Heroes paid the price so why charge poppy shop?

Nerys Hughes, actress Roy Wood, rock musician Bonnie Raitt, singer/ guitarist, Rupert Allason Rickie Lee Jones, singer/songwriter, Parker Posey, actress, Tara Reid, actress, Brett Lee, former cricketer, Jane Danson, actress, Joe Cole, footballer, Jack Osbourne, TV personality, AT this time of the year most of us are familiar with the poppy sellers raising much needed funds for the Royal British Legion.

So many people give their time for nothing, sometimes standing out in all weathers, helping this deserving cause.

This year it is particularly poignant as it is 100 years since the end of the First World War. The war to end all wars, as it was thought at the time.

Alas that didn’t happen and many more lives were lost before we could enjoy the peace in England that we have today.

I was therefore delighted to see the pop-up shop in the Packhorse shopping centre selling poppies, brooches etc and I was told by the gentleman selling them that he took two weeks’ holiday every year to do this.

He thinks it is important that we do not forget the millions who gave their lives that we might be free.

I was horrified to learn this week that the Packhorse centre is charging £180 plus VAT for three weeks. Previously there has been no charge.

It takes a lot of poppy sales to raise that kind of money.

We should remember the sacrifices in WWI and WWII.

I well remember the latter and have been forever grateful to the men, and women who went to war on our behalf.

There was no reward for them. Some of their bodies were never found and they don’t even have a final resting place.

So come on, the management team of the Packhorse centre, let the poppy shop have their rent free.

Let all the money raised go to the Royal British Legion. to consult on the following: that they would prefer to move the library to the Surestart centre in Almondbury. They would like this done by March 30th.

The volunteers from the Almondbury Library Friends Association have been working hard on building the Carnegie Library at Stocks Walk as a community hub.

They feel betrayed that the council have already made their mind up after working hard to make the present library the centre of group activities.

The volunteers man the library with one paid worker and do not want to carry on (or gave that impression) in the new building.

It would make the idea of making the new library as a volunteer led service hard to work.

A meeting has been arranged in the Carnegie Library to discuss with the community what they would like to see happen. November 18th at 2.30 should be a date in the diary for those interested in preserving part of Almondbury’s history.