An Aberdeenshire church is celebrating the return of their world renowned remembrance display to mark the centenary anniversary of the poppy.
Macduff Parish Church has been showered by 13,000 hand knitted poppies as the congregation relishes in the return of their popular poppy display for the first time in two years.
The display was first unveiled at the church in 2018 before going onto become an annual spectacle.
However, plans to reinstate the display last year were shelved as remembrance events across the country ground to a halt due to the pandemic.
With Covid restrictions lifted, masterminds behind the display were eager to revive the display to celebrate the milestone occasion.
Volunteer Helen Gow said the display has become a real gem in bringing the community together and paid tribute to co-ordinator Claire Nicholson.
“It’s fantastic for the people because there are a lot of Gordon Highlander veterans as well as Air Force and other military personnel,” she said.
“The fishing community as well, they all come together because of this.
“Claire was the one who started it and what a fantastic display.
“Also, she has given up so much of her time. She’s a working lass, single parent who knocks her pan in to do all this.
“I’m just so delighted to be part of this. My husband is a veteran of the Gordon Highlander so he was very keen to help us out.”
Overnight, members of Macduff Coastguard turned out to the Church to lay out the display, comprised of a fishing net and hand knitted poppies, just days before Armistice day.
Members of the congregation have also been busy working through the day on Friday to add the finishing touches.
Accompanying the church’s main spectacle is a small poppy display at the commonwealth war graves at Myrus Cemetery.
World renowned display
The spectacle was first instilled at the church commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War before going on to become a worldwide sensation.
Co-ordinator Claire Nicholson was the mastermind behind the project.
Eager to see the display take off, she issued a heartfelt appeal calling for knitters to create poppies for inclusion in the display.
The congregation were left overwhelmed by the public’s generosity, receiving around 13,000 poppies from across the community and further afield.
Before long, the venture became a worldwide sensation, with individuals from as far away as Australia, Belgium and America lending their support to the cause.
In 2019, a cross and a collection box was added to the display, which will be available for public viewing over the coming weeks.
Mrs Gow, said the collective efforts of all involved have resulted in a fantastic display of solidarity to those lost in conflict.
She added: “Claire Nicholson is the co-ordinator of the Macduff Poppy appeal, she was the one who started it. She put out a plea on Facebook at the time for people to knit poppies which they did by the thousands.
“There were poppies coming from Australia, America and Belgium.
“A 90-year-old lady from Belgium knitted poppies and posted them over so it’s gone worldwide. It just needed someone to see it on Facebook and it was passed here, there and everywhere.
“We attached them to fishing nets and they were displayed at the Macduff Church from the cross right down past the anchor. It’s a fantastic display.
“The people in Banff, Macduff and surrounding areas, there were thousands of people came the first year to see it because it was on the television.”