Californian Reacts | The Tower of London Poppies

[@californianreacts]

Hello everyone! Sorry I've been away for quite some time, but I'm back and looking forward into chatting with you again! I considered saying what I was up to in the beginning of the video with some pictures, but decided against it. Maybe I will for a video soon? In short, a mix of busy with work and traveling between for the summer time going from Mexico, around the US including Alaska, and stopping by Canada. For now, thank you for the warm welcome back and lets get back to learning about anything and everything of the UK! Hooray!

[@possumyx]

I think you'd be interested in the narrative of the tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

[@MAB_Canada]

We saw the artwork in October 2014 as a result of the morning news saying it was now open to the public. The whole moat of The Tower of London was a mass of red poppies. It gave the impression of blood pouring out of a window in the wall of the Tower and flooding the moat. It was awe inspiring and very emotional to witness.

[@RockyBobbieBuster]

We still do some fantastic things in this country and this is most definitely one of those fantastic things 🇬🇧

[@jaxcoss5790]

Spot on!

[@jillbarnes199]

My daughter bought a poppy and keeps it with the letter her great great grandmother got informing her of the death of her husband in France,it was so moving to see

[@reecefinnigan4523]

Great to see you back. As a 20 something year old Brit, the poppies at the Tower really helped me to connect to both my family history and our wider national story. You spend years learning about all the brave people that died fighting for our country, but it’s hard to fully comprehend the numbers. Standing outside the tower seeing all those poppies really helped with that. I think describing it as a national pilgrimage was a perfect description

[@caros4734]

My husband was in the British army so of course we had to visit. It was amazing.

[@lisam2409]

I visited several times with friends and family and took our Cub Scouts Group up to see it. I was lucky enough to be one of the hundreds of volunteers who helped dismantle the display when it ended. It was quite an emotional experience. I purchased one of the poppies, as many of them were sold afterwards for charity, it's on permanent display in my home

[@PLuMUK54]

I have one of those poppies in memory of my great uncle Frank. He survived The Somme but was shot in 1917. He was 21 years old. He lies in France, having given his future for my present. RIP Frank. I did not see the installation, but I think that emotionally, it would have been too overwhelming for me. I cry just watching the video.

[@afterthemouse]

So, my wife was involved in this project. Every day was just so emotional. Every day hundreds of volunteers placing poppies in the moat. One morning there were - entirely unplanned - there were representatives of both the American and Vietnamise embassies planting poppies together. Beautiful.

[@sueprinn1709]

Great to see you back. You've been missed. The poppy display was amazing and so moving.

[@jca111]

I saw it both at the Tower and also the smaller version in Caernarfon Castle. Quite simply the most moving piece of art/memorial I have ever seen

[@lindamerrett6600]

So emotional and moving, all those lives lost for hopefully we live in peace.❤️

[@ronturner9850]

Great to see you back. You’ve been missed!

[@altosanon]

I was working in London at the time and I went to see when they had only just started installing the poppies and then went back again when it was complete. I first tried to see the complete installation during my lunch break, but there were so many people there I couldn't get close. I ended up going before work one day and there were crowds of people there even at 7:30 in the morning. I was glad I saw it though.

[@pamc9226]

I’m delighted to see you back with us

[@PLH483]

I went several times and it was incredibly moving. I have one of the poppies and treasure it.

[@lovestardustuk]

I was one of the lucky people to be able to "plant" some of these poppies as a Voluteer, it was an incredibly emotional experience to be down in the moat amongst them and know I was just a small part of something very special. I have one here at home which is very much treasure, I think the installation raised almost £10 million pounds for Military/Veterans charities.

[@mollybolly8966]

What a wonderful thing to be a part of, thank you

[@bridiesmith5110]

I have two of these poppies. It was a beautiful site to see it being created. One for my great Uncle and one for my husbands great uncle whose bodies were never found.

[@lindakirk698]

My Dad lost 2 uncles in WW1 (his father's brothers) both in France. I purchased 1 poppy for each of them. I have one & my Dad had the other. They were removed from this display when it was dismantled & only the structural ones were left. They went on a tour of the country. I saw them in my own town! I also put a request infor their names to be read out in the closing ceremony. This happened & I was able to play the video back to Dad so that he could hear their names read out.

