Postcards - Tower Of London Poppies

To mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, this art installation called "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" was created, with 888,246 ceramic poppies filling the moat of the Tower of London. The fantastic display really captured the public's imagination and large crowds went to see it. By coincidence I found myself in central London with a few minutes to spare early in the morning on the last day before dismantling was to begin, so I took the chance to go and have a look. At 8 am on a chilly Monday morning there was no problem with crowds, although there were still plenty of people coming at dawn to see the amazing view.



Parts of the display are to go on tour during the next few years before being permanently exhibited at the Imperial War Museums in London and Manchester. But I have to say it was the sheer scale of the installation and the quantity of poppies that made this such an impressive sight and I fear that will be lost when only a small part is kept. (The majority of the poppies have been sold to raise money for services charities.)
November 2014

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