Is it me or are there less poppies around this year?

Cadiz Seagull · Nov 10, 2016

This Remebrance Day will be the first one I´ve been in UK for for over 10 years. Shopping in Hastings this morning it seemed to me that no more than about 25% of people were wearing properties, and probably less.

I'm sure when I was last here there were loads more than that. I appreciate it's not the 11th till tomorrow and that the numbers will increase between now and Sunday but it still surprised me.

One of the poppy sellers told me that as all the WW1 veterans and a farir percentage of WW2 have gone, as have their wives who did a lot of the selling and supporting, there aren't as many poppy sellers and supporters as there used to be. I asked her what about the younger veterans but she said they didn't seem to be too intersted in the poppy appeal as Help for Heroes had rather taken over for them.

Particularly surprising to me was that even in the older generation - people my age who rembered their fathers and grandfathers and their service in two world wars - only about half were wearing properties.

Maybe it´s because I´ve been away and my memory is playing tricks but it definitely seems that poppy wearing is nowhere near as widespread as it was.

If so, that's a great pity.

ManOfSussex · Nov 10, 2016

Cadiz Seagull said:
This Remebrance Day will be the first one I´ve been in UK for for over 10 years. Shopping in Hastings this morning it seemed to me that no more than about 25% of people were wearing properties, and probably less.

I'm sure when I was last here there were loads more than that. I appreciate it's not the 11th till tomorrow and that the numbers will increase between now and Sunday but it still surprised me.

One of the poppy sellers told me that as all the WW1 veterans and a farir percentage of WW2 have gone, as have their wives who did a lot of the selling and supporting, there aren't as many poppy sellers and supporters as there used to be. I asked her what about the younger veterans but she said they didn't seem to be too intersted in the poppy appeal as Help for Heroes had rather taken over for them.

Particularly surprising to me was that even in the older generation - people my age who rembered their fathers and grandfathers and their service in two world wars - only about half were wearing properties.

Maybe it´s because I´ve been away and my memory is playing tricks but it definitely seems that poppy wearing is nowhere near as widespread as it was.

If so, that's a great pity.

There's definitely less being worn and less sellers this year. There also seems to be less boxes in shops too etc in my opinion as well.

MattBackHome · Nov 10, 2016

Help for Heroes income doubled from £14 to £30m between 2008 and 2015 and they are definitely eating into some of what would be given to RBL. I'm not sure of the effect this would have on the poppy appeal itself though.

pearl · Nov 10, 2016

ManOfSussex said:
There's definitely less being worn and less sellers this year. There also seems to be less boxes in shops too etc in my opinion as well.

opposite in brighton ... it's who's got the biggest poppy

StonehamPark · Nov 10, 2016

Loads over this way.
Over the last 3-4 days it's been rare to see someone without a poppy.

Thunder Bolt · Nov 10, 2016

The local air cadets were selling poppies in our supermarket last Saturday. I've seen many poppies being worn.

dazzer6666 · Nov 10, 2016

Loads of sellers in London - Canary Wharf/stations etc. Certainly no less than usual.

AmexRuislip · Nov 10, 2016

Cadiz Seagull said:
This Remebrance Day will be the first one I´ve been in UK for for over 10 years. Shopping in Hastings this morning it seemed to me that no more than about 25% of people were wearing properties, and probably less.

I'm sure when I was last here there were loads more than that. I appreciate it's not the 11th till tomorrow and that the numbers will increase between now and Sunday but it still surprised me.

One of the poppy sellers told me that as all the WW1 veterans and a farir percentage of WW2 have gone, as have their wives who did a lot of the selling and supporting, there aren't as many poppy sellers and supporters as there used to be. I asked her what about the younger veterans but she said they didn't seem to be too intersted in the poppy appeal as Help for Heroes had rather taken over for them.

Particularly surprising to me was that even in the older generation - people my age who rembered their fathers and grandfathers and their service in two world wars - only about half were wearing properties.

