please empty your brain below
Maybe they start so early since a poppy worn for 3 weeks will more than likely become crumpled and a bit dog-eared. So you have to buy two in order to keep up appearances once that happens.

Sam | 24.10.10 - 8:45 a.m. | #

"...it was pretty much expected you'd contribute"

Exactly. I refuse to wear a poppy because I prefer not to succumb to moral blackmail. I donate to charities of my choice and don't advertise which.

Tim | 24.10.10 - 9:34 a.m. | #

Well said dg, apart from Poppy Day far too many other festivals and events get drawn out to cover many weeks.
I particularly agree with the last two sentences of today blog.

John | 24.10.10 - 10:30 a.m. | #

Whilst driving along Albert Embankment yesterday I noticed that Jeffrey Archer has a giant Poppy affixed to outside of his Penthouse Apartment facing towards the Houses of Parliment, I estimate that it is at least six feet high if not more.

Fishislandskin | 24.10.10 - 11:43 a.m. | #

Hear hear dg, I couldn't agree more.

Sarah | Homepage | 24.10.10 - 2:54 p.m. | #

Considering the poppy started in America, no one in my area has even heard of them. But then they remember their "war dead" in May (Memorial Day) instead. Veterans Day (November) is for the "war living".
Personally I think it's right we should remember the sacrifices of 2 world wars for longer than just a few days each year.

CornishCockney | 24.10.10 - 6:22 p.m. | #

DG, I do like your blog, and 99.9% of the time, you are bang on target. But is it too much to remember those who have died for us (and those who survived, but at enormous physical and / or mental cost) for three weeks a year? I think not.

Kate | 24.10.10 - 7:03 p.m. | #

Kate - up until last year, two weeks was perfectly good enough. Three weeks is totally unnecessary inflation, and dissipates the impact of the entire Remembrance period.

P.S. Was this the other 0.1% you didn't like?

diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.10.10 - 7:24 p.m. | #

"Personally I think it's right we should remember the sacrifices of 2 world wars for longer than just a few days each year. "

Yes, BUT it also for the soldier who was killed in Afghanistan last week.

The Poppy Appeal is there to support a lot of young orphans, not just old men.

Nic | 25.10.10 - 6:02 a.m. | #

For the second time in a week a story I first read in your blog ends up in the daily papers

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bbc-criticised-over-premature-poppy-wearing-2115647.html

I'd start copyrighting your stuff if I was you!

peewit | Homepage | 25.10.10 - 1:17 p.m. | #

"Donating money to war veterans should require no public show."

I agree. However I do wonder what percentage of the money you put in the collecting tin actually gets to war veterans, and how much is wasted on advertising and "admin".

Nails UK | 25.10.10 - 2:16 p.m. | #

Most charities will will have a chart that shows how they make a "profit" from investing in advertising.

You might cut the advertising budget, but often end up losing more donations than you save.

IanVisits | Homepage | 25.10.10 - 2:33 p.m. | #

From the Independent article linked above...

A BBC spokeswoman said: "It is down to the individual presenter to decide if they want to wear a poppy or not. The majority of presenters choose to wear a poppy and they are worn by presenters between 23 October and 14 November."

That's twenty-two days, whereas last year it was fifteen (almost certainly because someone at the BBC can't use a calendar properly).

diamond geezer | Homepage | 25.10.10 - 6:48 p.m. | #

If poppy-selling starts on Oct 28, it must mean some Scrooges have kept last year's poppy so they don't have to buy another one this year.

Great Aunt Annie | 25.10.10 - 11:44 p.m. | #

The damn things always fall off anyway. I donate but don't always get around to wearing one.

Z | Homepage | 27.10.10 - 8:46 p.m. | #











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