Tag: Lady Haig Poppy Factory

HRH The Princess Royal re-opens refurbished Lady Haig Poppy Factory

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal called into Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh yesterday (Thursday 19th January) to officially re-open the campus following a two-year refurbishment.

Her Royal Highness toured the factory and its new exhibition space, and chatted to staff, before visiting Poppyscotland’s mobile museum, Bud.

The factory, founded in 1926, will now re-open to visitors and school groups following the project to showcase its history and heritage. Thirty-three disabled veterans work in the factory on Logie Green Road, making more than three million poppies each year for the Scottish Poppy Appeal, as well as wreaths and other tributes.

Her Royal Highness was met by the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Brigadier Dr John Reid Thomson, who is also chair of the factory, Poppyscotland’s President, Rear Admiral Mark Beverstock, Helen Owen, chair of Poppyscotland, and factory manager, Major Charlie Pelling.

David Adamson, a wreath maker and tour guide, who served for 22 years with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, gave her a tour of the factory, introducing the team.

During her visit, she spent time talking to the veterans about their experiences and the different stages of making poppies and wreaths. She signed a “reflection postcard” which will form part of a wall display in the factory.

She also met Summer Saunders and Kate Miller, both 17, from Ayr, who designed a silk red poppy dress as part of the “Junk Kouture” sustainability project and Sophie Henderson, 14, from Ayrshire, who won Poppyscotland’s 2020 poetry competition with her poem “In Future Fields”, a response to John McRae’s 1915 “In Flanders Fields”.

Her Royal Highness then toured Bud, the 18-tonne truck which transforms into a micro-museum, that has now travelled to every local authority in Scotland.  She unveiled a plaque before being presented with a framed copy of both poems by Ms Owen.

Poppyscotland’s Director, Austin Hardie, said: “We were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to officially re-open our newly refurbished factory and campus today. 

“ This is the culmination of two years of hard work to ensure we have a modern facility dedicated to supporting Scotland’s veterans’ community.

“We are very proud of our heritage, and this marks an exciting new chapter in the factory’s 97-year history. We are looking forward to welcoming school groups and the wider public to the factory and exhibition space, telling the story of the poppy to new generations.”

Ms Owen said: “We are very grateful to Her Royal Highness for taking the time to meet the team involved in this exciting project, as well as her continued support for our Armed Forces community.

“The veterans enjoyed showing her how poppies and wreaths are hand-made using traditional methods, and explaining the unique history of the factory.”

Mr Adamson said: “She was very interested in everything, and took the time to speak to as many of the guys as possible. She also noticed the big difference from last time she visited.”

To find out more about Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory or book a tour, go to:

www.poppyscotland.org.uk/lady-haigs-poppy-factory.

Poppy Appeal launched

 Susan Boyle launched the 2012 Poppy Appeal in Glasgow today, and people all over the country are being urged to dig deep to support ex-servicemen and their families. The launch is also the culmination of another year of hard work for the locally-based Lady Haig Poppy Factory – staff at Warriston have produced five million poppies for this year’s appeal.

Poppyscotland, the charity which runs the appeal, uses all the money raised to support Scotland’s ex-service members and their families. Last year a record-breaking £2.68m was raised during the Scottish poppy appeal, and the charity hopes to top that total this year – despite the ongoing economic gloom.

Ian McGregor, chief executive of Poppyscotland, said: “These are hard times. We know that the Scottish public has been tremendously supportive of our work in the past. We know we’re asking a lot, but we’re saying please can we increase that sum because the need is still there. It won’t go away. We have to be there for the long haul to support the Armed Forces and veterans community in Scotland.”

Around five million poppies and 8,000 wreaths are hand-assembled by 40 veterans with disabilities every year at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, which are then distributed across Scotland by about 10,000 volunteers.

The Lady Haig Poppy Factory has always had an association with North Edinburgh, and is now based in Warriston Road. The organisation’s website explains:

‘The original Lady Haig Poppy Factory was opened in March 1926, employing men who had been disabled during World War 1 to make poppies for Scotland. We moved into the Warriston Road factory in 1965 and currently have a work force of 40 ex-Servicemen, the large majority of whom are registered disabled. While we are a commercial organisation, we are also a charity that provides dignity through work. Many of our workers have been with us for many years and there is a palpable feeling of the military about the place that provides a comfortable and secure atmosphere, for both visitors and workers alike. We work hard to ensure it remains primarily a happy and productive place.

As well as the five million poppies that are handmade each year, we also produce over 8,000 wreaths to order. We process over 25,000 collection tins and make up and dispatch orders to Poppy Appeal Area Organisers all over Scotland. We also make crosses for the Gardens of Remembrance and long stemmed poppies, for sale to the public via the factory.’

Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory also offers a comprehensive picture framing service and factory tours can also be arranged – although they are fully booked for this year. To book a slot for 2013 call Jackie Connolly on 550 1573 or email through the charity’s website at www.ladyhaigspoppyfactory.org.uk