Fields of Battle Lands of Peace: street art gallery

When my mum was here, on the day we went to the Household Cavalry Museum, we also enjoyed a pleasant walk through St James’s Park.

Unfortunately, my phone was on the fritz that day and I couldn’t take any photos after we left the museum. I did, however, notice that there was an outdoor photography exhibition set-up just across from Horse Guard’s Parade. One particular image caught my eye. It depicted WW1 trenches in the snow.

I made a mental note to return to the exhibition which I quickly realised was about WW1 battlegrounds – and what they look like today.

So after meeting an old work friend for lunch last week, Pumpkin and I were headed to the train station to go home when I decided to treat myself to a Starbucks first. While in the coffee shop, I checked on the weather report. It promised sunshine later in the afternoon. I wasn’t sure I believed it (it was really pouring!), but thought I’d sip my coffee slowly and see what things looked like when we went back outside.

I was actually shocked when we emerged from the cafe an hour later – the rain had dried up and there were patches of blue in the sky. We headed up the street and made our way towards St James’s Park.

On our way there, we may have stopped at a bookshop and bought a couple of board books.

Trafalgar square was looking lovely under the blue sky – I love this skyline with the National Gallery, Nelson’s Column, the Coliseum and St Martin-in-the-Fields.

I also stopped to snap a photo of the Admiralty Arch, which was looking particularly spectacular in the sunshine.

Walks in the park this time of year always confirm for me that autumn is my favourite season. I love the colours and the crisp air, the low angle of the sun and the long shadows.

We took a little walk along the Mall, then went over to the photography exhibition.

Fields of Battle Lands of Peace 14-18 is a project by photographer Michael St. Maur Sheil. He has spent the last seven years exploring the battlefields of WW1 and attempting to capture the history and emotions of the landscapes.

Speaking about the street art gallery, Mr Sheil said he believes the collection will act as a ‘gateway’ for people to better understand the battlefields.

 

He also hopes that it will encourage “people to visit these historic landscapes during the centennial period and so create awareness and understanding of the events and historical implications of the First World War.”

The photographs are arranged on three-sided boards and they have some sort of coating that protects them from the elements, as well as prevents glare. Although it was very bright out, I didn’t have any trouble seeing the details in any of the photos.

And there were some remarkable details to see.

I think the most interesting part of the photos for me was how peaceful the places appear today. These serene landscapes – farmland, forests, beaches – saw so many horrific things 100 years ago. The trenches have started to fill in, the bomb craters have turned into ponds or grazing land – but shells, rusted rifles and undetonated explosives are still unearthed regularly.

As well as the modern photos, each board includes information and pictures from wartime to add context. The one above shows a man waist-deep in used shells. It’s hard to believe so many could have been used – but it certainly explains how they can still be discovered a century later.

This was another bit of info that caught my eye – recruiting young men based on which football team they supported. As if going off to war was like having a kick-about in the park. So sad.

Something else that I liked about the display was that it included many locations – not just Europe. It was a ‘world war’ after all, and while I tend to equate WW1 primarily with France and Germany, fighting took place in various parts of Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Of course I know this, but it’s not something I think about. This was a good reminder.

In addition to the photographs, there’s an ‘education centre’ set up in a small portable building. We didn’t go in, as it was busy and didn’t seem spacious enough for the manoeuvring the pram.

We walked around the park a bit longer, enjoying the sunshine… and the topiary.

Then we headed back towards Charing Cross – as we walked past the Admiralty Building, I stopped to look at these lovely vines. I love how they’re changing colour.

We met Daddy Man for dinner – health food at Pizza Hut. Then we headed home together.

Pumpkin looked like a proper little commuter in her pram, reading her book.

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Fields of Battle Lands of Peace 14-18 will be on display at St James’s Park until 11th November. Other exhibitions are also up in locations across the UK and it will also be going on tour. To find out more, visit the website. 

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