White Poppy

GrandmaH - yes, it's a purple poppy, and wear one of those for the animals

Ah yes. Thanks, marmight.

"The Silence of Memory: Armistice Day, 1919-1946" by Adrian Gregory
(Bloomsbury) has some interesting info on the poppies, both red and white. It's a newish book (published last year I think).

It explains the link to the anti-war movement, the Peace Pledge Union and the Co-Operative Women's Guild - though obviously the poppy issue is a small section as it covers much more. Some really powerful first-hand accounts of Armistice day and some interesting cartoons too...

The Peace Pledge Union still sell the white poppies and have some info about them on their website:
www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/index.html

If you get white poppies from the PPU, you get lots more information to hand out to your friends. We got a dozen poppies one year and gave them to friends on the understanding they would donate to the PPU.
An advantage about wearing a white poppy is that people always ask you why, and where you get them from.
The manager of one of the cafes in York asked about them and ordered them.

Don't know where I have been all these years, but I have never encountered a white poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

javascript:alert("test");

Cute dog.

PPP I have never seen anybody wearing a white poppy either.

Neither have I.

D'you think albertotech thought this thread was entitled 'White Puppy'?

Me neither.

He looks as if he is smiling.

I didn't know about white poppies,but wear my red poppy with pride and respect for my father/grandfather /and great uncles in both world wars,and young men of my sons age who are and have been to Afghanistan/middle East in recognition of their contribution to those troubles.I am a pacifist but also recognise we have to fight for things that are important to us.

I do too, and for all who have lost their lives in conflict defending this country, particularly my father.

This thread happens every year, so those of you who have been on for over a year must have heard about white poppies.

I don't think we have to accept we have to keep sending young men to die to fight for things which are important to us, not without exploring all avenues first

RAF veteran and activist Harry Leslie Smith who spoke at last year's Labour Conference has said that he wouldn't be wearing a poppy because he feels it has been "co-opted by politicians" to justify wars.

Research by the Campaign against the Arms Trade state that arms companies like Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems sponsor some of the British Legion commemorative events, which I find appalling and that is why I don't wear a red poppy.

I'd be more inclined to wear a white one but I don't think I've seen them being sold anywhere.

www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/index.html

Get them from here, Eloethan.

I usually keep a few postcards in my bag when wearing the poppy as people always ask about it.

The red poppy/ white poppy issue is not just about remembrance, but also about raising awareness and fundraising. I support both the RBL and the PPU - the aim of the former is to alleviate the suffering caused by war and of the latter to prevent war, and both need funds.
I often get asked about my white poppy and occasionally (although not very often) I get someone who thinks that by wearing it I'm 'anti' the red poppy, until I explain that I also strongly support the RBL and explain my reasons why.

Thanks durhamjen.

I think each to their own.. This is obviously a personal matter, and not a question of who occupies the higher moral ground, which is how this is beginning to sound.

I always wear a red poppy. A friend bought one of the ceramic Tower of London poppies, a very beautiful piece of art. We have a small War Memorial in the village and last year a group of local ladies made almost 4,000 knitted poppies to decorate the Memorial site.

derrickjknight.com/2014/11/10/the-waterside-poppy-makers/

Thank you for that Not so, what lovely pictures and what dedicated ladies, they are to be congratulated.

What a lovely idea * notso* to put the poppies in the trees!

I changed my attitude to remembrance after my mam died in 2009; she'd always remembered her dad who survived and never spoke about it and his brother Thomas who was killed in March 1918 on the Somme. i realised she was remembering not promoting war and so now make an annual donation to the BL and wear a red poppy only on 11th nov.
What I don't like is there's almost a tokenism about wearing a poppy so we see them being worn for weeks beforehand and that for me lessens their significance.