Call for Tower of London poppies WWI exhibition to be extended

Pressure is mounting for the stunning ceramic poppy exhibition at the Tower of London to be kept open longer after its overwhelming popularity with the public.

The exhibition, which has been created for the centenary of the First World War, will show 888,246 handmade poppies representing every British and colonial life lost, and its breathtaking poignance has had a powerful effect on the public.

London Poppies Draw Millions of Visitors

According to the Evening Standard, mayor of London Boris Johnson has reportedly called Royal palace chiefs to request the exhibition stays open a couple of weeks longer than planned.

The mayor told the paper: "The poppy field at the Tower is a unique and poignant focus of remembrance in this centenary year.

"It has grown rapidly in popularity, to such an extent that it is now a global visitor attraction.

"I'm keen to explore whether we can keep the exhibition open for longer, to give as many people as possible the chance to glimpse something so incredible, whilst easing the pressure on numbers."

However, Historic Royal Palaces, which runs the Tower of London, says an extension is "unlikely" as the temporary nature of the exhibition was part of the artists' intention to demonstrate the frailty of lives lost in the war.

Over 8,000 volunteers will start dismantling the installation on 12 November, the day after Armistice Day.

The poppies will then be given to buyers who purchased them for £25 each, raising £11.2 million for six Service charities.

According to the Independent, as the poppy installation comes into its final week, the ceramic flowers cover the equivalent of 16 acres, equal to 16 football pitches or 250 tennis courts.

The installation, called Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, saw teams of volunteers creating the poppies under artist Paul Cummins in Derby.

Around 90 tonnes of steel has also been used to create the stems of the poppies, which give the impression they are 'floating' over the moat and out of one of the Tower's windows.