THRIFTY parishioners have turned 1,000 bottles into a commemorative art display.

Members of Etherley Methodist Church decided to take on the challenge after thinking of ways to mark the centenary of end of the First World War.

Calling themselves the Friday Bottle Club, the 16 volunteers met every week for a month to transform unwanted plastic bottles into poppies.

Each bottle was cut in half before being spray-painted red and having their black centres painted on by hand.

The dedicated group, led by friends Marie Cadman and Glenys Egglestone, created a total of 2,000 poppies in the church, in High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, and then spent four days creating the artwork which featured a blanket of poppies down the church wall.

Individual poppies have also been displayed outside the church door with one to represent each of the parish’s 26 young men that were killed during the war.

Each poppy has the soldier’s name, age and regiments attached while an extra poppy has been added for an additional casualty, Robert Mothershaw, who was not from the area but died of his injuries in a field hospital near the village and is buried locally.

And the artwork has already drawn in visitors from far and wide who have stopped to admire the poignant tribute.

Some visitors came from Spain while another lady is said to have gone home to Consett just to return straight away with her camera.

The piece, which was inspired by the Tower of London’s famous poppy display, is part of several upcoming events to mark the centenary including a presentation by the Green Howard’s Museum on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme, a film by a historian about local soldiers from the Gaunless Valley, and a musical by Enter.CIC. called Home Fires which will be specially adapted to incorporate local people from the Etherley Area.

Mrs Egglestone said the volunteers had thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the project and recycled the bottles not just from their own bins but also the local pub and grass verges.

She said: “I think we were all amazed at how many bottles we got through and the beauty of it is that we can reuse them.

“It’s been a fabulous project and brought us all closer together.”

Mrs Cadman added: “It’s amazing how much fun we had and we did not want it to end.”

The display will remain in place for two months, until Remembrance Sunday, has been marked.

The group are encouraging visitors to come and see the display.