again appealing for people to knit poppies to help decorate the town for Remembrance Sunday.For the past two years, residents have supported the People's Poppies campaign by knitting more than 15,000 poppies for displays on the Old Town Hall.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
The Old Town Hall in Market Place, Mansfield, was blanketed in poppies for Remembrance Day 2018.The Old Town Hall in Market Place, Mansfield, was blanketed in poppies for Remembrance Day 2018.
The Old Town Hall in Market Place, Mansfield, was blanketed in poppies for Remembrance Day 2018.

Now the council is appealing for people to get out the knitting and crochet needles again so it can add to the adornments around the town.

The council is aiming to add another 3,000 poppies to the displays.

It is also asking people to "make poppy bunting", by knitting and stitching together two-metre strings of poppies and providing poppies to decorate other parts of the town centre, such as the Bentinck Memorial.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The council also hopes to provide a poppy scarf for the leaning man statue at the bottom of Church Street, on the Remembrance Day parade route.

Councillor Stuart Richardson, portfolio holder for regeneration and growth, said: "We want to make the town centre look even more stunning for Remembrance Sunday to show respect for the those servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

"Let's show how much Mansfield cares by supporting this uplifting appeal."The displays will go up in time for Remembrance Sunday on November 10 and will adorn part of the route for the parade, which goes through the town centre via West Gate and into Market Place on the way to St Peter's Church.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Royal British Legion is again supporting the call for individuals and groups in the local community to get involved by contributing to the display.

Michael Beresford, Mansfield's Poppy Appeal organiser for the Royal British Legion, said: “The people of Mansfield have been so generous towards the Mansfield People’s Poppies and Poppy Appeal over the years, and we hope that support continues this year.

"It provides invaluable help for servicemen and women and their families.”

Last year, the flood of poppies coming into the council, came from far and wide. They included 400 knitted by a 97-year-old lady from Spalding, Lincolnshire.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Poppies can be dropped off at the Civic Centre, Mansfield, marked for the attention of the marketing and communications team.

They will be collected until Friday, September 20, and opportunities will be held in Market Place in autumn at which supporters can help create the garlands.