Minutes of silence to mark 100 years

In a capital city with an energetic - at times frenzied - pace, there is a quality that can be in short supply.

Silence.

The silence at the Tower of London - temporary home to the installation of ceramic poppies - wasn't just observed for two minutes, as elsewhere in the country.

For a chunk of time at this major tourist attraction, most people were lost in their thoughts. Those who did chat spoke only in hushed tones to those beside them.

Armistice Day marks a century of sacrifice from World War One to Afghanistan.

For many the art installation at the Tower has been an opportunity to reconnect with their own family's past.

As they stood around the moat of the former fortress, palace and prison they spoke of the loss their relatives had experienced and of the need to remember.

All eyes were on the poppies. Their existence, girdling this ancient monument, induced a temporary state of near reverence.

Each poppy represents an individual who didn't grow old.

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