Glossop Peace Group lays white poppy wreaths in call for peace

Glossop Peace Group members laid wreaths of white poppies at War Memorials in Hadfield and Glossop during this year’s Remembrance Sunday services.

White poppies have hit the news as Green Party leader Zack Polanski, Wolf Hall actor Mark Rylance, and children’s author Michael Morpugo have been wearing them.

There is an outcry from some calling them 'woke' or insulting to our service women and men. But white poppies have been worn for more than 90 years in remembrance of all victims of war and conflict, including both civilians and members of the armed services. 

White poppies were first introduced in 1933 by members of the Co-operative Women’s Guild, many of whom had lost sons, husbands, brothers, and friends in the First World War, and were determined future generations should not suffer in the same way.

'We remember people of all nationalities' said Michael Hirst, a spokesperson for Glossop Peace Group. ‘We remember people who have died in current wars as well as those of the past.’ 

‘White poppies encourage us to challenge militarism and the way in which war is justified and normalised. They symbolise a commitment to peace and to seeking nonviolent solutions to conflict. By drawing attention to the devastating human cost of war, white poppies highlight the urgency of our ongoing struggle for a culture of peace.’

The Peace Group has been distributing white poppies on Glossop’s High Street and laying a wreath at the War Memorial on Norfolk Square for the past fifteen years. 

Anyone who would like to know more could contact: glossoppeacegroup@gmail.com