Poppies!

My German mum always bought, and wore her red poppy with pride , as did we all. When I wore mine I also remembered her brother and all those others who died on all sides, as well as the many civilians who have and still are losing their lives. Had I seen white poppies for sale I would have worn one, together with the red. Maybe I will do so this year.

I stopped buying red poppies when the BL accepted money from BAE systems, the company that supplies equipment to the Saudi air force to help them bomb Yemen. It seems unacceptable to me to remember the dead of one war whilst being complicit in a far worse one.
^

trisher

I stopped buying red poppies when the BL accepted money from BAE systems, the company that supplies equipment to the Saudi air force to help them bomb Yemen. It seems unacceptable to me to remember the dead of one war whilst being complicit in a far worse one.
^

☝️☝️x a million

There was no criticism of white poppy wearers, basically or otherwise.Just a knowledge of what would be posted on a thread about buying red poppies/ donating to the BL.
And it came as expected.

Thanks * Iam64* I will google the knitting pattern, but it would have to be super easy, am not a natural born knitter.
Keep me busy in the evenings though!?

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At the risk of my getting this post deleted .....I will reiterate that I refuse to play tit for tat with any poster that chooses an argument.
Time to move on.

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suziewoozie

One example Lemon gave was wearing a white poppy - do you think that should be banned or not suggested as a legitimate alternative?

No, of course it should not be banned. If you think those who wear a red poppy believe a white poppy should be banned then you understand nothing about why these people gave their lives for freedom.

Personally, I think it should be worn on World Peace Day.

Incidentally, do those who wear the red and white poppies together know about the superstition that red and white flowers should not be out together.
The red symbolises blood and the white bandages.

Put not out, sorry

I am not superstitious and given the fact of so much blood needing bandaging then red and white is surely a helpful match and rather apt in these circumstances.

My SIL was a nurse, and it was her who told me about red and white flowers ( in the days when nurses arranged the flower gifts brought for patients,)they would separate them into two vases.

I noticed that the lady who does our flower tubs were separating out the red ones from the white. She explained that she was an ex nurse and called the mix of red and white flowers 'blood and bandages'. A bit grisly but she said it was a nursing convention.

I suppose you can see why, and all institutions have their conventions and superstitions.Most nurses will have ghostly tales to tell about their hospital.

My village is still going ahead with Remembrance Day services out in the open on the small village green, as they usually do, but more spaced out and with masks for those who wish to wear them.

Having just been on the British Legion site to donate, I then browsed in the ‘poppy shop’ on the website.....it’s brilliant and am contemplating buying a scarf.

The most touching place in Flanders I have visited is the German Cemetery, the graves are back to back as there are so many of them.
When you enter, there are graves as far as the eye can see, ages from 14 to 73. I had to go and sit in the car I was so upset. The Americans had gathered as many German dead as they could and gave them proper burials.
I have 3 great uncles buried here , 3 Bothers who never went home, and my Mothers Brother from WW11.
I would be happy to escort anyone round the battlefields and cemeteries, and perhaps visit the British Church in Ypres when we can travel again.
We shall be having an online Service from the Church of Scotland here, the Church was built with contributions from former soldiers after WW1.
When you are living with it just around the corner, so to speak it becomes very real.

Goodness, so many deleted posts on a thread about the poppy

I shall wear my red poppy with pride

lemongrove

Having just been on the British Legion site to donate, I then browsed in the ‘poppy shop’ on the website.....it’s brilliant and am contemplating buying a scarf.

I got the scarf for may daughter!

Actually, that's totally untrue

I bought it for my Mum. She loved it. But she died and my youngest daughter has it and will be wearing it from the 1st. November.

Felice that's so interesting and sad too about the German graves. It certainly must feel very close and real to you. Thanks for your kind offer. I'm sorry that this thread was subverted so unnecessarily. It's too serious for that.

felice there is a German military cemetery on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire containing the graves of German, Austrian and Ukrainian nationals.

I once visited a WW2 German cemetery in Alsace. Although the Germans had been buried when they were killed, the graves had been unmarked. Many years later the local area gave some land to the relevant German charity ( no state money is allowed to go towards maintaining such graves apparently). The cemetery was established, the soldiers reburied and those that could be were identified . Many graves just said two or three unknown German soldiers . However, all had been buried facing Germany which I though was very moving. In the visitors book, the day before my visit a German had written that after 50 years of searching, he had found his brother’s grave. I thought the whole story very moving - that the local area who had suffered so badly from the Germans had given their old enemies dignity in death.