THOUSANDS of knitted poppies will cover the village of Bembridge to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Over the last few months, the Rev Amanda Bloor, the vicar of Holy Trinity Bembridge, with the support of the parish council, has encouraged local people to knit, crochet and sew the poppies for this display.

“It’s caught the imagination of everyone in the village, not just churchgoers,” says Amanda. “I’d seen similar art projects in other villages using wool and fibre, and thought it seemed like a great idea. It’s ecologically friendly, it’s creative, and it gets people talking.”

The poppies will be strung together and hung along walls and fences from November 9th, to link Holy Trinity Church with the village War Memorial, and the churchyard at St Luke’s, where there are Commonwealth war graves.

Amanda is hoping the Bembridge poppies will help bring the village together, marking the centenary in a way that reaches people across boundaries: “Our village has a real sense of history – there are a lot of local names on the war memorial, and people alive who still remember those who fought.”

The poppies are part of Bembridge’s wider commemorations, including the ‘There But Not There’ installation in Holy Trinity Church, where three silhouetted figures represent the men who left the village to serve their country and never came back.

Large numbers of people are expected to attend a special Communion service at 9:30am on Remembrance Sunday, and the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial featuring music from an ex-RAF servicewoman, and two ponies representing animals who went to war.

The service will be followed by an indoor street party at the Parish Hall, with refreshments provided by the Women’s Institute, and with music from the era of the war.