Ceramic Poppy Sally Donovan

Description

Ceramic Poppy, courtesy of Sally Donovan."I purchased this poppy to remember the contributions and sacrifices of so many in the First World War, including my great grandfather who worked in the mines, and also those of my grandparents and others during the Second World War.My grandfather, Stanley Perrett, was at Dunkirk and at the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. I cannot begin to reflect on the horror he must have witnessed and could not discuss after the war. I know that he suffered from nightmares for many years.My Nan, Elizabeth May Perret, worked in a munitions factory. To me, her contribution to the war effort is also important as she not only faced the horror of what went on around her, but also trying to nurse my Grandfather back to some sense of normality after he returned from the war. My Nan lost her brother David, a fighter pilot whose plane was shot down over the Channel. She never fully recovered from this loss. She kept a photo of him by her bedside table until she died and never made her peace with God over this.Like so many others, they were ordinary people living in extraordinary times, selflessly sacrificing for others and all of us today. I am truly grateful and will never forget."Sally Donovan