Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Lets take time to Remember Them

1914 - 1918
1939 – 1945
And all conflicts since

For All who serve.
For All who have given.
For All who have Fallen.
For their Families and Friends.

Lest we forget Lets Remember Them and take time to Thank Them

Well said Poppy!

So very true. Since I was a small child always had to observe the 2 min silence, parents explained why and now well over 70 years still do this act of remembrance, thanking all who served in the armed forces. God bless them all.

I too have "worn my poppy with pride" every year since I was a child , This will be the first year in nearly seventy when I have not. The reason being that I am unable to drive far because of the terror of the SUVs and cant walk far because of disability - so I am unable to get anywhere that sells Remembrance Poppies, I can get to the local supermarkets because they provide decent parking on smooth level ground (even if the disabled spaces are all taken). I asked at Catalkoy Lemar why they did not sell them and was told they had not been asked. I will check with the (British) people at the stalls tomorrow but suspect I will get the same answer.

I have asked previously why the numerous British run "charities" do not provide facilities for the disabled at their functions but there is not interest. It us hard enough to have to give up so much because of selfishness of others and lack of facilities, to be even debarred from contributing to other good causes is particularly distressing.

Further to my previous post , I am pleased to say that a Cypriot friend came to my rescue (yet again) and got me a Poppy to wear. I also made enquiries at the Lemar Saturday market and was told that they would be glad to help sell poppies but had not been approached... and did not in fact know where they were available. It now occurs to me that I have not seen anyone wearing a poppy this year, nor have I seen any publicity about where to get them, . I did find out they are available at The Courtyard but - absolutely nothing against the Courtyard, but not everybody visits a pub or restaurant on a frequent basis!!!!

I note that the British Legion are advertising lunches and dinners to celebrate Remembrance but there are those who cannot get to them or even afford them. The Poppy tradition is wonderful as it allows all types of people including the less fortunate in various ways to show their support and to contribute in even a small way.

Unfortunately Northern Cyprus is not the best place. nor its expats the best community, for people with handicaps. Surely, however, the British Legion should be among the first to support and promote accessibility for disabled people and, with respect, I would urge them next year to broaden their advertising and to supply poppies to at least one East of Girne and one West location that provides disabled facilities among others. If I am still here next year I would be pleased to help to the best of my limited physical ability and to suggest suitable venues for the distribution of poppies

While writing about Remembrance Sunday I have managed, with somewhat of a struggle , to get to St. Andrews for the service for the last few years. This year it will not be possible. I must therefor thank Keith Caley for helping me reconnect to the BBC so I can at least watch the Service on TV.

RR I find it very sad to read your post but am very aware of total lack of facilities geared towards people with walking problems. When I was over in May I was helping a friend around who was confined to a wheelchair for a while.

Knowing that RBL are active, I would of thought they would be your first port of call as to "where are the poppies" in N Cyprus.

I would be so proud to bring you a poppy over, but I come over in September & they are not available then so lets hope RBL can help in the future ......

Poppies on sale in many outlets East and West of Girne. RBL is the first contact. Hope to see you all at the Remembrance Service today...outside the new British Cemetery....be seated by 12.30 at the latest.

RR. So sorry to hear your distress at being unable to purchase a Poppy, Credit West had them in Catalkoy.
Thankfully you have one now, if you contact the Royal British Legion I'm sure they could offer a service to get you a Poppy, an option is to go on line and look at the Legion's book they have a range of Poppies to purchase, I would think someone could bring over for you.
This is the link
https://www.poppyshop.org.uk


Like you my husband and I were brought up knowing what our service men and women did for our Country, many sadly sacrificed their lives to give us the life we have, we were also taught what the Poppy symbolises, so please be assured we have worn our Poppies this year as all the other years with immense pride, for everyone of these great people past and present.

God Bless each and everyone of our Great service Men & Women, we have a lot to Thank You for.

My thanks to Cally and Poppy for their kind posts and suggestions, and particularly the note about the Shop which I did not know about and found very interesting. However getting a Poppy from the UK would not in any case have been possible as it was too late when I realised that I had not seen or heard about them this year.

However providing there is no further deterioration in my conditions, I am still living here, and the traffic has not become even more horrendous I should be able to get to to the Courtyard and/or Credit West if they do them next year!

However I regret that Carrier Bag has completely missed the point and I am sorry if I did not make it clear. I do not in fact know how to contact the British Legion here. I am really surprised that they do not publish a list of locations selling poppies. AS their own publicity indicated many normal actions take the disabled longer, and they do not really need to waste time possibly in discomfort or even pain, visiting various locations in the hope they can contribute to a "charity"!

