Home Safe...

[Mucker1884]

Happy to report that both my wife and big sister arrived home safe and unharmed from their voluntary stint on the Poppy Stall in Derbion on Tuesday!

What is the world coming to?
Alleged attacks on a 78 year old volunteer in Edinburgh.
Poppy sellers "feeling nervous" being surrounded by mobs of "Protesters" at Charring Cross.
The Rochdale Cenotaph being daubed with "Political Graffiti".
The sanctity of The London Cenotaph at high risk for this coming weekend.

I get some don't agree with what The Poppy symbolises and represents.  I get that.  Each to their own.  But to actively go out of their way to threaten Poppy Sellers (All of whom are volunteers, and many of whom are "elderly") and/or wearers, is the scummiest of the scum in my book. 

I'll be adding extra pride to my stance at 11am at The NMA on Sunday, after doing similar at The Camp Bastion Wall Memorial, as we mark our remembrance and respect to one known fallen hero in particular, on our son's behalf (as he's away clearing landmines in Ukraine, so can't attend in person). 
I'll be arriving earlier than usual for the match tomorrow, to join in the (assumed?) pre-KO remembrance.
And I'll be wearing my nice new shiny 2023 lapel poppy alongside a few older ones over the coming days... f*** em, I say!  

Lest we forget
xxx

[Ram-Alf]

I can easily get wound up with some who deface or don't show at least a little respect for our fallen, I've been to The Menin Gate Memorial, Hellfire Corner, In abandoned WW1 trenches, Seen pictures of the horrors from 14-18, Bombs, Boots n bullets in the Museum, Absolute horrific conditions that in todays world can blow your mind.

War is a shitty thing and I have the upmost respect for the serving and those that gave their lives on the battle field and in the arms factories here at home.

I have this Tattooed on my back...but much much larger👍

   

[Stive Pesley]

I really struggle to understand how anyone who is anti-war and wants to protest against yet another war being waged on foreign soil while western governments (and the military industrial complex) nod approvingly - would consider threatening violence against poppy sellers is in line with their belief system

[Day]

36 minutes ago, Stive Pesley said:

I really struggle to understand how anyone who is anti-war and wants to protest against yet another war being waged on foreign soil while western governments (and the military industrial complex) nod approvingly - would consider threatening violence against poppy sellers is in line with their belief system

They are thick.

Simple as that.

[Mucker1884]

45 minutes ago, The Last Post said:

I can easily get wound up with some who deface or don't show at least a little respect for our fallen, I've been to The Menin Gate Memorial, Hellfire Corner, In abandoned WW1 trenches, Seen pictures of the horrors from 14-18, Bombs, Boots n bullets in the Museum, Absolute horrific conditions that in todays world can blow your mind.

War is a shitty thing and I have the upmost respect for the serving and those that gave their lives on the battle field and in the arms factories here at home.

I have this Tattooed on my back...but much much larger👍

   

We "Followed in the footsteps" of Muckerette's Grandad back in 2019... Starting at the underground "Somme 1916 Museum" at Albert (Fr)... Then over the border to Mons, and of course, Ypres, and the surrounding area.  Menin Gate in torrential rain is quite a moment!
Immaculately stunning graveyards, memorials by the bucket load, Museums on every corner, the last tree, the empty chair, ginormous craters scattered amidst the otherwise innocent and stunning countryside.  Miles and miles of trenches.  Never read so many plaques in my life... nor shed so many private tears!
The photos of the mudded fields and truly horrendous conditions where roads and cafes now stand simply take the breath away!  It would indeed be unbelievable... if it wasn't so believable!
Not the most "looked forward to" holiday if I'm honest (It was Muckerette's idea) but I have to say, by far the most interesting, the most poignant, and certainly the most humbling. I'm am so grateful she came up with the idea, and it was a holiday that will live longer than most in my memory... in both our memories!  
On the back of it, I was all for doing the Normandy Beaches/Pegasus Bridge/Ranville, which we did in both '22 and '23, and again, absolutely no regrets there.

You learn as much about yourself as you do about history!

 

For The Fallen
xxx

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Mucker1884

[Ram-Alf]

48 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

We "Followed in the footsteps" of Muckerette's Grandad back in 2019... Starting at the underground "Somme 1916 Museum" at Albert (Fr)... Then over the border to Mons, and of course, Ypres, and the surrounding area.  Menin Gate in torrential rain is quite a moment!
Immaculately stunning graveyards, memorials by the bucket load, Museums on every corner, the last tree, the empty chair, ginormous craters scattered amidst the otherwise innocent and stunning countryside.  Miles and miles of trenches.  Never read so many plaques in my life... nor shed so many private tears!
The photos of the mudded fields and truly horrendous conditions where roads and cafes now stand simply take the breath away!  It would indeed be unbelievable... if it wasn't so believable!
Not the most "looked forward to" holiday if I'm honest (It was Muckerette's idea) but I have to say, by far the most interesting, the most poignant, and certainly the most humbling. I'm am so grateful she came up with the idea, and it was a holiday that will live longer than most in my memory... in both our memories!  
On the back of it, I was all for doing the Normandy Beaches/Pegasus Bridge/Ranville, which we did in both '22 and '23, and again, absolutely no regrets there.

