Remembrence Poppies

Chloe's on again, selling fashion jewellery this time and trying to convince us that the 30% of the selling price that QVC donate to the British Legion is generous.
Surely it would better to to donate a tenner yourself than wait for QVC to donate £3.33 on your behalf.
Makes me feel very uncomfortable

I am immediately suspicious of attempts to couple Remembrance Sunday to any form of commercial activity. Even if it is well-intentioned (which I question), it always comes across as cynical and distasteful.

Spot on with the suggestion - give the Legion your money rather than filling the pockets of American corporations.

Very happy that the BL will be getting money from a wide variety of sources. I will probably be buying one and this will not prevent me giving to the collecting boxes as well.

I've pre-ordered one of the poppies in the Tower of London display, in preference to buying a brooch etc from QVC. I will still buy a paper poppy though.

You could then say the same about Breast Cancer charity products, or other charities that benefit from sales donations that they would other not receive.

I think it's a good thing and I'm sure BL appreciate the extra funds, and they wouldn't allow it to take place if affected their sales of paper poppies, or if their members objected to receiving the funds from a global corporation like QVC.

Shame more companies don't do the same as QVC actually. Everyone jumps on the Breast Cancer bandwagon - quite rightly so - but Im not sure BL gets the same publicity and funds.

But it's not QVC donating part of the purchase price, it's Buckley themselves who do so. I would rather buy one from the BL site myself, I'm sure QVC don't lose out anywhere.

I'm sure they can afford to donate 30% of the purchase price. There must be a huge mark-up on most of the tat they sell. You can get much of it at the Pound Shop!

Toril said:

I've pre-ordered one of the poppies in the Tower of London display, in preference to buying a brooch etc from QVC. I will still buy a paper poppy though.

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I've done this too.

I'm sorry, I don't want to sound critical because I'm not. Any way of supporting the Legion is good & if someone enjoys the jewellery poppies then that's just as valid & supportive. But, personally, I think there is a quiet, unassuming simplicity about the paper poppies that the Legion sell, mostly made in workshops by ex service personnel ( or they used to be, not sure if that is the case now)
My dad was killed in the last week of the war while my mum was newly pregnant with me after he'd been home on a two day leave from his squadron, they'd only been married a few weeks. The poppies falling in the televised remembrance was almost impossible for her.

Breeze, so sad for your mum. Personally I'm not crazy about all this frivolous jewelly items, a simple pin seems to portray the seriousness of it more. This is of course only my opinion and if it generates more funds then I suppose that is more important.

My Dad took me to a Remembrance service in Portsmouth Guildhall when I was about 8. At the end, poppy petals were dropped from the ceiling and one landed at my feet. I kept it for years and it had a profound effect on me. I wore poppies in the 70's when they were not that popular, nor was a 2-minute silence observed on 11/11, just the Sunday one. Now we see every media face wearing them from about October 23 and it seems that it's 'woe betide' anyone who doesn't comply. By the time 11 November comes round, they look pretty manky. I will probably not wear one this year, partly because I have a perverse nature, partly because it's become too 'in your face'. I am still more than happy to donate to RBL and don't object, in principle, to jewellery items although they are not my taste. I did order a poppy from the Tower of London artwork, just because I thought it was a great idea and would like a little piece of it :sun:

They are selling white poppies in a place down the road from me, but I read somewhere that they are frowned upon. So I'm not buying a white one. Instead I will wear a red one. I really don't want to upset any senior citizens by wearing a white poppy. After all, I get to enjoy peace because of what people did, and what is symbolised by the red poppy, hence I see the red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for the actions that led to peace.

The white poppies are pacifist poppies introduced in 1926. I see nothing wrong with them.

Toril said:

I've pre-ordered one of the poppies in the Tower of London display, in preference to buying a brooch etc from QVC. I will still buy a paper poppy though.

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Me too. I think they look fabulous and the whole display is so moving. I do have a brooch, and the BL sell them (or certainly did) on their website. That site was just a nightmare to use though when I tried to buy mine.

I still buy a paper poppy but they tend to vanish within days of purchase!!! Never manage to keep one until Remembrance Day itself.

I mainly wear the poppy so that if any veteran or war widow passes me, it is a symbol that I care.

I remember a young local widow on Songs of Praise on Remembrance Sunday saying that whenever she sees someone wearing a poppy it is as if they are giving her and her small daughters a hug.

I understand the reservations about the jewelled poppy. When they first came in I thought them a bit too showbiz. I suppose I have got used to them over the last few years and now have a variety of poppies, Last year I didn't get any new - just put something in a tin.

My main and very strong objection to the white poppy is the muscling in on the Royal Legion's programme of Remembrance. Fair enough to draw attention to all those who die in war but do it at some other time of the year.

yesilkedi said:

but it's not qvc donating part of the purchase price, it's buckley themselves who do so. I would rather buy one from the bl site myself, i'm sure qvc don't lose out anywhere.

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i am less and less impressed with qvc, therefore i agree with you. I wojld rsthrr buy direct frlm adrian.

Toril said:

I've pre-ordered one of the poppies in the Tower of London display, in preference to buying a brooch etc from QVC. I will still buy a paper poppy though.

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Likewise Toril. Really looking forward to receiving mine although, of course, it means the display at the Tower will be dismantled. I hope to get up there to see them soon.

I've been putting money in the boxes for years, but I don't take the poppies.
I think they are a waste of paper and plastic, and if I don't take one, then there is one more left for someone else.

However, I've ordered one of the Buckley ones this year. At least it won't go in the bin 3 days later. Or fall off after half an hour.

And I will still be putting money in the charity boxes.

I got my poppy in M&S last year, they donate too but I can't remember if it's buckley, I think it is.

I like the big blousey poppies too and have had one for a couple of years so rather than take a paper poppy, I prefer to put my money in the bucket get the old poppy out and twist the wire around the strap on my bag. It looks nice on a black bag like that.

I tried to find white poppies a few years ago to no avail.
I guess there is nothing wrong with having one of each, remembering those lost and also acknowledging what is going on in the World today

Although most people see the red poppies as something that represents the first and second world wars, we must not forget those lost in more recent conflict such as Afganistan.

It's so sad that here we are 100 years on and usually within the first few minutes of the news coming on the radio or TV we are being shown the horror of wars. It makes me despair, it really does.

I will always remember something my dad said to me when my son was at primary school. I was shocked and not proud when he said it but it did make me think.
Every year without fail we filled a few shoeboxes for appeals to go abroad. We enjoyed doing them and thought we were doing a good thing to help children. One year my Dad said he wasn't going to do any more. When I asked why he replied that he was beginning to get sickened by what he was seeing and reading going on in the world. He couldn't see things improving and that one day, his grandson, my son, could be at war with the very people we were buying for. I thought and still do that that was very sad and if I'm honest, I thought he was being silly.

I carried on with them for a few years after Dad dropped out but when 9/11 happened I decided that maybe he had a point, just by not going to war as a soldier doesn't mean the war can't come to you in some different way.

Religion and the greedy need for power has so much to answer for.