Comments on: Awkward bits of history

By: Ian Poulton

Ian Poulton — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:52:19 +0000

Hi Maria,

The etiquette is the left-hand side.

I assume this arose from wearing buttonholes on the left-hand side; a sensible thing to do because you would be in danger of crushing flowers every time you shook hands if you wore them on the right.

By: Maria

Maria — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:57:23 +0000

Is there a particular side that you are supposed to wear the poppy on. I noticed everyone on TV had theirs on the left lapel, but Louis Walsh on the X factor on Saturday had his on the right! (Maybe it was his own private rebellion – or just an oversight)

By: Ian Poulton

Ian Poulton — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:20:36 +0000

I don’t think the nationalists in my church would agree. They do not perceive the poppy as a neutral symbol, but as a symbol of a British army that violently suppressed this country for generations. Suggest that it is not about one country and they point to the word “British” in “Royal British Legion”.

By: Peter P

Peter P — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:12:49 +0000

The red poppy was chosen as it grew where so many had fallen, it lends itself to no national or political pressure, it is so sad that it would seem that there are many that want just to argue for the sake of argument

By: Ian Poulton

Ian Poulton — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:29:32 +0000

Hi Steph,

Our church would have a cross-section of people with very different views. Some of the more nationalist would happily leave all aspects of the day behind, regarding it as a remnant from British occupation, others would see it as important. I know one person who is not happy with us holding any act of remembrance. I hope, I’m conciliatory in my approach: our remembrance focuses upon our own fallen in the context of all the fallen. We have poppies, but there is nothing of a ‘military’ nature. I took part in a television programme a few years ago that covered similar ground; in the end we had to agree to disagree.

By: steph

steph — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 21:09:26 +0000

Ian

You may be interested in a heated discussion which took place today on the use of the poppy as a symbol in Ireland. It was on ‘Spirit Moves’ presented by Tom McGurk…

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/player_av.html?0,null,200,http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-rte-spiritmoves.smil

It made for interesting listening while stuck in a traffic jam thanks to the Lord Mayor’s decision to turn on the Christmas lights in O’Connell street *grrr*