Used plastic display takes centre stage

A classroom assistant at Mintlaw Academy has created a remembrance garden display using 6,000 recycled plastic bottles.

Former florist Heather Reid came up with the idea while studying for a design degree through the Open University.

Inspired by David Attenborough’s Blue Planet, Mrs Reid’s final design project looked at the problem of single use plastics.

Mrs Reid, who lives in Peterhead, said the poppies were made from bottles of all shapes and sizes and added: “According to records 6,000 Scots lost their lives every three months of a war that lasted four years.

“Within the garden each section has a theme, from the Weeping Wall – which is a tribute to the fallen – through to the Flanders Field, where the poppies grew.

“A team of pupils have been helping me for the past three months to clean and prepare the bottles.

“We created pieces of art that could be enjoyed in a community setting, by using recycled plastic material that was heading for landfill.”

The display has taken centre stage in the school’s new therapeutic garden and depicts a Flanders Field and a weeping window of red poppies.

The school held a remembrance service yesterday and observed a oneminute silence outside the school.

Head teacher Linda Duthie said the project was “fantastic” and added: “The garden boasts a fantastic display for Remembrance.

“Crosses represent soldiers awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery and purple poppies depict animals lost in the Great Wars - particularly poignant given Mintlaw’s rural locality.”