Although we had a massive number of Halloween bags to prepare, we had also begun a project to create a public display for Remembrance Day on Bury Road. Last year Councillor Warren had made silhouettes of soldiers painted black, along with small wooden poppies and with the help of Councillor Newall they placed lamp post poppies along the full stretch of the Breightmet ward on Bury Road. This year, myself, Simon, Gavin and David planned to use donated wood given to the allotments to create fourty large wooden Remembrance Day poppies. We would sell twenty at £10 and place twenty on Bury Road, rather than being about raising money, it was about encouraging pride in the community and reminding everyone what we have in common. So I set about designing the poppy.
At first we had ideas for smaller poppies along with the big poppies, we dropped this plan once we realized just how much work it would take. The paint was £40, we had spare woodrn poles from Halloween, we had the poppy wood but lacked the wood needed for the leafs so that was another £16, then we needed yacht varnish which would be another £25, then during the project the jigsaw broke and we had to spend another £40.
Due to Covid19 we had to restrict location, people and places the work could be done. Gavin and Simon did there part at the allotments, myself I did my part in my own flat and truth be told David did at least 50% of the entire project in his garage and kitchen.
The end result was worth it, we sold the twenty, we made a donation of £100 to the British Legion and most importantly the display was very well recieved by the public. Councillors Newall, Warren and Fletcher all helped place lamp post poppies, Councillor Newall and Warren made plastic poppies, Councillor Warren made additonal silhouettes of soldiers and with volunteers myself, Simon, Stuart, Sue and Dave we all worked together to put up the display and when the time came, to also take it all down.
Not a single poppy or silhouette was vandalized or stolen. Despite Breightmets reputation, the one thing we do have is respect for our armed forces and a strong sense of community. Councillor Warren is already making plans for next year with talks of either a wooden tank or wooden horse, we will have to wait and see..
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