Poppy etiquette: got told off by a veteran today

[AKMD]

I bought a poppy today as 20mo DS scrunched up the one I bought yesterday I asked the old soldier (full uniform, lots of medals) to pin it to the lapel on the right hand side of my coat as I carry DS on my left side and I didn't want him to scrunch up this one or get pricked by the pin. He refused and gave me a stern telling-off because a poppy should be worn over your heart. I've never heard of that before: will anyone except this guy care that I swapped it over when I was out of sight? I looked for a pin badge poppy as a compromise but no one had them.

does it matter?

I want to know...does the green leaf point up or down?

Nice tradition - but sensible for you not to adhere to it, as DS is more important.

Well I'm sure the OP wouldn't want to cause offence to other veterans if she were advised on here tha it was something that might upset them, usualsuspect. And, beyond that, it is quite interesting.

I think its ridiculous to worry about where to wear your poppy tbh

I've always put mine on the left but no idea why so would be interested.

I've always put mine on the right so it doesn't get squashed under my bag strap/seatbelt

He's clearly passionate about his cause. Nowt wrong with that.

Actually I've just read that men should wear on the left and woman on the right

Did you ask him how he feels about telly-monkeys on the X Factor making designer versions and wearing them as hairpieces/rings/corsages?

Sue I'm trying not to insult people! Usual what does any question of etiquette really matter other than to show consideration for other people?

I was also told by elderly folk that the poppy is worn on the left, to indicate that you keep the lost and fallen soldiers forever in your heart. I was quite touched the first time i heard it, i can see how it would mean a lot to someone who had actually lost friends/family in warfare, the symbolism of that.

I put mine on the left, never really thought why. Service personnel in uniform always wear them on the left (along with their medals), and I'm pretty sure HMQ does too.

Wearing medals on the right does have a meaning though - it shows they are not yours. It is the side on which widow/ers wear the medals of their deceased spouse (now also parent's or other significant relative's). So you could say you wish to wear on the right to stand with the bereaved, which I think would be apt.

So,no takers on my green leaf etiquette?

The designer versions BTW are RBL products available from their website, and as sold by the Legion - some clearly for wearing other than pinned to the breast - must be beyond reproach.

The leaf is supposed to be worn upright, at the "eleven o'clock" position to symbolise the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. I heard that this morning on the radio, from a woman who works at the poppy making place!

I bought a new "stick-on" one today from a charming young soldier in the service station - much better than using a pin!

Thankyou songingsands I never know where to point it.

I go through so many normal poppies each year that it would probably be more economical to buy a designer one.

I will resume the search for a pin-button one tomorrow.

Just so you know the pin ones have a recommended price of £3

oh, I should really wear a poppy, shouldnt I?

So many lives lost.

And so many of them in my parents house
(built on land used to store bodies before departure to homecountry)

I bought a wristband this year as I thought DD2 would probably eat a poppy pinned pretty much anywhere on my torso.

I didn't wear a poppy in the years the DCs were very small because I worried that if they came apart the little black button would be a choking hazard (even though rationally, it's small and smooth enough to go straight through). If they'd had wristbands then, that's what I'd have gone for.

But would he rather that it were (a) worn on the right, about 4 inches away from the heart, or (b) crumpled up and dropped on the floor? Sure, if he feels strongly that he'd rather it was crumpled up and dropped on the floor then fair enough.