Poppies

[Badger_Boom]

OK, ok ... I now you're all playing a secret game, seeing who will crack first. DONT MENTION POPPIES.

WELL IVE CRACKED!!! Its Nov 11th, I can't not think about Armistice any longer (for one thing, I've had to plan Sunday morning's ride to a memorial - I can't pretend it isn't happening this year you know).

SO: my opening observation. I'm not seeing any poppies. Or poppy-shaming. Or news stories about enormous displays anywhere. The only person to mention a minute's silence at work was the ex-RAF guy, a proper war-crazed patriot. And he just listened to R4 on his headphones.
Did a quick survey at the site canteen this morning - full of manly men eating huge cooked breakfasts. Plus some staff, and a few suits doing suit things.
I saw two poppies in 20-25 people. Maybe a few were wearing tiny subtle metal brooch things, dunno. I can't recall seeing ANY for sale this week.

What's occurring? Was 2021 peak poppy year?

I’m probably one of your statistics. I’ve bought poppies this year but working from home and only having time for dog walking between bouts of toiling for the man mean I keep forgetting* to actually pin them to my clothes.

I shall of course be wearing one on my uniform at the weekend.



* I am aware of the irony of that sorry admission.

 

[newfhouse]

 

[BoldonLad]

View attachment 2499

Interesting. Makes me wonder, when I read the articles like “letter from Delhi “, in Private Eye, are they equally ridiculous?

 

[newfhouse]

Interesting. Makes me wonder, when I read the articles like “letter from Delhi “, in Private Eye, are they equally ridiculous?

I'm not sure what you're asking here. Obviously this wasn't really written in PNG, but I do think it hits the spot.

 

[Ian H]

Interesting. Makes me wonder, when I read the articles like “letter from Delhi “, in Private Eye, are they equally ridiculous?

Satirical perhaps, but it's very recognisable as a portrait of the UK, or more accurately England, today.

 

[BoldonLad]

Satirical perhaps, but it's very recognisable as a portrait of the UK, or more accurately England, today.

Maybe the bit you live in, not the bit I live in.

 

[Ian H]

Maybe the bit you live in, not the bit I live in.

All over, if you choose to look.

 

[Mugshot]

A very moving post, worth having a look at some of the poster's other threads, very respectful.


View: https://twitter.com/MascotSilence/status/1591807657861677059?t=mx0Ji_ebpV1g8qk0RJ1mKg&s=19

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I always get a poppy
well - sort of
for many years I kept the same poppy and blue taced it inside my desk drawer after the SUnday - then used it again the next year

I did that because wearing it without paying made me remember to find a seller and chuck some money in

WHich may be a bit weird - but it worked for me

BTW I have never come across any poppy shaming - and I was terrible at getting my poppy to stay on. I actually used to have a set of pins I had bought in my desk so I could fix it back when I lost one. Hence I was walking around without one (it was in a pocket or something awaiting re-fixing) quite a lot and yet never got any hassle about it

Also - people have reasons
My Grandad never bought one and given that he was in the Royal Horse Artillery in WW1 and was in all the big battles until he was seriously wounded.
He was always fiercely loyal to the Army and his Regiment but didn;t buy a poppy
He had his reasons

you should never judge someone unless you know their reasons

If anyone judges me for not having a poppy they will be
a) wrong
and
b) get an argument - the full 10 minutes version and not the etc etc

 

[Julia9054]

I wonder if the British Legion make less money these days due to still rattling a cash tin. Far fewer people actually carry cash.
I needed a poppy because I was helping out the local brass band at the cenotaph yesterday. Had to remember to take my card into town, find a cash point (there are far fewer of those around), queue up in a shop and buy something so I had change, then buy a poppy.

 

[BoldonLad]

I wonder if the British Legion make less money these days due to still rattling a cash tin. Far fewer people actually carry cash.
I needed a poppy because I was helping out the local brass band at the cenotaph yesterday. Had to remember to take my card into town, find a cash point (there are far fewer of those around), queue up in a shop and buy something so I had change, then buy a poppy.

Good point. I suspect, in a similar way, tips for staff have probably diminished. At our regular coffee stop, I always used to give the cheery young guy serving the coffee, the change, now, card payment, no change.

 

[newfhouse]

I wonder if the British Legion make less money these days due to still rattling a cash tin. Far fewer people actually carry cash.
I needed a poppy because I was helping out the local brass band at the cenotaph yesterday. Had to remember to take my card into town, find a cash point (there are far fewer of those around), queue up in a shop and buy something so I had change, then buy a poppy.

I don’t know how common it is but the collectors at my local supermarket had a Legion branded contactless card reader with preset buttons for £2, £5, £10, and £20 donations, as well as the usual cash tin.

 

[Ian H]

I don’t know how common it is but the collectors at my local supermarket had a Legion branded contactless card reader with preset buttons for £2, £5, £10, and £20 donations, as well as the usual cash tin.

As do Big Issue sellers.

 

[Deleted member 49]

Good point. I suspect, in a similar way, tips for staff have probably diminished. At our regular coffee stop, I always used to give the cheery young guy serving the coffee, the change, now, card payment, no change.

Take some change then ! Poor excuse not to tip.

 

[Ian H]

Take some change then ! Poor excuse not to tip.

To be fair, getting hold of cash is now a chore, and it only comes as paper plastic money unless you queue at a counter. I use cash solely for haircuts and Wednesday breakfast. Both are round figures, so no change given, which at least means I no longer have to regularly repair my trouser pockets. Perhaps ATMs could be converted to dispense coins, a bit like fruit machines.