It has certainly been an amazing few weeks. Since the last post in mid June, the number of poppies collected and packed up for storage until 2015, has nearly doubled. We have already reached and passed our initial target of 5,000 poppies! We have 5,066 now - That's very exciting news.. Having already passed our initial target, we've now decided that 10,000 is the new target. We all believe that is possible after what has happened since February this year. It would mean we can make sure all the local memorials have a good display as well on ANZAC Day in 2015.

Julie and I continue to be fascinated and delighted by where poppies come from. Poppies are being made by women  in such a variety of places and range from those making poppies whilst watching TV, chatting with friends, travelling around Australia in cars, caravans and motor-homes, in schools and aged care facilities and even while cruising down the Murray R. on a houseboat. They're even being made on a yacht in the Whitsundays and some have also been made whilst holidaying in Vanuatu.The variation in the poppies is so good - different knitted and crocheted patterns as well as a great variation in the felt poppies. Julie and Dianne Hardin are now busy with a Sizzix machine cutting out different felt poppies - proving to be interesting indeed.

Julie also collected 280 from the Anglican women at Raymond Terrace recently - many thanks to you wonderful women for that contribution.

The RSL have now told us that the rededication of the War Memorial at Tuncurry will be on 22nd February 2015. We plan to line the pathways with rows of poppies stuck on velcro - so they don't blow away. Hopefully we'll also have some massed around the memorial but will consult with the RSL men about all that.

Cruising down the Murray R.

Some of you may be interested in the updated project information too.