You learn as much about yourself as you do about history!

 

For The Fallen
xxx

 

At the Menin Gate along with 1000s of names, I walked to the beginning/end of the memorial/monument, And there to my astonishment was a name, The initials A S and surname were mine...a shudder went through myself, He was 18 years old and served in the Northumberland Regiment, It hits home at the age of some who died, Children who lied about there age so they could serve...14/15 years old.

Never forget 😇  

[uttoxram75]

10 hours ago, Mucker1884 said:

Alleged attacks on a 78 year old volunteer in Edinburgh.

This one?

 

[Mucker1884]

9 hours ago, uttoxram75 said:

This one?

 

Oh dear! 😢

Thanks for the update, I guess!

I've since seen that police have closed their investigation "due to lack of evidence".
I'm not a twixter, so I don't get afforded the opportunity to see the 377 replies in your link above... But the headline/OP doesn't look good, even if it is "only twitter".  (A very quick Google search just now brings nothing else up on these lying/fraud claims, but I'm sure they will appear as the day goes by (on news feeds).

So yeah... looks like I've been duped on this one (not for the first time!) but my point still stands.  One bad egg does not a Poppy seller hater make! 

There's saddos in all walks of life I guess.  

I'll still be out on my bike later this morning, and I still have my phone alarm set so I don't miss the 11am stop and reflect custom, wherever we may be at that time.
#Can't win 'em all, eh?

😢

[uttoxram75]

1 hour ago, Mucker1884 said:

Oh dear! 😢

Thanks for the update, I guess!

I've since seen that police have closed their investigation "due to lack of evidence".
I'm not a twixter, so I don't get afforded the opportunity to see the 377 replies in your link above... But the headline/OP doesn't look good, even if it is "only twitter".  (A very quick Google search just now brings nothing else up on these lying/fraud claims, but I'm sure they will appear as the day goes by (on news feeds).

So yeah... looks like I've been duped on this one (not for the first time!) but my point still stands.  One bad egg does not a Poppy seller hater make! 

There's saddos in all walks of life I guess.  

I'll still be out on my bike later this morning, and I still have my phone alarm set so I don't miss the 11am stop and reflect custom, wherever we may be at that time.
#Can't win 'em all, eh?

😢

I’m with you mate. I’ll be wearing my poppy badge today, tomorrow I’ll be at the Utch war memorial to pay respects to family members whose names are on there. 
I know local folk who sell poppies, my mum in law used to go door to door round our estate for years with them so I have nothing but respect for all who do their bit for armistice day and Remembrance Sunday. 

[Mucker1884]

Apologies for going off topic, but...

A "word of warning" for those planning on buying poppies but haven't yet... this according to Muckerette, who was selling them the other day in the intu...

Apparently with all this modern day abhorrence for "single use plastics", The common or garden standard Poppy has gone all "Paper-Only"... and is a bit of a let down, by all accounts.  (A bit like those crappy new-fangled cotton bud things!  LOL!)  A few folk bringing them back with a bit of a moan.

Second hand info technically, so apologies if I'm wrong.

My advice... which is worth the square root of eff all, but hey Ho... is to consider a slightly larger donation*, and opt for one of the metal versions, or the more robust/longer life plastic versions.

 

 

*Typically, Poppies (at the RBL stalls) don't come with a fixed price, and are more reliant on the buyer "making a donation".

...And yes, there are still some out there who are happy to walk away with a Poppy having donated 2p!
Hey, that's not for me to comment on, other than I'm also happy to report that some are happy to lob in a fiver/tenner/twenty... which is nice!  😁

🍻

[Eddie]

Just make a donation instead.

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

[sage]

I no longer wear a poppy.  I haven't done so in years. I occasionally get stick for it...you're not patriotic etc

I stopped wearing them when it became something socially obligatory, when it became something to claim moral superiority for, when it became by some used to become nationalistic.

I donate to the British Legion. I'm from a military family, I've been to Ypres 3 times, I've been to Normandy, I pay my respects as I will later today.

However, when we arrive at a position that any public figure is terrified at the prospect of being seen without one for fear of being vilified, we haven't learned the lessons from fighting those who also made people wear badges.

 

[Stive Pesley]

44 minutes ago, sage said:

I no longer wear a poppy.  I haven't done so in years. I occasionally get stick for it...you're not patriotic etc

I stopped wearing them when it became something socially obligatory, when it became something to claim moral superiority for, when it became by some used to become nationalistic.

I donate to the British Legion. I'm from a military family, I've been to Ypres 3 times, I've been to Normandy, I pay my respects as I will later today.

However, when we arrive at a position that any public figure is terrified at the prospect of being seen without one for fear of being vilified, we haven't learned the lessons from fighting those who also made people wear badges.

 

Spot on - anyone who wears a poppy and has a problem with someone who doesn't, is simply proving that they don't really understand what the poppy signifies