North London firm makes stand for Tower of London poppies

A metalwork factory established by a Jewish family from North London has created a display stand for the Tower of London poppies.

The concept was born when Ann Sugarman, wife of Metalcraft Ltd managing director David, bought one of the iconic poppies but found herself wondering how to display it.

Mrs Sugarman explained, “I didn’t want to plant it in the garden in case it got damaged, but I couldn’t find a vase suitable that would show off its beauty and elegance whilst also protecting its fragility. That is when I came up with the design idea for the display stand.”

David Sugarman was quick to take up his wife’s idea, saying “One of my employees also had a poppy and wanted to know if he could make a stand in the factory, so we ended up making some.”

Metalcraft has now produced 2,000 of the minimalist, brushed steel stands. They retail for £19.99, of which £1 is donated to the six Tower of London Remembers charities.

Mr Sugarman said, “We wanted to design a fitting solution to display these priceless poppies to match their beauty and emotionally-charged symbolism, and make a significant contribution to these worthwhile charities.

The installation at the Tower of London, Blood swept Lands and Seas of Red, saw 888,246 ceramic poppies planted in the Tower’s iconic moat to mark the Centenary commemoration of the beginning of Britain’s involvement in WWI. Each poppy represented a British military fatality during the War.

More than 5 million visitors attended the memorial to fallen British and Commonwealth soldiers.

Metalcraft Ltd was established in 1960 by Lewis Sugarman, and since 1987 has been run by his son, David.