Johnson Tiles celebrates Tower Poppies return to Stoke-on-Trent in 2018

Councillor Abi Brown, Stoke-on-Trent City Council deputy leader, said: “We’re thrilled to say that our ceramic poppies are coming home. 14-18 NOW have confirmed that the poppy tour will visit the city in 2018, and while where and when they will come is still to be announced, the confirmation that we’ll be able to display arguably one of the most iconic national artistic commemorations of the First World War here in Stoke-on-Trent is fantastic news. We’ll be able to display the poppies and are now working with 14-18 NOW on the final detail of this.

“It’s the culmination of two-and-a-half years of campaigning – the city council led the bid, but its success was only possible with the enthusiastic support of a range of partners across the local media, museums, education establishments, arts groups, local armed forces and, of course, our world famous ceramics manufacturers. 

“Without Johnson Tiles and Potclays Ltd this stunning artwork – which has captured the imagination of audiences across the world – could never have been created. Potclays supplied 497 tonnes of Stoke-on-Trent clay for the work, and Johnson Tiles fired 440,000 of the poignant poppies – around half of the 888,246 made to honour every death in the British forces during the First World War.

“It is fabulous news that people in Stoke-on-Trent and across the region will now be able to see these iconic ceramic poppies in the city where so many of them were crafted. I’d like to thank all partners for their hard work and support in bringing the poppies home. 

“This is another sign of the fantastic cultural heritage in our city, as we continue to go forward with our City of Culture 2021 bid.”

In the final year of the tour, commemorating the end of the First World War, Stoke-on-Trent will play host to the iconic tribute, which honours 888,246 fallen soldiers.

Over half of the ceramic poppies were hand-made at Johnson Tiles’ factory in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, by a team of skilled ceramic artists.

And after more than five million people visited the poignant installation at the Tower of London in 2014, and a further 1.5million people have since seen the UK Poppy Tour, we’re thrilled to welcome the ‘weeping window’ and ‘wave’ to our city.