THE 80th ANNIVERSARY of the D-Day Landings is being commemorated in a special way with three new specially-designed post box toppers.
The knits are the work of the famous Studley Stitchers, a group of between nine and 14 women who take great pleasure in bringing joy to the village with their clever creations.
They started decorating postboxes in Easter 2022 after the group’s founder Jan Platt saw something similar on holiday and thought it would brighten up the streets.
Jan, also chair of Studley in Bloom, said: “I see it as an extension to what we do with Studley in Bloom which is to make the village attractive for the community to enjoy.”
The 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings will be marked on June 5-6, with a series of major commemorations in the UK and France.
Jan added: “It is really important to remember the UK remained a free island during the Second World War and didn’t get invaded.
“So many men and women gave their lives for their country.
“Thankfully, we don’t know what it is like to live in a war but you only have to watch the television to see that it must be awful.”
Jan told the Standard that, as a creative person she usually came up with ideas which were put to the group at their annual planning meeting. Once agreed, the women go away to knit before meeting up once more to assemble the finished designs.
The D-Day design of a tank, Land Rover and plane can be found on Station Road near the village hall and two others are located outside the Acorn Veterinary Centre, on the Alcester Road and near the Jubilee Inn crossroads, Bromsgrove Road.
There are also four summer-themed installations.
