Hundreds of ceramic poppies commemorating the First World War will go on permanent display in Manchester next month.
Taken from the commemorative Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation, created to mark the centenary of the First World War, the poppies were originally displayed at the Tower of London in 2014.
The initial installation saw the tower encircled, its moat strewn with ceramic poppies – each flower hand-placed by thousands of volunteers in memory of the millions of soldiers’ lives lost in the conflict.
Of 888,246 individual poppies, the last was placed on Remembrance Sunday by 13-year-old cadet Harry Hayes.
The poppies were originally displayed at the Tower of London in 2014 / Credit: Daniel Gillaspia via Flickr
Following the Tower of London exhibition, the First World War art installation then went on a tour of a number of UK cities – visiting 19 different locations, including the Imperial War Museum between September and November 2018.
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Now, it is set to return to Manchester full time – with two of the three original Tower of London sculptures about to begin a longstanding residence at the museum as they become part of its permanent collection.
Previously in 2018, only the cascading installation of ceramic poppies known as ‘Wave’ was displayed – but now ‘Weeping Window’ will join it, with both sculptures going on show inside the museum’s Manchester Air Shard building together for the first time.
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The First World War art installation then went on a tour of a number of UK cities / Credit: David Dixon via Geograph
‘Wave’ is a free-standing sculpture covered in poppies that curves and cascades down, giving them the appearance of pouring out onto the floor. ‘Weeping Window’ also adds movement by way of a towering poppy arch.
Artist Paul Cummins, who created the poppy sculptures alongside designer Tom Piper, was inspired by a poem written by an unknown Derbyshire soldier he had found amongst county records alongside the man’s unsigned will.
It began: “The blood swept lands and seas of red. Where angels dare to tread.”
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After hand-making each poppy in his studio and in a ceramic factory in Stoke on Trent, Mr Cummins then required the help of over 21,000 volunteers to install the original sculptures.
Both sculptures will go on display at the Imperial War Museum from 10 November, appearing in time for Remembrance Sunday 2021.
Cult US sustainable clothing brand Reformation to open in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
Cult US sustainable clothing brand Reformation is set to open its doors in Manchester very soon.
Since it was first founded in Los Angeles all the way back in 2009, Reformation has gone on to become one of the largest sustainable womenswear brands on the planet, and is now known and loved for making beautiful, timeless apparel and accessories that aim to ‘inspire confidence’ across life stages and occasions.
Operating on a business model that pairs a smart approach to merchandising with a responsive supply chain, Reformation now operates more than 70 retail stores across the US, UK, Canada, and France.
At the heart of the Reformation story is a genuine commitment to ‘doing things differently’.
Since day one, sustainability has been woven into everything the brand makes – from the eco-certified fabrics and responsible factories, to its famously transparent sustainability reports.
Currently, Reformation has five UK stores to its name – but, it may come as no surprise to fans of the brand that they’re all in London.
That’s why the news of this new Manchester opening is such a big deal.
Set to be the label’s first UK store outside of the capital, Reformation has secured a prime spot on King Street in the heart of the city centre, and although there’s no confirmed opening date as of yet, if the shop windows saying ‘Summer 2026’ are anything to go by, we can only imagine it’ll be very soon.
“For Manchester, it’s a landmark moment, and for King Street, it’s the latest signal that this is one of the UK’s most exciting retail destinations,” a spokesperson for King Street said in a statement.
Stay tuned for details on opening dates to be announced in due course.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis
Emily Sergeant
A series of ‘everyday fixes’ to help combat the rising cost of living crisis are soon to be rolled out nationwide.
Kicking off with two measures today, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that he plans to ban retailers from making ‘misleading’ claims to customers about discounts.
The Government says shoppers have ‘increasingly complained’ about outlets artificially inflating prices to give a false sense of value, such as increasing prices only to then immediately advertise ‘discounts’ to make savings look larger than they really are, which goes on to create an uneven playing field for honest competitors.
The Prime Minister also wants to see an end to so-called ‘subscription traps’, where people find it hard to cancel their subscriptions, and contracts are automatically renewed at a higher cost.
Set to come into force in January 2027 and saving people an average of £14 a month for every unwanted subscription, the changes will mean businesses will need to provide clearer up-front information, regular reminders. and a ‘much easier’ exit to contracts.
Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis / Credit: gov.uk | Piotr Cichosz (via Unsplash)
A new 14-day cooling-off period will also be introduced to let consumers cancel after a trial or long-term contract renews.
Certain charitable memberships, like the ones for cultural and heritage organisations for example, will be excluded from the new subscription rules due to the fact they have a unique role in preserving the nation’s history, landscapes, and cultural collections.
The Prime Minister says he is ‘determined’ to use every chance he gets to restore fairness and take pressure off people.
“I know people are sick and tired of rip-off discounts and subscription traps,” Andy Burnham said. “Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles like this are just part of life, but I don’t think that’s right, especially when the cost of living continues to weigh heavily on so many people’s lives.”
Georgina Pellant -
26th October 2021 
