 Inspiration
for The Poppy Umbrella
The Poppy Umbrella was designed by retired Lieutenant-Colonel
Graham Parker, OBE, as a vivid reminder of Remembrance all year round,
whilst at the same time raising funds for Service charities.
Having completed 32 years’ Regular Army Service Graham remained
on the British Army Staff in Belgium for a further 12 years. Whilst in
Belgium he was associated with many Remembrance events in the historic
town of Ieper (Ypres) and
instigated The Armistice Day Poppy Parade, in which individuals
carry a poppy petal to The
Menin Gate Memorial. He is a respected historian and battlefield guide,
specializing on The Western Front.
The Idea
 On
11th November 1995 Graham was in Ieper (Ypres). As he led The
Poppy Parade to The Menin Gate Memorial there
was a heavy rainstorm. The route was soon lined with many different coloured
umbrellas.
That year the Armistice
Day Service at The Menin Gate was commemorating
the 70th anniversary of the 1915 battles in the Ypres Salient.
 Graham’s
thoughts turned to May 1915 and a soldiers’ cemetery close to Ieper
(Ypres), namely Essex Farm cemetery - where the powerful
image of poppies growing among the graves was portrayed in the poem In
Flanders Fields. It is believed to be the location where the Canadian
Army doctor Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae
wrote the poem on 2nd May 1915 after he had buried his friend Lieutenant
Alexis Helmer during The
Second Battle of Ypres. Lieutenant Helmer's grave was subsequently
lost and he is now commemorated on The Menin Gate Memorial to
the Missing (Panel 10).
These
images of poppies on the old Flanders battlefield and the umbrellas lining
the route were Graham’s inspiration for The Poppy Umbrella.
Graham's daughter, Joanna, is responsible
for the design on the umbrella.
Charitable Donations from Sales of The Poppy
Umbrella
 Since
the launch of the umbrella in 1998 50,000 Poppy Umbrellas have been sold throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide.
Rembrella is pleased to support the following charities directly from sales
of The Poppy Umbrella to the public from this website:
Royal British Legion Industries: 'Ability from Disability'
 Royal
British Legion Industries is an independent charity working in partnership
with The Royal British Legion and Employment
Services. It also works
closely with Health and Social Services. Its objectives are twofold.
To provide care and support for ex-Servicemen and women, and to provide
employment and training for people with disabilities, whether from
an ex-Service background or not and where possible progressing them
to open employment.
For the year 2006 Rembrella was very pleased to donate £1,150 to RBLI from sales of the Poppy Umbrella from this website.
 Help for Heroes is a registered charity set up by Bryn Parry, a former soldier, and a group of friends and relations. Help for Heroes is backed by the Army Benevolent Fund. The aim of the Help for Heroes fundraising campaign is to help the servicemen and women who are being wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Rembrella commits to raising donations for Help for Heroes from sales of The Poppy Umbrella from this website from January 2008. If you would like to send a donation directly to this charity go to Help for Heroes Donations.
The Fovant Badges Society
  The
Fovant badges are an historic and unique cluster of military badges cut
into the chalk hills of Wiltshire west of Salisbury. The Badges have been
maintained since World War II by The
Fovant Badges Society using voluntary donations and subscriptions.
Now, through the ravages of time and weather, major restoration work is
urgently needed.
Rembrella is pleased to make donations to the upkeep of these special badges.
Acknowledgements
Photograph of Essex Farm cemetery: (IWM neg. no. 100418) Photograph of
original 1914-18 grave markers in Essex Farm by kind permission of the
Imperial War Museum Department
of Photographs
Copyright Joanna Legg & Graham Parker
© 2003 All rights reserved. Updated January 2008. |
