Express & Star

Poppies cascade down Dudley Castle in special Remembrance Day display

A cascade of poppies is showering down from the keep at Dudley Castle as a mark of remembrance for the war dead of Dudley.

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The new poppy display at Dudley Castle

About 400 poppies, made from recycled plastic and loaned by the Royal British Legion, have been attached to camouflage netting to make the eye-catching display which is said to be the largest temporary art installation created in the borough.

Rose Cook-Monk, poppy organiser for Dudley town centre, said: "I was one of the founders of the Dudley Remembrance Group, a group of volunteers who got together four years ago to save Dudley's Festival of Remembrance from going out of existence.

"This will take place at the Grand Hall at Dudley College at 7pm on November 11 and will include a wreath-laying ceremony and service before entertainment takes place performed by local artists.

"Anyone is welcome to attend the event, which is free of charge, but we do ask that they obtain tickets from the Black Country T-Shirt Shop or The Gentlemen Songsters Group.

"We decided to stage the cascade of poppies at Dudley Castle to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal British Legion, for which my parents and grandparents were collectors.

The new poppy display at Dudley Castle
In front of the display are Derek Grove, Rose Cook-Monk, Andy Monk, Melvyn and Margaret Mottram, Karl Denning and Stephen Parkes

"We felt that the cascade would be something special.

"People have paid £3 each to sponsor the poppies and this money will go to the Royal British Legion.

"The poppies will be on show at the Castle until the end of November and will then be returned to the Legion for recycling yet again.

The new poppy display at Dudley Castle
The new poppy display at Dudley Castle

"As a group we got together to keep the Festival of Remembrance going to remember the war dead of Dudley.

"The festival is a fitting tribute and will be followed by the act of remembrance at the War Memorial in Ednam Road on November 14 at 11am."

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