THE women who made and donated poppy blankets to the Chelsea Pensioners have spoken of their pride after seeing them used in Sunday's Remembrance service at the Cenotaph.

The group from Haughton-le-Skerne, near Darlington, created the stunning red blankets following a project to commemorate people from the area who died during the First World War.

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Calling themselves the Haughton Poppy Girls, they spent four years knitting the poppies, which were originally part of a cascade at Haughton Methodist Chapel in 2018.

In 2019 they knitted some more to make a cascade of purple poppies, to remember animals that have been victims of war, and also decided to make a number of blankets, which have now been donated to veterans.

Among them were the Chelsea Pensioners, who used them during the service in London on Sunday.

Paula O'Brien, who was part of the group, was in London last week to present the blankets.

She also watched on at the Cenotaph on Sunday, when her husband John was taking part as a Green Howards veteran.

She said: "The reception we have got for them is amazing.

"It was quite emotional on Sunday. They looked so fabulous.

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"We're very proud of what we've done as a village and they are going to keep them at Chelsea Barracks so they will be used again and again.

"We're really proud of how the community has come together, especially in Covid. It was just lovely."

They decided to donate blankets to the Chelsea Pensioners in honour of John Wetherill, who was from Haughton and served in the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards.

He was severely injured at the battle of Waterloo in 1815 and was known in Haughton as "Waterloo Wetherill". He spent his final years at the Royal Chelsea Hospital in London, home of the Chelsea Pensioners.

Another of the blankets is on display at the Green Howards Museum in Richmond and another was donated to veteran Jonathan Bell, who was paralysed while serving with the regiment.

A purple poppy blanket was also donated to the War Horse Memorial, in London, as a tribute to Mr Wetherill's service on horseback.

Mrs O'Brien added: "They have all gone to some amazing people who felt deserved them."The Northern Echo:

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