Pupils pay poppy tribute outside Anderson High School

A STONE cairn at the Anderson High School has been decorated with a cascade of woollen poppies to mark Remembrance Day this year.

Around 1,800 knitted and crocheted poppies adorn the commemorative cairn at the front of the school, with over 400 newly-knitted poppies on display.

The poppies have been created by pupils, staff and parents connected with the school and knitters from further afield – including overseas.

Also included are poppies made from the painted bases of plastic bottles, as created by Ability Shetland’s social club.

The display is inspired by others across the UK, including a 2014 installation at the Tower of London.

Poppies are on display on various windows of the school, cut out by S1-S3 pupils.

The school will also host a small ceremony at 11am on Armistice Day – Monday 11 November – at the school’s war memorial, which lists all former pupils of the Anderson Educational Institute who died in the first and second world wars.

Advertisement8 of 10

Pupils will be fundraising for Poppy Scotland, the Scottish Armed Forces Charity, during morning breaks this week.

Anderson High School head teacher Robin Calder said the cairn cascade looked “striking”.

“Alongside the classroom and fundraising activities by pupils, remembrance is an important topic for pupils, to understand the impact that past conflicts had in Shetland and elsewhere,” he added.