Karen Sharpe

Tracing The Tower Of London Poppies

Who can forget the wonderful site of the 888,246 handmade ceramic poppies by the artist Paul Cummins filling the moat of the Tower of London and cascading down the walls and over the drawbridge area three years ago? Created to represent every British fatality during WWI and to remember the 100 years since the outbreak of war ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’, grew daily, aided in a small way by many Blue Badge Tourist Guides who helped to plant some of the poppies. Each poppy was sold to raise money for service charities with the exception of a few flowers still touring the country. And a new project has been launched to track down every single poppy from the exhibit and ‘pin’ it on a map of the world at Where Are The Poppies Now. So if you’ve got one of these ceramic poppies, be sure to head to the website and map your poppy!

Tower of London_Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red Poppies. Photo Credit: © Ursula Petula Barzey. Tower of London – Blood Swept Lands & Sea of Red. Photo Credit: © Ursula Petula Barzey.

Tower of London - Blood Swept Lands & Sea of Red. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey. Tower of London – Blood Swept Lands & Sea of Red. Photo Credit: © Ursula Petula Barzey.

Karen Sharpe

I was born in London and have lived there for most of my life although I have now ‘decamped’ to what is known as the suburbs.
I have worked for an antiques removal/shipping company before joining the Metropolitan Police Force where I enjoyed a varied career for 14years. Since leaving I followed up…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may also like

Top 10 Things to See at the Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum presents London's greatest collection of military arms and hardware. Famed for its tanks, aircraft, and weapons, the museum also reveals and reflects on the rich personal tales and first-hand accounts of British and Commonwealth involvement in 20th and 21st Century conflicts all around the world. Visit the Imperial War Museum with a Blue Badge Tourist Guide to discover their stories and touch the hand of military history.

Read more

'Big Push' from School Trips Site for World War One Walks

World War One Walks have now found a natural home on the homepage of School Travel Organiser. “Plenty of teachers found Blue Badge tours a natural fit for their geography and sports history courses in the run-up to 2012.  We’re hoping we can repeat something like that with the Great War,” says Stan Medland, a World War One Walks committee member.

Read more