TAUNTON’S giant poppy – which adourns the Market House in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday each year – has returned after an appeal to repair it.

In August, Taunton Town Council (TTC) appealed for help to restore the much-loved poppy, as the decorations are no longer available to purchase.

After efforts to find a Somerset company to bring the poppy back to life faltered, BAE Systems Maritime and the Allied Trades Workshop at HMS Sultan came forward to lend their time and skills to restore the iconic emblem.

The poppy was transported to the HMS Sultan naval base in Gosport, Hampshire, where Royal Navy students worked to restore the petals and salvage the original centre, giving the piece a new lease of life while preserving its history.

Now, the poppy is back in Taunton and was installed at Market House in time for Sunday’s Remembrance Services.

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TTC thanked BAE Systems Maritime and the HMS Sultan Communities Project for their “fantastic” work, and to everyone in the community who shared the appeal and helped make the restoration possible.

They also thanked Somerset Council for support with the installation of the poppy on Market House.

Councillor Bev Fernandes, TTC’s Armed Forces Champion, said: “It’s clear that the Giant Poppy is special to the residents of Taunton and it’s such a relief that it could be salvaged and with such attention to detail.

“BAE Maritime Systems and the Allied Trades Workshop at HMS Sultan have done a brilliant job, and we’re so pleased it’s back up on the Market House in time for Remembrance. It’s a reminder of the respect and gratitude our town holds for those who gave so much.”

The poppy sits above the Burma Memorial, where handcrafted poppies created by the Taunton Poppy Appeal are on display, another heartfelt tribute to all who have served and sacrificed.

This year, the Poppy Appeal in Taunton is based at a cabin in Fore Street, near Castle Bow.