An idea from a church treasurer and PCC member at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Drax, near Selby, has helped start a new twenty-strong ‘Knit-and-Natter’ group meeting in the village pub, The Huntsman, on a Wednesday lunch time.
Its first project is to knit enough red poppies to make a ‘waterfall’ style display outside the church to mark the centenary of the First World War Armistice in November this year.
Drawing people from Drax, Long Drax and Newland, the group aims to research the lives of those local people who died in the two World Wars, but with a particular focus this year on the Great War and those whose names are recorded on the memorial inside the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul.
The Revd Becky Allright is new to the village as a pioneer curate, and is looking at ways in which the church can become more relevant to the lives of people living in Drax, Camblesforth and Carlton.
Becky says, “The Huntsman is quickly becoming a community hub in Drax and is a great place to meet. When landlord Pete said he’d heard some locals would like to set up a craft group I was keen to help. The next day our treasurer Evelyn came to visit me with this great idea to knit poppies! This is a small step towards renewing the church’s links into village life - we’d love to hear from anyone who has ideas about how this historic church can be opened up to the community in the future.”
Ideas suggested so far include a peace garden or a heritage centre for schools and groups, or offering a venue for a skill-share initiative, a cinema or other social get togethers.
Other Planning for the November Armistice commemoration in the village includes the possibility of a ‘ride-by’ on horses with purple poppies to commemorate the animals used in the conflict and the many who died.
- A talk in church on 'World War One and why we still remember' by Major Chapman from SO2 Op REFLECT, 4 Infantry Brigade and HQ North East is planned from 6.00pm to 7.30pm on the 8th November.