Wednesbury war memorial poppy field a step closer

Plans to create poppy a field in the heart of Wednesbury are moving forward after seeds were donated by a Black Country firm.

A community group wants to create the field, reminiscent of the battlefields of Northern France, as a lasting memorial to those who died in the two world wars and are buried in war graves at Wood Green Cemetery.

Councillor Peter Hughes of the Friends of Wood Green Cemetery, said the seeds will be sown over the next fortnight.

He said: "The florist read about our plans and got in touch to offer the poppy seeds for free. This will be a very fitting tribute to those people who gave their lives in both world wars.

"We eventually plans to install benches and a plaque and noticeboard list the names of those buried there."

It is also hoped some of the 43 war graves that have fallen into disrepair can be restored. The sea of poppies will be planted behind the existing war memorial at the military section of the cemetery, which dates back to 1868.

As well as acting as a permanent memorial to the dead, the poppies will also mark the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion, which was founded in 1921.

The flowers were donated by West Brom Flowers, which has been based on a stall outside Queens Square shopping centre in West Bromwich for 20 years.