[@Jamie_D]

I've seen this poppy video so many times,but gets me a bit every time

[@albrussell7184]

I visited at night when it looked even more spectacular with the way it was lit. I was in London at the time specifically to research some WW1 records at the National Archives.

[@coot1925]

When I went to see this with my daughter we had every intension of spending the rest of the day visiting other London landmarks, but whilst looking down into the moat I suddenly had this image of all the poppy's changing into dead bodies & I burst into tears. My dad lost his left foot in WW2 & I think this display really affected me in a profound way. Needless to say we didn't stay in London & just went home. Even though I wasn't born until 1962 the echoes of war still resonated with many British people who felt the fall-out from the suffering.

[@TofferJ-UK]

One poppy represents my paternal great grandfather ❤👍🇬🇧

[@nigelmoore7615]

One represents my Great Uncle is one also, he was killed and buried the same day, but his small cemetery was destroyed by enemy shells, so now one of those who as no known grave

[@cuthbert246]

I have said this on other threads about this vid but I think it important to keep repeating it. Initially reported as 10 but eventually corrected to 50 villages that escaped having a single man lost (it was mostly men). That is out of 1,000 of hamlets, villages, towns and Cities of the UK. The village of Gnosall, Staffordshire where I grew up a community of approx 2,000 lost tens of men, including the local vicar his sons (2 his only children) were killed. Thus I can only say what a sacrifice it was may they rest in peace.

[@user-man-now80]

Welcome back. Good to see you again. The video was a great choice, particularly since we are in very uncertain times ; it should serve as a reminder to the leaders of this world that wars are a bad choice - but are sometimes necessary to rid the world of evil regimes.

[@ken-u3n]

Welcome back, mate! Where ya been?😂. Yes, that display was outstanding . Very moving indeed. 👍🇬🇧

[@chris747f]

I went to see this in late october 2014, my massive passion for the armed forces comes from the fact my brother (currently a royal marine, not currently deployed), father, grandad and great-grandfather all served in the british army/marines, i really wanted to sign up but unforntuantley im disabled and unable to do so, I purchased one of the poppies when they were send out after the installation in the moat, i have it displayed in a glass cabiniet in my lounge surrounded by all the medals of the people we as a family have lost due to ww1 &2, Great grandad in ww1 and grandad in ww2 was serviorly injured whilst fighting on western front in ww2 and died due to taking his own life a few years before i was born belive he had ptsd my parents didnt like talking about that before they pasted also, every year me and my brother (& family) if in country not on a tour somewhere gather in my lounge for own rememberance silence and meal on 11th nov each year, all we can do is remember and think of the selfless sacrifice that now we can live in peace today (just hope stays that way) thanks for checking out this video and for your respect!!

[@knowledge-seeker-x7u]

Each poppy is actually ceramic. Many were sold to people who wanted one to commemorate their own relative. The money raised went to Veteran organisations and many other such charities. Such an incredibly moving experience.

[@robertadavies4236]

I wasn't able to travel to London to see the installation firsthand, but my husband and I followed the installation with great interest, from the placing of the first poppy to the final reading of the roll. I bought one of the poppies and cherish it.

[@paulinejackson8105]

Welcome back, been missing you .

[@brigidsingleton1596]

888,246: Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty Six. An _almost unimaginable_ figure. All Lost British & Commonwealth Souls. Rest In Peace. Thank-you for Reacting to This video.

[@arianbyw3819]

I saw this exhibit when it opened, it was just stupendous.

[@RushfanUK]

My Grandfather joined the British Army in 1910, RAMC, he was amongst the first troops to land in France in August of 1914 and went through the whole of the war serving in field ambulances just behind the front lines, he was wounded twice and saw true horrors, following WW1 he was posted to India, he was on the North West Frontier and took part in the Third Afghan War, he left the Army in 1924. He joined the Territorials following this, in 1939 he was called up and again sent to France as part of the BEF, he came out through Dunkirk as did one of his sons who was in the BEF as well, his other four sons all served in WW2 as well and all 5 survived, my Grandfather died exactly one year after I was born at the age of 70.

