Purl of an idea for Remembrance Day poppy tribute

Knitters - your village needs you. In an echo of the First World War call to arms, people are being asked to answer a special Remembrance Day plea.

Nimble-fingered volunteers are wanted to create poppies to decorate a village memorial clock. If the call is answered, it is hoped to completely cover the memorial in Pelsall with the woolly tributes.

Knitters are invited to take part in a two-hour session at the village centre on Saturday, October 17.

Two different patterns have been designed and more than 20 copies have been sent out to church groups and knitting clubs.

The Big Knit is the brainchild of Councillor Gary Perry, who represents the ward. He said: "I'm always looking for inventive ways of funding the poppy appeal and putting the focus on Remembrance Day.

"I'd seen a similar project involving a memorial garden somewhere else in the country and thought how effective it had looked, and thought we could do it here."

To encourage people to take part, two different patterns have been designed and more than 20 copies have already been sent out to local church groups and knitting clubs.

To raise cash for the appeal, organisers are considering charging £5 to dedicate a poppy in memory of a loved one.

Councillor Perry said: "People have already started knitting. Just two volunteers have made over 20 poppies in a week.

"Knitters can either do their own thing or follow one of the patterns. As long as it's red and looks like a poppy it will be fine.

"People can work individually or come to the centre in two weeks time to be with everyone else. It will be quite a social event with tea and coffee, bringing people together.

"I bumped into our localMP Wendy Morton who told me she'd just bought some wool to take part in the project, which is fantastic, and even I'm going to have a go, even though I've never knitted anything in my life before.

"The idea is gathering pace and feels quite exciting. I really hope it will make a big impact."

The poppies will be placed on the memorial clock on November 1 and a Royal British Legion volunteer will collect donations at the spot until Remembrance Day on November 11.

The Big Knit will take place at Pelsall village centre in the High Street on October 17 between 10.30 and 12.30am.