Roger Celebrates 50 Years Collecting For Poppy Appeal

A Market Harborough man is marking 50 years of collecting for the Poppy Appeal.

Roger Brown started selling poppies aged 23 in 1974 and has stood at the same spot on The Square on nearly everyday of the annual fortnightly campaign ever since.

Roger Brown who has been collecting for the Poppy Appeal the last 50 years.
PIC: ANDY CARPENTER

He continues a family tradition, as both his father John Brown and grandfather Frank Wilkinson were both heavily involved with the Royal British Legion in the town and also collected for the appeal.

Roger, 73, first accompanied his grandfather selling poppies when he was a child and was further inspired to collect himself after learning his Grandmother’s first husband James West, died at the Battle of the Somme during the First World War.

When she died the family discovered she had been sent a letter from a German soldier, telling her that they had found her husband and had buried him with ‘due reverence and honour’.

James is mentioned on the Pozieres War Memorial, in Ovillers-la-Boisselle, France.

The Market Harborough branch of the Royal British Legion have described Roger’s commitment to the Poppy Appeal as ‘amazing’.

Roger took time out from collecting to speak to HFM’s Nick Shaw:

Market Harborough Royal British Legion Chairman Stewart Harrison hands over this years poppy appeal box to Roger Brown who has been poppy collecting for the last 50 years.
PIC: ANDY CARPENTER