Mayor Boris Johnson has authorised a major publicity campaign to pay tribute to the “invaluable contribution” of London service men and women in protecting the capital and its inhabitants.
On instruction from the Mayor, Transport for London is to spend up to £210,000 on a range of activities marking London Poppy Day, which takes place this year on November 1st, and Remembrance Sunday.
As part of the campaign a Circle line Tube, an Overground train and two buses will be decorated with poppy livery and poppies will be displayed “on the front or side of every tube, DLR and Overground train”.
There will also be in-station announcements paying tribute to the sacrifices of service men and women at 50 tube stations and adverts will be placed throughout Westminster tube station carrying the message “Proud to support London Poppy Day, our war veterans and their families”.
A Mayoral Decision instructing TfL to proceed with the initiative says: “there is room to raise further public awareness of the incomprehensible sacrifices made by London service men and women” and notes that some Londoners “(because of their age and background, London being a truly global city) may not otherwise be aware of their contribution to the protection of London’s rich cultural heritage.”
The initiative will also promote the Mayor’s veterans’ pass scheme which gives former service personnel free travel within the capital.
ASLEF shrugged says
It’s Remembrance Sunday, Poppy Day makes it sound like Red Nose Day and London Poppy Day is just trying to make it sound like the rest of the UK is excluded. Infantilising it is disrespectful, I didn’t think it was possible for my opinion of Johnson to fall any lower but this is beneath contempt.
Martin Hoscik says
Hi
London Poppy Day is a specific ‘thing’ – see:
http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/support-us/volunteering/volunteer-as-a-group/london-poppy-day/