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Remembrance Day and Poppies

(145 Posts)
DaphneBroon Tue 01-Nov-16 08:59:22

I am seeing more advertisements for glitzy "jewellery " poppies which seem more like fashion items to me than poppies for remembrance.
AIBU to feel uncomfortable about these and while a proportion of the price is ostensibly forwarded to the British Legion or other charities such as Help for Heroes, is it going to lead to a decline in annual poppy sales ? Perhaps their disappearance altogether?

And when do you start to wear your poppy? Is it "virtue signalling" to wear it in October, as I have seen, or indeed to appear to outdo other poppies by wearing huge double ones like some newsreaders etc in recent years.

rosesarered Tue 01-Nov-16 09:06:12

I haven't seen any jewellery ones, but if enough people bought one it would be a 'one off' buy ( so would affect poppy sales) although I don't think most people would buy one ( especially men!)
I bought one last Saturday and will pin it to my jacket today ( it's early enough) but the newsreaders have been wearing theirs for the last week at least.I suppose seeing theirs reminds others to buy one?

shysal Tue 01-Nov-16 09:14:38

I don't wear my Remembrance Day items until November. I buy a new wrist band each year and attach a white and a red poppy to my handbag.

shysal Tue 01-Nov-16 09:15:06

I don't wear my Remembrance Day items until November. I buy a new wrist band each year and attach a white and a red poppy to my handbag.

shysal Tue 01-Nov-16 09:15:38

Don't know how the duplicate happened!blush

DaphneBroon Tue 01-Nov-16 09:16:45

M&S (I think £15)
There are also some rather (IMO) nice ones made from shell casings, less glitzy and (to me) more appropriate perhaps?

annodomini Tue 01-Nov-16 09:27:32

Every year I buy two poppies because I always lose one - sometimes both. I bought a poppy brooch from the British Legion web site. I still buy one (or more) but at least I will also have the brooch. It's small and rather pretty.

harrigran Tue 01-Nov-16 09:29:43

I have a poppy brooch purchased from the British Legion and have been wearing it for the last week. DH has a lapel badge and we also have a car poppy. The British legion will not suffer because people who buy the jewellery tend to donate anyway and they just want something that doesn't drop to pieces two minutes after pinning it to their jacket.

Greyduster Tue 01-Nov-16 09:31:39

I bought a pin on badge on Saturday, to add to the pin on badge I bought last year. The lady poppy seller was saying that they weren't selling any jewelled poppies this year - something to do with the VAT. They were, apparently, a big seller last year. I wouldn't have wanted one anyway, buy a lot of people seem to like them. I will not wear mine until next week. I got very hot under the collar on Sunday Watching Country File when not only all their presenters, which is fine, but almost all those taking part in the programme seemed to be wearing poppies in what seemed to be incongruous situations, as if the BBC had decided that it was some kind of prerequisite. If they had been interviewing trawlermen in the North Atlantic, presumably they would have had to wear poppies on their oilskins! They did it last year too and it annoyed me then, too! Rant over.

Oldgreymare Tue 01-Nov-16 09:36:36

I remember, as a child, wanting a poppy with attached green leaves (only worn by the Queen and 'really important people' at the time).
I recently visited the poppy 'display' at Caernarvon Castle and bought a small badge. There is free entry whilst the display is on view!

ninathenana Tue 01-Nov-16 09:38:12

I bought a plastic reflective poppy yesterday for a minimum donation of £1. It clips on your bag or zipper I usually donate a £1 and for that I like something that will last longer than piece of paper. I have in the past bought lapel pins which have the year printed in the middle so no re-cycling smile
Some of the jewellery is a bit ostentatious.

radicalnan Tue 01-Nov-16 09:48:28

The British Legion site sell them so the money must g o directly to them, I bought mine from there. We have also had the ceramic poppies from art installations for sale in the last couple of years, I guess time moves on and people want different things.

Teetime Tue 01-Nov-16 09:55:12

I bought two poppy pins from the BL website (not glittery ones) and a poppy jute bag. When you get to the checkout it also asks f you wish to make a donation so its good way to buy a poppy. The material ones fall off all the time but I will still by one from the Air scouts when they are in the market.

