Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red Poppy

Today, my commemorative poppy arrived, carefully wrapped and placed in a specially designed box, together with a commemorative booklet and certificate. 

It is one of 888,246 ceramic poppies made for the installation 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' at the Tower of London to commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War 1914.  

The installation was created by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper. Each poppy represents a British or Colonial military fatality during the war. The proceeds from the sale of the poppies are divided between six service charities in the UK. 

I visited the installation twice: once on 5th October last year and again on the 23rd October. It was such a thought provoking and moving experience and led me to purchasing a piece of history, knowing that the proceeds went to support these heroes.