In the bright morning sunshine, two Harrogate Borough Council workers and their friend started putting up the annual knitted poppy display outside Bettys, ready for Remembrance Sunday.
Frank McCann and Michael McElhinney both work as as civic attendants — but today have been putting up the poppies display with volunteer, Lindon Wallace.
Mr McCann told the Stray Ferret:
“The poppies have all been hand knitted by thoughtful volunteers in Harrogate and we’ll put them all around the war memorial.
“It reminds people of the sacrifice made and on a beautiful day like this it really adds a splash of colour and interest.”
On the pavement there are bin liners full of the handmade poppies. The men have no idea how many poppies there are — they have 500 ties so Mr McCann said hundreds, maybe thousands, will be put up in the coming days.
Mr McCann added:
“It’s been very noticeable over the last few years that there’s been an increasing interest in this. Ever since the 100th anniversary of the First World War — it brought people’s mind back into focus.
“As another part of my role, I will be up at the war graves at the crematorium. Young people are buried there — a lot from Canada. Something like that hits home. They were really little kids who died all those years ago.”
The Royal British Legion will formally launch its Poppy Appeal on Thursday. To donate click here.
Remembrance Sunday is on November 13.
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