At the Poppy Factory

Today I went with a friend to the newly refurbished visitor centre at the Poppy Factory in Richmond. We had an excellent presentation and talk from a lady who is also a Blue Badge Guide…one of the best talks I have heard in a long time…she didn’t use a dodgy microphone and really projected her voice well. First we had the 2 minutes silence at 11am, then a 10 minute audio visual presentation and then 30 minutes of additional explanation about how poppies were first used for Remembrance, in 1922, and the founder of the Poppy Factory,  how disabled soldiers were employed and given living accommodation etc, and how they are still helped and supported to find useful employment today. All very informative. 
She also told us the detail about the tomb of the unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey which I had not heard before. This has poppies round it all year, on a frame. There are two lots which are swapped for cleaning about every six months!

We also had the chance to make a Poppy wreath…the basic type with plastic components as in the blip and individual poppies…see extra. A volunteer guided us through making the individual poppies which she wanted us to do with one hand to replicate what the soldiers who have lost one arm will do…see the specially made wooden blocks. Quite tricky at first with one hand behind your back…but we succeeded.
New wreaths have been designed for Charles III and Camillla which will be seen for the first time at the cenotaph on Sunday .

I would recommend anyone to go and visit. You can book a ticket online as it’s not open every day to individuals.

After we had a bit of a walk round Richmond by the river in the nice sunshine and had lunch at the Ivy restaurant. Nice food and decorations…all based on Richmond Park so lots of deer. But it was very busy and is quite noisy, not the best for conversations.