Poignant Dudley 'Poppy Walk' officially opened by mayor

The walk, featured at the Coronation Gardens, will display 720 poppies inscribed with the names of the 720 fallen soldiers remembered on the Dudley War Memorial.

The walk was opened by Dudley Mayor, Councillor Sue Greenaway, in a poignant display of remembrance that saw the bright red poppies flood the grounds of Coronation Gardens.

Organiser, Rose Cook-Monk, spoke about organising the poppy walk, she said: "Everyone has been so fantastic, everyone has been making their own poppies that we have added to the walk.

"People have been knitting and crocheting these poppies, there are 720 of them marking each name on the war memorial on the clock tower."

This year will also feature the purple poppy – remembering all of the animals that died in war – and a flower war horse and saddle to mark the pivotal role that horses played in the First World War.

Ms Cook-Monk, said: "Elizabeth Loraine Flowers have included a purple poppy and a horses head and saddle made out of flowers to remember the animals who died in the war.

"We have tried to include everyone, we have really tried to include all aspects of war, so it is sombre, but it has brightened up the area as well, it's a mixture of sadness and joyfulness."

The memorial has been received positively by the public, with visitors noting how colourful the area looks with the poppies laid out.

Ms Cook-Monk added: "It's been really lovely; two ladies stopped by and said how lovely it all looks. We have had a lot of comments about how great the display looks.

"The more people that make the poppies the more visible it is for the next generation, I hope that by 2025 all of Dudley will be covered in a sea of bright red poppies."

The walk is free to visit now, with the final additions taking place on Remembrance Sunday.