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Poppy seller Olive Cooke pictured collecting donations for the Royal British Legion. (File photo). A new volunteer said she is “honoured” to take up tragic poppy seller Olive Cooke’s fundraising spot – but said ‘nobody could fill Olive’s shoes’. See swns story SWOLIVE. The 92-year-old was Britain’s oldest and longest-serving poppy seller and stood outside Bristol Cathedral selling the emblems for the bulk of her 76 years of fundraising. But she died earlier this year after receiving repeated requests from charities and feeling low about her health. Now charitable Anne Harrison has taken up the popular collecting spot after she was moved to do more collecting for the British Legion when she heard about Olive’s death. Anne, from Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, said: “I think it’s a very special thing. “I have been collecting for a few years for the British Legion in Kingswood but this year I particularly felt moved to go and give some time to the Poppy Appeal in Bristol to commemorate with Olive did.