ANZAC Day 2015

Well finally I have collected some photos to put in the blog. Sorry it has taken me so long but both Julie and I were away the following week.

About 5.30am on ANZAC Day, several of us from St Alban's came down to plant a number of poppies which some of us had made on Friday afternoon.These particular poppies were made mainly from old red shopping bags(eg. Liquorland) and tied on to the top of green dyed bamboo skewers which had black tufty centres glued to the top.  These poppies were easily planted in the sandy soil around the Tuncurry War Memorial.My husband also erected the ANZAC letters which had been made for us by the Men's Shed volunteers.

When we arrived there was a huge crowd gathered already. There ended up being over 3,000 people at this Dawn service. This photo shows some of the poppies around the paths and the seated crowd before the sun rose during the service. We just put up the ANZAC letters and planted poppies in the garden around the Lone Pine and they were very effective. We left placing poppies along the pathways until later.

After the Dawn service, and helped by Ted Bickford's young people, we lay out the poppies in double rows around the pathways.  4,500 poppies on Velcro strips were used to edge the pathways. While this was happening a number of people helped to lay out the sheets of poppies. These poppies were "stapled" on to sheets to make the massed display below the ANZAC letters.(approx. 9,000 poppies)

The 11am service started after the march came down Manning St. There was a slightly smaller crowd but many sat on the hill - around our poppy display and the ANZAC letters. We left the display until 3pm when the shadows were coming across and the atmosphere was getting damper. People had continued to come all afternoon to take photographs of this wonderful display to which so many of the community had contributed.

When the poppy sheets were all dried they were rolled up and packed in boxes. All the poppies are being stored by the RSL for display in coming years.

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HELPED TO MAKE THE

 GREAT LAKES 5000 POPPY PROJECT 

SUCH A SUCCESS.

Julie Davies and Margot Bilston - co-ordinators

Nearly there

We had about 16 ladies at Crafty Tuesday morning this week. They were involved in finishing off the sheets and making some more poppies on skewers to plant around the mats of poppies.

This is a photo that Belinda took on Tuesday morning. We had laid out the sheets of poppies to see how they looked. There are a few poppies in a jar too.  The letters, ANZAC , will be standing up when the display is set out.

I am planning to go across to the War Memorial early ANZAC Day with a few other people and we'll put out some of the poppies, especially some on skewers. However, they will have to be collected and then put out again for the 11am service because there will be no-one around for a few hours.

 It is an exciting time, the culmination of lots of hard work by many people. I will post some photos after the service on Saturday.

Great Lakes Advocate article

Wow! What a wonderful article that Rebecca Casson has written about our poppy project. She has included a lovely photo and it's all on the front page!!
If interested, go to greatlakesadvocate.com.au to read the article.

It's great publicity for the church and for the project.

Rededication of Tuncurry War Memorial 22nd Feb 2015

This was a truly memorable day – not least of all because the forecast rain didn’t fall. We had lots of people praying for fine weather and the Lord must have heeded our prayers. When we arrived at 9am to put out the poppies along the paths, there were black clouds overhead, but by the time the service stated at 11am we had blue skies and hot sun – Thanks Lord!

Ted Bickford and all his assistants, young and old, helped us put out double rows of poppies along all the pathways and a single row around the inner garden areas. When we realised we still had more poppies on the Velcro strips, the young girls decided to put the letters ANZAC out on the bank behind the memorial.

It looked great too. The poppies with dedications on them were placed at the back of the main monument. We had about 4,500 poppies on the Velcro strips - lots of work by many many women!

Graeme Kernick, secretary to the Tuncurry-Forster RSL sub-branch, was the MC and did an excellent job, despite having to stand sweltering in the hot sun for a long time. Early in the service, he acknowledged the work done by the Great Lakes 5000 Poppies project and then asked Julie and I to come forward. We were surprised and honoured to each receive a medal for our work in starting and encouraging the work of all the ladies who contributed to the great visual display there. We feel the medals belong to all the contributors, not just us.

Frank Brady, the President of the Sub-branch, and Pastor Moran delivered excellent addresses before the rededication of the War memorial at Tuncurry in the Lone Pine Memorial Park. This War memorial had been moved so more people could be accommodated at services such as ANZAC Day and is now centred on the Lone Pine planted by the Vietnam Vets in 2007. This pine tree is an offspring from trees that were grown from pine cones taken from the Lone Pine battlefield in Gallipoli.

