Thanks! Volunteers found to help D-Day knitted soldiers reach France
However donations of plywood and mini sandbags still needed for the 80m display in Normandy
Briton Tansy Forster, who lives near the Normandy landing beaches, rallied volunteers across the world to knit and crochet soldiers
Mike Forster
Plenty of volunteers have come forward to help get knitted scenes featuring tiny soldiers from the UK to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day since we wrote about the project.
Read more: Tiny knitted soldiers need help to get to France for D-Day anniversary
However more help is still needed: in particular, donations of plywood and also of small sandbags to stabilise the displays.
Keen knitter Tansy Forster, 69, from Normandy, recently told The Connexion about her project The Longest Yarn, which has seen volunteers around the UK and in countries such as the US and New Zealand, knit mini D-Day replica scenes.
In a re-creation of the events of 80 years ago, the scenes will be gathered in the south of the UK before being brought across to Normandy.
Read also: Tiny Normandy commune to mark crucial role in D-Day landings
Mrs Forster said they now have plenty of volunteer drivers to collect scenes around the UK and bring them to a depot in Stevenage. They also now have a volunteer to help transport them to France in a van on April 4.
“Lots of people have been in touch, especially since The Connexion article went online,” she said. “We have received message after message.”
She added: “There were a few odd offers and many people proposed things such as campervans - but all in all, a lot of interest, so thank you very much.”
The project still needs:
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Up to 80m of plywood in total, which should be 1m wide and three-ply thickness.
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320 mini sandbags (about 30cm/20cm) to weigh down trestle tables.
The display will be at the church of Notre-Dame de Carentan (Manche, Normandy) from May 28 to September 1, then at Southall Cathedral in the UK from September 4 to 28. From October 1 to November 3 it will be in Llandudno, Wales, from November 5 to December 18 at Wells cathedral, then from March 1 to April 11 at Peterborough cathedral.
It will then travel to New Jersey in the US.
To contact Mrs Forster email info@thelongestyarn.com.
You can find out more about the project on this website and on Facebook.
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