Larry, The Downing Street Cat - Remembrance Day

The long, dark evenings have settled over London like an old wool blanket, slightly scratchy, faintly damp, and entirely inescapable. Before too long, I’ll be seeking out a comfortable corner to curl up in, ideally one involving tea, a biscuit or two, and the faint hum of radiators doing their best impression of central heating. But before I nod off, I feel compelled to mention one of those splendidly British customs that appears around this time of year: wearing a Remembrance poppy. Now, the poppy isn’t just a decorative flourish to brighten a lapel, though it does that rather nicely. It’s a small but mighty emblem of respect for those who served and sacrificed—the men and women of the armed forces, the veterans, and their families. The tradition began in 1921, thanks to a Frenchwoman named Anna Guérin, who had the clever notion of using the poppy as a symbol of remembrance, and to Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, who took up the idea with gusto. That first year, some nine million poppies were sold, raising a remarkable £106,000—an amount that, in today’s money, would probably buy you a modest London flat. Or at least the kitchen. So, if you happen to be in the UK and find yourself poppy-less, do the decent thing: toss a few coins—preferably of the shiny, non-chocolate variety- into a tin and pin one on. It’s a small gesture, but it carries an entire nation’s worth of gratitude, and it’ll make you look rather splendidly British in the process. For those wishing to acquire a likeness of yours truly, I am informed that prints may now be purchased via https://larryandco.co.uk #larry #cats #larrythecat #cutecat