A very good friend/relation on Greg's side of the family contacted me a few weeks ago to say she was coming down to London from Scotland and could we meet up. We agreed to meet yesterday, long before my mother had her fall and broke her knee, so I was not sure whether I would be able to keep to the agreement. However, my mother is managing OK to get from her bed to to the ensuite with the help of a zimmer and urged me to have a day off for a change. I made sure she was stocked up with a year's day's supply of sandwiches, yoghurt and drink in a coolbag and set off on my journey to The Tower! Both my friend and I wanted to see the poppy display there.
I knew it was going to be crowded before I left the tube station, as hoards of pensioners were disembarking from the train with me and surging up the stairs to the exit. Having met my friend, this was the sight that greeted us as we emerged at the Tower.
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| so many people |
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I managed to push my way to the barrier to get one half-decent photo, but had to take it quickly as thousands were waiting to swap places with me.
I managed to get a few more shots....
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| It takes quite a while to assemble just one poppy let alone thousands |
As always when I am at The Tower, I always love to go along the river a a few steps further and wander around St Catherine's Dock.
This time, we stumbled upon Gloriana, the royal barge commissioned as a tribute to the Queen for her Diamond Jubilee Pageant.
We had a late lunch at the Dicken's Inn (in the background of the last picture), an atmospheric old place that always summons up visions of Bill Sykes kicking Nancy out of the way as he enjoys a pint. It was beautiful weather too so a much needed recharge to my batteries.
4 comments:
Those poppies, I have never seen so many, they are so beautiful! And here I thought only tulip fields could look spectacular. I was mistaken!
Ooh I love the Dickens Inn - I used to go there when some good friends lived in Docklands. Your post made me smile as just a few hours ago I was looking through some very similar photos on my Mum's ipad (she's so hip) ... my parents went to see those poppies today! Glad you had a good day out.
It is amazing to see them all; very emotional when you start thinking about what each one represents. I've had the privilege of planting some (it's pretty easy to stab yourself when you're making them!)and I will have the privilege of 'unplanting' and dis-assembling them on November 15th.
It's a great part of London isn't it?
We had some friends that lived in St Catherine's Dock and for a while the Dickins became our regular haunt. I have marvellous memories of us all snapping a way at nictotine lozenge packets on the table as we had all given up smoking. Sadly they sold up and bought a small holding in Australia. For all the horses and Emus I still prefered visiting them in London!!! The sheer number of people that have been to see the poppies is incredible, what a wonderful and moving thing it has become from that original idea.
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