Poppies

Theodoric · 08-11-2003, 18:48

As happens nearly every year, I lost the poppy that I'd bought earlier in the month, so I bought myself a new one today. All of which caused me to look around this morning and, what do you know; there weren't all that many people wearing poppies and, of those, not a lot were young. Ah well, to quote Rudyard Kipling:

"For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!"

08-11-2003, 18:51

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Jon T · 08-11-2003, 20:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by yesman

and just to add my bit:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condem.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Drodney · 08-11-2003, 20:11

Why do you still have a 9/11 thing in your sig

**Maggy** · 08-11-2003, 23:52

why shouldn't he?it's his choice.

incog.

Jon T · 08-11-2003, 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drodney

Why do you still have a 9/11 thing in your sig

I was going to change to a poppy tonight but decided not to, the events of 09/11/01 will never go away, so perhaps my the image in my signature never will either, who knows?

MovedGoalPosts · 09-11-2003, 00:43

I would have liked to wear a poppy this year. Oddly perhaps, I have yet to see anywhere where I could donate and acquire one.

In past years it seemed that many shops, even takeaways had a donations box. There was even a house to house collector. This year despite my willingness to donate I have found nowhere to do so, and yet I don not live or work in the back of beyond.

I want to donate and will probably now spend some effort working out where I can send a cheque. If the lack of ready ability to donate is commonplace, one wonders how much this worthwhile cause will loose.

In the past, through voluntary occupations that I am no longer involved with, I am priviledged to have played my part in enabling local rememberance ceremonys. Now I will simply remember.

**Maggy** · 09-11-2003, 01:12

http://www.poppy.org.uk/

you can donate online there.
there is intense rivalry between the local rbl branches here and there are poppies available everywhere in the local area.i suspect that perhaps the rbl that is/was local to you is failing/failed due to poor local support and a lack of members therefore the poppy appeal is being managed at a distance so to speak.
it's been happening all too often as we get more and more members of the older generations dying and not enough of the younger generations of service and ex servicemen/women are joining the rbl.
i have on occasions,even though i'm not a member,been roped in to collect as there are too few members willing to stand in the local high street collecting.

incog.

Jerrek · 09-11-2003, 01:38

Roughly 90% of people here are wearing poppies. At least here in Waterloo.

Atomic22 · 09-11-2003, 19:51

most of our city have been wearing poppies all week....you can make a donation for one from a volunteer in the foyer of any asda.....
we also take the 2 minute silence seriously as well...
every one of our buildings at work and all the many many thousands of workers in our firm all over town will be silent for 2 mins on tuesday at 11am when our sirens sound to signal the armistice (some of which are original 2nd world war air raid sirens still in place and working)
i wear my poppy with pride

Bex · 09-11-2003, 19:57

i bought my nephew (whose 4) a poppy......then spent ten minutes explaining to him what they signify........we were shopping in our local town centre and he kept loosing it...so spent half the day going back into shops and retrieving it off the floor

i also now understand why my mate has changed his msn name and has a poppy as his pic doh

**Maggy** · 09-11-2003, 20:04

got soaked today at the local ww1 memorial remembrance ceremony.
good turnout despite the weather.i felt sorry for the rainbows,brownies and cubs doing their stint at the service.they were just wearing their uniforms and got soaked.at least they were there representing the younger generations as were the scouts,guides and cadets.few very young looking naval ratings too.
they looked about 14 but must have been 18 at the youngest.

incog who wore her poppy with pride and went to church for the first time on a sunday for 30 years.well i was designated driver for the elderly and infirm and couldn't not go.

carlingman · 09-11-2003, 22:37

Did anyone manage to catch the BBC1 Remberance programme on last night introduced by Huw Edwards ??

What I found alarming was their very badly researched facts especially in a program of this nature.

They actually claimed that a Poem was written by a British Soldier killed on active duty in Northern Ireland and placed in an envelope only to be read upon his death.

They then had someone recite the above mentioned poem, all be it a slightly amended version of the original.

On hearing the first line I was somewhat confused and even more so after hearing it all and this soldier was killed in 2002 I believe, yet the very poem was one I had recited at my fathers funeral some 5 years ago.

And without using the vast resources available to the BBC I found the poem was actually written a very long time before that by Mary Frye -

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain.
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am the morning hush.
I am the graceful rush
of beautiful birds in circling flight.
I am the star shine of the night.
I am the flowers that bloom.
I am in a quiet room.
I am the birds that sing.
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.