Forum Topic

Ceramic poppies

The beautiful poppies that are being installed in the Tower of London moat are for sale at £25 each with all money going to service charities. You can also apply to have the name of your relative(s) read out from The Roll of Honour, 180 each night. All details below.https://poppies.hrp.org.uk/buy-a-poppy/

Vanessa Smith ● 4469d21 Comments

I must say the poppy installation looks stunning - a truly respectful and creative display.  However, only 10% I believe goes to charity, the rest pays for the creation of the poppies, transportation and other costs.

Matthew Taylor ● 4469d

10% plus all net proceeds go to charity. It is truly stunning and very clever, a wonderful tribute.

Vanessa Smith ● 4468d

Agreed - and there are still around 700,000 poppies to be planted there over the coming weeks, so it will eventually look totally amazing.  I am going to take my camera there early next Sunday and try to get a few snaps before the mass of tourists arrive.

Matthew Taylor ● 4468d

Thought I'd better get in quick, so ordered my poppy in memory of my Grandfather today!

Vanessa Smith ● 4468d

Thanks for the information Vanessa.  They really do look beautiful!

Mari Austin ● 4468d

Many thanks VanessaI have just ordered one

Paul Fisher ● 4468d

And at a time when contemporary artists often get a bad press, it's important to mention this is the idea and creation of ceramic artist Paul Cummins

Helen Walker ● 4466d

Agreed, these lovely flowers beat that unmade bed hands down!

Vanessa Smith ● 4466d

https://poppies.hrp.org.uk/buy-a-poppy/

Jim Lawes ● 4462d

I was reading that they reckon they've already sold 100,000 of these poppies, a marvellous achievement.

Vanessa Smith ● 4462d

Got my two order updates this morning.God willing, I'll be taking one of the two ceramic poppies over to Thiepval on The Somme next year.

Nigel Brooks ● 4460d

That is exactly where my Grandfather is commemorated too! I was there last November with a school trip, they have a visitors centre there now, we hope to make the trip again.

Vanessa Smith ● 4460d

In which regiment id he serve Vanessa?My great-uncle was with 2nd Bn., Royal Fusiliers and died on 25 November 1916.

Nigel Brooks ● 4458d

7th Battalion Rifle Brigade, date of death 15th September 1916. What I think is odd is that he and my Nan already had 5 children and he was 34 years old. We have no idea if he volunteered or was conscripted and apart from his medal card nothing else except the telegram with news of his death. I suspect his record was part of the 'burnt records' lost in WW2.

Vanessa Smith ● 4458d

I don't even have his medal card and his 'death penny' was stolen back in the early 1980's, but found the details of his death in the Royal Fusiliers' Battalion diaries at the PRO in Kew."Men turned out well for church parade, weather foul, one casualty, one other rank, Brooks." That was it, not much to show for his 21 years on Earth and he was from the only parish I believe in Chiswick without a war memorial. Sad really.

Nigel Brooks ● 4458d

You can trace the medal cards online and download the image very cheaply from The National Archives, and you can get a bit more info about the battle he took part in on The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. Funny thing is I worked for both of those...............My sister in Oz said that when she saw the BBC bit on the poppies at the Tower which I scanned in and e-mailed to her, it made her blood run cold. Her comment was makes you wonder why they bothered with all the cr*p going on in the world now. True. Such a terrible waste.

Vanessa Smith ● 4458d

Glad to say that our Poppy arrived yesterday and looks great

Paul Fisher ● 4362d

That's good news, I see that some little charmers are nicking them! Looking forward to getting mine, I will not be putting it outside!

Vanessa Smith ● 4362d

Mine is due to be delivered today and will stay firmly inside.

Nigel Brooks ● 4362d

Having a rummage yesterday looking for photos to show two of my cousins when we meet up early next month, and found the telegram my Nan got when my Grandfather was killed in 1916. The I happened across a very frail letter, in pieces, that tells me that he was originally in the 5th Rifle Brigade in the Boer War! He was awarded the South Africa Star, plus a letter when he left as a reference for any future employer from his commanding officer. There was also a letter telling my Nan about the back pay she would get after he was killed, all £4 odd of it! Whatever made him join up again for WW1, by which time he had six children?

Vanessa Smith ● 4360d

For those contributing to this thread, you may be interested in this recital of poems and readings from WW1 by members of Questors Theatre but taking place at Pitzhanger Manor Gallery on Thursday 27 November. It will be performed against the background of the WW1 exhibition that's on there at the moment. More details here http://www.pitzhanger.org.uk/whats-on/theatre-foreign-field

Helen Walker ● 4360d