Each poppy in the display has been carefully created by members of the local community
A remembrance sculpture by Hull-based artist Andy Pea has gone on display at Paragon Station(Image: TransPennine Express)
A stunning new art installation and poignant remembrance tribute has blossomed at Hull‘s Paragon Station. The six-metre-long sculpture, crafted by Hull-based artist Andy Pea, is made up of around 2,500 handcrafted poppies flowing from floor to ceiling, producing a stirring spectacle for travellers entering the station.
The piece will remain in position until Thursday, November 20, courtesy of funding and backing from TransPennine Express, LNER, Northern and Hull City Council, and forms part of a nationwide series of events marking 200 years of the railway.
Below the flowing poppies, visitors can pause, contemplate, and gaze upward through the artwork as it stretches towards the ceiling. Each poppy in the display has been carefully created by members of the local community, including groups from the ReNew drug and alcohol rehabilitation service, Adelaide Primary School, and the Lighthouse Project.
Among those backing the project is Yeseniia Serdiuk, a refugee from Ukraine who has been working alongside Andy and volunteers, acquiring artistic skills and sharing her own experiences of resilience and renewal.
“Every poppy carries a story,” said Andy. “They’ve been made by hands from all walks of life, people who’ve overcome challenges, found new hope, or wanted to remember someone special. Together, they form a single bloom of community strength.”
The installation’s placement at Paragon Station carries particular historical importance as research conducted during the project revealed the tale of Northumberland Fusiliers 17th, North Eastern Railway Pioneers Battalion recruited directly from the station’s workforce during the First World War.
The display will be in place until November 20(Image: TransPennine Express)
Andy also discovered that his own grandfather had served in that very battalion – becoming the 17th person to sign up during a recruitment campaign. “The installation is about remembrance, but also regeneration,” Andy added.
“Every poppy represents a life, a story, a moment of hope – and together they tell Hull’s story and that of the railway in its 200th year, in full bloom.”
Chris Jackson, managing director at TransPennine Express, said: “It is a chance for anyone passing through to stop and reflect. The artwork builds upon that legacy, connecting the city’s history of service and sacrifice to its modern-day spirit of unity.”
A remembrance service is set to take place at the station at 11am on Friday, November 7 with all members of the public welcome to attend. The ceremony will pay tribute to the railway’s contribution in supporting the country during wartime and those who have served in previous and ongoing conflicts.
Travellers and anyone walking through the station can craft and contribute their own handmade poppy, complete with a brief note of remembrance or personal message, and leave them with volunteers from City of Culture and HEY UK.