After the service, many of us enjoyed food from the Halliday’s Point Lions club sitting in the shade and enjoying the good Newcastle Army band concert. They had played also during the service.

It was an excellent day and makes us even more enthusiastic about ANZAC Day this year when we plan to have a field of poppies behind the Memorials. There probably won’t be much more in the blog until then. We'll all be very busy attaching several thousand poppies to sheets! - Margot

Thanks to our husbands

Both Julie Davies and I, Margot Bilston, are married to wonderful men who have supported us during the past 12 months since we started this 5000 poppy project. John and Ken's immense forbearance has meant we've been able to devote lots of time and energy to the project. I know they will be pleased when we hand over the poppies to the R.S.L. sub- branch on ANZAC Day. Then they hope to have their wives' full attention again and homes free of poppies! However, John and Ken, there's another 2 months to go.

The rededication today turned out very well indeed and as usual, John and Ken were there to support and help us.

Thank you John and Ken.

Rededication

This will be a short post but it's reminding you that the rededication of the Tuncurry War Memorial will occur this Sunday 22nd. at 11am. There will be a band present too, and a BBQ lunch at the Memorial Hall after the band concert. It sounds like a great program for the day and we're all praying for fine weather.

Ted Bickford, our extraordinary Graffiti Buster in Forster-Tuncurry, has organise about 12 young people (and parents) to come and assist Julie and me put out the poppies. Our husbands, John and Ken, are also helping.They have been really marvellous supporting us in this project but I'm sure they will be very  happy to have homes free of poppies after ANZAC Day.

Yesterday, Julie and I collected the red painted letters - A, N, Z, A, C - from the Men's shed here. They look great! The letters are 50cms tall and will go on tree guards near the War Memorial on ANZAC Day.

Today we had some more lovely women come to join us on our Crafty Tuesday morning at the Church hall to make poppies. They had seen our ad in the Advocate where we were appealing for more poppies. We've attached about 4,500 poppies to the approx. 240m of Velcro strips - to be used on Sunday. Julie and a couple of other women are working to cover strips of sheeting with poppies but that takes quite a long time to do. There are over 800 poppies on a single bed sheet. The poppies are attached to wide strips of sheeting using a price tagging gun - we now have several of these guns to make things go faster.

It's great to see that poppies continue to be delivered to the parish office so we will make a reasonable field of poppies for ANZAC Day. PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING EVERYONE.

2015 - close to War Memorial Rededication on 22nd Feb

It's a long time since my last post but there's been a big family gathering here over Christmas and New Year so poppies have been rather neglected. It seems that most of our poppy makers have also been otherwise occupied as there weren't many poppies handed in early in January.

Today we received about 350 - wonderful! This means we probably have collected well over 12,000 poppies now and on the way to 13,000. We've really stopped counting every one as we're using poppies in different ways. Some poppies are going on to sheets to create a field of poppies on ANZAC Day and lots are going on to Velcro strips.

 This photo shows a few poppies along the new pathway.

These strips of poppies will be used to line the pathways when the Tuncurry War Memorial is rededicated on 22nd February. We're delighted that our wonderful graffiti Buster, Ted Bickford, and his helpers are going to assist in putting out and picking up the poppies on 22nd. Feb. Many thanks to Ted and your group for helping us in this way -  the Great Lakes 5000 Poppies ladies!

We've placed and ad in the local paper, The Advocate, for 11th Feb and we're appealing to the public for more poppies. We need more so we have enough to line the pathways and to cover the sheets for ANZAC Day.

 
We've also made many smaller poppies and stitched brooch pins to the back of them. The RSL sub-branch people will take as many as possible of these as they like to wear them on ordinary shirts. We gave some of these small poppies and a variety of larger poppies to 14 school children and the accompanying adults who are travelling overseas to visit war cemeteries and see battlefields in Europe in April. They will place the larger poppies on gravestones. It's unfortunate that the situation in Turkey has meant that schools are not taking pupils to Gallipoli now.

Here are some of the wonderful poppy makers at a Tuesday morning workshop.

We're all ages and are enjoying the friendship here as we work and chat.

WOW - We've now collected over 10,000 poppies.

This is just an amazing result. Julie and I never expected that we'd make this number so quickly. In late February when we started, we thought a target of 5,000 was ambitious. When we reached that, we decided we'd try to make 10,000 poppies. We never expected we'd make that target before the end of November - only 9 months.
CONGRATULATIONS and MANY THANKS to all you amazing women who have been making poppies for us. It's a thrill to open a parcel which has been sent to us and find even more beautiful poppies to add to our collection. However, we're happy to accept even more poppies to make our display next year look really impressive.

