Green Fair Sunday, white poppies, Remembrance, Golden Wedding!

Posted: 25th October 2026

Dear Peace Group supporters, here are a few reasons to be hopeful:

  1. The Green Fair is tomorrow! 10.30am to 4pm on Sunday 25 Oct at Oxford Town Hall. If you have never been, you’re in for a treat: local, sustainable and ethical gifts, stalls about so many good causes, from CND to Hedgehog Rescue to Sustainability, the famous cafe with home-made salads, soups, cakes and coffee, and surrounding this, music throughout the day! Don’t forget to change your watches and clocks!
  2. White Poppies. These are now available at Cafe35 at 35 Ock Street, (open 10.30-2 Mon-Thursday, 10.30 – 12.30 Friday & Saturday) and soon in the CEC, Abingdon’s Climate Emergency Cafe under the museum, (open 10am-4pm Thursday-Sunday.) Read more about the White poppy and what it means here: https://www.ppu.org.uk/remembrance-white-poppies
  3. Alternative Remembrance Ceremony. As every year, the PPU invites you to join us for the National Alternative Remembrance Ceremony in Tavistock Square, London, at 12 noon on Remembrance Sunday, 8th November, to remember all victims of war. More at  https://www.ppu.org.uk/civicrm/event/info%3Fid%3D499%26reset%3D1 
  4. Rowan Williams to give the Remembrance Lecture. The Movement for the Abolition of War are hosting this on Sunday 8 November 3pm in London. Rowan Williams: The Changing Face of War: thoughts on the Erosion of Ethics. Info & Tickets at https://abolishwar.net/remembrance-lecture-2026/  Flier attached. This follows the Alternative Remembrance Ceremony, with time for lunch between!
  5. And finally, Golden Wedding! We can’t resist sharing that the oldest members of our Forward Planning Group, Tony & Oonagh Godfrey, are celebrating their Golden Wedding today! Congratulations Tony & Oonagh!
     

    White poppies are often worn alongside red poppies. They stand for three things.

    Remembrance of all victims of war, including both civilians and members of the armed forces. We remember people of all nationalities. We remember those killed in wars happening now, as well as in the past. We also remember those who are often excluded from the mainstream, such as refugees and victims of colonial conflicts.

    Challenging war and militarism, as well as any attempt to glorify or celebrate war. White poppies encourage us to question the way war is normalised and justified. They remind us of the need to resist war and its causes today.

    A commitment to peace and to seeking nonviolent solutions to conflict. By drawing attention to the devastating human cost of war, white poppies highlight the urgency of our ongoing struggle for peace.
Now is the time of year to make your commitment to peace unmistakeable!!

With warm wishes, and thanks for reading this!

Abingdon Peace Group Forward Planning Group,
01235 526265 or 07786 055195
Find out more – call Caroline on 01722 321865 or email us.