#out-and-about Archives - Page 11 of 14

1st December 201430th June 2018

The Very Last Poppy at the Tower of London

The very last ceramic poppy was removed from the moat at the Tower of London last Friday and I was honoured to be part of it.

The very last poppy in the moat

The night before a last dashed email had been sent out asking for a final batch of volunteers to clear and tidy up the moat, ‘reply if you can make it’. I rearranged things and replied “YES”.

Friday was a beautiful day and the sun was shining. Perfect. The volunteers were split into teams to tackle the last two areas of poppies. I was first tasked to clear the poppies from around the pet cemetery near Traitors Gate.

The view from the path before the poppies were removed

The processing boxes & tables and the poppies at the base of the distant tower

It was so strange when the tourists started flocking and photographing us doing the clearing up

One of the first pets to be buried on the pet cemetery

The Poppies and their stems were dismantled. Poppies carefully placed into boxes

After the clear-up

Following the clear up we moved to the moat at Cradle Tower where the last poppy was picked by the youngest and eldest volunteer.

The youngest and eldest volunteer and the last poppy: Eileen (82) and Alexandria (18)

The latter part of my day was spent collecting money thrown into the moat at Traitors Gate. All money goes to the British Legion.

There is more money than you think.

Some coins have left their mark

Found Objects – thrown down by tourists, collected and displayed in the moat

So much mud ! Back to get washed up. What was a brilliant experience.

17th November 20144th July 2018

Kaffe Fassett Exhibition 2014 at the American Museum, Bath

The colourful collections of Kaffe Fassett have been on exhibition at the American Museum in Bath all summer, in a detached building set away from the main museum at Claverton Manor.
When I visited in early autumn, the building was partly hidden behind a large tree covered in textile ‘lanterns’ and shrouded in mist. It was a mystical treasure waiting to be discovered.
Entering the building I felt an immediate assault on my senses of COLOUR!
The main theme running through the entire exhibition was colour, colour and more colour detailing the knitting, needlework and patchwork of Kaffe. His mind must be in a constant whirlwind of colour.
Although I found his large pieces stunning and the level of stitch and design involved in their creation fascinating, some of my favourite pieces were his mood board displays, detailing his journey of ideas, from initial inspiration through to the final designs and collections.
Here are some of the photos from the day.

11th November 201430th June 2018

Poppies at the Tower of London 2014

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red.
Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper, 88,246 ceramic poppies have slowly filled the Tower’s famous moat over the summer, the last poppy being planted on the 11th November 2014 as part of the Armistice Remembrance Day. Each poppy representing a British and Commonwealth military fatality during WW1.

I visited on a day when the sun was shining. It was a sight to behold seeing a glinting sea of red. The expanse of the installation is breathtaking and quite moving when one thinks of its significance.

Dismantling of the display will start after Armistice. A portion of the installation will tour the UK and later go on display at London’s Imperial War Museum. Each poppy has been sold off to raise funds for Service and Military Charities.
Here are some of the images from the Tower of London.