POPPY plaques are to go up in Dalton-in-Furness, one for every house from which a WW1 solider left but did not return.

Children from George Romney School, Dalton St Mary’s, Our Lady’s and Newton Primary joined members of Age UK for some intergenerational potting, creating 180 of the pottery tiles, each bearing the iconic poppy.

“I’m pleased to say the tiles are looking great,” said Jennie Dennett of Up for Arts Cumbria who’s organising the Heritage Lottery-funded WW1 centenary project on behalf of Dalton Town Council and BBC Radio Cumbria.

“Everyone did a really careful job cutting out their petals and gently curving them upwards with expert help from our potter and teacher Adrian Newnhan.

“Each poppy plaque potter was twinned with a soldier named on Dalton or Newton’s war memorial and found out a bit about their life based on research carried out by Cllr Ann Thurlow.

“Those names written on the memorial stone will mean something to them now and when the plaques are on display it will be easier to imagine the impact of the war on a town like Dalton, with several families on the same street losing sons, brothers and husbands.”

The tiles are currently being fired by Ulverston Victoria High School’s art department who stepped in to save the day because no other kiln locally could reach the temperatures required to ensure the plaques are non-porous and weatherproof. After the firing, the children will be painting the poppy tiles red and finishing them with a layer of varnish.

They will be gathered together for a special launch event at the Dalton Community Centre on Nelson Street on Thursday November 1 where BBC Radio Cumbria’s Val Armstrong will be broadcasting live between 2pm and 5pm.

“There’ll be tea, chat and trench cake to try of the sort people used to send to loved ones on the front line,” said Ms Dennett. “We hope people will pop in anytime over the afternoon.”

Susan Benson, of the Local Studies Centre at Barrow Library, will be there for a 'Who Do You Think You Are' session. She will have the church record tomes out and the genealogy sites logged in to help people trace their own WW1 and family connections.

Award-winning Barrow poet Kim Moore will also be performing Last Post, her poem specially-commissioned for the project and there will be music from the Dalton St Mary’s School Choir and the Braddyll Singers.

The Cumbria Museum of Military Life is also bringing some of its WW1 displays and memorabilia along.

Residents whose houses were once home to a WW1 solider have been sent a letter about displaying their tile and depending on their address or preference, can pick up their tile at the event to put-up themselves or it can be hung for them. After the event the tiles will be available for collection from the Town Hall, Station Road during normal opening hours.

“We hope to have all the poppy plaques proudly on display by Armistice Day, November 11,” said Ms Dennett. “It will be a moment to remember our fallen soldiers and create a lasting legacy for Dalton’s WW1 centenary commemorations.”

More about the project and Dalton's fallen soldiers can be found at https://dalton.poppyplaques.co.uk