Petersfield is truly a close-knit community as a poignant Remembrance tribute at St Peter’s has wowed people well beyond the town and parish.

There were gawps and gasps in the town centre last Saturday as the church porch was draped in some of the 17,000 knitted and crocheted poppies put together by well-wishers over the year.

The spectacle continues inside with volunteers from Wylds Farm and the Crafty Codgers of Liss hanging a flowing curtain of poppies at the altar.

Organisers of the Poppy Project – namely Christine Rushton and Rosemary Roberts – initially hoped for 6,000 but the figure was quickly exceeded, with one churchgoer knitting 700 on her own.

The display, which will form a stunning backdrop to this weekend’s Remembrance service, was also shown to BBC South Today viewers at the weekend with Christine calling the showpiece “simple but so effective”.

“The impact is brilliant,” she said, with Rev Will Hughes, who blessed the poppies in a special service on Sunday, hailing the “staggering” capabilities of humans.

He said: “The best thing about this is that none of this has cost a penny.

“It’s been entirely down to the kindness of people and the awesome power of Rosemary and Christine.”

* Help get Petersfield looking its best for Sunday and join the Petersfield Society in its annual Clean-Up for Remembrance litter pick and town tidy-up.

This year’s campaign will be led by trustee Beth Svarovska with volunteers asked to meet outside the open air pool at Festival Hall Car Park at 2pm on Saturday.

A final “polish-up” will take place on Sunday morning with volunteers meeting at 7.30am at 4 Herne Court. Everyone welcome.