2025 Email from Jean & Graham Nixon and friends following a Self- Drive tour of the Ypres and Somme battlefields September 2025. Hi James I just thought I would drop you a note, on behalf of us all, to say all four of us had an absolutely fantastic time touring the Ypres salient. The Hotel Ariane was first class and the notes and information you provided were extremely helpful. Naturally one of the highlights was the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Very moving. It was amazing how respect through silence was observed, even by the dogs. Off course it would have been rude not to have tried the chocolate and beer! Many thanks for your guidance and help. A wonderful time was had by us all. Best regards Jean and Graham Nixon Carol and Michael Crowder Email from Janice and Robert Graves following a Self-Drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields September 2025. Hi James We just wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic trip to the battlefields. It was a very moving experience and one we wouldn't have missed for the world. The information pack you provided was invaluable and helped us to better understand what we were looking at and context. The personal histories made it real. On a practical level, the travelling was seamless ( love what 3 words) and the 2 hotels were lovely. Our favourite restaurants were at Hotel Basilique and Le Bistro in Albert and Captain Cook's in Ypres. One bit of useful info: we discovered in Albert that because we were driving a UK licensed car, we could park in the bays with the blue lines without restrictions. (Apologies if that was written in the pack!). Thanks again for all your help - it was an unforgettable experience. Regards Janice and Robert Email from Adrian Perry OBE following a self-drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields August 2025. “We had a wonderful break in Belgium and France, and would like to thank you for your exceptional organisation and great service. Unforgettable.” Email from David and Helen who unfortunately had to cancel their September 2025 self-drive tour. If you are looking for someone to organise your upcoming battlefield tour, then you need look no further than Somme Battlefield Tours and James Power. You will receive the most amazing, detailed and interesting tour package you can imagine, created to suit your specific needs. You will also receive prompt , enthusiastic and professional communications throughout. Sadly, we have had to postpone our tour due to personal injury but are looking forward to rebooking next year. I feel it is important for clients to know just how understanding and co operative James has been over our need to cancel. James was actually proactive in ensuring that we made a difficult decision in time to benefit from the greatest possible refund under the terms and conditions. Such is to be applauded. Thank you James. Email from Mr Simon Lohfink following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Ypres and Somme battlefields June 2025. Hi James, It's been more than a few weeks since our return but I wanted to get in touch and thank you for organizing such a profoundly moving experience. Your guides were superbly put together and allowed us to get the most out our time. I'm glad, too, we took your advice and booked Jack for Ypres. He was superb and by chance, we met again a couple of days later at the Menin Gate service. Thanks again, Best wishes, Simon Email from Mr & Mrs Patten and son following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Ypres and Somme battlefields June 2025. Dear James, We wanted to say thank you so much for organising such a fabulous trip for us. Everything went like clockwork. The Ibis staff [Somme] were so welcoming and friendly, breakfast was lovely and we had everything we needed for a good night’s sleep. The Ariane [Ypres] was on a whole different level of comfort and equally as friendly, what a beautiful, homely hotel. Gorgeous breakfast, close to everything. Our days spent following your guide book were fascinating, emotional and tiring but most of all so special. What an experience of a lifetime to explore places off the beaten track we would never have known existed without your help. We ventured off to cemeteries we felt wouldn’t have many visitors. (like you suggested for Lijssenthoek. We paid respect to Germany soldiers too. We went to lovely Kemmel to the tourist office to buy tickets for Bayernwald trenches […] the cemetery there in the middle of the field was so peaceful and beautiful. You just can’t grasp the enormity of sacrifice the soldiers gave to their countries until you are seeing it can you… Highlights were Thiepval and its museum, Newfoundland Memorial Park, Menin Gate last post, Passchendaele museum, Pallingbeek area. Our son had always wanted to see Sunken Lane. Tyne cot was vast… I think it will take us a while to process and remember everything we saw, we did so much. We had a drink at Avril Williams tea rooms and saw the trenches, had a snack at The Tommy cafe. We had the best time and popping to Lijssenthoek on the way to Calais was really worthwhile. We also visited my Great Great Uncle at Oosttaverne Wood cemetery, a moment we will cherish. I think we could have done with weeks longer to see everything… we will return for sure. […] With a massive thank you to you James for enabling us to pay our respects to the fallen and learn so much and see so much beauty along the way. A real eye opener for us all and we will never forget it. Email from Martin & Sheila Killen following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Ypres and Somme battlefields May 2025. Dear James, Our tour went on rails. Well done and thank you. The accommodation at Le Macassar and Main Street Hotel was wonderful. Made more special by the very warm welcome from Deborah and Gordon at Corbie, and Elodie at Ypres. I cannot recommend the accommodations enough - rarely have we experienced such genuine and thoughtful hospitality during our global travels. And the locations were just right - quiet and beautiful but with enough to interest outside of the memorable travels during the day. Finally, your written guides and instructions worked very well indeed. Fascinating stuff and Sheila found her great uncle (A Gordon Highlander) which was very special to us. One could spend hours answering requests for reviews these days - I’m rarely moved to do so. On this occasion no one has asked, yet a good account is richly deserved. Deborah and Gordon’s warmth, your planning and written guides, and Elodie’s kindness, made our trip very special - thank you! Kind regards, Martin (and Sheila) Killen Trust Pilot 5-star review from Linda Brown ffollowing a Self- Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields April 2025. Fantastic self drive Somme Tour We recently sought out my husbands grandfathers WW1 grave and also his brothers WW1 and WW2 graves. The information pack that James provided was absolutely superb, we saw much more than we had originally set out to see. Seeing our family graves was very poignant but also driving around you cannot fail to be over awed by the amount of war graves there are. Driving in France was such a pleasure and the maps and assorted information guides made finding things very easy.The Menin Gate last post ceremony was deeply moving and we were lucky to have stayed in the Ariane Hotel in Ypres/Ieper