[@tonyscupham-bilton7523]

I went to see this with one of my brothers. Our grandmother's first husband, a navy nurse, was killed during the First World War on HMHS Britannic.

[@andypandy9013]

An interesting fact for you: Those villages that had none of their inhabitants killed in The Great War (now known as World War I) are known as "Blessed Villages" or "Thankful Villages". Those who also lost none in World War II either are known as "Doubly Blessed Villages" or "Doubly Thankful Villages". 🙂

[@Spiklething]

I lost two great uncles in the first world war Sidney Alfred Stacey, who died 14th July 1916 in The Somme at the age of 25 John Walter Lane who died 14th April 1916 in Mesopotamia at the age of 20 However, Johns brother Arthur Swan Lane died at the age of 33 in 1927. He died at a young age because of the effects of being gassed in the first world war. For me, he is as much a casualty of WWI as the other two great uncles I have mentioned.

[@ladydiva295]

❤

[@Who.Knew-The.Salt.MustFlow]

So glad my wife bought one of these. Such a precious thing to have... Feel like we are now responsible for one of these brave men's memory❤

[@colinbirks5403]

One of those poppies, represents my Grandfather. Buried Ypres Belgium 1915........Left Wife and six children. Mourn one, mourn all.

[@davidlawrence5091]

I have one of these poppies at home. I bring it out every year and show it to our cub pack to help explain remembrance day.

[@maree2234]

nice to see you back😊

[@Jamie_D]

Nice to have ya back dude

[@rickybuhl3176]

Even in the 21st century and with all the trips and stumbles along the way, the Brits still have good form. Class may be used in numerous ways to divide and unite - this though; a bit of class! ❤from DK

[@ehilton96]

My partner gifted me a silver and tortoishell sweetheart brooch. The brooches were given by soldiers in WW1 to their loves before they departed for war. I hope the original owner got her man back

[@GazGaryGazza]

The Poppies were sold if I remember rightly at £25 each, I have mine in a display case.

[@deniseg-hill1730]

Got picures of that when they first did it 10 years ago. To think i used to live in the Tower of London many years ago. Best address i ever had

[@alisoncauser2955]

My Grandma lost her only 2 brothers in this war. A lot of people forget those that died on the home front too. My Grandma lost many colleagues and friends when the munition factory she was working at exploded. But nobody really talks of those loses. Lots of brits died in the bombings on Britain. The blitz was awful too.

[@deniseadams1703]

I bought one of the poppies after the event was over. My Dad was part of the British Expeditionary Force who were trapped on the beach at Dunkirk after Belgium and France capitulated. He got home on one of the last big ships, spent two years in the UK then was sent to fight in Burma for four years. 3:18

[@johnwatt5921]

Yeh two of those poppy's represent my great uncles who died in France one at loos the other at ypres and we don't know where his body lies. I am proud that we still remember

[@kevinwoplin9322]

One of those was for my great uncle Jim ( my grandads brother)....was killed aged 20, and we now have it under a glass dome😢

[@LilMonkeyFella87]

The poppies weren't just in London. I have a documentary up about the exhibition and the other poppy displays that were done across the country aswell as stories from family members who's relatives were represented by the poppies "Britains Poppies: The First World War Remembered FULL DOCUMENTARY - 2018 HD"

[@AnnetteBurgoyne]

My gran lost a uncle and a cousin, and my grandfather lost an uncle. On my dad's side two sets of brothers were killed, and his cousin was killed in WW2.

[@AnitaHowell-i9m]

No one does it like great britain❤

[@paulhill1665]

I have one of the poppies

[@DavidBarwick-hb7eo]

This spread around the commonwealth. Here in Australia many war memorials to this day now do the Poppy display.

[@helenbrown3583]

I am lucky enough to have one of the poppies, when the display was taken apart a lot were sold to raise money for related charities. Ours is still in the box it came in complete with the bits of dirt on it from when it was pulled up and I bring it out every year in November.