Maybe it´s because I´ve been away and my memory is playing tricks but it definitely seems that poppy wearing is nowhere near as widespread as it was.

If so, that's a great pity.

A lot of people are wearing the metal ones these days, where there are ones for each year, and the monies do to go the relevant charities.

SAC · Nov 10, 2016

They have all been bought by people on the TV. It's compulsory to wear one if you don't want hate mail from Daily Mail readers.

Revenue was just short of £100 million last year, up massively on previous years.

ManOfSussex · Nov 10, 2016

AmexRuislip said:
A lot of people are wearing the metal ones these days, where there are ones for each year, and the monies do to go the relevant charities.

There are noticeably less in the Hastings area this year.

Heffle Gull · Nov 10, 2016

I will be helping to Sell poppies on Saturday, at Heathfield CO OP If any one needs a poppy come and find us.

lawros left foot · Nov 10, 2016

We are usually given a box of poppies to sell in our cafe, but, we weren't supplied with one this year. No idea why, it has quite annoyed me, as an ex-serviceman i like to do my bit for the RBL, they do a great job.
As an aside, i have a metal poppy that i wear every year but put a fiver in the box, this year,as yet, i have seen no sellers or boxes for that matter, at all. Im going to have to track one down, or it's a tenner next year

el punal · Nov 10, 2016

ManOfSussex said:
There's definitely less being worn and less sellers this year. There also seems to be less boxes in shops too etc in my opinion as well.

It could be that there are now a variation of styles of poppy. I bought the discreet lapel badge with 2016 on it, so not as noticeable as the paper/plastic/pin job.

Thunder Bolt · Nov 10, 2016

el punal said:
It could be that there are now a variation of styles of poppy. I bought the discreet lapel badge with 2016 on it, so not as noticeable as the paper/plastic/pin job.

The RBL has a whole range of poppy items now, from specialist metal badges, bags with poppies (Sainsburys) and poppy clothing.

LLF, I'm sure if you rang your local RBL, they'll have a spare tin for your cafe.

lawros left foot · Nov 10, 2016

Thunder Bolt said:
The RBL has a whole range of poppy items now, from specialist metal badges, bags with poppies (Sainsburys) and poppy clothing.

LLF, I'm sure if you rang your local RBL, they'll have a spare tin for your cafe.

I will next year, if I don't get one by late October

Greg Bobkin · Nov 10, 2016

There was a report on the local news about there being no people to 'sell' the poppies – can't remember whether it was Eastbourne or Hastings. But either way, maybe other places are the same and there simply isn't the manpower to distribute the boxes and find people to take charge of them.

Justice · Nov 10, 2016

We have a box of poppies in the shop not that many people have brought them or donated tbh.

Westdene Seagull · Nov 10, 2016

AmexRuislip said:
A lot of people are wearing the metal ones these days, where there are ones for each year, and the monies do to go the relevant charities.

This. There are also many alternative ways to 'wear' a poppy now. Me for instance, I buy a wristband each year and wear that - it means I've always got it on and I don't have the challenge of moving it from item of clothing to item of clothing ( some of which I don't wish to put a pin through ).

GT49er · Nov 10, 2016

Is it me or are there less poppies around this year?

Well, there's the one that fell out of my lapel somewhere round town today! (I have since replaced it).

To answer the question seriously, yes, now you've pointed it out I do think there are fewer places selling them and fewer people wearing them this year. Wonder if that has just been a gradual decline, just more noticeable to you after an absence?

fat old seagull · Nov 10, 2016

pearl said:
opposite in brighton ... it's who's got the biggest poppy

Well fewer in Eastbourne this morning, never saw a seller. Yes BIG poppies! What in Gods name is that about? Because it shouts 'look at me' in my view. My career was spent in both the military and MOD, I will always buy a poppy ...its ingrained, just a regular poppy every year without fail. But Big Poppies ..pah! And whilst I'm ranting what about metal pin poppies,what's that about? Does that mean that 'Cheap Charlie's' now buy one poppy for life, or does it say "I've bought a superior poppy to you"? :shrug:

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