Great-grandmother marks 80 years as poppy seller

Vera Parnaby, an 85-year-old great-grandmother from Consett in County Durham, is commemorating 80 years as a poppy seller, having commenced her efforts at the age of five. She has accumulated over £1m for the Royal British Legion (RBL) and is recognized as one of the UK’s longest-serving poppy sellers. Known locally as “Mrs Poppy,” Mrs Parnaby began selling the commemorative flowers to honor her father, who was killed in a road accident on a British Army base during World War Two. Having organized the town’s appeal for nearly 30 years, she stated she did not plan to give up “doing her bit.” Mrs Parnaby’s father died when she was three. She, her sister, and two brothers were raised in Annfield Plain by their mother, Elizabeth, who helped launch the women’s section of the RBL and sold poppies alongside her children. Mrs Parnaby now coordinates a network of local volunteers in Consett. “Twenty-nine years ago, I was asked to take over the organising of the poppy appeal in Consett, which I’ve done every year since,” she said. She added, “For the last four years we have had contactless machines, so we catch people who don’t have cash.” Mrs Parnaby further expressed her determination to continue selling poppies. “I don’t think I would give up helping the poppy appeal,” she said. “I would still do my bit even if it wasn’t organising.”