We have our poppy cascade at last! On Thursday members from all four Chippenham WIs (shown above) met up to see it finally take pride of place in the Kandu Arts' shop window (thank you!) in Emery Gate. It was the first time we'd met up since the projects inaugural meeting at the end of February last year.
It was well worth the wait.
It's proving to be a showstopper already with people of all ages admiring the display. The icing on the cake was when we found out a number of the Emery Gate staff are ex-services, who were proud to pose in front of our handiwork with one of them saying "I'm so happy to see myself and my mates remembered by Chippenham for the service we've given."
Thanks also to Sue Maddick whose idea it was for a joint Chippenham WI project and to all the Belles who came out to see the cascade or made poppies for the display. We'll have an Our Town get together on Sunday 7th November for those Belles who couldn't join in the initial unveiling.
The cascade will remain on display until Remembrance Sunday on November 14th.
Update:
We made the local paper plus Wiltshire Federation's website, and NFWI used our tweet to call for more WI Remembrance stories!
Postscript: We took down the poppy cascade this morning (Monday 15th November)... and had an amazing reaction from loads of passers by who thanked us for what we've done. The Emery Gate staff and Kandu Arts are dead chuffed as well and apparently the centre's CCTV shows lots of people looking at the cascade and taking photos. Looks like we might have an annual event on our hands!
For the rest of our poppy story see:
Our initial get together at Rivo Lounge just prior to the first lockdown last year
Our virtual remembrance for VE75 in May 2020
Local news coverage and thanks from the RBL for our participation in Chippenham's virtual VE75 remembrance put together by Chippenham Museum
Our recent get together to attach our 309 poppies to the poppy cascade
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When we laid a poppy wreath in 2017 at Chippenham's memorial on behalf of all 4 Chippenham WIs
Our exploration for Our Town of the streets in Pewsham named after soldiers killed in WW1 and WW2