I'm afraid not Kate, The display will come to a climax on 11th November, then it will be dismantled and the poppies sent by post to those that have bought them. It will take weeks for everyone to get their poppies. It seems that 4 million people have so far been to the Tower of London to see the display. On Saturday it will be 4 million and one!
Ah! Yes, of course they'd want to keep the display there until the 11th... my brain must have been taking a snooze. And all by snail mail... I hope that won't be as much of a paperwork nightmare as it could turn into. Seems as if 4,000,000 is an outstanding turnout!
888,246 poppies, mine is number 148,912. There is a campaign to delay the plan to dismantle the tribute for a further week. This is because of the huge numbers of people going to see them. They even had to close the nearest tube station to the tower last saturday because they could not cope with the numbers. I finally got to see them on Sunday morning, shame it was cloudy ,wet and dull.
So glad your trip went as planned, @aghart ! I'm thinking that a cloudy, wet, and dull morning was actually the perfect atmospheric backdrop for such a somber occasion. Kind of like it always raining when I'm in Gettysburg, at least one of the days. I'm going next week and sunshine is forecast... I'm betting it will change, but if it doesn't, it will seem odd.
It was really emotional actually seeing the poppies, when you see them and realise that every one represents a British or British Empire serviceman/woman killed in the conflict, it brings home the scale of the losses sustained by all sides in that war. As the display increases it becomes much more impressive. Some may be bored of the photo updates but I suspect most will be happy to view them.
I could never get bored of the photo updates... this was a beautiful and poignant display and there's no way I'd be able to see it in person, so it's the next best thing. Now, do tell.... what *is* that stunning building in the background on the first photo?! And also the tall structure toward the left side of the second photo?
http://www.the-shard.com/ The building is the shard, see the link. The tall structure on photo two is I think a crane being used on a construction project, I will double check on that one.
View attachment 7689 Today, Armistace day, a young army cadet planted the very last Poppy in the Moat of the Tower of London. Also shown is a Yeoman warder planting the first Poppy in August this year. The last post was played following the planting of the last poppy.
Forgive the short reply Aghart. Fact is, I do not believe I have ever seen anything so beautiful. Thank you for sharing!!
Oh my goodness, the Shard is amazing! I'm looking at the offices on the website that have the floor to ceiling windows overlooking London. *Totally* cool! That would certainly inspire creativity for a journalist/writer such as myself... wow. I suspect I wouldn't be real happy with a search on the rental cost, though, right? The photo in the dining section of the website... blue with all those city lights... well that's just stunning! Thank you for this link, @aghart . I love cityscape skylines and this one is magnificent.
http://forces.tv/94865431 Just for you Kate, A drone flies over the poppy field, at the end of the video you have a view of London showing the Tower of London, The Shard, and Tower Bridge. This is the lasy poppy image I will post. I feel it has been done to death now.
Nice! Drones generally scare me, but I have to admit that they can sure do some amazing things with video footage like this. Thank you for showing that to me. This was a beautiful way to honor your military.
Yes Aghart, I got to see it too! Amazing. My wife asked a pertinent question though. Poppies have a lot of leaves but we see no leaves. Are the poppies put in place individually and if yes, how? They are so fragile it is beyond perception how they would get there undamaged! Secondly, I am sure you did not intend the pun, "done to death." Wasn't it, "for death it was done?" Have a great day and again, thankyou for sharing one of Englands most spectacular sights!
The poppies were put in individually, each ceramic poppy came in pieces and was put together on site prior to planting. They are now being dismantled, cleaned, and then sent out (dismantled) by post to the people who have purchased them. Mine is number 148,912 out of 882,246, but it will be sometime in 2015 before I receive it. I will post a photo on here when I have it. Each one will have a numbered certificate of authenticity to show that it is one of "the" poppies. Mine will be on proud display in my home as soon as I get it. The overwhelming majority of those purchasing a poppy have done so for the obvious genuine reason, but some have no doubt a plan to sell at a profit as soon as they get them. So it was great to hear from my girlfriend yesterday when she said that e-bay have announced that they will not allow the Tower of London poppies to be sold on their site. Well done e-bay! [
Thanks for the info. Instead of telling my wife the "how's" I think I just might play a small prank on her, but eventually I will let her read your facts. Imagine the possibilities! A parade of small girls all dressed in white from all over the world bringing their one poppy to show and plant in London. I imagine a tear or two. She's very sentimental. That might be terrible of me...oh well. The truth it is. Amen to the EBay action!!
Careful there, yer naughty streak is showing! And someone named "preacherbob" is not allowed to tell fibs. Or fiblets! hehe Does she own an iron skillet? Just checkin'!
I couldn't bring myself to tell a would be delightful fib with a straight face. So, I did tell her the whole story as Aghart wrote it while I was making my breakfast. It just astounds me that some people have so much patience and willingness to do all of the detail work it must have taken to assemble all of those poppies. I do envy Aghart a little for getting one. I used to have iron skillets. All given to me by my Grandmother. 70+ years of good food prepared in them just to have my 1st wife wash each and every one of them in soap.
The first Poppy has reached it's customer. The poppy with it's certificate of No1 has actually gone to someone that I know! how spooky is that. The widow of someone I served in the army with and who died of Cancer a few years ago certainly got in quick!
Only 148,911 to go Aghart!! I love it that you actually know the person getting the 1st poppy. And the double great is the fact that she is a vets widow. A shame that cancer took him when serving his country could not. by the bye.....The close up of the poppy is fantastic. Great workmanship.
Not so spooky after all preacherbob50, The certificate said one of 882,246 and it was thought this meant number 1 of 882,246. It now appears that they all say the same! ah well, best put the record straight.
