Ceramic poppies - Denise Taylor

Description

Ceramic poppies, courtesy of Denise Taylor, MBE.

"My Great Grandfather Private Dick Smith Thurston of the 9nb of the Welsh Guards, who lived in 244 Park Road Cwmparc Rhondda was killed in action on the 26 June 1917 and is buried in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

When I was growing up my great uncle George Henry Thurston (Private Dick Smith Thurston’s son) lived with us. He always told us stories of his father and how he died in the First World War. He never met his father, but always got emotional and said how proud he was of his dad. My uncle died in 1997 so when I saw on the news that they were selling the poppies from the Tower of London, I had to buy one for myself and my daughter, in memory of my great grandfather, knowing my uncle would have bought one in his father’s memory if he had been alive. I never met Private Dick Smith Thurston (my great grandfather) but we knew him by the way our family kept his memory alive through the generations. As a family we feel pride that our great grandfather, and others like him, gave up their lives for the life we have today."

Denise Taylor, MBE.