Stratford church puts on display of 500 handcrafted poppies

A DISPLAY of handcrafted poppies can be viewed at Stratford Baptist Church thanks to the hard work of a team of volunteers.

Church member, Evelyn Beckett, was inspired by the poppy display on Wellesbourne church tower and gathered a team of volunteers who between them knitted and crocheted more than 500 poppies which were then painstakingly sewn onto netting.

As well as the red and black poppies, white poppies for peace and purple for animals which were victims of war were included in the display.

Evelyn said: “We didn’t see much action in the war, but I do remember having a pink and blue Mickey Mouse gas mask and the prisoners of war working on the farms.”

Rev Mandy Rhodes, Stratford Baptist Church minister, added: “Remembrance is so important in the Christian faith. We remember the soldiers and their families who sacrificed so much so we can have political freedom, and every time we celebrate communion we remember how Jesus sacrificed so much so that we can have spiritual freedom.”

There will be an opportunity to see the display at the church in Payton Street on Friday, 15th November, 2pm-3pm, when there will be a talk on A History of Payton Street Baptist Church in a Dozen Objects by Robert Brown. The event is free.