The Black Country's creative, striking and emotional tributes created to honour Remembrance Day

Creative displays including flowers, poppies and wool have been designed and put together by shop keepers, community leaders and caring individuals alike, all with the aim of honouring those who fought and who died in conflicts across the generations.

Each has been created by people with links to the armed forces or members of their family who fought in wars or who are at the forefront of efforts to continue reminding people of the importance of Armistice Day and Remembrance Day and the poppy appeal.

Here is just a selection of some of the stirring pieces completed and why the people behind them created them.

Kingswinford Women's Institute display

Members of the Kingswinford Women's Institute have completed a massive knitting project in association with the Kingswinford Royal British Legion, the Friends of Kingswinford and Wordsley Libraries craft group.

The group, which include the Women's Institute's knit and natter group, have created a five-and-a-half metre mounted display on the side of the Kingswinford Royal British Legion on Summerhill with multiple poppies at the top, a large one at the bottom and "Lest We Forget" in the middle.

Women's Institute vice president Shelly Smith said the idea had been to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the British Legion in Kingswinford and spoke about the work that had gone into creating the display.

She said: "It's quite a spectacle, to be honest, and it's fitting that this is the first time the British Legion has had such a spectacle on the building and a lot of work has gone into it, being knitted and crocheted.

"I've worked closely in previous years with the British Legion and with St Mary's Church as I'm a Scout leader and we've done a lot of work with Bob Townsend, who is the head of the poppy appeal for Kingswinford and who has promoted the appeal across the community.

"Through that, we wanted to do something as the Women's Institute which everyone could enjoy and I think we've got something which is very tasteful and respectful and shows that knitting is what goes hand-in-hand with the Women's Institute.

"Remembrance is a big part of my social calendar and has been every year since I was nine, so to be able to do something which gets new people involved in Remembrance is wonderful."

Amblecote Councillors and Queens Cross Network poppy field

Residents and councillors in Amblecote have worked together to create a vivid and large poppy field using recycled plastic bottles.

More than 2,000 poppies made from plastic bottles have been planted on the roadside ahead of this year's Remembrance commemorations over the past nine months by people living with a disability who attend Queens Cross Network in Dudley.

The poppies are made from the bottoms of plastic bottles, which are then painted red, with the bottle top used as the centre of the flower.

The poppy installation was organised by Amblecote councillors Paul Bradley, Pete Lee and Kamran Razzaq.

Councillor Razzaq said he and his fellow councillors had helped to put the poppies out on the road and said he felt very proud to see the final result.

He said: "I was part of the team working to put them out and I think, to be honest, it has turned out fantastic and the location is just amazing, because it's the main road and people are able to see it as they drive up and down, which is quite emotional.

"Full credit to all the users of Queens Cross because the work they have done is fantastic from all the bottles to create these poppies.

"It's also a nice way to educate people about Remembrance and there have been children heading home froms school and asking about why the poppies are there and it's an education for them, plus it's the least we can do for our fallen heroes."

Dudley Remembers poppy cascade

A traditional display of poppies raining down the side of Dudley Castle can be seen by anyone heading into the town.

The temporary art installation contains more than 350 poppies, made from recycled plastic, to remember fallen war heroes and will now be on show until November 22.

The memorial has been organised by local community group, Dudley Remembers, who invited people to sponsor a poppy in support of the 100th anniversary of the Royal British Legion.

Group member and poppy appeal organiser Rose Cook-Monk said the original idea had come from a stirring display at the Tower of London and spoke about how the display could help encourage debate about the subject of Remembrance.

She said: "This all came from the Tower of London display, which had these wonderful ceramic poppies running down the tower, one of which I bought and which sits in my office, and it was when my son Matthew said we had a fabulous castle as well that I thought than rather than talking about it, let's just do it.

"It's the third year we've been able to do it, have initially bought the poppies through sponsorship from people and then saving as many as we can and reusing them each year, while also growing it and making it bigger every year.

"It's about getting the word out to younger people that we are not glorifying war at all, but are remembering those who gave their lives so that we can live.

"Everyone has different opinions and religions and ideas and it is because people died in wars that we have that privilege to be able to do that."

Clare's Florist window display

A Willenhall florist has used her own family military history and her desire to create a new window feature every month to create a striking display honouring both the fallen and Queen Elizabeth II.

Clare Dunn has created in the window on Clare's Florist a vivid display which uses poppies, the Union Jack and portraits of the late Queen as a younger and older woman, as well as messages honouring those who fell in battle with "Lest We Forget" prominently shown.

Ms Dunn said she had worked to produce a new display every month and had decided two years ago to do a Remembrance display alongside the Queen as a mark of respect for both.

She said: "I put a display in the window every month and started to think about what I could do for November a few years ago, so made sure to start doing Remembrance and whenever it comes to that time, I will do a Remembrance window.

"The first year we did it, which was about two years ago, the Queen was still with us and it was good to notice the soldiers who had fought for the country, such as my aunt who was in the army and my dad, so when the Queen passed away, I thought it was really important to incorporate her into the display.

"It's a beautiful display as so many people walk past it and comment on it, plus plenty of children look at it and comment about the Queen, which is lovely that they recognise her, so it's just great to see the reactions of people as they walk past the shop."

The unknown knitter

On the streets of Willenhall, the conversation is about who is the kind-hearted and creative person behind a new postbox topper.

No one can say for certain who is responsible for the latest topper, which has green wool, blue and red poppies and a full image of a soldier with helmet at the top.

Clare Dunn said she believe that the person behind it usually did it at night and said she wished she knew who was the person behind it.

She said: "I honestly don't know who is responsible and I have asked everyone, but no one knows as they seem to come under the cover of darkness.

"It's absolutely gorgeous though and I'd love to meet the person behind it."