A person named "Cos.Co." asked me to post this.

Hi Joe or whoever,

At the Tower of London, as part of the Remembrance Sunday activities to commemerate the fallen in war, there is a huge display of red poppies (see Note 1).

All these poppies are to be cleared away (on or after the 11th November - there is an argument about this: the process has been slowed down or halted as so many wish to visit the display). I do not know if a "closing ceremony" has been planned - the authorities appear to have been surprised at the effect of the
display but I believe there should be one. People should find out from the Royal British Legion and the Tower of London, if the clearance is to be marked in some manner. There are a number of "sensitivities" involved. (At a minimum someone should sing "Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing, where... ". I don't know if any British Mudcatters want to ensure something worthwhile is done (see Note 2) but I feel it would be appalling to waste such an "investment".)

I understand there has been some mention of this at the British "home of folk", Cecil Sharp House but I am not a party to any of these organisations. At the moment I also do not have time to be a "party" to Mudcat but I do hope you will pass this message on. If you do feel a "handle" is necessary for me, "Cos.Co." does have real-world link to me.

Notes:
1. Described as "a major artistic installation entitled 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' sees the Tower of London's famous dry moat filled with over 800,000 ceramic poppies to create a powerful visual commemoration for the First World War Centenary".
2. Variations on a theme:
i) The last poppies are cleared, leaving only figures with black hooded capes, backs to cameras. A commentator says: "we are left with no flowers, just a question" and then the song begins:
"Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing, where... ". When they reach the phrase "young girls picked them", the figures turn round (hoods and/or capes released/removed), revealing them to be young girls, each carrying a red poppy shrouded in white. The involvement of a male voice choir - and soldiers - might be best avoided in the first instance but sensible as a follow-on.
Black hooded capes are sometimes representative of death, of witchcraft. With the white dresses there is some suggestion of polarity, of life and death.
(Though normal life is shades of grey (but far more than 50!) , There is some hint of innocence - and whose guilt?
ii) Unofficial solitary singer to be there and recorded at the time or perhaps a whole group of folk singers and musicians.
ii) Use time lapse photography of clearance as a backdrop to the song.

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Here's a BBC Story on the Tower of London poppies - with lots of colorful photographs.