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The Cornish flag was on display in any number of locations such as public buildings and shops, restaurants and cars. Upon his return home he took the initiative and involved the local radio station where Radio Derby DJ Andy Whittaker put it to the listeners. A competition to design the flag was held and the winning design, one featuring the Tudor rose that has been associated with the county since the 1500’s, The Blue represents the lakes and rivers of the county and is a colour long associated with Derbyshire, the green represents the fact that Derbyshire is a lush county with a wealth of pasture and woodland. The flag was first flown as recently as 22nd September 2006 but in just 3 short years has found favour in some prominent places and can be seen on many of the county’s public buildings, roadsides and in hundreds of car windows. The Poppy Appeal. The idea of selling poppies to raise funds in support of returning war heroes is not, surprisingly, one from these shores. First sold in America following the great war (the Poppy was the only living thing to thrive in the Flanders fields), the idea “blossomed” and spread like, well like poppies do. The British Legion was founded in 1921 and the first poppy day was on November 11th of that year. In 1922, Major George Howson, a young infantry officer, formed the Disabled Society, to help disabled ex-Service men and women from the First World War. Howson suggested to the Legion that members of the Disabled Society could make poppies and the Poppy Factory was subsequently founded in Richmond in 1922. The original poppy was designed so that workers with a disability could easily assemble it and this principle remains today. Visit their website www.poppyfactory.org for more information.
History Derbyshire Poppy . Spondon RBL members noted with some concern that the 2008 collection was down in total but curiously was returning more larger coins and notes. Far less people were giving, any of the collectors will tell you that, but those who gave, gave more. This was the 4th year that the branch had stocked and offered the annual and undated metal poppy pins and this was the 4th year the branch sold out of these items. One member sold 50 in one night to a Round Table formal dinner where, even at £2 requested donation, the participants wanted them not only to support the appeal and show pride in doing so, but because they are better for formal attire, don’t snag on car seat belts and can be worn by food workers, doctors and nurses, vets, in fact anywhere where one would not want a rogue pin to cause problems. We also noted that people were buying them to get “this years badge” and even asking for previous ones. We noted a thriving eBay scene too and one of the members suggested that we could try something different. The Derbyshire Poppy was drawn up between services on Remembrance Sunday 2008 and run by members and members of the local chuches. The favourable response was such that the first batch will be minted in the spring of 2009 thanks to donations to cover the cost from local businesses and citizens. Offered to Derbyshire Legion branches at cost, it is hoped that 44 British legion branches will be offering the pins at a minimum requested donation of £2. For production reasons the white lines on the Derbyshire flag have been replaced with Gold. |
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