There was also a Facebook video from BL called 'How to wear your poppy' and it said they are to be worn from late October until Remembrance Day.

westieyaya Tue 01-Nov-16 09:57:34

I was forever losing the pin on poppies or even finding they fell apart. As a member of the women's branch of the Royal British Legion, last year I bought from the RBL catalogue, a brooch type poppy made from shell casing. I wear it from 1 November and am proud to do so. I shall carry on making a donation into the collecting tin.

pen50 Tue 01-Nov-16 09:59:44

I have a ceramic poppy brooch which I bought a few years ago from the Legion website, but I always buy two or three paper ones over the period to make sure I support the Legion and also the makers.

I used to live in Spain and a friend there admired my brooch and asked me to get one for her. Of course poppies don't have the same symbolism there (though I did attempt to explain) so she wore it (and probably still wears it) year round as the fancy took her.

cheerfullizzy Tue 01-Nov-16 10:00:52

Wearing a poppy is essentially a mark of respect.....I can't help feel that glitter and glitz dosen't quite convey the true meaning of why we actually wear them......

jhallcaroline Tue 01-Nov-16 10:05:02

I also have one of the first Buckley ones and various badges over the years. Our local British Legion branch was in our local shopping centre yesterday and I bought 2 enameled small round poppy badges, plus one on a ribbon and 2 china mugs! Total came to less than £10 put £20 as per my usual annual spend.

I am also a BL member and I feel as long as some of the price goes to the Legion then I think it is OK. I don't think buying something that lasts longer won't deter people from donating to the BL in subsequent years.

Jamesiesgran Tue 01-Nov-16 10:08:42

Where can I buy a white poppy? I've wanted one for a while but have never seen them on sale anywhere. I like the idea of a red and a white poppy worn together.

DaphneBroon Tue 01-Nov-16 10:12:58

If the print is too small, this is an ad in our Frosts garden centre unsolicited catalogue which arrived today, advertising "solar powered Poppies for your garden".
Not sure about this (apologies to anybody who has one ) is it just cashing in on our Remembrance Day awareness? Plus- "solar powered" in NOVEMBER? Bit of an oxymoron.

grandmaz Tue 01-Nov-16 10:14:43

I think that I shall buy a little ceramic brooch poppy to use to secure my annual paper one, which I buy and then lose regularly each year! That way I can buy one from the lovely retired serviceman at Morrisons as I always do, but also have the brooch as 'belt and braces'

WilmaKnickersfit Tue 01-Nov-16 10:17:21

I have mixed feelings too about 'fancy' poppies. I know any kind will be helping the RBL, but there something about the simplicity of the basic paper ones.

goldengirl Tue 01-Nov-16 10:22:41

I'm finding it difficult to buy a poppy locally. Even DH is experiencing a problem this year. Where have you bought one?

joannewton46 Tue 01-Nov-16 10:24:22

I made a beaded poppy last year but donated to the fund separately. There is a lady who sells a pattern for making your own beaded brooch, all proceeds go to the British Legion and I understand she raised over £10,000 last year. Good for her!

trisher Tue 01-Nov-16 10:25:45

Am I wrong in thinking that the original poppies were made by disabled servicemen and that the money went to them? If so it would seem that the original idea has probably changed anyway and the 'bling' ones are just an extension of this.

Rosina Tue 01-Nov-16 10:26:06

Greyduster, do you remember a big fuss a few years ago when news readers were told NOT to wear poppies as 'it might offend'? Some PC rubbish was being spouted, I think by the BBC. Perhaps they are going to other extremes now on TV. As I recall Muslims were interviewed on local news and they were amazed at the stupidity; one said he thought the poppies symbolised respect for the fallen, whoever they were, and he couldn't understand why this was being said. As I recall the whole thing blew over very quickly and the newsreaders were wearing them again.

I do agree though that the simple paper/cloth poppy seems to mark what is being expressed rather better than glitter and stones.
How can anyone who saw it ever forget that last scene of Blackadder, when they all went 'over the top' and the scene of unspeakable carnage slowly changed to a field of poppies?