St Mungo's Primary School
The Remembrance Poppy
Pupils at St Mungo's Primary School in Kettleholm have been finding out about the Poppy Appeal and exploring local connections to World War One this term as part of their Remembrance project.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
By John McCrae
Amidst the battlefields of World War One the only plant that seemed to grow was the poppy. They inspired the poem In Flanders Fields by Canadian solider John McCrae, who in turn inspired many to take the poppy as a symbol of remembrance and support for the Armed Forces.
In Britain, Earl Haig founded the Royal British Legion and adopted the poppy emblem in 1921. That year 9 million poppies were sold on the streets of London on November 11th. That first 'Poppy Appeal' raised over £106,000 to help veterans, a considerable sum in those days.
As demand for poppies grew across the UK, Earl Haig's wife Dorothy founded the 'Lady Haig Poppy Factory' in Edinburgh in 1926 to produce poppies exclusively for Scotland.
Poppy Scotland still produces over 5 million poppies each year in the Lady Haig Poppy Factory, all hand made by disabled ex-Servicemen.
The pupils have been learning about using different techniques to make an art piece stand out, all inspired by the poppies in Flanders Fields.
Scroll through the images below and click on the images to see them at their best!
At Dryfesdale Cemetery
Poppies of Remembrance can often be seen, particularly around the Armistice Remembrance period building up to November 11th each year.
Small crosses with poppies attached are placed as an act of remembrance on the Commonwealth War Grave found in the cemetery.
The Graves of Commonwealth Servicemen around the world are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission anywhere you see a green Commonwealth War Graves sign.
Find out more about the Commonwealth War Graves at Dryfesdale by clicking here
Click on the images to see them at their best
Thank you to
St Mungo's Primary School
for sharing your wonderful art work and the inspiration of the first Poppy Appeal
Previous Exhibitions
Tundergarth Primary School
The Corrie Dragon Legend
Pupils at Tundergarth primary school, near Lockerbie, have been working on a local history project this term, exploring the story of the Corrie dragon that features on their school badge. Do you know the legend of the Corrie dragon?
"A dragon inhabited the old Churchyard of Corrie and caused havoc among the flocks. Several people had narrow escapes and several people had made attempts to kill it, but without success. Whenever it was attacked, the dragon ran to a well (which lies about 400m downhill from the churchyard). When the dragon drank the water from the well it was able to breathe fire. A man with the second name Johnstone volunteered to kill the dragon, with the hero having been promised the land of Corrie in return for slaying the monster. He tied his horse to the gate and went to cover the well with his coat. When Johnstone returned, the dragon had eaten his horse and began to run to the well to get his usual drink of water. However, as the well was covered, the dragon was unable to breathe fire and Johnstone managed to kill it. The employers of Johnstone reneged on the deal."
The pupils have been learning about using different textures to make an art piece stand out and imagining their own Corrie dragon
Click on the images below to see them at their best!
The Dragon Stone
In the Old Corrie churchyard there is an ancient grave stone, locally called the Dragon Stone. It is said that the man who killed the Corrie Dragon (Johnstone) is buried underneath the stone.
Do you know anyone named Johnstone?
The Johnstone clan were a powerful family of Border Reivers and established themselves in Annandale over 600 years ago. This stone carved with the crest of the Johnstones is on display within Dryfesdale Lodge Visitor Centre.
The pupils have also been writing news articles on the Corrie dragon.
Click on the images below to see them at their best!
Thank you
Tundergath primary school
for sharing your wonderful art work and the legend of the Corrie Dragon
