This week, Meadowbrook care home in Bishop’s Stortford unveiled a spectacular poppy display for Remembrance Day 2026, paying tribute to the brave men, women and animals who have served and sacrificed their lives in conflicts throughout history.
The display, which has already attracted admiration from the local community, was lovingly designed by the home’s Activities Team. To create it, the team put out an appeal for used plastic bottles from the local community, which residents and staff then washed, cut and painted to produce almost 1,000 individual poppy heads.
These were then drilled and secured in place using cable ties, creating an impressive cascade of red poppies tumbling down from the roof beside the home’s entrance. Beneath it, a large ‘Lest We Forget’ banner has been mounted along the front railings, featuring silhouettes of marching soldiers surrounded by red, black and gold balloons.
The team were particularly keen to create a sustainable display that could be reused for years to come, while bringing the wider community together in remembrance.
Laura Adams, General Manager at Meadowbrook, comments:
“Remembrance Day is an incredibly important occasion for many of our residents. So, we wanted to create something really special this year to honour all those who made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s been wonderful seeing our residents and staff come together to make this happen, and the response we’ve had from the local community has been absolutely fantastic”.
For many of Meadowbrook’s residents Remembrance Day holds a particularly personal significance, bringing back memories of their own childhoods during the war, as well as loved ones who served in the Armed Forces.
Among them is Doug Campball, who undertook his National Service in 1948 at the age of just 18. Serving as a Station Headquarters Release and Discharge Clerk, Doug helped process the release of wartime personnel from active military service in the years following the Second World War.
It is not only fallen servicemen and women that Meadowbrook is honouring, with a special display of purple poppies also created to commemorate the animals that served alongside soldiers in wartime.
The purple poppy was first introduced in Britain in 2006 by Animal Aid to highlight the often-overlooked animal victims of war. Since then, it has become a recognised symbol of remembrance, often worn alongside the traditional red poppy.
Laura Adams again:
“When we think about Remembrance Day, we naturally think of the soldiers who fought and died for our country. But we sometimes forget the countless animals who served alongside them, from horses carrying supplies to dogs delivering messages on the front line. Their contribution was extraordinary, and we felt it was important to recognise their sacrifice as well”.
The display forms part of Meadowbrook’s wider Remembrance Day commemorations, with the home also hosting a special afternoon tea in honour of those who served.
Meadowbrook is part of the Connaught Care Collection, an award-winning provider of luxury care homes. For more information, please contact Denise Gilchrist at denise.gilchrist@meadowbrookcarehome.co.uk or call 01279 212280.
