It’s another post about something I’ve seen posted on a social network. This time it’s this message on twitter

A 15 year old girl who is terminal with cancer has made a bucket list. One of her wishes is to trend on Twitter. Give a RT #alicebucketlist

This sort a message can provoke a strong emotional response. Usually sadness about such a young girl having to suffer such a problem and possibly die shorty, then maybe when you read on you realise there is hope you can help this poor girl just by Retweeting the message,  you can move on with your life happy that you’ve help someone in such a sitution.

Except if you are a big old sceptic like me. If you are, you probably are full of follow up questions like, who is Alice? Is she a real person, if so is there anything else I can do to help. A quick Google search for “Alice 15 year old girl  terminal cancer” (alicebucketlist also works) reveals the following;

There is a 15 Year old Alice with Terminal Cancer called Alice, but she doesn’t have a wish to trend on twitter, she has wishes like “To get everyone eligible to join a bone marrow register” which are a little more demanding of people than pushing a single button on the internet.

So if you want to really help Alice. Why not visit her blog and facebook page, bid on her auction,or more importantly become a bone marrow donor, via the NHS, AnthonyNolan or one of the other donor registers around the world.

EDIT: Alice’s Bucket list hit the news in June,  when after creating her blog her local MP, John Woodcock, raised the issue of Bone marrow donation during prime minister’s questions.

The quick answer is; Probably Definately Not. The longer answer goes as follows;

McDonald’s have banned staff wearing poppies. Time to complain McDonalds Restaurants complaints department 0208 700 7007 please RT

This is message I spotted on Twitter* earlier. There is no link to reputable news source at the moment confirming or denying these claims, or any recent link on the subject for that matter.

The main source of this rumour seems to be veteransassociation twitter account. Which looks very much like an amateur effort not maintained by any professional body. It’s currently being Retweeted about 10 times per minute the moment.

So I did a bit of searching myself and found news stories from Canada in 2010 where staff we told to wear Royal Canadian Legion poppy stickers instead because of the possibility the poppy could fall off or come apart in a food prep area.

The only real update information is from Twitter. Andy Sollis on Twitter claims to have spoken to a Mcdonald’s manager and he has advised;

“[staff] Are being issued pin poppys as normal poppy health risk in food prep area”

Update – 22:35 30/10/100 - More from Andy;

“checked with friend who is manager at Northampton prems. Original paper and plastic poppies are not to be worn due to h&s etc.  however, she tells me that company has purchased pin badge poppies for staff and their choice to wear rather than pin or paper or plastic stem ending up in your big mac or fries! They are in support. I have no connection with the company. Andy”

Update – 31/10/100 - Katie Holland. A member of the McDonald’s Customer Satisfaction Twitter Team, posted this on Twitter.

McD’s UK is providing sticker poppies for our front counter crew to wear if they choose, and Poppies are [available for] Purchase.

Also Dionne Parker Head of UK Communications at McDonald’s wrote this

McDonald’s UK fully supports the Poppy Appeal

We provide special sticker poppies for all front counter employees to wear, if they want. We also have poppies available in our restaurants for customers to buy and they’re on sale in our offices.

So we have no real concrete evidence either way. However since the burden of evidence is on accuser, I recommend on take this claim with a pinch of salt. If you have any information please post it in the comments below. So there we have it. Despite these claims being repeated thousands of times over twitters McDonald’s have not banned Poppies

As usual I would say we shouldn’t pass on any sorts of claim/rumour (on Facebook, Twitter or even real life) until there is a definite and reputable news source.

*Interesting that these rumours are spreading via Twitter and not Facebook.

There is a new rumour spreading like wildfire on Facebook, and it goes something like this.

I’ve just heard some really shocking news. The Royal British Legion are not selling poppies in certain areas on Nov 11 this year. This is because some minorities say that it will upset them. I say F – O**. The poppy is a symbol of reverence for our fallen heroes of all the wars the BRITISH military have fought in. BRITAIN STAND UP AND SAY ‘WE WANT THE POPPY SOLD EVERY WERE IN THE UK’. THIS IS OUR RIGHT TO REVERE OUR FALLEN!!!.

Obviously this isn’t in the slightest bit true. There indeed was a problem with The Royal British Legion selling Poppies in Birmingham  this was because they didn’t get permission from the local council in time and had nothing to do with “minorities” being offended. However this decision has now been reversed, as the more organised Shelter and The Anthony Nolan Trust have kindly allowed The Royal British Legion to the collect  in their place.

“We have withdrawn the licence to fundraise in Birmingham on 12 November and have asked Birmingham City Council to allocate this date to the Royal British Legion,” a Anthony Nolan Trust spokesman said.

There are no other proper new items about The Royal British Legion not been able to sell Poppies anywhere else, and there are definately no stories about  ”minorities” being offended by the sale of them. Why would they be offended? Just like the England shirts are not going to be banned from pubs story, someone has taken something they’ve read in the paper and posted on Facebook how it’s all the fault of the foreigns and minorities, and then other people then repost it without checking facts, and soon thousands of people across the country believe this hateful rumour.

Update : The British Legion’s Twitter account confirms this is false.