Poppy yes or no?

[Dotty]

Not sure. Someone's hung a light fitting on the opposite wall.

 

[dancinplumba]

Thats true Croppie. Are ye dancin? :lol:

He maybe, but i am defo lol

 

[kirkgas]

A poppy for me everytime

View attachment 8730

This youngman in the shorts is my grandfather just
before leaving hospital, wounded twice in action, once
at the Battle of El Alamein and then again in France
amoung the lanes of Villers Bocage. His wife, sons
and daughter never got the privilege to share the rest
of their lives with, nor did he get to see his 16
grandchildren, as he never recoverd and died of his
wounds with his wife, my nan by his side.

Now religion nor the celibration of war comes into
my reasons for wearing my poppy!

I call it PRIDE....pride to call Queensman Jackman
my "Granddad"

it is for men and women like your grandad that i do such a tiny gesture as wear a poppy, because if it wasnt for their bravery i dont know what i would be forced to wear, i appreciate that as the first and second world wars fade into history less and less people will be personally affected by the war through losing someone, BUT it is still very important that every later generation is taught what happened to ensure the pride and respect is carried on, and day in day out there are many more being killed and injured through out the world so it is important that they are remembered, simple as far as im concerned,

 

[Gray0689]

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?'


The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.


I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here..
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.


There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'

~ Author Unknown ~

 

[kirkgas]

I'm glad I posted this, it was just a passing thought but I'm pleased to read all the great comments and fitting tributes, makes me proud to be British

 

[Barry98]

I'm glad I posted this, it was just a passing thought but I'm pleased to read all the great comments and fitting tributes, makes me proud to be British

here here

 

[Gray0689]

Yes it certainly is our culture and past is epic least we forget

 

[Guest123]

Amazes me how all those that won't display a poppy, will display a Christmas tree. A poppy is a symbol to celebrate our freedom, a tree is put up as a symbol to celebrate Christmas.

Without the sacrifices made by our armed forces against the Nazis, none of us would be celebrating anything.

You'd also think that successive UK governments might have learned a thing or too about going to war. They haven't, here we are, a tiny blot on the worlds landscape acting as the worlds police force fighting two futile wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I'm not proud to be British because of that.

Prior to WW1, being British meant bringing tyranny to the world in pursuit of an Empire. After the Empire crumbled, nations regained their freedom from persecution under British rule. Empire building was a nasty blot in the history of the British Isles.

In WW1 and WW2, bits of boys were conscripted and forced to go to war. Generations were slaughtered, maimed or just disappeared It's their ultimate sacrifice that I'm recognising and nothing to do with "being proud to be British".

 

[Gray0689]

Everyone's entitled to there beliefs wrong or right
But I'm British and proud to be that don't mean I have to be proud of everything in Britain as its a mess at the minute
But it's still home

 

[nicro3]

I wear the poppy to remember the fallen and those injured in conflicts.
My Grandmother lost four brothers in WWI which means I have no relations on my mums side, such was the scale of carnage still felt today.
It is important to reflect on the waste of young lives and to honour the dead of all sides in war.

 

[petercj]

Everyone's entitled to there beliefs wrong or right
But I'm British and proud to be that don't mean I have to be proud of everything in Britain as its a mess at the minute
But it's still home

I can agree with that - one of things that concerns me about poppy wearing is that it shows signs of being put on the list of the compliance mentalists that now seem to think they have a right to police the behaviour of anyone living in Britain: shouldn't smoke; shouldn't drink; should be the ideal weight, should do this, that, and the other!

Such thinking smacks of the blonde, blue eyed, caucasian, ideal type, mentality that our ancestors stood against, and paid a price for.

One of the positive effects of the war (and I believe there are very few) is that it brought people together, i.e. people stood with solidarity against a common enemy. That sense of solidarity remained in Britain for many years after WW2, and people cared about what happened to each other, e.g. whether others had a home, a job, decent health care, etc.

By the 60’s the memory of the war was fading and people enjoyed the freedom of a liberal society without thinking too much about the previous costs of such a lifestyle, perhaps drifting into complacency about such things.

In the 70’s a different kind of conflict began to grow, not on the outside of British society, but within the civil relationships of the British populace.

There was a new kind of enemy, and it was everywhere, the parody version was one of: “reds under the bed”!

Arthur, Red Robbie, these were the people that now threatened the British way of life.

Then out of the dust of this conflict arose a new champion: a modern day Boudicca who was raised in a corner-shop and carried a handbag.

The Iron Maiden was more than ready to do battle with the: ‘enemy within’. The battlefield was not on some distant shore, or beach, it was central London.

Mrs Thatcher marshalled her ‘boys in blue’ army in Parliament Square, and we saw miners, and other British workmen being charged by police on horseback wearing their new form of battle gear. We witnessed the same British workmen that had stoked the furnaces and form metal into tanks, boats and planes to defend Britain with being beaten with battens by police in riot gear.

Trade Unions were decriminalised in the UK in 1867, but the battles of the 1970/80’s saw the Unions looked upon as tantamount to criminals once again by many people in Britain.

The social cohesion that had lasted for nearly thirty years after WW2 had begun to break down – civil relationships became divided: The Tax Payer v The Unions. Blue collar v White collar. Lefties v Neo Right-wing advocates, etc.

