Duston’s remembrance poppy display restored with a new addition honouring animals of war
Duston Parish Council’s much-loved Remembrance Poppy display has been beautifully restored this year, with a striking new addition to mark the service and sacrifice of animals in wartime.
The display, first created to commemorate the WW1 Centenary in 2018, features thousands of hand-crafted red poppies cascading down the front of St Luke’s Centre. This year, the installation has been expanded to include over 1,000 purple poppies displayed on a wooden war-horse silhouette; a poignant tribute to the animals that served alongside soldiers.
The restoration and new design were completed with the help of Fiona from Cosy Rosie UK, working alongside the Fibre Arts Friends group that meet that the Duston Community Centre twice a month, and many talented local crafters who have been busy knitting and crocheting hundreds of poppies to bring the display back to life.
Chair of the Council Jan Ennis-Clark from Duston Parish Council said:
“It’s so good to see the beautiful remembrance display at St Luke’s Centre in Duston, both the red poppy display for all those who have served the country and the purple horse display which is specifically to remember all the animals who played a huge part particularly in WW1 - a huge thanks to all the wonderful volunteers and staff at Duston Parish Council who as always have done a sterling job. Thanks to all of them.”
Events and Engagement Manager Sarah Percival said: “It’s truly wonderful to see the Duston community come together in such a creative and heart warming way. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Cosy Rosie UK, Fibre Art Friends for helping achieve our vision, and also to the KnitWits who meet weekly in Duston Library for their beautiful contributions of post box toppers around Duston. These delightful creations have added to our display, and it’s been lovely to hear the lovely comments. Thank you to you all for hours upon hours of hard work”
The Duston Remembrance Poppy display will be on view throughout the Remembrance period, offering residents a chance to pause, reflect, and remember all who served - both human and animal alike. There will be a remembrance service held at St Luke's Church, Main Road, Duston on Sunday 9th November 2025 starting at 10 am. All welcome