The Royal British Legion's Poppy Days
Every year in early November, The Royal British Legion holds large scale fundraising events across some of the UK's major cities! The event started in London and then expanded into Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Leeds and now many other locations. Uniformed personnel collect on the streets and, shopping centres, busy public places and train stations at peak times throughout the day while a varied selection of Military Bands play across the city. Throughout the day you can also here celebrity station announcements on railway stations across London.
Poppyscotland also hold their own event in Edinburgh each year with the The Band of the Royal Regiment go Scotland taking part.
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To find the latest updates from the days please visit our Facebook and Instagram Page to have the latest pictures, videos and updates from all of the different bands performances! - https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryBandsEverywhere/
The dates and details for 2022 are to be confirmed and this list will be updated when they are -
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Cardiff:
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London:
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Bristol:
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Leeds:
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Birmingham:
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Manchester:
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London:
London Poppy Day is the longest running Poppy Day and is the original one. It has now became a well established event with over 10 Military Bands performing across the city for one day in early November entertaining commuters and shoppers whilst raising money for the Royal British Legion.
Videos of all the bands performances in 2019 can be watched on our YouTube channel!
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2021 Performances:
The Band of the Coldstream Guards - King's Cross
The Band of the Grenadier Guards - London Victoria (afternoon and evening only)
The Band and Bugles of the Rifles - Waterloo
British Army Band Colchester - Liverpool Street
British Army Band Sandhurst - Canary Warf
British Army Band Tidworth - London Paddington
British Army Band Catterick - Leadenhall Market
The Band of the Royal Yeomanry - Marylebone (from lunchtime onwards)
A Jazz Quartet from the RAF - Victoria (Morning and Lunchtime only)
A Jazz Octet from The Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth - London Bridge
2019 Performances:
The Band of the Grenadier Guards - Waterloo
The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas - Marylebone
The British Army Band Tidowrth - London Paddington
The British Army Band Colchester - Liverpool Street
The British Army Band Sandhurst - Canary Warf
The Band of the Prince of Wales - Euston
The RAF Music Service Jazz Octet - London Bridge
The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Gurkha Rifles - Liverpool Street
The Queen's Colour Squadron and BAB Tidworth Rock Group- King's Cross
2018 Performances:
Band of the Welsh Guards - Victoria Station
The Band of The Parachute Regiment - Liverpool Street Station
Band of the Coldstream Guards - Paddington Station
Band of the Scots Guards - Canary Warf
Honourable Artillery Company Regimental Band - Canary Warf
Band of the Grenadier Guards - London Waterloo
The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas - London Marleybone
The Band, Pipes and Drums of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment - London Brigde
The Band of The Army Air Corps - King's Cross Station
The Bands of HM Royal Marines (Official) - Leadenhall Market (lunchtime only)
RAF Regiment Band Brass Quintet - Heathrow Airport
Royal Dragoon Guards Pipes And Drums - Charing Cross
Here is a list of band s and where they have performed over the last 4 years -
The Band of the Parachute Regiment - Liverpool Street Station (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
The Band of the Grenadier Guards - London Waterloo (2016, 2017 and 2018)
The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas - London Waterloo (2015)
- London Marlybone (2018)
The Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Logistic Corps - Victoria (2016 and 2017)
A Brass Quintet from The Prince of Wales's Division - Victoria (2015)
The Band of the Irish Guards - King's Cross (2016)
- Canary Warf (2017)
The Band of the Welsh Guards - Marlybone Station (2017)
Victoria (2018)
The Band of the Scots Guards - London Paddington (2016 and 2017)
- Canary Warf Train Station (2018)
The Band of the Coldstream Guards - London Paddington (2018)
The Band of the Adjutant Generals Corps - London Paddington (2015)
- King's Cross (2016 and 2017)
The Band of the Royal Corps of Engineers - Leadenhall Market and station (2017)
The Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment - London Bridge Station (2017 and 2018)
The Central and Regimental Bands of the Royal Air Force - Covent Garden (2015, 2016 and 2017)
A Brass Quintet from the RAF Regiment Band - London Heathrow (2018)
The Band of the Royal Yeomanry - various locations in The City of London (2015, 2016 and 2017)
A Woodwind Quintet from The Honorable Artillery Company Band - Heathrow Airport (2015, 2016 and 2017)
The Band of the Army Air Corps - King's Cross (2015 and 2018)
- Canary Warf (2016 and 2017)
The Corps of Drums from HM Royal Marines - Leadenhall Market (2018)
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The Pipes and Drums from the 1st Battalion Royal Dragoon Guards - Charing Cross (2017 and 2018)
The Pipes and Drums from the 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotalnd - Canary Warf (2017)
The Pipes and Drums from the 2nd Royal Gurkha Rifles- Liverpool Street (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018)
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The Band of the Welsh Guards at Marleybone Train Station during London Poppy Day 2017. Photo - portemolitor (flickr)
The Band of the Scots Guards on the Paddington Station Concourse during London Poppy Day 2017.
The RAF Queen's Colour Squadron performing a drill display at Covent Garden during 2015. Photo by Covent Garden
The Band of the Welsh Guards at Marleybone Train Station during London Poppy Day 2017. Photo - portemolitor (flickr)
Last updated - 31/12/21
Bristol:
Bristol Poppy Day was the first Poppy Day to be held outside of London in 2014 and has grown from strength to strength each year, celebrating it's 7th anniversary this November.
