DONKEYS WELCOME PURPLE POPPIES’ TOUR TO THE CHESHIRE MILITARY MUSEUM
DONKEYS WELCOME PURPLE POPPIES’ TOUR TO THE CHESHIRE MILITARY MUSEUM
There were donkeys at The Cheshire Military Museum in Chester, on Saturday16th November, marking the arrival of a cascade of purple poppies commemorating the roles played by animals and birds across the globe, in theatres of war, past and present. Beautifully crocheted in a broad spectrum of purples and mauves, the Poppies are a poignant reminder of sacrifices made.
Donkeys Colin and Diccon from Hyde, William and Nell from Bradford and Missy from Congleton enjoyed meeting the public! There were activities for children put on by The Museum and the ‘Cheshire Home Guard’ re-enactment performers, with Molly the dog, were in attendance. A short address was given by Sarah Booth, Secretary of the Northern Region of the Donkey Breed Society, who explained how the Society had been gifted the Poppies and how they have taken them ‘on Tour’. She expressed grateful thanks to the Hon. President: Colonel Bill Spiegelberg DL (retired) of The Cheshire Military Museum and Major Mike G Huntriss of the Friends of the Museum for embracing the ethos of the DBS Tour and Museum Manager Caroline Chamberlain for incorporating the Poppies, so beautifully, in the ‘Animals at War’ temporary exhibition.
Raising awareness of the UK’s official acknowledgement of International War Animal Day and the purple poppy campaign of the War Horse Memorial Organisation and highlighting the truly international aspect of this commemoration, Sarah read a moving letter of support from Nigel Allsopp from the Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation, wishing the Exhibition, ‘the greatest success from your friends in Australia’. Mr Allsopp said, ‘often overshadowed by the horse, it is important to remember that donkeys and mules were the great unsung heroes of military campaigns, they were the logistical backbone of armies throughout the centuries [and] recently employed by coalition special forces in Afghanistan in mountainous terrain.’
The Poppies were gifted to the Northern Region of the Donkey Breed Society by a group of makers from Richmond, Yorkshire. Carefully worked up with additional artefacts to create a museum exhibit, The Tour has already visited York Army Museum and the Cumbrian Museum of Military Life in Carlisle before moving to Cheshire’s Military Museum this autumn. In January 2025 they will take up residency at The Green Howards Museum in Richmond for six months.
Allison Roberts, Chair of the Donkey Breed Society’s Northern Region, said: ‘We are very pleased to bring this interesting work to Cheshire. These animals must be remembered. They experienced much horror and yet their contributions have assisted in giving us the democracy we enjoy today . We are very grateful to all the Museums that have welcomed The Tour in 2024’.
