Beautiful yarn bomb in Wing as thousands of poppies mark World War One Armistice centenary

Dedicated residents have been busy knitting, crocheting and feeling crafty in order to take on one of the community’s biggest ‘yarn bombing’ projects to date, with creative flowers even being sent from Australia and Spain.

Families have previously organised yarn bombs at Wing’s All Saints’ Church and village memorial for Remembrance Day, and also created summer children’s decorations; but for the anniversary marking the end of the Great War, they knew they wanted to do something special.

Organiser Maggie Ryan, 48, who stored many of the knitted poppies in her house, said: “It’s gone really really well. We got over 10,000 poppies in the end, which is why there are so many around the village - more than we’d anticipated.

“We got both the local schools involved. All the year seven children in Cottesloe did a poppy for me, and I also have banners from the children.

“Overstone [Combined School] have done their own poppies and we also got the local youth club involved.

“There is a lady in Chalfont St Peter who heard about us and did her own display in their church and that was part of the reason for doing it, to try and get other people inspired.”

Maggie has been overwhelmed with the amount of knitted poppies that she has been sent, largely due to the success of her Facebook page.

The creative mother of five set up a public group on the site asking for the knitted flowers, and as word spread, the donations just kept coming!

She added: “As you drive into the village from Leighton Buzzard there is a display with cascading poppies and another one which is really really good is at Pantling’s garage, by Bob and Marie.

“There’s a Chelsea Pensioner and a clock that stops at 11.

“It’s really fantastic.

“I want to say a big thank you to everybody who has helped, either by knitting or contributing in different ways.

“My girls have helped to make poppies and the boys have been trying not to fall over the endless bags of them! My husband Tony has been very supportive.”

Maggie and Tony live in Wing, with their children Jack 21, Charlie, 20, Nerece, 18, Kaila, 12, and Anya, 10.

And despite the numerous amounts of wool in the house, Maggie is ready to take on the challenge for Remembrance Day 2019.

The village’s plans for this year’s centenary include a piper playing at 6am, remembrance services in the church and the lighting of a beacon at 7pm on the football field.

To view more pictures of Wing’s poppy yarn bomb, search ‘Wing Armistice Centenary Poppies’ on Facebook.