Celebrate 100 Years of The Poppy Factory in Richmond

Join The Poppy Factory as it celebrates its centenary in Richmond with a series of special autumn events.

The charity will host an afternoon tea at the visitor centre of its historic factory building in Petersham Road, where guests will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour and meet today’s factory team making hand-crafted remembrance wreaths.

Refreshments, freshly baked cakes and scones will be served to guests at the September 24 event, which will raise funds to help veterans and family members make progress on the path to employment.

Tickets cost £50 and are available on the Poppy Factory website.

The event will be followed on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September with a unique celebration weekend at Hampton Kempton Waterworks Railway.

The railway’s historic Darent locomotive, first commissioned in 1903, will take visitors around the picturesque Hanworth Loop track, with a specially recorded audio commentary about the story of The Poppy Factory and a display of the giant wreaths that are used in Remembrance services each November.

A lunchtime cavalcade of historic trains will help mark the occasion and there will be cakes, refreshments and limited edition gifts on offer.

Book tickets for the Poppy Factory centenary weekend at Hampton Kempton Waterworks Railway.

The Poppy Factory is also running ticketed discovery sessions in its visitor centre throughout September, October and November.

Funds raised through centenary events will go towards The Poppy Factory’s national Veteran and Family Services, which last year supported more than 1,200 veterans and family members on the path to employment.