A group of women from Criccieth received a warm welcome at the unveiling of ‘The Longest Yarn’ exhibition at Notre-Dame.

On 28 May to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, Carentan’s mayor thanked those who contributed to the project at a reception in the town hall.

A permanent home will be built in the town in 2026 following a UK and USA tour.

‘The Longest Yarn’ contains panels portraying scenes from D-Day, made by contributors across the globe. They are on display until the end of August and can be seen at Holy Trinity Church, Llandudo, from 2-18 October.

Criccieth’s Gown of Poppies which can be seen in a Carentan shop window and is receiving a lot of attention.

The project was inspired and led by Tansy Forster.

Criccieth chose the Casino at Ouistreham for its panel because of links with the Kieffer commandos, French soldiers who spent time training at Criccieth during 1942-43.

Margaret Rees who designed the panel said: “It’s been an honour to be a part of ‘The Longest Yarn’. In Carentan it was great to meet and work with others, and to work on some finishing touches for the poppy cascades.

“It was special to be given a preview tour in church by Tansy. I’m proud to see the impact of this huge global undertaking, which will undoubtedly achieve Tansy’s aim of honouring those who participated in D-Day, and teaching generations come of why we should remember them.”

Criccieth Town Council Clerk Dr Catrin Jones said she feels “proud to have been involved in this ambitious project, and meeting up with others taking part to share experiences has been fantastic”. The group received “a very warm welcome in Carentan and seeing our Gown of Poppies on display and the response to it was very moving, as was seeing the appreciation of children visiting the exhibition,” she added.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the exhibition again in Llandudno.”

On 6 June Criccieth will hold a community tea at the Memorial Hall and the lighting of a beacon on the promenade at 9.15 pm.