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*** CL Ypres Trip - places available ***

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  • Big thankyou to everyone who made this trip so memorable with special thanks of course going to Clive and Neal.

    Was good to meet up with old school chum Micky Nuttley (Nutz55) after 41 years. Luckily for Micky my playful boyish good looks havn't changed one bit since 1971 so it was very easy for him to pick me out. He on the other hand hasn't worn at all well.

    Good to meet with our German addicks. Couple of good lads.
  • Many thanks to Clive for his meticulously well planned itinerary, fitting in so many points of interest and with such a lot of variation, including the German cemetery. The way the whole action-packed event was kept running on time was a triumph in itself.
  • SE7toSG3 said:

    For the record I am Hertfordshire from a strongly SE London Family, spent my a fair amount of my yoof staying the holidays with family in Charlton, Deptford and Greenwich until they all either moved out or died, of my 4 Great grandparents, 3 were from SE London.

    I never ventured as far out as Bromley though for some reason.....

    Surely you had at least 8 great grandparents?
  • Sorry Henry, I thought Clive was born in South East London and the family moved to Hertfordshire

    He's a Mockney with a master's degree from the Midlands

    : - )
  • Sorry Henry, I thought Clive was born in South East London and the family moved to Hertfordshire

    He's a Mockney with a master's degree from the Midlands

    : - )
    And @SE7toSG3 is an excellent communicator with an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject!

    If @LargeAddick does organise a similar Somme trip next year, I will be very interested.
  • Belated thanks to Clive and Neal and fellow travellers for making this another memorable trip to Belgium. Good to see some familiar faces again and meet new ones. A great trip.
  • edited July 2017
    Stunning programme currently on BBC2 commemorating 100 years since Passchendale. Two more to follow at 11am and 7pm tomorrow.
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  • Is anybody that was on the trip curious if Stijl managed completed the tank rebuild, the wife and I are, over to Clive I guess.
  • Bournesnr said:

    Is anybody that was on the trip curious if Stijl managed completed the tank rebuild, the wife and I are, over to Clive I guess.

    Is that the one at Pond Farm?
  • Greenie said:

    Bournesnr said:

    Is anybody that was on the trip curious if Stijl managed completed the tank rebuild, the wife and I are, over to Clive I guess.

    Is that the one at Pond Farm?
    Yes
  • I thought it was a bit soon, but am curious.
  • edited August 2017
    you could email and ask him

    http://www.depondfarm.be/en/introduction

    or they have a facebook page

    www.facebook.com/YpresSalientTanksP1917A/



  • I am pretty sure it's tied in with the 100th anniversary of the Cambrai tank battle in November this year. I am sure Clive knows the detail but there were plans for the Deborah tank at Flesquieres which has been kept in a beautiful barn is to have a new public display and I thought Stijn,s tank was going to join the inaugural viewing. Here is a picture of Deborah! Perhaps Clive will enlighten us!!
  • Fumbluff said:

    Greenie said:

    Bournesnr said:

    Is anybody that was on the trip curious if Stijl managed completed the tank rebuild, the wife and I are, over to Clive I guess.

    Is that the one at Pond Farm?
    Yes
    I was out there in April, met the mum, lovely lady, she gave us the tour of the Farm and showed us the WW1 Tank, still under construction.
    I love the history in and around Pond Farm and all those live shells just lying around, brilliant.
  • edited August 2017
    Just back from the Passchendaele Commemoration, pretty emotional few days. Thousands there for the main events but we were walking 10-12k with our group each day criss crossing the 'old front line' so found lots of space to ourselves.

    With one of the group Robin, we followed in his grandfathers footsteps who commanded 3/Grenadier Guards, awarded a DSO & 2 Bars, 7 times Mentioned in Despatches, he was military attache to Berlin (signed thankyou photograph from A.Hitler!) in the mid 30's, Commanded a Division against him at Dunkirk and then led the Norwegian Resistance for the rest of the war.

    Anyway it was a close but no cigar for Stijin, we saw him on the 31 July as I had another coach unveiling a memorial to the Hertfordshire Regt amd the tank was clad but no engine. It will be running for the Cambrai 100 late November. There is a pic of the tank here,


  • And on tanks for @Imissthepeanutman Deborah has now been moved to her new purpose built home alongside her crew im Flesquieres Cemetery. Should be all open by November, I am with Philippe in a few weeks so will have a look
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  • I was at the Churchill War Rooms for work today and I'm sure the feller on the tour who worked for Westminster Council walked past with his kids/grandkids
  • SE7toSG3 said:

    And on tanks for @Imissthepeanutman Deborah has now been moved to her new purpose built home alongside her crew im Flesquieres Cemetery. Should be all open by November, I am with Philippe in a few weeks so will have a look

    Phillippe took me and Mrs Addickted to visit Deborah a couple of years ago. Fascinating story of how he spent over twenty years trying to find Deborah, knowing it was out there on the battlefield somewhere.

    His total dedication to the project of finding, digging out and restoring the tank was really moving. He was brought up in the region yet he was sympathetic to the suffering of both the Tommy and Fritz.

    Nice Range Rover as well!

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