I’d passed the growing field of poppies at the Tower a few times, watching it spread as more were added. A friend of mine became one of the volunteers and helped plant them. Finally taking time to properly take a look, it was extremely emotional, thinking about all the deaths across both the 1st and 2nd World Wars. As far as I know, only one of my relatives served in WW1, signing up as a young sailor and surviving the Battle of Jutland early on in his time served.
Having read the story of the how the poppies were made, when they went on sale I made sure I bought one; a unique piece of individual art that was part of a unique installation. It sits on my heath, alone in a vase, a reminder everyday of what could happen again too easily. We all need to work hard at understanding others both locally and globally, to try and prevent more war.
