These reports are illustrated by the postcard created by the children of Warrington Quaker Meeting with Diane Furber and in creative collaboration with painter Ann Johnson of Eastbourne Meeting, QCA correspondent for Sussex East AM.

Purple Poppies at the Remembrance in Eastbourne:

Chica, left, and Roger, right.

Picture: Left to right, Lee Rudolph, manageress of the Kit Wilson Trust charity shop in Eastbourne with Chica, Ann Johnson and Kate Webster with Roger.

For the first time ever, two canine friends were allowed to join the official Remembrance Day Parade and Service in Eastbourne. Chica, a Rotweiller cross, rescued by the Kit Wilson Trust and Roger, a Jack Russell Cross, from Happy Endings Rescue in Faversham, Kent represented Animal Aid’s Purple Poppy campaign.

It was a beautiful day and hundreds of people lined the road for the parade. Both dogs, wearing their purple poppies, behaved impeccably – apart from one sticky moment when Chica decided she didn’t like bagpipes… These beautiful rescue dogs were a huge hit with onlookers and were happy to be stroked and patted by strangers.

The Eastbourne Purple Poppy team would like to thank our supporters including Stephen Lloyd MP, Eastbourne Council and the Ex-Services Association. A special thanks to Sainsburys, the Kit Wilson Trust charity shop, Lush Cosmetics and St Anne’s Vets who, together with 18 volunteers, helped sell over 2000 poppies to local residents.

http://kitwilsontrust.org.uk/

http://www.happyendingsrescue.org/

Our member Bill Palethorpe in Eastbourne thanks everyone for their commitment to this year’s campaign. He reports:

“Seventeen residents volunteered to sell poppies at Sainsbury’s or LUSH, getting the Animal Aid poppy message across loud & clear to thousands of people. We sold all 2,400 poppies plus 40 enamel badges and gave away 1,200 leaflets as well as magazines & catalogues and Ann Johnson’s lovely poppy cards.

In total we raised £2566 and people seemed more friendly and aware this year. Grateful thanks also to others who helped and supported us now and when we started in 2009, particularly our MP Stephen Lloyd; Barry Lane Chairman of Eastbourne Combined Ex-Services Association; Richard Austin-Cooper and Harry Summerton of Eastbourne Probus Club; Ann Johnsoof Quaker Concern for Animals and Eastbourne Veggie Group, the Kit Wilson Trust charity shop, Lush Cosmetics and St Anne’s Vets .”

London services:

This year Remembrance Day, 11^th November 2012, turned out to be a sunny and bright morning, with no wind at all. The golden leaves were crisp under our feet as we walked along the road, and the trees were in their autumn glory.

About seventy people had assembled in front of the memorial, and a few passersby looked on with interest. The service was taken by the Revd. George Ochola, an Anglican Hospital Chaplain from Watford, assisted by my husband Revd. James Thompson, now age eighty-two, a retired Anglican priest, and known to many as the Animals’ Padre, from Holywell, North Wales.

George officiates

The service again included hymns specially written for the occasion sung to traditional tunes and I gave a reading, followed by a short address from James leading up to the two minutes silence. Later, prayers and the laying of wreaths and flowers took place, Father George Ochola officiating throughout, and the service ended with the singing of the Doxology and the Blessing.

After the service people were able to renew acquaintanceships and look at the amazing inscriptions and carvings of the animals on the monument. I was very surprised to see so many animals at this year’s service, and they seemed to understand the significance of the occasion as they stood on the steps looking intelligently on.

James says: ‘Having felt the presence of departed creatures, as well as departed animal campaigners around me; and then having mentioned the same before the 2 minutes silence; I feel it is more than an optical illusion that a seeming shadow, as if by 3 horses, appears on the marble statue behind the fellow priest and myself. I only know that God was very close and real to me.’

~ Thanks to Doreen Thompson for this report.

Thom Bonneville, QCA member, sends these photos of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals service at the Animals’ War memorial in the afternoon:

Nowzad Dogs (Afghanistan) founders

Please visit: www.nowzad.com

Canine attenders at the ASWA service.

Purple Poppy wreath laid in Hamilton Square, Birkenhead.

Just to remind you:

We have had postcards made of the Warrington poppy and animal collage and they are available at 40p each, which covers pp. Minimum order is 5 = £2. Please contact the clerk if you would like to buy some – and your Meetings might be interested.

We are pleased to report that Birkenhead CND bought cards to add to their display at a local secondary school.

The reverse of the postcard reads:

Remembering the animal victims of war. Mixed media and collage.

A creative collaboration between Warrington Quaker Children’s Group and painter Ann Johnson. Purple poppies, in remembrance of animal victims of war, are available from Animal Aid.

www.animalaid.org.uk        

Purple poppy wreaths were also placed in Liverpool, and in Southport, there were two! For the second year, the children of a junior school in Buckinghamshire attended an assembly on the theme of animals exploited in war.

Our committee member, Feargus O’Connor, included the animals in his service at the Unitarian church in Golders Green where he is minister and in Oxford and Bradford Unitarian churches, they were also remembered.

We warmly thank Tina Grundy who has worked tirelessly in Nottinghamshire to so successfully increase awareness of how animals suffer through warfare. On behalf of Quaker Concern for Animals, Tina laid a wreath of purple poppies in Nottingham. Tina added the red poppies to show how humans and animals suffer together in war.

Here is Tina’s report:

Permission was given by Nottingham City Council Civic Department to lay our wreath of purple poppies as part of the official the Remembrance Sunday Service and March Past. Around 2000 members of the military and public attended. Support for the purple poppies and the Animal Aid wreath was enormous. Prior to the start of the event, numerous military people came up to ask about the purple poppies – and to shake my hand in support! Many people wanted to share their own stories and experiences of animals in war; there were no adverse comments. I was very heartened by this  response from the very people whose opinion is so important. It was the proudest day of my life.

In addition, a wreath of purple poppies was laid by the Area Inspector of the Donkey Sanctuary at the War Memorial in the village of Burton Joyce. Prior arrangements had been made and enthusiastic permission given by the Royal British Legion.

From day one, The Dean of Southwell Minster was very supportive of the purple poppies campaign and our wreath was laid by the Royal British Legion at the War Memorial after the service. Around 500 people attended. The next day, the chairman of the RBL telephoned me to ask if they could repeat this again next year. He explained that his wife, who loved horses, had asked for my permission to be the one to lay the wreath in 2013! I was very happy to agree.