Children at a Kirklees school have come up with a stunning Remembrance Day tribute
They and their teachers at Headfield C of E Junior School have created “Cascade” - a spectacular wave of poppies tumbling through the building’s central atrium.
And the work is drawing visitors from all over to the Dewsbury school, with many contributing to a collection on behalf of the Royal British Legion.
The work is reminiscent of the famous Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, which marked one hundred years since the first full day of Britain’s involvement in the First World War and saw 888,246 ceramic poppies progressively fill the landmark’s moat.
Part of that work went on show at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park this summer and that inspired Headfield head teacher Louise Warner.
Mrs Warner said: “I went to the Park a couple of weeks ago to see the poppies and it was wonderful.
“When I got back into school we chatted about it and decided we wanted to do something.
“We have been doing a lot of work with all the children about the wars, and the fact that a lot of soldiers from the Indian sub-continent fought in both World War I and World War II.
“WE have 614 children at the school and 99% are from a Muslim background and have taken a very keen interest in the war stories.
“Every child wanted to get involved in the art work and each of them made two poppies. We then made hundreds more and I estimate we have more than 2,000 poppies in the display”.
The poppies are individually mounted on a wire mesh screen which curls over the balcony on the third floor of the atrium and sweeps down into the lower ground floor.
A constant stream of people are visiting the school to take a look and Mrs Warner said they were taking donations for the Royal British Legion.
“It has created a lot of interest and we will probably leave it on display until Christmas.
“We will remember all those who gave their lives this weekend and continue to remember them”.
