Poppy

Appeal duty at the supermarket today. People are so generous; and I estimate 80% were already wearing some sort of poppy. 

The lady whose story moved me most had been born in Liverpool during the war. Her dad was in the Merchant Navy. He'd been torpedoed twice. He got ashore when she was born and was able to dangle her on his knee. He and her mum went for a walk and decided to get married. Then he went back to sea, and was torpedoed for the third and last time when she was thirteen days old. 

My mum lost her first husband in Burma -  he never saw my brother. Mrs E's mum lost her first husband over the Ruhr - Bomber Command.