CRAFTY neighbours have drawn on decades of needlework expertise to commemorate the fallen of the First World War.
Members of the craft club at The Sir E D Walker Trust, in Darlington, came together to crochet, knit and sew poppies for a display to mark the centenary of the war’s end in the community’s library and social area.
The project was the idea of resident Pat Wilson, who also produced her own work in cross-stitch for the display.
“I’d heard about other people doing displays and I thought wouldn’t it be nice if we did one. We always have a project on the go and as each one finishes we start something new, and this was one everyone wanted to contribute to,” said Pat.
The display is especially poignant for resident Joyce Johnson, who has shared mementos of her own family, including so-called Dead Man’s Pennies honouring two of her uncles who were killed in the war.
“Their brother, my father Clarence MCloughry, was called up three days after his 17th birthday. He was a prisoner of war but survived, unlike his older brothers,” explained Joyce.
Jane Reed, manager of The Sir E D Walker Trust, who produced silhouettes of soldiers for the display, added: “Everybody has done something towards it. Those who can’t knit or crochet sewed buttons on and everybody helped put it all together.”
Chairman of the Trust, Alasdair MacConachie, said: “There are some very talented ladies among the residents. I am very impressed with what they’ve produced for this special centenary.”
The craft club meets weekly and has made a host of items including candles, knitted and crocheted blankets for the homeless and gifts for children attending nearby Ferndene Nursery.
The Trust, in Coniscliffe Road, is a charity that was set up following a bequest to the town from former Mayor of Darlington Sir Edward Daniel Walker. It provides sheltered accommodation on a private site for older people of the borough of Darlington who are capable of independent living and in need of housing. For more information, visit www.siredwtrust.co.uk