The five pillars of the welfare state were criticised by politicians, and became regarded by more and more people in the UK as liabilities that were dragging Britain down.

The 60’s saw the growth of the commercial media in Britain, and with it came more and more American thinking, and an increasing on-the-hoof tabloid philosophy that turns every issue into a simplistic decision about: “what is good, what is bad, what is right, what is wrong”. Complex issues became simplified, large numbers of people stopped thinking too much about politics, economics, social policy, etc, whatever the Sun, The Daily Mail, or “the TV” said became accepted as: ‘what must be right’ by many people.

Apart from a few bumps and grinds, Britain generally experienced a general sense of wealth during the late 80’s. 90’s, and up until the credit crunch.

Much of the sense of prosperity was propped up by the rise in house prices and easy credit, but a lot of people felt as if they were doing OK financially, even if much of it was illusionary.

Having spent many years playing almost every group in society off against each other, politicians now tell us that we are: “all in this together”!

Apparently, Britain is now once again a united society, and it’s all down to collectively paddling around in “the brown stuff”!

The common-enemy has become “The Bankers”, who were once Mrs Thatcher’s best friends!

The problem with battling against “The Bankers” is that they have a lot of our money, so giving them a good beating is a bit like: ‘spiting the nose on your own face’!

Plus, they do tend to be faceless wonders, and we’re told that if we are too nasty to them they will: “pick up the ball and play elsewhere”.

So here we all are, stood in a rising sea of the brown stuff, and without a common enemy to do battle with.

The Olympics is over, having been milked dry by the politicians re: ‘national morale and sense of identity’. All the good memories of Jimmy Savile on Top of the Pops have been flushed down the pan, and the BBC seem to have gone mental playing ‘spot the pedo’!

I’m still not sure about wearing a poppy – should I exercise my right not to wear one, or should I wear one to show that I appreciate the right not to wear one if I was so inclined?

[FONT=&amp]One thing I do feel surer of is that if those that gave up so much for this country could see it now they would probably be somewhat downhearted at the state of it![/FONT]

 

[Mr Doberman]

.........nuff said from me

 

[turnpin]

Always buy one every year ..Mrs bought nice one from M&S broach style for £15 £5 goes to British Legion all her pals at work have been trying to get one apparently sold out I told her tell them try BL website or poppy appeal site small price to pay for the privilage we all enjoy but often take for granted regards turnpin

 

[petercj]

Always buy one every year ..Mrs bought nice one from M&S broach style for £15 £5 goes to British Legion all her pals at work have been trying to get one apparently sold out I told her tell them try BL website or poppy appeal site small price to pay for the privilage we all enjoy but often take for granted regards turnpin

Apparently they have been selling on ebay for well over the purchase price.

 

[nicro3]

Apparently they have been selling on ebay for well over the purchase price.

I hope they are giving it all to the British Legion.

 

[petercj]

I hope they are giving it all to the British Legion.

10% according to this seller:-

Hand made swarovski crystal Poppy broach | eBay

Said on the radio that people had paid up to £200 for poppy broaches - must have been something different I guess.

 

[Best]

I recently saw in a elderly ladies hall, a framed large quality photograph of two young smiling soldiers, one standing & other seated. They had strange looking uniform & I asked her if they were American soldiers. "British - her brothers & both killed later in WW2, one in desert campaign". Then she told me her father died in the merchant navy when ship was torpedoed.
Those people deserve our thanks. Yes, as a Brit, I support the poppy!

 

[nicro3]

This sort of thing should be stopped, all proceeds to go to the legion.

 

[SimonG]

10% is poor, all profits should go to the legion.

 

[nicro3]

A belated plea only buy your poppies from the British Legion not money making enterprise's.

PLEASE

 

[kirkgas]

took my boys to ibrox today to watch Rangers, 48,000+ celebrating the poppy appeal, there were hundreds of troops at the game, and they were all on the pitch at half time, fantastic response
i wish every British club showed the same respect

 

[Gray0689]

Lest we forget

 

[Guest123]

took my boys to ibrox today to watch Rangers, 48,000+ celebrating the poppy appeal, there were hundreds of troops at the game, and they were all on the pitch at half time, fantastic response
i wish every British club showed the same respect

Fantastic that and a credit to Scotland as well as the rest of these Isles too. I wish EVERY club in the United Kingdom would celebrate the poppy appeal like that. If other huge clubs like Manchester United, Everton, Liverpool etc did the same, the funds given to the British Legion would be amazing, although I suspect that these giants also do a really good turn as well.

I bought my kids poppies too and my whole family wear them with a strong sense of pride. There should be more celebrations of this than one prominent day a year so that all generations young and old and into the future understand and appreciate the sacrifices made by ordinary men(mostly young boys) to give them the democratic and free lives that they live. There should be a public holiday to celebrate Armed Forces Day in my opinion.

 

[Gray0689]

A agree too Colin

 

[Best]

Good to keep this thread going, today of all days!

Also remember the Enniskillen victims murdered by the IRA bomb while they stood to honour the war dead on that Sunday morning in 1987.
12 innocent British people died (one many years later, having been in a coma).
Gordon Wilsons daughter died beside him yet he said he forgive her killers.
The Irish who reject the poppy should think of this event & remember his words.