For hundreds of years, November has been the month when members of the church remember and pray for loved ones who have gone before us and whose loss we feel. It is a time when we are especially conscious of those in our parishes who are grieving, and of families who have lost loved ones in the past year. Many parishes create a special space within the church, with a remembrance book or candle.

In 1918, the end of the First World War came on November 11. The anniversary of that date has been used ever since to remember and honour those who have died in conflicts around the world. Wearing a poppy symbolises our support for those who have fallen. Poppies were chosen because they were a common sight on the battlefields of the First World War.

In 2014, a memorable exhibition was held at the Tower of London, where nearly 900,000 ceramic poppies were displayed, each representing a military life lost during the conflict.

This year, Petersfield is having its own exhibition of poppies. The Petersfield Poppy Project was designed as a whole-town community project. The women who devised it had the idea of streams of knitted poppies covering the porch of St Peter’s Church as a backdrop to the Remembrance Service in November.

Their original target was 6,000 poppies, but this was later doubled. Those who can, young and old, have been knitting poppies — and it seems the whole town has become involved. More than 17,000 poppies have been made, a fantastic achievement. Several other groups have volunteered to help string them together and to organise the display.

This year, as we stand in the Town Square, we can look at the church and think: yes, we will remember them — soldiers, sailors, airmen and knitters!