Tower of London Poppies

Today I finally managed to see the installation of 888,246 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London that have been marking the centenary of the start of World War 1.

If you are unaware of who created the installation and what the sea of red poppies is all about then please read on for an extract from the official website.

"The major art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, marking one hundred years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies will progressively fill the Tower's famous moat over the summer. Each poppy represents a British military fatality during the war.
The poppies will encircle the iconic landmark, creating not only a spectacular display visible from all around the Tower but also a location for personal reflection. The scale of the installation intends to reflect the magnitude of such an important centenary creating a powerful visual commemoration."

Below are some photos I took while visiting this incredible and moving sight.

If you can get to the Tower of London before they remove the installation then I urge you to do so. It is a powerful and evocative sight. The mass of poppies deftly show the scale of the loss while creating a resonant and iconic image. I believe the artists have managed to create both a visually stunning and touching commemoration to the lives that were lost during World War 1.

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Discovering YOU series - Experience visiting The Guardian HQ

A bit of an unusual blog post. I actually wrote this as part of a class assignment (although I have removed some content before publishing it on here) I thought it might be of interest to those of you who are thinking about or starting to explore the world.  I've also included some photos from the area.
There are many opportunities and experiences just waiting to be seized and lived. I hope that this piece shows just a slice of ways to discover 'you' and what might excite and energise.

The clock strikes three on a beautifully sunny afternoon in London and I find myself gathered with my fellow classmates in The Guardian and Observer’s foyer waiting to be ushered up to the education centre. Surrounding us are walls lined with photographs taken by Jane Brown of many famous and brilliant people from Eartha Kitt to Lucian Freud. The photographs make up one of many exhibitions that take place in the airy and light-filled building found only a stone’s throw from the Victorian masterpiece that is St Pancras International. One of Jane Brown’s displayed photographs is coincidentally of Sir John Betjeman who famously advocated to save many buildings earmarked for demolition including St Pancras train station.

We head upstairs to the education centre and hear an engaging talk from Elli Narewska detailing the history of how The Guardian came into being, the legacy and ethos of the paper. Political machinations and local unrest in Manchester in the early 1800s motivated cotton merchant John Edward Taylor to borrow heavily from friends which enabled him to create The Manchester Guardian in 1821. Luckily, his debts could be repaid as the paper became an industry success story and has continued to be to this day. With the dawning of the technological age The Manchester Guardian became The Guardian and based itself in London. They still produce a newspaper everyday with around 200,000 people reading it but also The Guardian has been developing a huge online presence with their website. This site attracts more than 100 million readers each month and The Guardian enjoys their position in offering this content for no charge.

Our group then had the opportunity to put some questions to The Guardian’s environment production editor Jessica Aldred. She gamely and enthusiastically answered all our questions which ranged from good ways to enter into journalism, how an individual’s mood might affect the team, reader’s reactions and many more. It was very interesting and helpful to hear a working journalist’s attitude to their job and she had some excellent tips. I definitely came away from the Q&A session with a renewed vigour for writing and exploring other avenues and opportunities.

The whole experience of visiting The Guardian and Observer headquarters was an exciting and stimulating outing. I have been left with a sense of optimism about my journalism and feel energised to reach out and explore more chances to write and report on subjects I feel passionate about.

If you have any other stories of doing something a little different or learning something about yourself or your surroundings please leave a comment. I think we can all do with some pepping up from time to time and gaining new ideas about what's 'out there' might help people who are struggling with chronic conditions and recovery. 

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