I've just come back from a weeks holiday doing the WW1 sites in Belgium and northern France. It has been one of the most moving holidays I have ever had and I have learnt an awful lot, but the most moving thing I saw was the Menin Gate and The Last Post in Ypres. I went (with my father) for the three nights I was there and was moved everytime.
But what was even more moving was seeing all the British teenagers who reckon they're rough and tough being reduced to tears by it all. I reckon teenagers in Britain get a bad deal actually - there are some terrific youngsters coming through and when it got to five to eight, a shushhh went round and every single one of them stood there silently with many of the girls in tears.
One of the highlight for me was watching a tractor near Albert plough up a field. The farmer stopped and then picked up something and put it by the path. On inspection it turned out to be an unexploded WW1 shell!
I also saw this Welsh moument to 38th Welsh Divisions abattle at Memtz:
http://www.rrw.org.uk/news/goch.htm
But what was even more moving was seeing all the British teenagers who reckon they're rough and tough being reduced to tears by it all. I reckon teenagers in Britain get a bad deal actually - there are some terrific youngsters coming through and when it got to five to eight, a shushhh went round and every single one of them stood there silently with many of the girls in tears.
One of the highlight for me was watching a tractor near Albert plough up a field. The farmer stopped and then picked up something and put it by the path. On inspection it turned out to be an unexploded WW1 shell!
I also saw this Welsh moument to 38th Welsh Divisions abattle at Memtz:
http://www.rrw.org.uk/news/goch.htm