As we've reached this last target of ten thousand poppies, we've been able to pass on to the Forster-Tuncurry R.S.L. sub-branch 3,000 poppies. This means they will be able to give 500 poppies to each of the six local centres with war memorials.

We're continuing to discuss just how we will use these lovely poppies when the War Memorial at Tuncurry is rededicated on 22nd Feb. and then for the major display on ANZAC Day 2015.

I've also included a photo of the wreath made for Remembrance Day which Julie and I laid on behalf of the local community.

REMEMBRANCE DAY 2014

Remembrance Day 2014

Julie and Margot made a wreath from over 100 poppies which they laid at the Remembrance Day service at Forster, NSWNearly 500 poppies were used to decorate the altar at St Alban's church last Sunday. We tried to follow the idea from the Tower of London, with a river of "Blood" red poppies spilling out of the basket and spreading in front of the altar. There was also an unveiling of the refurbished honour boards in the church hall after morning tea and these had poppies around them too.

We're thrilled that ladies everywhere are still making poppies to add to our collection.  Keep them coming so we can make a great display next year.
The RSL sub-branch people are thrilled with our display plans for the rededication service at Tuncurry on 22nd Feb. and for ANZAC day next year. We have over 9,500 poppies now and will be giving 3,000 of these to the RSL so they can hand them on to the local memorial committees. These people will then be able to plan their own display for ANZAC Day 2015.

I'd still love to have more poppies dedicated to people who served in wars. We have some but not many yet. If you wish, let us know by email, the name and details and we'll put a dedication on a poppy for you. The email address is: 5000poppiesgreatlakes@gmail.com

Here's a photo of some of the stacked up boxes in a garage.

We are now discussing with lots of people how we will display the Poppies at Tuncurry on ANZAC Day 2015 . With all the poppies being made, we will give 500 to the RSL for each of the local centres to display too.

We're all excited having reached 9,000 completed poppies now. In fact there are 9,045 poppies all ready to be displayed. We carefully pack and store in polystyrene boxes. There are 500 poppies in each box.

We're very grateful for the donation of these boxes by our local Forster fruit and vegetable shop - Farmer's Patch.

However, our first display will be when the rededication of the Tuncurry War memorial happens on 22nd Feb. 2015 . Poppies will line all the pathways and there will be a small display - but not all of the poppies will be on display then as we want ANZAC Day to be the major event.

I continue to be stunned and thrilled by all the poppies we receive from so many women around the area! One woman arrived with 140 poppies in  plastic bag and wanted some more yarn so she could knit more when  she holidayed in New Zealand - how wonderful is that? There are also the many other dedicated and regular contributors of poppies with their 7-20each week. It really makes the total mount up quickly and we've now reached 8880 poppies with our 10,000 target very close indeed. The RSL sub-branch in Forster-Tuncurry is thrilled with all these and discussions are occurring as to how we will display all these poppies to their best advantage and ensure that they are a mark of respect and remembrance of all those who have been part of military forces - in war and peace.

Once again many thanks to all you wonderfully dedicated poppy makers.

By the way, we haven't heard from many about dedications put on their poppies. I want to list all these if possible.

Till next time, keep making the poppies!

8,000 poppies and still counting!

What an amazing effort this is by the many dedicated women who continue to knit and crochet poppies and as well as some women concentrating on making felt poppies. One of our ladies is crocheting small poppies which have a brooch pin sewn on and can be used by men and maybe even the travelling school group who are going to Gallipoli next year. Everyone deserves congratulations for their great efforts working towards our aim of 10,000 poppies.

At the Crafty Tuesday last week there were lots of poppies handed in which included 500 from Margot. This collection included ones made in Vanuatu, in the Whitsundays as well as in the Snowy Mts. in the past 3 months. It never ceases to amaze me where the poppies are being made which are then added to our collection here at St Alban’s Anglican Church in Forster. We will have a lovely problem of how to display all these poppies at the rededication of the War Memorial at Tuncurry in late February and then on ANZAC Day. However, I’m sure that will all be organised and they will make an amazing display as well as lining the pathways of the War memorial. It will be a great reminder all the people who have been part of military forces.


Outlook across the beach where the poppies were made in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu    




        Many of the poppies spilling out of the raffia Vanuatu bag.

