Its possibly connected to the two young Sappers who were murdered at Massereene Barracks in March of this year. Take a close look at the inscription.

Len (Ciphers)

That is one impressive pin

I went into three different businesses today. The first one a builders merchants, had poppies on the counter. I made a donation and took one. None of the staff were wearing one.

In the second one, a well known DIY store which is an anagram of Q & B, they also had poppies at the check outs. Only the security guard was wearing one and possibly he was ex forces?

In the third one an electrical wholesalers, they also had poppies. Again not one member of staff was wearing one.

I know we can't force people to wear one but I was gobsmacked that these things were right in front of them yet they never saw fit to make a small donation and wear one.

Sad, sad and very sad!

Is part of the reason, for not wearing a poppy, fear of being accused of not being "PC" - I think so in some cases.

Paul.

I've noticed they seem to be slow on people in general in picking one up this year. And we've just had our 132 death in Afghanistan. One would think that this would be on ones mind.The deaths are slowly getting regulated farther back in the paper. I guess it's the old story. The politicitians get a woodie sending the youngsters off to war and only worry about doing them out of any benefits due them.

but you shouldn't wear the poppy 'till 1 nov

god all these years i have been doing it wrong!

i suppose the next thing is i will find out i have been taking down my christmas decorations to early

that was dress regulations in the 1950s but after i posted that I read an article in the daily telegraph yesterday .sugest you read it

A couple of years ago one Royal Canadian Legion branch innocently distributed their poppy boxes to the local businesses before October 31st, and there was a bit of a flap. My response was: who cares?

Watching the news the other day, I noticed a British MP being interviewed wearing a poppy, so I assumed there was no such time restriction in the UK.

My other pet peeve is the fact that, after the parades and two minutes silence is over, the bugles fall silent and the parades march off, the stores throw the doors open and it becomes just another bank holiday. Personally, I like the UK system using the closest Sunday to Nov 11th as the day to pause and remember. Here in Canada it always falls on the 11th which, if it falls on a Monday or Friday, turns what should be a day of solemn and respenctful remembrance into just another long weekend, albeit a rather chilly one.

However there is good news. The war in Afghanistan has seemed to have renewed public awareness and respect for the armed forces after decades of flower child-like aversion and outright ignorance regarding our forces. Turnouts at Nov 11 services are high and schools have their own ceremonies prior to the day, at least here in BC. As someone who has attended these school services regularly, it is quite heart-warming to witness this and I leave with a feeling that things are in good hands after all.

OK Gents. That might have been Dress Regs but most Servicemen/women in this part of Lincolnshire wear poppies from the day that RBL put them on sale. Great. And while we're at it, an Act of Remembrance on 11.11. seems to be coming back into fashion no matter when the nearest Sunday is.

This is what happens in France where, instead of a Poppy, they tend to wear a Cornflower for similar reasons.

At my church we read out the names of those who gave their lives every Remembrance Sunday as part of the Act and for the last 10 yrs it has been my great privilege and honour to speak the words and lay the wreath. We can't always manage a trumpeter but our organist can do pretty well on the Trumpet Stop.

Keep it going. And remember that 1968 (I think) was the only year since WWII in which a British Soldier has not given his life for his country.

This year, please remember the soldiers of 11 Lt Bde and the men of WITCHCRAFT 26.