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Deal Knitting Club’s poppy wreath tribute gets whole town talking

A series of knitted poppy wreaths located around Deal was a secret project carefully created by a knitting group.

Deal Knitting Club were inspired by a similar Remembrance scheme in Whitstable and what started off as an idea resulted in 46 knitted wreaths, made out of 630 individual poppies put up in streets between Sandown Castle and Walmer Castle.

The red rings have been placed at sights that were bombed or shelled during the war including the High Street and Walmer Lifeboat Station. (See below for full list)

A wreath in Church Path
A wreath in Church Path

Each wreath has a label giving its location and a brief history of the incident that took place.

Jenny Ford, of Beaconsfield Road, Deal, has been administrator at the knitting club for three years.

She said: “As a local group we decided that we wanted to do something for Remembrance Day and for the community.

“We decided that the poppy wreaths would be the best way to hilight the specific streets that were affected by the war.”

Jan Shapley, Jenny Ford, Felicity Dolbear from Deal Knitting Club made the wreaths
Jan Shapley, Jenny Ford, Felicity Dolbear from Deal Knitting Club made the wreaths

The group of about 13 members starting work on the wreaths in August.

Mrs Ford loaned a book titled Deal & Walmer at War Time from Deal Library helping her to distinguish all the roads affected and formulate the history extract attached to each wreath.

A detailed history is attached to the wreath in Blenheim Road
A detailed history is attached to the wreath in Blenheim Road
Shells landed at this location in Northwall Road during the Second World War
Shells landed at this location in Northwall Road during the Second World War

They were placed around the town last Wednesday. Messages of support and pictures of the wreaths have since been shared widely on Facebook.

Mrs Ford said: “It seems to be overwhelming popular. People seem to have liked it.

“We weren’t sure if anyone was going to notice them so it’s been really nice that people have.”

Wreaths situated along The Strand
Wreaths situated along The Strand

You can find the knitted poppy wreaths at the following locations:

  • Outside RNLI Lifeboat Station
  • Campbell Road
  • Gladstone Road
  • Blenheim Road
  • Marine Road
  • Mill Road
  • Gilham Grove
  • St Leonards Road
  • Middle Street
  • Union Street
  • High Street
  • St Richards Road
  • Telegraph Road
  • Beaconsfield Road
  • Kingsdown Road
  • Herschell Road
  • Granville Road
  • Walmer Green (opposite The Lighthouse)
  • The Strand
  • Alfred Square
  • Park Street
  • Canada Road
  • Middle Deal Road
  • College Road
  • Queen Street (outside train station)
  • Albert Road
  • London Road (near fire station)
  • Stanley Road
  • Cannon Street
  • Golf Road
  • York Road
  • Mill Hill (near Tesco)
  • Stanhope Road
  • Harold Road
  • Church Path
  • Ranelagh Road
  • Prince of Wales terrace
  • Victoria Road
  • Wellington Road
  • Robert Street
  • Victoria parade
  • Clanwilliam Road
  • Market Street
  • Sandown Road (by Sandown Castle)
  • Northwall Road
  • Northcote Road
Another in Market Street which was shelled in 1944
Another in Market Street which was shelled in 1944
Explosives fell over Gladstone Road during the Second World War
Explosives fell over Gladstone Road during the Second World War

A special mention has been given to knitters Felicity Dolbear and Jan Shapley.

Deal Knitting Club meet in the Royal Hotel in Deal every Monday at 7.30pm. New members, regardless of ability, are welcome.

Collect a flyer from Swanstitch in the High Street, Deal, for more information or just turn up.

Pictures by Tony Flashman

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