POPPY POLICE

Well said.

I always buy a couple for us, from poppy sellers, but haven't actually worn them this year ( haven't been out much recently, ) and when we did ,forgot to pin on the poppies. Nobody has commented on our poppy-less state, or do you mean in the media, NotTooOld ?

Hear, hear!
So far this year I've bought 4 traditional poppies and lost all of them. I've now got a knitted poppy that hopefully will survive

Next year I'm buying the brooch version( it would work out cheaper too!)

roses - yes, I suppose I did mean in the media.

The poppy seems to have become a problem

DH and I would love to wear our poppies but the ones we bought from a chap from the British Legion fell to pieces as we were pinning them on

How timely - I was looking at Facebook posts where all seem to be exhorting us to display a photo of a poppy on our page. I went to a large meeting of a couple of hundred women two days ago, and only perhaps four were wearing a poppy. I thought - how refreshing, because I bet every single one of them owns at least one, maybe several, as do I. It made me realise how much pressure girls must come under to wear a hijab.

Because it is very obvious that the object of the exercise is to make others feel ashamed of their lack of outward support, when it is obvious that there is no lack of support judging by how much money is raised every year.

Another example of virtue signalling?

Poppy waving?

'virtue signalling' and 'poppy waving' - both of those phrases sum it up for me, this year at any rate. I haven't noticed it so much in previous years.

Oh dear this is the first year I can remember that I have not bought a poppy as just recently I've been more indoors than outdoors. My OH was going to buy one for me but I told him to just make a donation for me instead. Now getting around and about a little more so hope I don't get accosted by the Poppy Police. Yes, I think sadly for some it has become all about virtue signalling.

I agree NotTooOld, Sienna Miller got pilloried for not wearing one on Graham Norton last week, quite unfairly I thought. I read later that she had been unable to attach the one she had brought with her to her dress

I bought a poppy this morning and appear to have lost it already!

I have to agree, it is virtue signalling. Perhaps poppies should be graded according to how much you donate. Standard for £1, a double paper poppy for £3, a glittery one for £5, a fabric one for £10, and an enamel pin for £20. Then we could all really show off our support

There was even one on the BBC weather report , not the one worn by the chap, just a photograph stuck on the BBC weather line. It is now irritating me, they are cheapening the meaning of it , it means - I remember and not - look I am wearing a poppy

Anniebach - entirely agree with you.

I will not be buying one, but will make a donation to a charity in memory of those who died.

The RBL chap I bought my enamel pin poppy from told me "the suggested" donation for each type. £2 for my pin badge. Which I was happy to give.

DGS' school had poppies AND whole tray of poppy themed goodies, slap bangs, wristbands, poppy reflective dodahs etc etc. I bought him one of those slap band things, but had horrible day teaching in a class where at least half of the children had them. On one side they were printed as rulers to make them even harder to confiscate temporarily ( but I did) From a child's point of view they were much more appealing than an easily lost poppy.
I agree poppy fascism has been awful this year. However I have my sparkly British Legion poppy now which pins on securely[ smug emoticon]. Before I would lose several every year.

What pray is a slap bang!?

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

My deleted post wasn't anything controversial!

I kept mislaying my poppy as did DH but we did make sure we wore them today. The BBC does go overboard in making everyone wear them, but at least if they pay £1 for each one it must raise a lot of money for the Poppy Appeal. If they do. If Sienna Miller had on a very expensive dress or had borrowed it from a designer then I can understand that she didn't want to make pinholes in it.

The slap bands, wrist bands etc etc have proved to be very popular with school children and raised a lot of extra money for the Appeal.

a slap band is a straight piece of - oh here you are :
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slap_bracelet

Well - you learn something new every day! Is a slap band the same as a slap bang I wonder?

I do not wear a poppy because my father (who fought in the 2nd WW) refused to wear one. He said there was nothing at all about the whole thing that he would wish to remember and that he did not need a poppy to remind him of those who died. I do not wear one as a remembrance of him, and out of respect for him.

I understand and respect the views of those who feel it is important to wear one.

I think it could have been a typo Luckygirl, not sure?