Poppies at Tower Bridge

We finally saw the mass of red ceramic poppies surrounding Tower Bridge, an amazing sight that covers the 16 acre moat. When the instalment is finished on November 11th 2014 there will be 888,246 poppies, one for each British fatality in the first world war. 

The poppies are being created by Paul Cummins who regularly creates 3D artwork focusing on nature. He was inspired by a diary entry of an English soldier from Derbyshire who later died in Flanders. The young soldiers were encouraged to keep a will and a last letter to their families in case of tragedy, but one line inspired Cummins to create a tribute to the fallen heroes - 'The blood-swept lands and seas of red, where angels fear to tread'.  

Thousands of poppies are still in full production now at Cummins' ceramic workshop in Derbyshire, eagerly awaited by another host of volunteers. When the instalment finishes on November 11th, they will then be sold for £25 each, planning to raise an estimated £15 million for service charities.

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In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Leighton House Museum

Possibly one of my favourite museums - Leighton House Museum in Kensington, London.  Once home to Frederic Leighton, (1830 - 1896) an english painter and sculptor. Leighton was very successful in his day, his first major painting was bought by Queen Victoria and he later became the president of the Royal Academy of Arts.

The most impressive part of the house is The Arab Hall, there is just so much pattern and detail to take in all around you. Leighton was a great traveller and purchased ceramics, textiles and woodwork from the Middle East to recreate his own paradise in London. Throughout The Arab Hall there are exquisitely patterned tiles which were purchased from Syria and date from the late seventeenth century. But this is only one small part, not to mention the great staircase that boasts a prize peacock, or Leightons studio with copious amounts of art. The whole house is truly beautiful.

Scott's Last Exhibition

Scott's Last Expedition - Natural History Museum, London.

Walking into the exhibition you are met with a cold breeze and haunting noises echoing around you. The room is cleverly laid out to replicate the hut in which the explorers lived on the infamous Terra Nova Expedition of 1910. White markings on the floor show all of the different bunks and exactly where everything was placed, it's very eerie yet intriguing. 

You are taken on a tour of how Robert Falcon Scott prepared for the journey - gathering sponsorship and money, the equipment used, examples of clothing - and you start to build a relationship with this inspiring character.  Around the room there are  copious amounts of diary entries, drawings and letters - which were only posted once a year on the 3 year expedition. It's when they start mentioning Roald Amundsen, that you start to worry.  Amundsen originally planned to journey to the North pole but suddenly changed track and followed Scott to the South. Amundsen beat Scott, and arrived at the South pole 33 days before him.

Not one member of Scotts party survived the journey home. The whole story is tragic, but it's amazing to see how they lived and fought for something important to them.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/scott-last-expedition/index.html