Remarkable crocheted soldier created by mum set for new home at museum in Derbyshire town

The life-size masterpiece will be unveiled on Saturday, March 2 in his new permanent home in Ilkeston – safe from the elements.

His first duty will be to form the poignant centrepiece of an exhibition called Yarns of Valour, which salutes the stories of service people and civilians involved in conflicts around the world. They include many who lost their lives.

The statue is the work of Stanley Common mum Jilly Crofts, who will be at the VIP unveiling, along Erewash Borough Council’s (EBC) leader and deputy leader. The soldier was erected for Remembrance Day in her village churchyard – where a BBC news crew rushed to film him.

Jilly, 57, is known locally as “The Crochet Queen”. She laboured for months to create the moving 6ft tribute, and it took her 200 hours to complete the project.

Crocheted poppies surrounded the soldier’s feet as he stood to attention at All Saints Church – and these will be replicated in his new setting.

Jilly told BBC TV’s East Midlands Today in November: “Stanley Common hasn’t got a permanent war memorial so a couple of years ago I crocheted a post-box topper with a soldier on it. It went down phenomenally well so I thought, Why not do a life-size version of it?

“I basically made it up as I went along – no pattern.”

One astonished local resident said as crowds flocked to admire the statue: “This is such a fantastic thing for the village. Jilly has really excelled herself.”

Jo Brown, from Erewash Museum, said: “We are proud to have this amazing creation on display.”

The Yarns of Valour exhibition includes unseen photographs from the Museum collection. It will run until July 13. EBC’s deputy leader Becca Everett said:

“Jilly’s statue caused a sensation not only in Stanley Common, but across the borough and the whole country, when pictures of him appeared in the press.

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“By putting him on display in our museum even more people will now be able to admire him in the flesh.”

The award-winning Erewash Museum is open from Thursday to Saturday between 11.00am and 4.00pm near Ilkeston’s Market Place. Entry is free.