Crochet memorial for Boxing Day fire family

9 hours ago

Esme Ashcroft,In Stroudand

Emma Elgee,West of England

News image — Thousands of flowers have been created by people to remember the family

BBC Thousands of brightly coloured crochet flowers being pinned to a large pin boards. A woman is in the forefront working on attaching the flowers to the board. — Thousands of flowers have been created by people to remember the family

Thousands of crochet flowers have been used in a memorial to show a mother and her two children, killed in a house fire, will not be forgotten.

Fionnghuala Mary Shearman, 38, known as Nu, died at her home in Stroud, Gloucestershire, along with seven-year-old daughter Eve, and son Ohner, four.

The handmade flowers have been put on display inside Holy Trinity Minchinhampton Church.

Pennie McKenzie, who has contributed to the memorial, said: "The permanency of the flowers… will show that Nu and the children won't be forgotten. The flowers will be a lasting memory of them."

Facebook A black and white photo of Fionnghuala holding her two children to her chest. She is wearing a hat and glasses. Her daughter Eve is pictured left and has blonde hair and is wearing a hooded puffer coat. Her son Ohner is on the right and has blonde hair and is wearing a knitted jumper. — Fionnghuala Shearman, known as Nu, her daughter Eve and son Ohner died in the fire on Boxing Day

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Tasha Lloyd, from Nailsworth, set up the campaign for the flowers on New Years Eve and was quickly inundated with contributions from as far afield as France, Spain, USA, Scotland, Jersey.

The memorial consists of six panels, each containing 400 to 500 flowers.

Tasha Lloyd sitting in front of a wall of thousands crochet flowers, each one different and brightly coloured. Tasha has brunette hair has glasses on her head. She is wearing a blue jumper and has a slight smile. — Tasha has put each flower onto boards to create a display

Lloyd did not personally know the family but said she was inspired by what she knew of Nu's creative nature.

"I think she'd like us to create something… I feel it's what she wanted - to inspire creativity," she said.

Businesses across Stroud have been acting as drop off points, with Lloyd then collecting the masses of flowers.

McKenzie, who works at The Canteen in Nailsworth and knew Nu and her husband Tom, said they have also had people come in to make them on site.

Pennie McKenzie sitting on red and pink painted stairs. Pennie has blonde hair which is in a bun and is wearing a black top with blue dungarees. She has big hoop earrings on and is looking at the camera. — Pennie McKenzie said Nu and her children won't be forgotten

Caroline Saturley, who used to work with Nu, said the whole of Stroud has rallied around each other since the fire.

"It's absolutely devastating," she said.

"It's one of the things we will never forget. I'm sure 50 years from now people will still remember, and remember what a bright star she was and her children were amazing as well."

"She was the most gorgeous woman, she had such a kind heart… she was an inspiration to me for my whole life," she added.