A new art installation is now on view in Unit 6, Union Yard (behind Starbucks). “Phool Bloom”, a luminous, hand-dyed silk poppy, marks VJ Day and the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
A quiet invitation to pause.
This installation reflects on service, sacrifice, and remembrance, especially for those whose stories are often left out of national memory. Inspired by John McCrae’s In Flanders Fields, where “the poppies blow between the crosses,” this poppy doesn’t bloom in distant fields — it blooms in a shopfront, here in Aldershot, a town steeped in military history and lived experience.
Phool means “flower” in Hindi — a symbol of resilience, beauty, and shared memory. In partnership with Nutkhut, we believe shopfronts can be civic spaces — places where everyday life meets art, where memory can bloom on our high streets.
The poppy will be on display until 15 August when it will be displayed at our next beacon lighting at Manor Park, Aldershot, commemorating VJ Day.
