Much as I support the British Legion Poppy Campaign every year, remembering with pride a great-uncle who died at Cambrai and many former colleagues lost upon operations or in training accidents, nonetheless I get so frustrated at politicians and the media who seem to be desperate to wear their poppies ever earlier each year. Surely the correct time to wear a poppy is the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday ?
The annual poppy appeal was launched at 10:00 on the 24th October. Fine to wear them after that.
Good to see the local Army Cadets, Sea Cadets and even the boys in baby blue out there today not only taking contributions from the public but answering questions lucidly and with some knowledge.
This makes a change from the usual monosyllabic youth that populate our small high street on a Saturday.
Remember...
.....when your money drops in, it had better not rattle. Rustling is acceptable but rattling is O.U.T.! Think about it another way. Going back to my youth, I'd have gladly paid a fortune not to have been forced to speak German twice a week with Herr Mr Percy in the german lessons. Now that I earn a fortune, It would be insulting not to pay an equivalent amount to say thanks for not allowing me to be forced to do German lessons 10 times per week. Grandpa Blue-Up (just below centre) on 5th June 1944, some time after his return from Brittany where he had been a radio operator behind lines in 1941/42.
If you look in Debrett's, one should NEVER wear a Poppy before All Saints Day - (1st November) and it should always be removed before the end of Remembrance Day (nearest Sunday to 11th November). Anything else, is, according to Debrett, pure common crass.
Anyone who has to refer to Debrett's to know how to behave is nowt but common pond scum.
Don't you know.
Anyway. I have mine on already. Mind you I managed to knock it off into a puddle earlier. Oh well, I'll just have to buy another one. Not exactly a chore considering the cause.
There's really no need for you to be so rude SAS, but I guess that just show what sort of an uneducated individual you are, no worries, one day you may grow up, but somehow I very much doubt it! The reason for quoting Debrett was that it's in various publications today, talking about the wearing of Poppy's, bit like Christmas lights which are already displayed in some towns. There's a time and a place, and for Poppy's it's not yet. Not berating the cause at all, one I support fully, but, we're not quite out of Breast Cancer Awareness week yet!
Mate get a sense of humour. The comment was tongue in cheek and certainly not aimed at anyone. Do you need a panoply of smilies to understand a bit of a joke?
You may have noticed the irony of me wearing one now whilst Debrett's says you should only wear it a week before.......
Sorry you cannot compare the RBLF poppy appeal to christmas. The RBLF are trying to raise 27.5 Mil this year. At Christmas we will blow billions in self indulgence. If, according to Debretts, one should cut the fund raising period by 6 days (nearly 50%) then we cut the opportunity of raising the money for our heroes. Stuff Debretts up your arse, if it hurts then donate £10 to our heroes, if it really hurts then donate £20, if it will not fit, then realise the sacrifice our people made and donate £100! (Please keep us informed as to what you give!!!). Frankly my pet hate in life is hearing christmas carols in tesco's in September, you could sell poppies all year round and it would not piss me off!!
Location: Back in the land of the singing aardvarks looking for the escape hatch.....
Age: 42
Posts: 1,207
Come to think of it, forget Debrett's altogether and go out and buy something like 'The Last Fighting Tommy'. Life story of Harry Patch, one of only 3 surviving British WW1 veterans and then decide for yourself if it's 'crass' to wear a poppy for 1, 6 or even 12 months. I'm afraid I agree with Tigs, it should be all year round.
Well when it comes to charity it's a personal view, there is no right or wrong. Only a couple of weeks ago we had Genes for Jeans, then Breast Cancer, then Poppys. Each valid in their own way and folk will give to what ever cause they choose, as they should. Point is, like it or not, that Remembrance day is Sunday nearest 11th Nov, starting the Poppy early detracts from other causes, and that's just plain wrong. The charity £ is already fully donated in the UK, charities competing for cash against each other will serve nobody any good.
I would always wear a poppy in my headset at work, I always manage to lose one when wearing it on my coat ad each year try ever more complex ways of keeping it visible.
My biggest problem is finding somewhere to actually get my poppy, last year It was really hard to find one.
What a cynical view. We all waste masses of money on rubbish everyday. If you believe in a cause you should give to it. End of story.
My wife used to work as a fundraiser for cancer research and now as someone who has cancer, I'm very glad that people like her went out and raised as much money as they did. It means I'm going to get better, whereas 20 years ago I would have been in trouble.
If I believe in a cause, then I give to it. Personally I donate each month to various charities, but that doesn't mean I won't stick my hand in my pocket if something catches my attention.
I have never served in the armed forces, but I'm proud to be a member of the Royal British Legion and support them, buying a poppy is a very small act, but when enough people do it. We can help those who helped defend the freedoms we take for granted today.
As Billy Connolly once said. "Any one who can look in the eyes of a starving person in a third world country or on the streets of the UK and then talk about charity fatigue is an ar*e of the highest order."
Standard couldn't agree more. Got Mr Pun VC coming to my house tomorrow for lunch!! I am wetting myself already. He had his first cateract op 3 days ago and saw his wife yesterday for the first time in 15 years. We cannot give enough time and money to the men and women who promised to give (and many did!!) their lives in the defence of our way of life.
Edited to say: Say again sorry to hear of your predicament. Lovely to hear what your wife does, and i am sure you agree, there should be no 'dates' we should stick to!! Good liuck mate!!
I could not give a damn what anyone says about when you should or shouldn't wear a poppy. I get mine on the first day and invariably have to replace it 4 or 5 times before Rememberance Sunday, it's something that must be maintained forever. Anyone who disagrees should spend a weekend on The Somme in the middle of January and then see how they feel about it.
Agree with all the points raised. Point is, in the fund raising callender charities agree dates for their programs a long time ahead, idea is to ensure everyone has a fair crack at the donator purse. No problem. Then one breakes the agreement and comes in a week early. Who's loss? And yes I do know what I'm talking about having been involved in this sector for last 10 years.
No they don't. Certainly not in the way of promoting themselves to get money.
They may have individual weeks, but none of them will stop advertising or fundraising just because it is aother charities week.
If the poppy appeal want to go for 6 weeks or even 52 there is stuff all to stop them. The fact is, they choose to do it this way as it maximise their impact.
Just because another charity makes a push at a certain time doesn't stop other charities doing anything at the same time.
I've just spoken to the missus and she says that the idea of agreements between the hundreds of thousands of charities in the UK is absolutely ludicrous and simply doesn't exist.
People can wear poppeys all year round for if they want! (in my opinion...)
Most 15 year olds like me wouldn't give 2 sh*ts about the war...
However... I went to the Normandy D-Day beaches last July on a school trip and it changed my attitude towards the war...
Most of the graves in the cemetery's were from young soldiers, who were still in their teens.
I've never realized the sacrifice those young men made for future generations, and it is something i will always remember.
You can spend hours reading and learning about it, but nothing beats the sensation of turning up to those beaches and seeing what those soldiers faced 60+ years ago...
Pegasus Bridge in Normandy was also a real 'eye opener' for me. While walking across the bridge the tour guide pointed out some holes in the bridge... When we looked closer they were bullet holes where a medic had ran out to help a wounded soldier, and got shot. It was weird thinking that someone had died on the very spot i was stood.
I really respect those men who sacrificed their lives for the country... RIP...