The event has seen the following bands perform:
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2014 - The Royal Artillery Band - Cabot Circus, Bristol Temple Meads, The Galleries Shopping Center
2015 - The Royal Artillery Big Band - Cabot Circus and The Mall, Cribbs Causeway
2016 - The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals , Cabot Circus and Bristol Temple Meads Station
2017 - The Royal Artillery Band - Cabot Circus and Bristol Temple Meads Station
2018 - The Band of HM Royal Marines Plymouth, Cabot Circus performing marching displays
2019 - The Band of the Prince of Wales - Cabot Circus
2020 - NO EVENT due to the Covid-19 pandemic
2021 - British Army Band Sandhurst
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Each year, The RAF Association Concert Band give and lunchtime concert from 12:00 in the Galleries shopping Center.
Videos of the RA Big Band performing in Cribbs Causeway in 2015, The Band of the Royal Artillery and two marching displays by The Band of HM Royal Marines Plymouth at Cribbs Causeway and Cabot Circus can be viewed on our YouTube Channel.
The Royal Artillery Band performing in Cabot Circus during the 2017 Bristol Poppy Day under their Director of Music Captain Neil Skipper.
The Big Band from the Royal Artillery Band performing in The Mall, Cribbs Causeway as part of the 2015 Bristol Poppy Day.
The Royal Artillery Band performing in Cabot Circus during the 2017 Bristol Poppy Day under their Director of Music Captain Neil Skipper.
Manchester:
Manchester Poppy Day is the second longest running Poppy Day outside of London and has been running since 2014.
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Over the years it has seen mainly performances from The Band of the King's Division and, The Band of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers also performed at Manchester Piccadilly Train Station. In 2019 The Band of the prince of Wales entertained visitors at Manchester Victoria Station and 2021 saw a Jazz ensemble from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force take to the streets of Manchester.
Birmingham:
Birmingham Poppy Day will be celebrating it's 6th anniversary this year and over the years it has seen:
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The Band of the Parachute Regiment (2013 and 2015),
The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals (2014, 2015, 2016)
A Brass Quintet from The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals (2018)
The Band of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (2014, 2015, 2016),
The Band of the Royal Corps of Engineers (2015),
The Band of the King's Division (2015, 2017),
The Band of the Royal Corps of Engineers (2014),
The Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Logistic Corps (2016),
The Royal Artillery Band (2016)
The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas (2017)
A Brass Quintet and Corps of Drums from The Band of HM Royal Marines Collingwood (2017)
Jazz Ensemble from The Central Band of the RAF (2021)
Two Trombonists from The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals performing in Birmingham's Victoria Square for Birmingham Poppy Day. Photo Credit: Birmingham Mail
The Euphonium, Baritone Horn and Tenor Horn section of The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals performing in Birmingham's Victoria Square for Birmingham Poppy Day. Photo Credit: Birmingham Mail
The Band of the Royal Corps of Engineers performing in Birmingham New Street Station
Two Trombonists from The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals performing in Birmingham's Victoria Square for Birmingham Poppy Day. Photo Credit: Birmingham Mail
Cardiff: (28th October 2020)
Cardiff Poppy Day first started in 2015 and in it it's first year, had no musical support from military bands. However in 2016 The Band of the Prince of Wales's Division took to the streets around Cardiff raising funds for the Royal British Legion. The band performed outside Cardiff's Central Library in the Hayes and on Castle Street, near The Principality Stadium, where an Autumn International was taking place at the time.
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The 2017 event saw The Royal Artillery Band's Big Brass Group perform outside the Central Library in Cardiff and in the St David's 2 Shopping Centre.
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After having no Poppy Day in 2018, 2019 saw the return of the event but without musical support. 2020 saw the event cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic but in 2021 The Band of the Prince of Wales returned to the streets of Cardiff entertaining shoppers for the Royal British Legion.
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Videos of performances from 2016 and 2017 can be viewed on our YouTube Channel.
The Royal Artillery Big Brass Ensemble posing for a photo with Aled Jones, who was collecting during the 2017 Cardiff Poppy Day.
The Royal Artillery Big Brass Ensemble performing outside Cardiff's Central Library during the 2017 Cardiff Poppy Day.
The Band of the Prince of Wales's Division performing outside Cardiff's Central Library on Saturday 3rd November 2016 for the second Cardiff Poppy Day.
The Royal Artillery Big Brass Ensemble posing for a photo with Aled Jones, who was collecting during the 2017 Cardiff Poppy Day.
Leeds:
Leeds Poppy Day started in 2016, although no bands performed at the 2017 event, in 2016 the following bands performed:
The Band of the Royal Armoured Corps (2016)
The Band of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (2016)
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The REME Band have performed at Leeds Station and The Band of the Royal Armorued Corps have traveled around the City of Leeds, previously performing at the following locations:
Bridgewater Place, Wellington Place and Whitehall Riverside
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After an absence of music between 2017 and 2020, the 2021 event saw British Army Band Catterick performing at the Trinity Shopping Centre in Leeds.
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The photos to the right were taken by Lucy Woodhead in 2016 and are used by kind permission from The Band of the Royal Armoured Corps.
The Band of the Royal Armoured Corps performing in Leeds on the 3rd November 2016. Image taken by Lucy Woodhead.
The Band of the Royal Armoured Corps performing inside a building in Leeds for Leeds Poppy Day on the 3rd November 2016. Image taken by Lucy Woodhead and used by Kind permission of The Band of the Royal Armorued Corps.
The Band of the Royal Armoured Corps performing in Leeds on the 3rd November 2016. Image taken by Lucy Woodhead.