On Monday last week we visited the '14-18 Now' Weeping Window of ceramic poppies at Middleport Pottery which stands on the Trent and Mersey Canal.
We had booked tickets for 11a.m. so arrived about 9.45a.m. at nearby Westport Lake. We had a stroll around the lake and a coffee in their cafe when it opened at 10a.m.
The stroll down the canal from Westport to Middleport takes no more than fifteen minutes. We arrived at the entrance about ten minutes early and were told to wander down to the canal side keeping to the left. We went straight up to the poppies.
In my mind I had thought that entrance would be strictly timed with only so many people allowed in at a time. Not so. It was quite relaxed although I would think it was not so relaxed when busier at the weekend or late afternoons perhaps.
In my mind I had thought that entrance would be strictly timed with only so many people allowed in at a time. Not so. It was quite relaxed although I would think it was not so relaxed when busier at the weekend or late afternoons perhaps.
We stood for a while by the poppies just taking a few photos from either side and then taking a few moments to reflect on what the poppies meant before moving on to allow other people to move forward. I wondered how many young men working at the pottery volunteered or were conscripted and how they fared. How many young women from the pottery went to work in munitions factories and what sorrows and hardships would face those left behind.
It always upsets me that this generation lost so much. I think of them as children running and playing, struggling at school or working at home with no idea what the future would hold for them and what horrors they would have to see and endure.
It is hard to imagine as we enjoy the freedoms of life today. All we can say is thank you and always remember their sacrifice.
It always upsets me that this generation lost so much. I think of them as children running and playing, struggling at school or working at home with no idea what the future would hold for them and what horrors they would have to see and endure.
It is a marvelous concept. I remember that the Tower had something similar, and I've seen one of the poppies from that installation at a museum exhibit here.
ReplyDeleteWe have a series of banners at a spot downtown at present about the last hundred days of that war, and in the evenings, one of the buildings nearby is the scene of projections of names of the war dead in 1918. It started earlier this month and will continue through to November 11th.
the poppies here are from the original tower display. there have been two exhibitions of them touring the country Wave is a present at the Imperial War Museum North and the Weeping Window poppies seen here are going to London to the Imperial War Museum in readiness for the events to mark the end of WW1 in 1918. I like the sound of the projection of names through November - a chnace for all to be remembered:)
DeleteThought provoking. Here on the Isle of Lewis each house/croft that lost someone has a poppy at the gate. There are 4 at a cottage along the road from me, heart breaking.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea to have poppies at the gates of houses. It is certainly heartbreaking that someone lost four family members. I remember once when I worked in a Museum in Lincolnshire doing some research and finding an article about a woman who had eight sons, all went to war and amazingly all came back:)
DeleteI've just done a blog post about the same thing. We visited Middleport too. Such a lovely place and the Weeping Window was lovely.
ReplyDeleteI will pop over and find your post later, glad you enjoyed the display:)
DeleteYes...we have many to thank...and thank you for the moving tribute, Rosie.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased that you liked the post and found it moving, Gracie:)
DeleteBeautiful words, Rosie, thank you. We were surprised how relaxed they were about entry, too: my friend had booked tickets for 5 of us online and she showed her 'phone at the entrance but nobody checked how many tickets she had booked, only one was visible on the screen, and we all just trooped through. x
ReplyDeleteI did think entry would be more regimented but actually the lack of that seemed
Deleteto make it more thoughtful and relaxed somehow. Did you get a reply from them about the paper/plastic cups? They were still using them when we visited but they seemed to come from the outside catering kiosk. We didn'tgo into the cafe as we'd had a coffee up at Westport Nature Reserve:)