The white poppy appeal at the service. Photo: Photo: Gareth Davies.
Pembrokeshire’s poppies
John Whittaker explains how his Meeting held an alternative remembrance service for all victims of war
Members of Narberth Meeting, Pembrokeshire, were at first interested, and then inspired, by a letter in the Friend in October 2008. It told of Aberystwyth’s Peace and Justice Group’s planned service of remembrance at the local war memorial, followed by a ceremony to lay a wreath of white poppies. Narberth Friends decided that they would like to do something similar in their town around Remembrance Day the next year, 2009. Their aim was to promote peace and reconciliation, and to be inclusive. Red poppies and white poppies were seen as the two sides of the same coin. Red poppies were for remembering those lost and injured in the armed forces, while white poppies were for innocent civilians who were victims of war. The red and white poppy entwined together represented our sorrow at the human cost of war and our ongoing dedication to work for peace and reconciliation.
