battlefield tours

E-mail from Lydia Rettelet re Somme Self-Drive tour July 2008

Dear James,

Just to say thank you for arranging a very successful weekend for us in the Somme. We were very happy to stay in Péronne, followed your recommendation and ate at Brasserie Centrale, and also appreciated being so near the WW1 history museum. Incidentally, we also had a very nice meal at Le Saint-Vincent, in Bld des Anglais, overlooking the water - lovely location, delicious food.

My husband André was impressed with the self-drive tour, and really enjoyed having the events and places he'd read about so many times brought to life. The background info, and photos, landmarks and front-line markings were a great help to non-experts like me, as were the very thorough road directions.

We will certainly recommend your tours, and will get back to you if we visit Ypres and the Belgian battlefields.

Many thanks again, and best wishes

Lydia

E-mail re Somme Self-Drive tour 6 June 2008

Hi James

Hefin and I got back from our battlefield tour last night and wished to say thank you arranging the hotels etc and providing such excellent guides. We had a really great time and both learnt a lot - a memorable holiday. Again many thanks for all the hard work and research you must have put in to create such an integrated and rounded package, one I would recommend to anyone with an interest in this period of our history.

Regards

Huw and Hefin Gulliver

E-mail re Somme Self-Drive tour 2 June 2008

Dear James,

Just to let you know that my husband and I had a very pleasant weekend in France. We followed your route, visiting monuments, cemeteries and museums as well as Avril’s tea room. We also found time to visit Arras, Amiens and the gardens at Valloires on our return journey.

The Hotel de la Basilique was very comfortable and the food excellent. We feel that your remarkably detailed guides not only helped to put everything in context but also enabled us to make the most of limited time. Our thanks for making the weekend so easy to organize.

Best wishes,

Jane Veal

E-mail re Somme Self-Drive tour 2 June 2008

Dear Mr Power

The tour guides made it an experience that we will never forget. The details and itineraries you provided enabled us to visit areas where we were often the only two people around.

We went to Newfoundland Park straight from Calais and then stopped off for tea at Avril Williams.

[...]

Delville Wood was deeply moving and we used your excellent directions to take the time to find the hornbeam tree you mentioned

[...]

In summary, we found it a deeply moving experience and would highly recommend your tours to our friends and relations. (On more than one occasion, we heard another visitor say " we have to be going now as the coach leaves at ...". Your guides enabled us to move at our own pace.

Thanks again for making it such an experience which my son and I will never forget.

Yours Sincerely

Andy Hardie

E-mail re Somme Self-Drive tour 28 January 2008

Many thanks for all your information, had a fantastic time, weather good, maps were easy to follow, saw most of what we wanted to see. Your guides were very good and easy to follow.

Will be going again.

Once again many thanks and all went very well.

Wesley

E-mail re Somme Self-Drive tour 22 January 2008

Dear James,

We just wanted to drop you a line to thank you so much for arranging the most wonderful [self-drive] weekend for us.

Le Macassar was quite the most beautiful place we have ever stayed - Ian and Miguel made our stay so enjoyable and were every bit as attentive as you said they would be: perfect hosts.

The pack you prepared for us worked brilliantly. We found all the sites easily, thanks to your detailed directions, and the information you gave was always interesting and very relevant. It was very moving to be on the battlefields themselves, particularly as we were all pretty well read on the subject before venturing out. The little hints and tips you gave made it even more special though, and all four of us were extremely impressed with the quality of the tour.

We shall, no doubt, be contacting you at a later date for information on the Ypres tour but, in the meantime, thank you again for a truly memorable weekend.

Kind regards,

JD

E-mail from Martin Oley following Somme Self-Drive tour 9 July 2007

James,

Just got back after a great [self-drive] weekend. Your maps / guide notes were brilliant, we followed them to the letter and by the end of day 1 had a real picture of how everything fitted together / who was where/when etc (Deville wood / Africaan memorial and Hunters Lane/Sunken Road seemed very real to me. On day 2 we located the (exact) spot where the 22nd advanced from on 01/07, as you said there are no real signs of the past but we got a real understanding of why its called 'The Mound' with its vantage point looking down on Mametz (whilst walking around the fields we even found a shell casing that is now at home with me!).

Having now seen the Somme it makes me want to know a bit more - would you have any idea how I could find out when my grandfather enlisted and his regiments movements up to July 1918?.

Overall I'd like to thank you for all you've done. As I've said, the guidenotes were excellent and your added descriptive a real bonus.

Sincere thanks and kind regards

Martin

From Dr D Ward ref Self-Drive tour October 2006

Dear James

I know you already have many well-deserved testimonials, but after our recent self-drive tour of the Somme I shall have to add to them. My wife and I found it a very moving and absorbing three days - the human detail in your guide as well as the fascinatingly detailed pictures and maps enabled us to at least try and visualise all that happened there. The bits that stand out on reflection were: being alone in the wood at Sheffield Park at the end of the first day; Teddy's detailed tour and knowledge of the excavations in Thiepval Wood; the peace and beauty of so many of the cemeteries; the depths of Delville Wood in solitude at dusk. We read your guide from cover to cover, talked at length about the facts in it and I'm sure will use it again in future.

