The Longest Yarn 2: Britain at War – A Stitched Tribute to Resilience Comes to Plymouth
This June, one of the UK’s most beloved and unexpected cultural phenomena comes to Plymouth’s Market Hall, as the internationally touring exhibition The Longest Yarn 2: Britain at War opens to the public on the 81st anniversary of D-Day. This community-powered tribute to Britain’s wartime years will be free to attend from 6–29 June, and promises to be a major moment for the city. Bracken Jelier reports for Plymouth Culture.
What began as a simple crocheted yarn topper in a garden in honour of D-Day has grown into something far greater: an 80-metre-long act of remembrance that has moved hundreds of thousands of visitors across the UK, Ireland, and France. And now, in a huge coup for the city, this exhibition is coming to Devonport’s Market Hall, ahead of its official UK premiere later this year.
The Longest Yarn 2: Britain at War brings together storytelling, history, and handmade craft in a way that is emotional, accessible and visually stunning. Featuring 28 metres of intricate crochet displays and life-sized woollen figures of wartime heroes—from Spitfire pilots to Land Girls—this second chapter of the project focuses on how Britain coped on the home front from the declaration of war in 1939 through to VE Day in 1945.
Each scene has been created with meticulous care, guided by historians, and pieced together by over 180 knitters and crocheters from the UK and the US. More than 1,000 others from around the world have contributed hand-crafted poppies and artefacts, with submissions arriving from as far as Australia, South Africa, the French Caribbean and New Zealand. This is storytelling with texture, warmth, and heart.
A Phenomenon That Just Keeps Growing
What’s perhaps most remarkable about The Longest Yarn is the scale of its impact. When the original exhibition launched in 2023 to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, it was expected to be a small community-led commemorative project. Instead, it struck a chord with the public. Since then, it has been viewed by nearly 250,000 people at locations across the UK, Ireland and France—including Carentan in Normandy, Southwell Minster, Llandudno, Enniskillen, and Aldershot Garrison.
Venues have reported record-breaking visitor numbers. In Southwell, local cafes ran out of food. In Enniskillen, the exhibition revived the local economy during a quiet winter period. And in Peterborough, where the exhibition is currently on display, queues have formed daily. Every location has seen schools, families, veterans, and craft communities come together in awe at what has been described as a "modern Bayeux Tapestry".
Its reach continues to expand. The creators recently appointed a lawyer to trademark the work and are now working with an accountancy team and a patron—George Denman of Big G Logistics—who is helping transport the exhibition around the UK in a dedicated 18-tonne truck. The team is now also visiting a local college in Carentan to teach children how to knit and crochet, building connections between generations and between countries.
Following this huge success, a third work is already underway: a full-scale knitted and crocheted Jeep.
A Perfect Fit for Plymouth and Market Hall
Bringing this exhibition to Plymouth feels particularly resonant. The city has deep military roots and played a key role in D-Day operations. But it’s also a city undergoing cultural transformation, where history meets innovation.
Market Hall in Devonport—operated by Real Ideas—is emblematic of this transformation. Once a historic Victorian market, it has been carefully redeveloped into a hub for creativity, digital technology, and immersive experiences. Its unique offering of a 360-degree immersive dome alongside community spaces and a bustling café has made it a standout venue in the South West.
This is not the first time Market Hall has captured public imagination. Earlier this year, it drew critical acclaim and a 20,000 strong footfall over three days for Dazzle, an immersive and artistic reimagining of the wartime camouflage techniques used on naval ships. The exhibition, which combined interactive installations with stunning visuals, showed how history, art, and innovation could come together to engage audiences in new ways.
With The Longest Yarn 2, Market Hall is once again positioning itself at the heart of Plymouth’s cultural calendar. And this time, it’s welcoming an exhibition that is as tactile and grassroots as it is globally significant.
Not Just to View – But to Get Involved
True to its community spirit, the exhibition is not just something to look at—it’s something to be part of.
Local knitters, crocheters, WI groups, postbox topper creators, and yarn bombers are being invited to contribute to the exhibition’s presence in Plymouth. In particular, Market Hall is calling for ideas and contributions to help create a community-made poppy cascade to be installed across the building’s grand staircase.
The team is also keen to collect local stories from the Devonport area—particularly those with links to D-Day or wartime Plymouth. Whether it’s a treasured family memory, a handwritten letter, or a photo of a grandparent in uniform, the exhibition offers a space where these stories can be shared, honoured, and remembered.
Community and church groups, creative collectives and schools are encouraged to book group visits. While drop-ins are welcome, organisers recommend giving advance notice for larger parties. Market Hall’s café will be open throughout, serving cakes, coffee and lunch options, and visitors are encouraged to make the most of their trip by also experiencing the immersive 360 dome, which will be screening a full programme during the exhibition’s run.
A Free Day Out for All Ages
The exhibition runs from 6–29 June, and is completely free to attend. Opening hours match Market Hall’s normal schedule:
Monday to Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am – 4:00pm
Sunday: 9:30am – 2:00pm
(Please note: closed on Friday 13 June and Thursday 26 June)
The official opening date—6 June—marks 81 years since D-Day and offers a powerful moment of reflection for Plymouth. The team behind the exhibition hopes to welcome everyone, from children discovering history through yarn, to veterans reliving stories stitched in memory.
For those who want to see craft, community and commemoration come together in the most powerful of ways, this is an event not to miss.
https://real-immersive.realideas.org/whats-on/the-longest-yarn-2-britain-at-war/
