SNIPPET: In the June 1998 issue of "Best of British, Past & Present," there are photos of a pretty, perky grandmother, Ms. Poppy (Collins) BUTCHER, who has amassed an unusual collection of women's wartime uniforms. (Her name, Poppy, was chosen because she was born on Remembrance Day). Not only does she still have her original ARP greatcoat, which still fits her, but she has also amassed a collection of 1940s fashions, from a stylish original crepe frock and seamed silk stockings, to complete ATS, WRNS, WAAF, Red Cross and Land Army uniforms, right down to the undergarments. In fact, Poppy may have the largest personal collection of its kind. She said, "It is possibly the only one where every item can be worn by the owner. Women tended to be more petite 50 years ago, and luckily I am quite small." She joined the ARP in 1944, and there began her passion for the fashions of the era. "It was getting near the end of the war, and by then there were very few alerts," she said. "But! I loved the overcoat. It was so heavy and warm, and modern coats seem flimsy by comparison." Poppy did not become a serious collector until she and her husband John, who was a member of the Home Guard until he was old enough to join the RAF, retired. "We bought a Second World War Jeep and started to go to military vehicle and memorabilia shows," she said. "I saw some ARP uniforms and noticed an overcoat like mine, so I bought a hat to go with it, then a skirt. By then the bug had bitten and gradually I started to piece other uniforms together. When you see something you want to complete an outfit, you feel to have got to have it. I paid 70 pounds for a WAAF cap, because you so rarely see them. Air Force and Navy uniforms are the most difficult to come by. They always looked smart and they adapted quite well to civilian life once the war was over, so usually they were worn until they fell apart, " said Poppy, who frequently wears her outfits at parades, theme parties and ev! en on the occasional film set as an extra. What makes this grandmother of five so fascinated by the fashions of the 1940s? "It's a nostalgia thing," she said. "Everybody has fond memories of the clothes that were around during their teenage years, and mine happened to coincide with the war, but they are classic designs, well made and still very wearable."