On Friday we drove over to Derby to see the Weeping Window poppies which are at present adorning the tower of the Silk Mill at the side of the River Derwent.
The tour of the ceramic poppies is organised by '14-18 Now' the UK's art programme for the centenary of the First World War.
The poppies were the concept of and designed by Paul Cummins and the installation was designed by Tom Piper. These poppies are some of those from the original installation 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' which were first seen at the Tower of London in 2014.
They looked wonderful in the bright sunshine.
I like the Silk Mill building anyway so it was great to see it draped with poppies.
As we stood and looked at the poppies we could here the mewling up above from one of the peregrine falcons which nest every year on the nearby Cathedral. My camera was stretched to its limits but I did get a mediocre photo of the bird. Here is a link to the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project's Blog.
I like this little area of Derby with its individual shops and cafes and a small independent department store called Bennetts. The bunting was out blowing in the breeze which added a quite festive feel to the street, it was good to feel the warmth of the sun too.
The statue above is of Charles Edward Stuart usually referred to as 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' or 'The Young Pretender.' On 4h December 1745 at the height of the Jacobite Rebellion he marched with around six thousand men from Ashbourne towards Derby intending to ride towards London. Two days later he was beating a retreat northwards and back to Scotland. Four months later, on 6th April 1746 he was defeated at the Battle of Culloden. Here is more information
We met him again in the Museum and Art Gallery. We had popped into the museum to see a photographic exhibition before it closes this weekend.
The exhibition is called People Place and Things and explores early studio photography from 1854 onwards by using a collection of photos taken over the years by local photographers W.W. Winter which is, apparently one of the oldest running studios in the world.
There were lots of visitors enjoying the photographs and several finding people and places they knew. There was a small group of people who were delighted to find their grandfather and uncles on a wonderful photo of Walter Tickner's butchers shop. Below is a photo of the WW Winter photographic studio in the early 20th century.
Paul was thrilled to find a photo of a trainee pilot in a flight simulator at Derby Airport c. 1938. So, as an early birthday treat for him, we bought the book which accompanies the exhibition.
Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Don't those poppies look fantastic. Wish I could see that photographic exhibition, it sounds fascinating. B x
ReplyDeleteThanks, they did look wonderful in the sunshine, such a sad yet beautiful thing to see:)
DeleteA joy to see the poppies draped off the silk mill, such a beautiful sight.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a wonderful sight and it's so good that they are still around and making people remember they devastation wrought on so many lives by the war:)
DeleteWhat a beautiful and moving sight those poppies are - lovely photos Rosie :) Derby looks an interesting place to visit and the photographic exhibition sounds fascinating. Sounds as though you have had a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteI quite like Derby it has lots to offer. The poppies are a beautiful and poignant sight, it's good that we are remembering all those who gave their lives back then:)
DeleteThe poppies at the Silk Mill are absolutely stunning - so sad to think that each represented a life lost. Marie x
ReplyDeleteYes, the original exhibition which had all the numbers of those fallen must have been amazing. Even these smallerones make you stop and think:)
DeleteLovely to see the poppies again, I've been to the Tower of London today and it looks so bare without them. 😊
ReplyDeleteI bet it does, the amount of poppies at the Tower must have been quite overwhelming when you imagine all the people each one represented and all the families who suffered their loss:)
DeleteThe silk mill looks absolutely stunning. Mark and I are due some days out in a couple od weeks. We must drive over to see it. Thanks for your comments about Thomas, Chloe and Max. I often wonder how Max is getting on. Jx
ReplyDeleteThe poppies are there until 23rd July, not sure where they go next. I hope Thomas can bounce back again and be with you a little longer. I really didn't expect Max to be still here but he keeps going with his rickety back legs and liver problem. I was up at 4a.m. with him a couple of nights ago and last Sunday he just slept mostly in my arms but yesterday and today he's back to his normal activities, which aren't many nowadays, but he can still get up and down stairs and yowl for food and attention. Thanks for asking about Max, thinking about you and Thomas and keeping my fingers crossed:)
DeleteThe poppies are a beautiful memorial for those who gave their all for the cause of peace. I did not realize they are moving from place to place, but that is such a great idea.
ReplyDeleteOne of the decorations I often see in photos of the UK are banners of colorful triangles. Do you have any idea when and why they became so popular?
It always seems to be that bunting is put out for special occasions both local and national from things as diverse as Coronations and Royal Weddings to local fetes and garden parties I suppose to add to the festivities. Apparently it started with the Royal Navy and all their different flags apparently an individual triangular flag was called a tammy and the name bunting comes from the name of the type of fabric that was used to make them from in the 18th century. The poppies are moving to different towns across the country, they are coming at some point here to Stoke where a lot of them were made in an old tile making factory to the north of the city:)
DeleteDerby looks like a really good day out. Thanks for this lovely post. I have a fondness for the Young Cavalier, a remnant of my Scottish schooldays. And that photo of the peregrine can't be bad because I recognised what it was before I read your comment on it, well done. x
ReplyDeleteThank you, yes Derby has quite a lot to offer for a day out two great museums, a wonderful Victorian arboretum and walks by the river, plus the cathedral to name but a few:)
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