Old Town company making PURPLE poppies!
Purple - not red - poppies are made at this time of year by an Old Town company.
The Shirley Leaf and Petal Company in the High Street makes thousands of the unusual purple poppies for Animal Aid.
They are then sent to the charity who sell them to raise funds.
Owner Brenda Wilson explains: ""We make the purple poppy for Poppy Day and money raised is used to rescue and heal animals from all over the world.
"During the first and second World Wars they used millions of animals and the idea stems from that."
Animal Aid introduced the purple poppy to commemorate animals who have died as a result of human conflicts.
Animals have been used as messengers, for detection, scouting and rescue, as beasts of burden and on the frontline.
The Shirley Leaf and Petal Company used to make the flowers for the Royal Albert Hall Remembrance Service for many years,
but stopped when the factory for the war wounded and disabled took over the job.
The company, which is nearly 100 years old, makes a huge variety of artificial leaf and floral displays.
One project they are currently working on is making flameproofed gold vine leaves which will be placed in trees in London to publicise the Tutankhamun exhibition.
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Weather for Worthing
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South west
