The Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

One of my must -do things in London was to see the poppies at the Tower of London and I just made it in time!

Last Thursday I caught the bus to London Bridge and walked along the Thames Path to the Tower of London.

The tall building is called The Shard and really does look like a shard of glass! It is an 87-storey skyscraper that is home to offices, restaurants, hotel rooms and a viewing platform. No, I didn't go in, I'm not really interested in super- new developments when there's better stuff to see!!

Here's a view from the walk along the Thames.  In the distance is Tower Bridge and on the right is HMS Belfast, now a museum. Belfast was originally part of the British naval blockade against Germany, used as an escort ship for Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union and then redeployed to the Far East to join the British Pacific Fleet.

   

It really wasn't that far a walk!!!

The Tower of London is to the left of Tower Bridge looking downriver and, as I turned left, the "seas of red" came into view:

The major art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, marked 100 years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. Created by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies progressively filled the Tower's moat between July 17th and November 11th 2014. Each poppy represented a British military fatality during the war.
The scale of the installation was intended to reflect the magnitude of such an important centenary and create a powerful visual commemoration and it fulfilled this and more.

I took a picture of these sculptures, I don't know what they are supposed to represent except that in years gone by The Tower was also used as the Royal Menagerie. I really like the lion!!

All of the poppies that made up the installation were sold, raising millions of pounds which were shared equally amongst six service charities.
After Armistice Day (November 11th) , Remembrance Day in Canada, the poppies were to be dismantled and sent to the people that had donated towards a poppy. 10,000 people had volunteered to do this task, you can see some of them to the left of the photo



This part of the display is called "The Waterfall"

If you look to the left of The Waterfall you can see a Beefeater or Yeoman Guard in their traditional uniform:

BTW if you double click on the photos they should enlarge.

Each day in the moat at sunset, names of 180 Commonwealth troops killed during the war, (including Canadians of course)  were read out as part of a Roll of Honour, followed by the Last Post.

I was SO glad I was able to see this before it was dismantled, it was one of the highlights of my trip. It was a sobering thought to look down on these poppies and realize that each poppy represented a life. Such a senseless waste. We still haven't learned our lesson have we?? 

The poppy display reminded me of In Flanders Fields, written by our own Canadian, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae and known to all Canadian school kids:

 In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

 That mark our place: and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

 Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.Short days ago

      We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow   

        Loved and were loved,and now we lie        

In Flanders fields

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

      We shall not sleep,though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

I wish you all could have shared this with me.

Talk soon

Zoe