Poppies in the Window

The amazing Perth Indies have once again shown how far a little team spirit can go. We are loving the show of support for the Poppies: Weeping Window display at the Black Watch Castle and Museum.  Led by Dougie from Scottish Seasons, they’ve all rallied together to showcase the fact that the Poppy exhibition is right here in Perth by arranging gorgeous Poppy stickers to display in their shop windows.  As you know we are big fans of a #PerthLoveFest and this ticks all the right boxes.

The Poppies: Weeping Window exhibition has currently seen an impressive 17,500 visitors come to honour and appreciate the beauty of this poignant display. The Black Watch castle and Museum is the first place on the Scottish mainland to secure the Weeping Window exhibition and the people of Perth are extremely proud to have been trusted with this wonderful commemoration.

It is estimated that nearly 9000 soldiers of the Black Watch were killed during WW1 and a staggering 20,000 wounded. Many people in Perth will have a connection to the Black Watch, all too often with a loved one, killed or injured during the First World War. We know that here in Perth, the sculpture is a powerful homage not only to local families but to all other Scots who fought or who waited anxiously at home during the course of the ‘war to end all wars'.

Brought to us by the artist Paul Cummins MBE and designer Tom Piper, the poppies display has been on tour since it ended at the Tower of London in November 2014. This has all been made possible thanks to 1418 NOW, a major cultural programme taking place across the United Kingdom to mark the centenary of the First World War. They invited applications from places of historical interest and WW1 heritage to apply to host either the Weeping Window or the Wave display; The Black Watch Museum was deemed worthy of this exceptional honour.

Dougie (from one of our Indie favourites, Scottish Seasons in St John’s Street) was keen to be involved and felt sure his fellow Perth indies would feel the same way. His idea for the poppy window stickers received a great response from local businesses and there are now over 30 mini displays dotted throughout Perth City centre. As a wee side note, it’s this level of thought and dedication that has seen Dougie recently take on the role of the depute chair in the newly formed Perth Traders Association.

The display in the Scottish Seasons window in particular, is extra special, as Dougie is proudly displaying one of the original ceramic poppies that was exhibited at the Tower of London. We popped into Scottish Seasons to have a wee chat with Dougie who told us that many visitors had been admiring his and all the other window displays and had been inspired to take the walk along the North Inch park to visit the real thing.

With all of the businesses involved, we headed out, camera in hand to capture some of the gorgeous windows. It was great to see so many Perth indies (and the wonderful Paperchase) joining forces to help further carry the poignant message that Poppies: Weeping Window is here to remind us of. 

Pharos Parcel have done a fantastic display in their window all about the history of post in war time. The post allowed hope, as servicemen communicated with their loved ones and the Red Cross pulled together parcels and provisions. Often these letters would take weeks to reach the right person and as you let that thought sink in and compare it to the always-in-contact world of today, you will realise how that one small part of the overall efforts, played such a crucial role in the morale of our troops. Check out Pharos Parcel's brilliant window display next time your in or passing by.

If you needed any more reason to love your Perth Indies, then this is it.  They are an awesome bunch and there is nothing better than a right good #PerthLoveFest to boost the spirits of our beautiful city.

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