Dozens of members from across the community joined at the Bowers Hill War Memorial in Redlynch on Friday afternoon to watch members of the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue team assist the Morgan’s Vale, Redlynch and Woodfalls Branch of the Royal British Legion drape a net of poppies over the nearby tree.

It was in honour of the branch’s 100th anniversary.

The installation was the brainchild of Royal British Legion member Jim Pearce, who got the idea last Remembrance Day from a picture in his home of the ceramic poppies that were installed at the Tower of London in 2014.

Knowing that the branch should do something special for its centenary, the call went out to members of the community via an advert in the parish magazine and workshops hosted by artists Elizabeth Tanner at A Tail of Yarn Studio and Alison Hulme at Alison Hulme Textiles in the Whiteshoot area of Redlynch.

After 2,500 poppies were received, Jim’s wife Sandra said they lost count.

The spectators were joined by John Glen, MP and more than a dozen schoolchildren from Morgan’s Vale and Woodfalls CE Primary School who came to watch the event at the end of the school day.

“At least these children will remember what all this is about because they’re the future, aren’t they? That’s what it’s all about,” Pearce said.

John Glen said he was impressed by the uniqueness of the commemoration and the cohesiveness of the community to bring it to realisation.

He said: “I’ve been the MP twelve-and-a-half years I’ve never seen such a fantastic community response to the Remembrance Day service and this is a completely novel way of bringing everyone together to commemorate what is obviously a massive sacrifice for this community and many communities", 

The poppies will remain on the tree and be floodlit until November 21, and it is hoped that their presence will further enliven the aesthetics of two Remembrance Day Parades in the community on November 11.