[@Nikki-yn7yv]

My husband I went to see this while it was displayed, Absolutely Incredible sight,

[@johnpage4581]

I went to see this absolutely amazing,I have one of these in my garden.

[@marisavl1]

Yes, I saw it in 2015. All flowers made in porcelain, . Precious detail to Great War.

[@rosebarry]

I have one of these poppies. My Gt Uncle died, aged just 18, just before the end of WW1. Private Arthur Watts, London Regiment.

[@vallee3140]

Hi stunning wasn't it, I always felt sad it couldn't be left there.

[@gillianfoster1670]

Beautiful ❤

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

Wow, so the tectonic plates didn't shift, and California hasn't floated away into the Pacific! I could think of no other reason for my favourite Golden Stater to have been lost in the ether. 😅 Bienvenido uno vez más.

[@afterthemouse]

Think, these poppies were planted in the Tower moat. 100 years before that same ground was a basic training camp for the same soldiers going off to war that are now remembered on that same turf.

[@davidwatts-hw2dh]

As an Englishman, my ancestors blood is represented there. I did not have to go there to feel it.

[@dufflepod]

You can travel today through many of the the smaller villages in England, and most still have a well maintained WW1 memorial in a central location. At the time, farm labour was almost exclusively male, so conscription had a devastating affect on smaller villages. But, WW1 is now more than 100 years ago and is fast becoming a faint, societal memory, no doubt as the Franco-Prussian war was to our grand-parents. When I was a teenager, many of the 'old guys' (ie grey haired) who lived on my street had fought in BOTH world wars. But it is stark when you see an item on the news announcing a death and now there's no soldiers left from WW1 and only a handfull from WW2. Seventy nine years of peace post WW2 is indeed an exceptional diplomatic accomplishment. But is it the norm? Apologies... late to the parade again.

[@MaxwellMoore-d1u]

I had photos on my phone of it unfortunately i lost my phone it really upset me .

[@jameshorn270]

Back when Veteran's Day was Armistice Day and WW I vets were still around in some numbers, both on Veteran;s Day and Memorial Day, ceremonies generally included a reading of "In Flanders Field" ( In Flanders Fields, the Poppies Grow Row on Ros . . ."" This is where the association of poppies with WW I originated. Note for those bemoaning our casualties in recent wars: The British lost nearly 20,000 killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme alone. Compare that to the deaths in Iraq over nearly 8 years and also compare the populations of which they were a per centage, and it is clear that we do not have much staying power,.

[@MaxwellMoore-d1u]

World War 1 was Taught when i was a Lad .im 63 don't know if its Taught in Schools in Britain now .

[@pamrussell5120]

Same celebration in Australia and New Zealand very overwhelming

[@ianbriers5019]

If I remembered right if there's a parade other people who died the past war memorial in London 4 in a line It would stretch to Edinburgh

[@Ladymaryruth]

My uncle was shot down over Europe in world war 2

[@davidwatts-hw2dh]

No other earth mammal than humans, have killed each other in wars. Why is that?

[@tenniskinsella7768]

And starmer wants to take that freedom away

[@sallywilliamson1323]

You cut off the end of the video, the most poignant bit

[@bigbobt45]

All of the poppy's were sold with the money going to charity.

[@alisonlinnell8943]

Shame you missed the end - very poignant.

[@petermclelland278]

Could be the number of Iraqis? But hey! Whatever!

[@jamesrowe3606]

Sadly, the poppy has come to represent militerism by too many in the UK, when it was originally intended to be the opposite. I don't mean the initiative at the Tower, which seems appropriate and well-intentioned, but more generally. I won't be wearing a poppy in November and I know there will be criticism of people like me by the internet warriors, but I couldn't care less. I never met my grandfather who was killed in WWII and I can still think about his ultimate sacrifice without having a poppy in my lapel.

[@gimmesometruth7341]

How unimaginitive and pointless. Just watching videos and commenting for money! Better visit!

[@grahamdawson-lg5mq]

The Respect has gone today. In the UK Starmer and Khan do not give a dam about these Heroes. It's Sad . They gave there lives for our freedom.