Remembrance Day is coming up, and London will once again honour those who fell in battle with a display of poppies. TfL have already got in on the action, by decorating a swathe of Tube stations with poppy roundels in recognition of The Royal British Legion’s London Poppy Day.
The iconic tube roundels have blanketed multiple stations in the past, and this year they’re going big once more with 20 stations (9 Underground, 5 Overground, 6 bus stations) undergoing the makeover. If you fancy spotting them, they’re at – deep breath – Baker Street, Balham, Bethnal Green, Bounds Green, Canary Wharf, Colindale, Chingford, Dalston Junction, Edmonton Green, Forest Hill, Hackney Downs, Hammersmith (bus), Harrow (bus) Hatch End, Hoxton, Kings Cross, Kingston (bus), London Bridge, Seven Sisters, Shepherd’s Bush, South Tottenham, Turnpike Lane (bus), Vauxhall (bus), Victoria Coach Station and Westminster.
Roundels aren’t the only TfL property getting a rebrand, though. Six poppy-bedecked, rather fetching buses will be rolling through to along selected London routes — to and from North Acton, Peckham, Rainham, Shepherd’s Bush and Wembley.
Plus, for the first time ever, Londoners can catch a glimpse of Elizabeth line trains rocking their poppies, alongside other trains in service across the entire network.
Meanwhile, volunteers will be fundraising across the transport network, with over 2,000 volunteers (many from the Royal Navy, Army, and RAF) across 50 stations selling poppies and fundraising. These donations, which can now be collected via contactless methods, go towards helping the RBL to support critical support to veterans and members of the armed service.
Look out for those collecting donations on Thursday, November 3 between 7am and 7pm, with the hope being that £800,000 to £1 million in a single day. Listen out for the voice of EastEnders star Shane Ritchie on the TfL network, too; the actor has recorded a special message encouraging people to donate which will be played out tomorrow (November 3).
Remembrance Day falls on Friday, November 11 and, as always, TFL will fall silent at 11am to remember those who lost their lives while fighting for their country. Remembrance Sunday (November 13) will be marked by a march to the Cenotaph by the London Transport Old Comrades Association.
Also published on Medium.