by Rebecca Hannant
Donations of knitted poppies are needed for a new project ahead of VE and VJ Day.
Darren England, chairman of the Withernsea branch of the Royal British Legion, has teamed up with Friends of St Nicholas Church chairman Darrin Stevens to host 80th anniversary services for VE and VJ Day in May and August.
The pair decided to create the display after seeing the success of the poppy cascade over Withernsea’s Pier Towers in the past two years.
Darren England said: “I wanted to do another smaller cascade for the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Day this year and thought it may be nice on St Nicholas Church seeing as that is where the war memorial clock is.
“We would have loved to have a large cascade running down from the tower, but I think this would not be achievable at this stage, so we will have a smaller cascade running off the side of the entrance hallway.
“The netting has been measured, and we have started putting the poppies on but will not have enough, so we have enlisted the local knitters and crochet ladies who have supported in the past couple of years.”
Darrin Stevens said: “It’s only fitting I think that St Nicholas Church has a cascade as this is the home of the Withernsea war memorial clock that was paid for by the people of Withernsea and donated the £539 (about £29,000 today), as well as the plaque that names all the fallen soldiers of Withernsea and the civilians.”
The cascade commemorates VE Day from May 5 to May 11, VJ Day from August 11 to August 17, as well as Remembrance Day from September 1 to September 12.