Brian Blessed is exhorting Tube passengers to purchase remembrance poppies

Brian Blessed’s legendary loud voice has been booming out of speakers across London this morning. Why? Because he wants commuters to buy remembrance poppies to mark the Royal British Legion’s London Poppy Day.

The Flash Gordon actor has been seen out and about in London over the past few days rattling his collecting tin at startled passengers in train stations.

Blessed’s sonorous voice is one among several other celebrity voices to be being broadcast across the London transport system in aid of the Royal British Legion.

Stars including Arsene Wenger, Barbara Windsor, Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley are all set to speak into public address systems today.

But Blessed’s plangent delivery has been a shock to the system for many of London’s somnolent morning commuters.

Brian Blessed ‘intimidates’ London commuters into buying poppies: https://t.co/x26cXYunbw pic.twitter.com/4rU8h8tznc

— IndyPeople (@TheIndyPeople) October 30, 2014

jumped out my bus seat this am to hear BRIAN BLESSED boom out behind me. Turned out to be a @TfLOfficial poppy day appeal. Not the real man.

— Alison Tsang (@AlisonOfTsang) October 30, 2014

THERES A BRIAN BLESSED VOICED POPPY DAY ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE BUS. I feel violated.

— Jessica Penfold (@roseypea) October 30, 2014

Wtf. Bus just played Brian Blessed exhorting me to buy a poppy or something. Not keen. No talking on public transport the morning, Brian.

— Samantha Halford (@samanthahalf) October 30, 2014

On a bus in Islington an announcement is made ‘hi, its Brian Blessed..’ #beardpower

— keith flett (@kmflett) October 30, 2014

Acting legend @brianblessed and service personnel help me to launch #LDNPoppyDayat Liverpool Street station today pic.twitter.com/Vz7cPKgFUl

— Boris Johnson (@MayorofLondon) October 27, 2014

Still not quite over shock of “HELLO I’M BRIAN BLESSED” shattering the cosy torpor of the No88 bus this morning #PoppyAppeal

— Sarah Hendry (@singinghen) October 30, 2014

Anyone else enjoying Brian Blessed promoting a charity associated with a minute’s silence?

— Prof. BOOson Sexhorn (@Brainmage) October 30, 2014

Finally, on a related note:

Found a pic of David Cameron with Brian Blessed while working on something completely different. Rude not to share. pic.twitter.com/umowTkeWSJ

— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) April 13, 2014

Terrific.

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