I remember with pride every year when Remembrance Day
came around. I was only a small child when mum dad and
myself used to walk to Brentford Library wearing our
poppies on our coats and stand and watch the wreaths of
poppies being put on to the monument and standing still
at 11am for one minute silence and listening to the hymns.
When we had our new black and white TV my dad always
used to tune in every year on remembrance morning and
we would all sit down and watched the Queen putting her
wreath of poppies on the monument and seeing all the
people matching around in time with the marching music
that was being played the monument was now covered with
poppy wreaths. Every November we are urged “Wear Your
Poppy With Pride” in memory of those who died during the
First World War. It was only recently that I discovered
the origin of this custom. The writer of the verses beginning
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow “ was a medical
officer with the First Canadian Army contingent. His poem
published anonymously in “Punch”, was read by an American
lady who was very impressed by the reference to poppies
and thought that the wearing of a poppy was a highly
appropriate way to keep faith with the fallen. She wrote
“The Victory Emblem” in reply, and two days before the
Armistice in 1918, some of the overseas war secretaries
of the YMCA for whom she worked gave her a small sum of
money with which she bought two dozen or so red poppies,
and sold one to each of those secretaries. One was a French
lady who suggested that artificial poppies should be made
and sold to help ex-Servicemen and their dependents in need.
As a result the first-ever Poppy Day was held in Britain
on the third anniversary of the Armistice, at which time
Earl Haig became Founder-President of the newly formed
British Legion. Today, 35 Million poppies and 65,000
wreaths are sold to folk who are grateful for the wartime
sacrifices of so many
I hope you enjoy the rest
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