Paragon poppies: Installation of remembrance unveiled at station
‘EVERY POPPY CARRIES A STORY’: Artist Andy Pea with Ukrainian refugee Yeseniia Serdiuk. Picture credit: Jonny Walton
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
About 2,500 handmade poppies have been installed at Paragon Station ahead of a service of remembrance and as part of a national series of events commemorating 200 years of the railway.
The six-metre-long sculpture, created by Hull artist Andy Pea, cascades from floor to ceiling, creating a moving visual for passengers arriving at the station.
It invites visitors to stand, reflect, and look up through the artwork as it reaches toward the ceiling.
Each poppy has been lovingly crafted by members of the community, including groups from the ReNew drug and alcohol rehabilitation service, Adelaide Primary School, and the Lighthouse Project, a local women’s refuge.
Among those supporting the project is Ukrainian refugee Yeseniia Serdiuk, who has been working alongside Andy and volunteers, learning 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 location also holds historical significance as research undertaken as part of the project uncovered the story of 17th Northumberland Fusiliers, North Eastern Railway Pioneers Battalion, which was raised directly from the station’s staff during the First World War.
Andy also discovered that his own grandfather was part of the battalion and the 17th man to enlist during a recruitment drive at the station.
“The installation is about remembrance, but also regeneration,” Andy said. “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.”
A service of remembrance will be held at the station at 11am on Friday, November 7. It will honour the role of the railway in supporting the nation at times of war and those who have fought in past and current conflicts.
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.”
As well as being invited to the service, passengers and visitors can also make and donate their own poppy with a short note of remembrance or a personal message and leave them with HEY volunteers at their information hub in at the entrance to the station.
The installation will be in place until Thursday, November 20, thanks to funding and support from TransPennine Express, LNER, Northern and Hull City Council.