Soldiers in a sea of school-made poppies appears at end of high street
Two Tommy silhouettes in a sea of poppies made by primary school children have appeared at the end of Mere Street in Diss. PHOTO; Sophie Smith - Credit: Archant
Drivers passing through Mere Street to Victoria Road will be greeted by the sight of two soldiers in a field of poppies as of Tuesday, November 6.
Andrew Rackham of the Diss Waveney Rotary Club has worked in partnership with Diss Town Council and Norfolk County Council to create the commemorative display on the Mere Street garden bed for the centenary of the First World War.
The display, which went up on Tuesday morning, depicts two silhouettes of 'Tommy' fighters, a First World War replica memorial and a 'sea' of hand painted wooden poppies decorated by Diss and Roydon primary pupils.
The Town Council is honouring servicemen and women as part of the celebrations to mark 100 years since the end of World War One in a number of different ways in the centenary year.
It is part of a partnership project, funded by South Norfolk Council, will see improvements made to the end of Mere Street and will be followed by the installation of the town's main Christmas tree soon after.
It was hoped that a 6ft Tommy silhouette, purchased by the Diss Waveney Rotary Club, would stand in the poppy sea but delays in formalising the groundworks meant that it is now on tour at the Corn Hall before moving to St Mary's Church.
Mr Rackham now plans to install similar projects near to the Museum and on the Market Place. Mr Rackham also hopes that war poems will be inscribed on to the silhouettes or plaques he is preparing.
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Elsewhere in the town the Diss Waveney Rotary Club have organised a memorial concert, There But Not There, at St Mary's Church on November 17. Profits from the event will be shared between the Combat Stress Charity and Diss Waveney Rotary Club.
Traditional Remembrance Day celebrations, organised by the Royal British Legion and supported by the Town Council, include a parade starting from near the Mere's Mouth at 2pm on Sunday, November 11.