However my main point was to try to get it over to organisers of such facilities and functions the importance of consideration for disabled people, no just for myself but for those who are more seriously handicapped and in worse circumstances , It is just not adequate and acceptable to give the time and location of a function. If they are to have any chance of living something like a normal and independent life those with disablitiies need to know in advance what facilities are. For example those with do not drive will need to know about transport, those who do what parking is available , those like me with walking difficulties need to know walking distances, ground surfaces and about steps and other obstacles as will the wheelchair bound who will also need to know about ramps and toilets. Those with hearing and sight problems may have other needs. Most will need to be assured there is somewhere they can sit down and not have to scramble for places with younger able bodied people. It should also be noted that some disabilities are not immediately obvious.

I know I have gone on about this before - but as I have also explained before as well as my own problems I had to deal with the problems of seriously disabled relatives in the UK, and have worked for a Charity here for very badly disadvantaged people, and I know just how distressed and isolated people can feel if they are their reasonable needs are totally disregarded, particularly for those who take credit for their charitable works! I also had the advantage of consulting with the British Legion in the UK on two occasions, one on job opportunities and facilities for the disabled.

AS So I shall go on nagging until at least of the expat organisations demonstrates it understanding and arranges to stop isolating the disadvantaged.

Dear Ragged Robin, thank you for your detailed explanations above, unfortunately we as a branch were unaware of your invalidity but had you had made contact with us we could certainly have arranged for someone to bring you to the remembrance service. We had several elderly citizens attend yesterday who required either a wheelchair or assistance with walking which was freely given from our volunteer helpers. Indeed the eldest wreath layer was aged 91 and he was given assistance whilst walking to lay his wreath.
The RBL Kyrenia branch currently have 60 poppy collection boxes along with poppies for sale between Karsiyaka and Kucuk Erenkoy, aprox 30 locations either side of Girne including St. Andrew's church. Your point of publishing the locations on this forum is noted and I will action it next year. We have trialed well over 100 collection box locations in the last 5 years of our existence and some of them have been less successful than others.
If you require any further assistance then I would ask you to make contact with our Branch Welfare Officer Anne Lloyd on - 0533 841 8306.

Brian Thomas
Chairman

Thank you so much Dukes for taking the trouble to give such a detailed and helpful reply. I am pleased to see that you will be looking at putting a list of locations selling poppies next year.I would respectfully respect that you consider supermarkets and open markets as a venue, since people who may not be able to or perhaps afford to frequent restaurants and bars, may still need to get groceries etc. and supermarkets are now increasingly providing disabled parking

I had not really considered contacting theBL direct since, apart from not knowing how, I am not a member and I dont think I qualify so there was no reason you should know of my particular problems, I am pleased to note the help you offer to those who need it. I wonder if you make find some way of making this more widely known, as I suspect there are others worse than I who are much more housebound. Also I live in Ozankoy and I think many of your venues are either in Girne or further East and outside my "catchment area"

I think there was some confusion about "Service". I was referring to the service in St. Andrews Church which I have attended for some 20 years (apart from the occasions in happier times when I had the opportunity to go to Wayne's Keep) although it has been a struggle for the last few years. This year however I am on medical advice to avoid crowded places and the risk of infection so I had to miss it. If the British Legion Ceremony is out of doors this may be less of a problem , but I was under the impression that it involved a lot of walking and standing which I could not manage and I know last time I was at the old British Cemetery parking was very difficult and I don't suppose it has got better! I will look into it again next year , DV,

May I just take the opportunity to again stress in the hope the right people are reading this, the importance of allowing the disabled as much independence of action and choice as possible. Which means informing them in advance of conditions facilities and help available at venue, so they can make their own choices as to whether they can manage unaided or need help. I note that there are two Christmas Fairs at locations where I know from previous years that parking is problematical and there are a number of "tripping factors", and no advice is given as to facilities and assistance for the disabled.

Dear RR
I was sad to read your comments about not being able to obtain a poppy to wear this year as they were ready available in locations around Ozanköy, Catalkoy and Girne, not just in bars / restaurants but also in The Best Seller Bookshop, Uppercrust Bakery & CreditWest bank. Rafters Restaurant, The Corner House, Leo's Bar & The Tropicana all in Ozanköy were also selling poppies. The RBL also had a stall selling poppy merchandise on the two Thursday Mornings leading up to rememberence Sunday in Girne main square which was publicised in the local paper.
However, I do feel if you had posted your situation before the event rather than after on this forum the RBL would have been more than willing to help you as I'm sure they will next year.