Weymouth: Call to make thousands of poppies for fort display

People are being asked to create 5,500 poppies to form a cascade down a sea fort as part of a remembrance tribute.

Made from the bottoms of plastic bottles, the poppies will cover the entrance to Nothe Fort in Weymouth on Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

A free workshop for making the poppies is being held on Saturday at the Salvation Army shop in Westham Road.

Messages and names of loved ones who have served in the armed forces can be added to the poppies in their honour.

The art installation is being put together by We Are Weymouth, arts organisation Houseworks Dorset CIC, Weymouth & Portland Marine Litter Project and Nothe Fort.

The team behind the project are also asking people to donate one or two litre plastic bottles - the ones with "a bumpy bottom" to create the red flowers.

Jye Dixey, of We Are Weymouth, said: "With such a military history here in Weymouth we really wanted to do something within the community to commemorate remembrance.

"We need 5,500 poppies so really want to encourage as many locals as possible to join in."

After the display comes down the poppies will be kept to use again the following year, "building on the number of poppies and the size of the installation year on year", organisers said.

The vast curtain of poppies will go on display at the fort from 8 -21 November.

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