     

Display of the variety of poppies made as people cruised in the Whitsundays     

         

Geraldine, one of the dedicated poppy makers sitting in the sun on a yacht in the Whitsundays in September 2014

Poppy makers were looking out across these snow gums to the snow covered mountains in the background as they made poppies.             

This is a display of those poppies in the snow

 

Dedications    I’m aware that some people have attached dedications to their poppies. If you would let Julie know by email at: 5000poppiesgreatlakes@gmail.com, we’ll make a list of all the names of the people for whom the poppies are dedicated and include them on the blog.

Keep making poppies all you wonderful people.

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.

Even more poppies - now 2,682 collected!

Another exciting time as I collected 150 poppies from an older woman today which she and a friend have made recently. Our friendly contributor made most of these poppies while caring for a local shop. As she makes them she enjoys talking about the project to her customers. Quite an amazing woman!
 Along with more poppies that have been finished off today, we're now well over half way to our initial target. We've collected nearly 800 poppies in the past 2 weeks - an amazing effort on everyone's part.

 Thanks all you wonderful poppy makers!

Halfway there -2,500 poppies now boxed up!

We're finding the community response is really wonderful and so supportive. Not only we do have great support from our Anglican Church and the RSL but from the Tuncurry craft shop, other shops around Forster and Tuncurry who are displaying our posters, service and social groups and also many people in the community. The local newspaper, the Great Lakes Advocate has continued to publish our articles and support us also.We're very grateful for this on-going support and encouragement from so many.

On Pentecost Sunday, 8th June, two of our churches used the poppies in the flower arrangements - they looked great. Since then we've had another community Poppy Workshop. There was a great buzz of friendly chatting as the women worked on knitted, crocheted and felt poppies. During the morning a wonderful woman arrived with a bag of 192 poppies!! We were stunned by her contribution, but so thrilled with this. She couldn't stay and join us but said she'll continue making poppies for our community project. Another woman brought in 52 and another 73. I'd also received 55 from one of the ladies at church on Sunday. These, added to those finished and handed in by the wonderful hard working women today, brought our total to 2,500.  This is half of our target and to have reached it already is just amazing. We thanks God for all the enthusiastic women who are making poppies for the Forster-Tuncurry 5000 poppy project and handing them in to us.

The Federation Square 5000 poppy project is going really well too. Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight, the two women who started the project, aimed for 5,000 poppies to carpet Federation Square on ANZAC Day next year. They now have over 12,500 and are now aiming for 25,000! We copied the poppy making idea from them ( with their permission). When I visited them in Melbourne at federation Square on ANZAC Day this year, they were delighted to hear how we were going too.

A women from Forster has just been at Villers- Bretonneux Adelaide cemetery and place some of our poppies on Australian soldiers graves. I understand that she was there with her husband  for D-Day celebrations - just like out PM last weekend. It's so special to think of these poppies which were made here in Forster are now on an Australian grave over in France. We thank her for taking them over and then taking the effort to send us photos of where the poppies had been placed.

We look forward to the next few months as we continue to work hard to achieve our target of 5,000 poppies.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Many thanks everyone - poppy makers and other supporters, such as our wonderful husbands.

I

We continue to be amazed by the number of poppies we're receiving. It's wonderful. One woman sent us 100 that she'd knitted for our project - great work indeed. Many women around the Forster area are handing in bags with 10-30 poppies in each. This means we now have over 1,900 poppies! Our target of 5,000 for ANZAC Day next year looks as if we'll achieve it easily. This means we may be able to give more to the smaller centres around the Great Lakes area to use at their services while still having a large mass of poppies at the Tuncurry memorials. We do plan to send some to the originators of the Poppy project to be used in Federation Square next year.

Julie has been experimenting with the ribbed poppy pattern, doing 3rib as well as 4 rib and a 4 knit, 2 purl rib. Photo below is of these different ribbed poppies. The top left 4 x 2; top right 4 x 4 ; bottom poppy is the 3 x 3 rib. They seem to look a bit more like poppy petals.

Some of our poppies will be decorating the churches at Forster and Tuncurry on Pentecost Sunday 8th June instead of other red flowers - they look marvellous on the branches in vases!

Our crafty Tuesdays continue to be a great time of chat and laughter - as well as poppy making.
The next community workshop is on 10th June and, as usual, is at St Alban's Anglican Church hall, Forster. Hoping to see some of you there.