A new commemorative poppy was launched this morning at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory on Warriston Road.
The Centenary Poppy is embossed in gold with the dates 1918–2018, marking 100 years since the end of the First World War. Around half of the 5 million poppies issued for the Scottish Poppy Appeal this year will be of the new design.
On hand at the launch today was Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, and Minister for Veterans.
The former Royal Marine chatted with factory manager Major (Rtd) Charlie Pelling …
and then with some of the 41 former service personnel who hand make the poppies on the premises.
Mr Brown arrived amid a flurry of aides and PR officials, and posed patiently whilst photographers arranged him in a variety of more or less ridiculous postures which will likely appear in the mainstream media tomorrow.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the factory floor, life went on as usual.