All the arrangements and instructions were faultless and the Hotel St. Claude were very welcoming. Thanks for making such an important part of our history accessible and real.

Yours sincerely

David A Ward FRCS

E-mail 3.9.06 20.03 hrs re Self-Drive tour August 2006

Dear James,

We really enjoyed our [self-drive] Battlefield Tour even though we got rather wet at times. The hospitality at Le Macassar was wonderful, and Ian and Miguel proved to be kind and considerate hosts not to mention providing excellent food and plenty of drink! Your directions and instructions were easy to follow and we enjoyed getting off the beaten track following up some of your additional information.

Thank you ,

Bill and Joan Edwards

E-mail 22.6.06 19.59 hrs re Self-Drive tour June 2006

Dear James

Thank you for all you did to make our 3 days so successful. We used a fraction of your guide so will have to go back.... that doesn't mean it wasn't excellent, it really helped us understand both battles better, just too much for the 2 and a bit days we had!

When we were at the Somme the temperature was around 33 degrees then it dropped to 13 degrees and poured with rain in Ypres - made us all realise the huge variations in climate that the soldiers must have experienced, and the mud after 24 hours was bad....

The museum in Ypres was particularly good - beautifully organised and very visual/tactile for children, they also enjoyed the one in Albert.

Both hotels were fine - Ariane obviously the more comfortable - we actually bought 2 fans in Albert to make our second night in Peronne bearable.

Sorry about haste - dinner needs attention!

Best wishes

Clemancy Gordon-Martin

From Peter & Tanya Richards (Australia) ref Self-Drive tour 23-26 April 2005

Dear James

Fantastic tour. Tanya and I had a very emotional and thought provoking tour. I was very proud and appalled at the same time. The ANZAC and Allied victories were great feats of human endurance but very sad at the same time for the meaningless loss of life for so few feet of ground gained. ANZAC Day was special, as Tanya and I spent the dawn service at the windmill battle site at Pozieres.

James your itinerary is second to none very professional and informative. I have recommended these tours to my mates serving here and at home as a worth while and meaningful experience and to understand what our heritage as Australian soldiers is all about. Once again thank you for this opportunity to learn more about my great Grand Fathers battle history and other Allied soldiers as this has enriched my understanding of the Great War

cheers

Peter & Tanya Richards

E-mail from John Kelly 26 September 2004

James

Annie and I have been very remiss in not reporting on our trip to the battlefield - great to see you on the Motorway when we were on the return journey!

Our trip was absolutely outstanding! Your guide was perfect, and by the time we got to the second day you were of Godlike status! We did the Ypres and Passchendaele on the first day - very moving and extraordinarily easy to follow via your books. Second day on to the Somme, where in a day-and-a-half we did 5 of the 7 battlegrounds. I even found a real live WW1 rifle bullet by the Matthew and Mark woods (think that was the name!) We met wonderful people, and learnt so much, honestly due in the main to your briefings.

Hotels fine crossings good. We may well do this again some time to pick-up on the info we missed this time. In the meantime, from both Annie and I, many thanks for bringing the whole madness and heroics of the Great War to life.

John

E-mail from:
Dr. Ross Pennie
Sun, 08 Aug 2004

Dear James,
…Your arrangements and guidebook were perfect. We had flawless weather and so were able to see and do all the things you suggested in the two-day visit. For us, two days was exactly right.
…The details you included in your guide made the Battle of the Somme come alive for us. We were moved by the enormity of Thiepval: the size of the monument and the overwhelming number of missing soldiers it honours, many of them teenagers, really. Hotel Royal Picardie was a delight because it was quiet, family run, and friendly.
…I am so glad we found you through the magic and serendipity of the Internet and thank you for providing us with an unforgettable experience in Northern France.

The Pennies: Ross, Lorna, and Fraser (age 16)
Canada

E-mail from Vicki Rutson June 2004

Dear James,

Keith and I are back and are delighted to report that we had a simply wonderful time. I'll write in more detail shortly, but I wanted to let you know how much we appreciated the care and attention that you put into the self-drive tour. The hotels were very comfortable, the driving was not difficult, and best of all, the materials you provided were outstanding. Easy to follow, very informative, and clearly written by someone with a deep respect for those who experienced the Great War.

Again, I'll write again before the week is over, but I did want to let you know what a success our trip was, thanks to you.

Sincerely,

Vicki Rutson

From Mr R Davis, Redditch. E-Mail:

Dear James,

We are just back from our trip and wanted to say just how wonderful it had
been. The information you provided, particularly on the Somme area, made all the difference. We really felt we understood what we were looking at, something a straightforward guidebook would never have given us.
By starting early and finishing late we also managed to fit in the museum at Peronne and seeing Vimy Ridge, making for a very full trip. So, many thanks
- we shall definitely recommend the service.

E-mail From: Rebekah (Lieutenant, Australian Army) Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2002 15:30:34 +1000