Battlefield Walk: American & French History combined

A small group of battlefield enthusiasts spent the whole of Sunday 30th August in the Aisne. Killing two birds with one stone (or improving the shining hour) they started off in the glistening American Cemetery in Bony and then visited nearby Villeret. The sight of the stars & stripes at half mast, paying homage to Edward Kennedy, reminded them that the land upon which they stood was part of a country that lay far away across a wide ocean.

The group was warmly received by Craig Rahanian who gave up his time to speak about the global nature of American cemeteries and then focus on individuals buried at Bony. The group was a European mixture itself of English, Scottish, Welsh, French & Belgian WW1 scholars and this echoed the nature of the cemetery: the names on the pristine marble crosses and stars of David bearing witness to the soldiers' origins in the Old World.

The group moved off on foot to Villeret then Hargival to rediscover the story of an occupied zone under the German boot. Ben Macintyre's factual narrative (A Foreign Field) has uncovered every detail of the tortured existence of both the villagers and the British and Irish soldiers they harboured. Walking the Rue d'En Bas one struggles to visualise the secret goings on there.

A chance encounter with an elderly lady in the local cemetery brought the memories of Teutonic sadism in two world wars flooding back. "He denounced my father" she said, pointing to a very grandiose grey stone tomb. "My father was deported because of him. Look at him now in his fancy grave, paid for with German money."

The group stood awkwardly by as she delivered a speech of regret and anger. They could understand her bitterness but felt it was useless to perpetuate hatred. It was a tense, deeply sad moment. If the dead in Villeret's local cemetery could rise up and talk the bickering may well continue: resistance fighters challenging collaborators. Or would they do different and wish to provide a sound philosophical lesson for those who are left ?

Good bye Harry Patch

It was with sadness that I learned of the demise of Harry Patch this summer. I had just finished reading his autobiography so his passing away was particularly poignant. What struck me most, when I read his book, was that he was profoundly marked by the disappearance of the D-Day allied troups and dwelled upon their loss very deeply, perhaps moreso - at least in the book- than on the tragedies he witnessed in Flanders. His anti-war stance and his symbolic funeral make his existence count for a great deal. Harry felt that death was not the end; his experiences in the First World War convinced him of the possibility of a passage to another world. Let us therefore say Good bye and not Farewell to Harry Patch.

Summer on the Somme 2009

The sacred holiday period began with a hot period for the annual 1st July ceremonies to commemorate The Battle of the Somme. Hats and suncream were needed at Thiepval as the sun rose high in the sky towards lunchtime. However, those who witnessed the Royal Scots' event at Contalmaison began the day shivering in short sleeves, but didn't regret getting up early. Jack Alexander (actually very young and trendy; I expected him to have white hair and a beard) was flanked by the khaki chums providing a great photo opportunity for the public. As usual, it was a ceremony with a difference. The minister (see photo) was impressive as usual with his sage pronouncements and the guitar solo was a delight. For excellent photos of the event see Fabrice Colson's website.

Moving on in July we come to the Sound & Light Show in Pozières. The clouds did not smile on the event but those who turned up will have been satisfied with their efforts. (You are advised to take blankets, umbrellas / raincoats and a flask of something hot). The event attracted a greater number of non-French visitors this year, which is something Yves Potard will be proud of. The Sound & Light Show deals with issues and stories that will move the battlefield tourists more than the locals, so this has to be the way forward. Three Britons have already "starred " in the event (Denis Watson, Paula Kesteloot & Lawrence Brown). Again, you can check out Fabrice's site for a feast of photos.

We are now in mid-August and the weather has been quite kind to us so far, having been rather gloomy for most of July. But what do you do in France when most of the French are off work, or when those that are in work are determined not to do anything energetic or productive. August is August after all. In August in France you must not fall seriously ill or have car problems. You or your car may have to perish. In fact, I would strongly advise spending August in a country where quite a lot of people go to work with the intention of getting something done. It's perhaps an ideal opportunity for a trip home outre-Manche to stock up on the old salt & vinegar crisps.

Nonetheless, if you are holidaying in the Somme and are bored I would recommend you pootle on down to these places:

• the swimming pool in Corbie with its many waterslides (or try Moreuil). In Albert they have spent a lot of money on adding a new outdoor section to the pool but it is sadly overshadowed by the facilities in Corbie.



• the temporary exhibition on Tardi at the Historial which is very well done, even though I kept on worrying about how much of my (taxpayers') money had been used to pay for it.



• the beaches in the Somme Bay (Quend, Fort Mahon & Berck are somewhat Blackpoolish, whereas French people who think they are a cut above the rest go to Le Touquet in the Pas de Calais - this happens to be a very British enclave). When on the beach you are advised to watch out for dog poo! Not very nice when you are barefoot.



• the meeting points of the various summer guided walks offered by different organisations in and around Albert. These are free of charge and some are guided by people who speak English.

So, have a good time and make the most of the remaining summer nights.