Sunday 16 November 2014

Poppy picking

Just like the rest of London, I've been fascinated by this display of poppies as it has developed over the course of  the summer, in time for November 11th and the commemoration of the start of world war I.

Despite having seen it in its early days, I wasn't quick enough to volunteer to help put the display together.  So it seemed to me the next best thing would be to offer to help to tidy up. So Saturday 15th November found me initially reminiscing at how impressive Waterloo can be ...when there is no one in the way to spoil the view of the clock!


London was being very autumny outside....rather too many of the tall bits kept disappearing....

 




I needed to hot foot it along the river as my poppy picking shift was due to start with a briefing at 8:45am. Thankfully I was early so I got to spend a little time walking around the tower and appreciating the poppies that hadn't already been picked....

 

 
 

Every nook and cranny of the moat really had been crammed to get all 888,246 poppies in...


And even at 8:30 on a fairly miserable Saturday morning I wasn't the only person who'd come to see them...

 
I'm not sure if I was the only one thinking that there was a fair dose of irony in ensuring the poppies also decorated traitors gate.....

 


 




As other landmarks drifted in and out of view...

 

I realised that "the management" had already started work....

 

 

and that there were pallet trucks and tractors loading yesterday's pickings into trucks to be taken away for cleaning and packing... three trucks loaded whilst I watched, kind of focuses the mind on the scale of the operation....

 

No time to dilly dally watching others work... 8:45 and its time for the safety briefing and instructions for the morning work....
Here's my crew with Tom in charge....


Simpy pick the poppy... and separate the petals from the metal stem, washers and spacers....

 

Easy, peasy...  except for the sheer volume, the mud and the rust.....

 

 




 

Of course the glory job is picking and packing the poppies...


 

But everyone was very nice to each other and we all took turns at all the jobs... I became quite a dab hand at separating the spacers from their rusty rods.

But picking the poppies was definitely the best bit.  Up close, you realise that each one is really hand crafted and completely different from its neighbours...

 

 

 

You also realise how many shades of red there are amongst them, not just because they come from different batches, but also because some have clearly been out for longer than others and are showing signs of wear and tear...

 

Anyway no time to dilly dally there is work to be done here....


... we decided among ourselves that we were going to clear a patch to the wall of the actual tower,  in no time at all we were down to the last two...

 

and then the patch was clear..


Though I have to feel sorry for all the tourists who were still flocking to see the display... I do wonder how many of them have my bottom on their photos?

 

Three hours passed quickly enough, and with 4,000 poppies cleared by the team I was in we did feel we'd done our stint...or at least that is  what my back and thighs were telling me!
So we slowly dispersed...walking around the outside of the moat, pausing for a few last photos....




 



 


 


I wondered, as I journeyed home, all of this to commemorate the start of the war, what will do to mark the end?

2 comments:

  1. WOW - stunning images of the poppies up close - so jealous of your experience.....looks a little muddy but amazing fun. An experience to share with the Grand kids!!

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  2. So let me get this straight - they are going to store the poppies for use another time?? They look amazing.

    ReplyDelete

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