Poppy Appeal: A sea of humanity sweeps to the Tower of London

Four million people are expected to visit the tribute to the British and Commonwealth Great War dead at the Tower of London by Armistice Day

 



On a warm day this summer, Crawford Butler, the longest-serving yeoman warder at the Tower of London, dropped to one knee and planted a poppy in the soil of its ancient moat. Tall-stemmed, swirling folds of scarlet clay against his immaculate white glove, the flower was the first poignant and instant symbol of remembrance on the 16 grassy acres.
That was July 17: today Mr Butler cannot begin to guess where his poppy stands. More than 770,000 have been planted by 16,000 volunteers from across the world. Tens of thousands more will bloom in the coming days until finally the last flower – the 888,246th – is placed there on Armistice Day, November 11. Each represents a British or Commonwealth soldier killed during the First World War, a single drop in an ocean of blood.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/11190444/Poppy-Appeal-A-sea-of-humanity-sweeps-to-the-Tower-of-London.html

Armed forces charities also hit back at the Guardian piece, with Help for Heroes telling the Daily Mail that Jones had tried to "politicise a memorial." They said they would not dignify the article with a response.

A spokesman for the Historic Royal Palaces, which organised the memorial, told the Mail: "It’s his opinion and we have nothing more to say about it. We’re just pleased with the way the public are responding to it – and that’s what’s more important to us.


http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/29/guardian-poppies-jonathan-jones_n_6068216.html

Whatever. It looks beautiful and is certainly thought-provoking.

Saw that. Was in London the last time.

We don't celebrate poppies like that.

Original Quill wrote:Saw that.  Was in London the last time.

We don't celebrate poppies like that.

Maybe because nobody else celebrates poppies either, they commemorate those who have fallen.

eddie wrote:Whatever. It looks beautiful and is certainly thought-provoking.

Agreed and think it is a fitting tribute to those who gave their lives.

Brasidas wrote:

Original Quill wrote:Saw that.  Was in London the last time.

We don't celebrate poppies like that.

Maybe because nobody else celebrates poppies either, they commemorate those who have fallen.

We do have them. When I was a lad they used to sell them on street corners. But less and less today.