Whitehaven neighbours' knitted display to mark 80 years since D-Day

Tracy Johnson and Elaine Wright, who live on Thornton Road in Whitehaven, have spent hours knitting and crocheting the scene of the Normandy Landings, complete with mini soldiers, a landing craft and an aircraft.

Mrs Johnston said it was ‘really important’ to remember these events.

She said: “We’ve been doing them about a year now. We choose a theme and then knit together and put it onto the wall.

“My husband enjoys a lot of history and we’ve just been to the Normandy D-Day beaches last week.

The D-Day display on Thornton Road features a knitted aircraft and poppies (Image: Submitted)

“We just feel it’s really important to remember because in this day and age things seem to get forgotten.

“It was just to show how thankful we are for people who did go and give their lives for us. Life would be very different if they hadn’t.”

It is not the first time the pair have created a knitted display outside their homes – they have also knitted creations for the King’s Coronation, Halloween, Christmas and Spring.

A knitted landing craft with soldiers on the sea has been put on display outside their homes (Image: Submitted)

Mrs Johnson said she has been knitting and crocheting since she was 10-years-old after being taught the skills by her grandmother and mother.

She said: “It’s always been a hobby. I recently finished work and it’s become an even bigger hobby. It’s been really good for both me and Elaine because we get together.

Mrs Wright only recently learned to crochet and was delighted to have created the aircraft herself.  

When asked about the reaction they had received, Mrs Johnson said: “It’s quite nice – we can see people looking in. Quite a few neighbours have said it puts a smile on their faces.

"We have just had a gentleman stop and tell us the story of his mum and dad’s involvement in the World War.

"When we took the last display down, Elaine kept getting comments asking what was going up next.”