Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
Part of UK in Ukraine
9th November 2011
Why I wear a poppy
Once again, as November begins and temperatures dip towards freezing in Kyiv, Ukrainian friends and contacts are asking why I am wearing a small, red flower on my jacket lapel. I can do no better than refer to the blog I published this time last year, “Why I wear a poppy“.
As in previous years in Kyiv, collection tins and boxes of poppies have been placed in the British Embassy at Desyatynna and the offices of the British Council in Podil, as well as in The Golden Gate, Lucky Pub and O’Brien’s. Last year, generous support meant that over £330 was raised in Kyiv. I hope that we can at least match that in 2011.
A link to photographs of the 2010 Remembrance Day ceremony in Kyiv is here.
Post-script: for Remembrance Sunday, someone has brought to my attention a link to the Choir of Westminster Abbey singing the words of the “Ode of Remembrance“:
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”