RESPECT: Paul Cummins' 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' at the Tower of London is now iconic [GETTY]
Here JAMES MOORE reveals everything you ever needed to know about the brilliant blooms…
A…is for ANCIENT
Poppies have been used as offerings to the dead from as far back as Greek and Roman times.
B…is for BRITISH LEGION
The Royal British Legion founded the Poppy Appeal to help servicemen returning from the First World War. The first was held on November 11th, 1921 with poppies costing threepence. The first appeal raised £106,000 – worth £30million today.
C…is for CELEBS
A host of stars have been spotted supporting the cause by wearing poppies including singer Olly Murs, 30, and TV presenter Rachel Riley, 28, who have already taken to Twitter to share a #PoppySelfie.
D…is for DONATIONS
There is no set price for a modern poppy, but donations raise a huge chunk of cash which goes towards the Legion’s work with serving personnel, veterans and their families.
E…is for ETIQUETTE“The best way to wear a poppy is to wear it with pride.”The Royal British Legion
Many say you should wear your poppy on the left, over your heart or that the leaf should point to 11 o’clock. But the Legion says there is no right way: “The best way to wear a poppy is to wear it with pride.”
F…is for FLOWERS
The red poppy was chosen as an emblem as it was one of the few flowers that would grow in the churned up battlefields of Northern France during the First World War.
G…is for GAME ON
This weekend every player in the Premier League and Football League club will have poppies stitched into their kits for their games.
H…is for HIJAB
Fashion designer Tabinda-Kauser Ishaq, 24, has designed a poppy hijab to raise awareness of the 400,000 Muslim soldiers and 1.2 million Indian soldiers who fought alongside British troops in the First World War. They cost £22 with proceeds going to the Appeal.
I…is for INJURED
The money raised from selling poppies goes to help veterans like former bomb disposal soldier Clive Smith who lost both of his legs after an IED exploded whilst he was serving in Afghanistan in 2010. The double amputee was treated at the rehab centre Headley Court in Surrey. He says: “It's humbling to know that the centre has been created because of the public's generous support of the Legion, and the Poppy Appeal in particular.”
REMEMBER: Soldiers in the trenches (left), and Joss Stone (right), who has recorded this year's official Poppy Appeal single [AG / Tim Clarke] The 27-year-old has recorded this year’s official Poppy Appeal single, a cover of the 1970s track 'No Man’s Land (Green Fields of France)' along with guitar legend Jeff Beck, 70. Joss will perform the song at the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday 9 November on BBC1.
K…is for KLESHNA
The up market jewellery maker is responsible for the posh poppies worn by the likes of X Factor presenter Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, 31. This year the brand also has a limited edition £150 silk poppy scarf.
L…is for LIVID
Some military veterans, like Chelsea Pensioner Harry Puttick, 85, thinks TV presenters who refuse to wear poppies, like Channel 4’s Jon Snow, should be sacked.
M…is for MONEY
This year the Poppy Appeal is aiming to raise £40million. Last year’s campaign raised £39 million.
N…is for NUMBERS
A whopping 45million poppies are made each year, along with five million Remembrance petals, 100,000 wreaths and sprays and 750,000 Remembrance Crosses.
O…is for ORIGINS
The original British Legion poppies were designed so that someone who had lost the use of one hand could make them. The Poppy Factory in Richmond, Surrey churns out many of them. It was first established in 1922 and employs 50 people including disabled veterans. Scotland's poppies are produced separately and have four petals and no leaf.
P…is for POETRY
The poppy was first adopted as the official Flower of Remembrance after Canadian soldier John McCrae’s poem ‘In Flanders’ Fields which contains the line: ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow; Between the crosses, row on row.
GENEROUS: Every year donations raise a huge amount of cash that goes towards the Royal British Legion's work [Alamy] On Remembrance Sunday, Nov 9th, the 88-year-old monarch will be the first to place a wreath of poppies at the Cenotaph in London’s Whitehall remembering all those who have died in war.
R…is for RAFFLE
This year you could win a Mini Countryman or a trip to Australia in the Poppy Appeal raffle. There are 250 prizes up for grabs. See www.britishlegion.org.uk
S…is for SHOPPING
Sainsbury’s have designer Amanda Wakeley poppy bags for £5 with 50p going to the Legion. Iceland have special poppy bags for £2, while Hovis have brought out specially branded poppy loaves.
T…is for TOWER OF LONDON
The amazing field of ceramic poppies at the London landmark is expected to attract four million visitors by November 11th. There will be 888,246 poppies in total – one for each British or Commonwealth soldier killed during the Great War. The tribute, by artists Paul Cummins is officially called Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red.
U…is for UNOFFICIAL
Along with the official red poppies there are white pacifist poppies first launched in 1933 and even purple poppies, established in 2006 to remember animal victims of war.
A whopping 350,000 volunteers help sell poppies each year.
W…is for WORK
The Legion is nation's biggest armed forces charity spending £1.6 million every week in direct welfare support, with 9.5million people eligible for its help.
X…is for eXtras
Along with the traditional paper poppy there are scores of other poppy products available including brooches, earrings, keyrings, poppy Christmas cards, hoodies, dresses, umbrellas, cufflinks, mugs, handbags, car poppies, pencil cases and iPhone covers. See www.poppyshop.org.uk
Y…is for YESTERYEAR
Poppy Appeals of the past have seen a string of amazing stunts including a Second World War plane dropping 6,000 poppies over the town of Yeovil in 2011.
Z…is for ZAPPED
Chancellor George Osborne says he plans to waive the VAT on the £15million expected to be raised by the sale of the Tower of London poppies.
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