'I got a bit carried away': 45,000 crocheted poppies on display in Yorkshire after woman spends lockdown creating installation

Lee Appleby is part of a craft group, and began making poppies for a display in Hackness a few years ago. Together they made 45,000 poppies for the display.

Since then, Lee decided to spend lockdown crocheting poppies. The poppies are now on display on The Croft in Newby and cover the post-box, as well as the wall on the edge of the nearby flats.

Lee said: “With Covid and everything, we couldn’t go out. I went a bit bonkers really with the poppies, for 16 months that’s what I was doing.”

“I created post-box toppers at Easter and Christmas to cheer people up. I thought I’ll do a little poppy installation because I had nothing else to do really and it just went a bit wild and I got a bit carried away with myself.”

Remembrance day, and the British Legion, are a big part of Lee’s family, and they have always supported the British Legion. Lee said: “We’ve got a big military background, so it’s important to us as a family, our family sacrificed a lot.”

“It’s surprising what the World Wars do to turn a family, it’s not just a sacrifice and people’s lives, it’s livelihoods, it’s people’s homes, it’s everything.”

There will be British Legion donation tins at Croft Fish Shop and the Golden Dragon Chinese from Saturday November 6, and anybody who wants to make a donation can do so by donating directly to the British Legion.