Britain's Oldest Poppy Seller To Hang Up Collection Tin Aged 103

Rosemary Powell with Legion beneficiary, Nick Powell (Picture: The Royal British Legion).

A former World War II nurse is to retire from selling poppies after 97 years collecting for the appeal. 

Rosemary Powell, 103, first started selling poppies on Richmond Bridge in 1921, aged just six. 

97 years later, the great-grandmother from London is planning to hang up her collection tin and hand over to a new generation of fundraisers as she is "getting old". 

Mrs Powell is believed to Britain's longest-serving and oldest poppy seller.

She said: 

"I sold poppies last year, maybe not as enthusiastically as previous years, but this year will probably be my last year of selling. I'm getting old now.

"Ever since the age of six, I've been selling poppies and I remember it all so well. Collecting has kept me going all these years."

Mrs Powell's father, Charles Ashton James, served with 126th Baluchistan Infantry and was left wounded after being shot in the head during the Battle of Somme in World War I.

She lost three uncles and two godfathers during the First World War. 

Her first fiance, Robin Ellis, a commander in the Royal Navy died in 1944 when the Lancaster bomber he was flying crashed near Inverness. 

Mrs Powell's younger brother, Peter, served as a major in the Army. He was killed during World War II. She said:

"Sadly war has had a significant impact on my life," she said.

"It's hard to imagine what they went through but my grandparents lost three of their children - with a fourth wounded - during World War One.

"Right from the beginning, people talked about the Poppy Appeal. It has always been a very important cause for me.

"We did it in memory of those men who were killed, for their sacrifice."

During the Second World War, Mrs Powell trained as a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse providing civilian nursing to the military. 

She later trained at St Thomas' Hospital in London before working as a matron at Powderham Castle, then a finishing school, in Devon in the late 1940s.

In the 1950s, she lived in Africa for a year - making poppies out of paper to give to local people during Remembrance. 

From 1975 to the mid 1990s, she lived in France with her Royal Navy officer husbamd, Selwyn.

While in France, she sold blue cornflowers - the French equivalent to UK poppies.

When returning to the UK, Mrs Powell continued to sell poppies in London.

In 2015, she moved to a nursing home in Chiswick but continued collecting for the appeal by selling poppies to fellow residents.

Mrs Powell's son, Giles, said his mother was retiring this year to mark National Volunteers Week.

"I am incredibly proud of her achievements over the years. It really is quite staggering."

"Mum has led a fascinating life and now it's time, poignantly during national Volunteers Week, for her to hang up her collecting tin and encourage the public to volunteer their time to the Legion which is a fantastic cause."

To mark Mrs Powell's retirement, she met Former Royal Marine Nick Fleming who benefited from Mrs Powell's fundraising efforts after being medically discharged last year due to a leg injury.

He said: 

"I struggle to even comprehend just how many years Rosemary has dedicated to the charity.

"I know of countless people both from my military career - and recently in my role now with the Legion, who have benefited from the money and support that people like Rosemary have generated."

Emma Cannings, director of membership and volunteers at the charity, described Mrs Powell as "an incredible woman".