utterly brilliant

we didn't go to norman D in the end as some of the hairy bikers weren't actually that good at biking. they made up for this by being incredibly good at drinking though. the craic, as they say, was fierce. they loved carrow road right off especially the grub and the OTBC mongalong. They took the piss quite a bit when we went two down in 7 minutes but they really appreciated me organising the title presentation for their visit.

we ended up going round the WW1 sites of france and belgium. brugges was a hoot. the museum of flanders fields in ypres was incredibly moving. there are over 100 british war cemeteries in the ypres salient area alone. one of them we visited had two thousand graves and a further 25 thousand names inscribed around the walls. my great uncle is buried in a tiny plot (tiny = 30 war graves) in the corner of a french cemetery in a small village. he was shot in the head taking a message across a field. nearby were the graves of two young men who were "shot at dawn". on one of the boys graves were the words "?Shot at dawn one of the first to enlist. a worthy son of his father.? made me do a small blub.

looks like it's going to be an annual fixture now. not going to the WW1 battlefields but to do a road trip somewhere. the land rover was magnificent and surpassed all expectations...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Posted By: Tombs, May 18, 11:02:31