which James booked for us it was so convenient and a truly welcoming place to return after a busy day out and about. I would definitely recommend booking the self drive Somme tour James listened to what we wanted and booked our hotels, ferries etc we just had to sit back and enjoy the drive and marvel at the awesome memorials as you remember our fallen soldiers. Trust Pilot 5-star review from Mandy Overton ffollowing a Self-Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields April 2025. I purchased the self drive tour from James Power for my husbands 60th birthday present. To say he loved it would be an understatement. James helped me with everything I needed from the very beginning. He is extremely patient and kind and answered every question I had. James then spent time informing my husband about everything on receipt of his gift. The tour itself was superb, down to the very last detail. I cannot thank James enough for helping me organise this gift for my husband and my husband could not have enjoyed it more. If you love history, please visit and remember the soldiers that gave their lives for us. So many soldiers from many different countries that lost their lives in battle so we could enjoy ours. Thank you James - it was a trip we will remember forever. 2024 Email from Steve Hedge following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Ypres battlefields September 2024. Hi James, hope you are well? Just a quick message to let you know that my family and I had a great visit to Belgium last month on the Ypres Battlefield tour and to thank you for your organisation, it was superb. Great tour. Perfect length, informative and easy to follow maps, instructions and directions. Visited places that we would not have discovered ourselves so that really added to our tour and history surrounding the battlefields. We followed the journey of our ancestor, Pte Wallace Hedge, who is remembered at Tyne Cot. With your maps and directions we followed his journey through Ypres and into the Salient, right up to Passchendaele where unfortunately he met his fate. We were at the Menin Gate the exact time & date his battalion – The 7 th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, – marched through the city 107 years prior at 10pm on 6 th August 1917, so this really added to the tour! Ypres, loved the city, so central (and pivotal) to the whole of the Ypres Salient tour, great base to come back to each day. The Albion was perfect, in a nice quite side road, 2 minute walk to the Menin Gate and main square. Excellent food, warm, friendly staff/owners who couldn’t do enough for you. We couldn’t have achieved a fraction of what we did without your tour package, hotel and tunnel bookings. Thank you so much! Regards Steve Hedge Email from Neal Ball following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Somme battlefields September 2024. Good afternoon James, We hope you are keeping well. We just wanted to say thank you for your help with our Battlefield Tour and the excellent guides and information you provided. We have just returned from our trip and we are now reflecting on the many things that we saw and learnt during our four days visiting the Somme and your guides provided a real insight to what happened during WW1 and they greatly helped our understanding and experience. We also managed to incorporate a visit to the Commonwealth War Graves institute in Arras and that was a very worthwhile experience which we would recommend if you haven't been, and because we stayed for four nights we found time during our stay to visit the Vimy Ridge and the Ulster Tower memorials as well and both were very moving experiences. Our hotel [The Royal Picardie] was lovely and the friendly staff couldn't do enough for us, so we had a great stay there. On hindsight we might have appreciated the option of having an evening meal in the hotel had one been available, but we understand that we were travelling out of season and therefore the restaurant was closed although they would have provided a plate of meats and cheeses had we wanted that. We did however visit the Hygge Cafe and the Hotel Basilique for evening meals but our favourite was the Corners Pub and we agree that the owner is a very friendly chap and he made us feel very welcome on the two evenings that we dined there plus our meals were delicious. We visited Avril Williams' tea rooms and she made us feel very welcome too and we did try to look for The Old Blighty Tea Room but we saw a sign saying permanently closed so didn't investigate that any further. There was a cafe at the Ulster Tower and the gentleman there gave us an impromptu tour of the site which was great because we hadn't booked onto one of their twice a day tours which is usually done by email we believe, so we can highly recommend a visit. Anyway, thank you again for your brilliant tour guides and assistance with our hotel and travel arrangements. We will highly recommend your self-drive tour to our friends and please let us know if we're able to leave a review as well because we would be very happy to do so. Best wishes, Lindsey and Neal Email from David Fox following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Ypres and Somme battlefields May 2024. Good morning James Just some brief feedback. Great tour. Perfect length, informative and easy to follow. Visited places not sure we would have discovered ourselves. Interesting but sobering, all combatants younger than our children. Ypres, loved the city. Who would know it’s less than 100 years old. Arrianne Hotel perfect. Excellent food, such warm, friendly professional staff. With the Menim Gate we recommend arriving 2 hours before to get a view! it was jammed. Avril a character, also met fellow travellers of your tour whilst at her cafe. You even arranged perfect weather. Will highly recommend your tour Thanks and best Regards Dave fox Email from David Coward following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields May 2024. Afternoon James, Hope you are well. Just a quick message to let you know that my Dad and I had a great time last week in France and Belgium and to thank you for your organisation of the hotels (both very good) and providing the excellent battlefield guides which we made great use of We used the guides a great deal in the Somme area and around Ypres and will be reading the supporting information for months to come I'm sure. In addition we had an interesting half day following in the footsteps of my Grandfather (the area between Cambrai and Saint Quentin) using his regiment diaries. We dropped in for lunch at Avril Williams and she showed us a picture of you back in the early 90's (i think) with Harry Enfield. Kind regards and good luck in the future Thanks David Coward Email from Stuart & Sue Greengrass following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields May 2024. Dear James, Having now returned from our Battlefield Odyssey, we wanted to express our appreciation for your superb package of maps, information and guidance – we were impressed before we set off, but were amazed at the extraordinary detail once we started the WW1 tour, and there were so many occasions when marvelled at the quality and efficiency of what you have produced. The hotels, (Arianne in Ypres & Ibis in Albert) although quite different from each other, were excellent in their own way and we had excellent service from them throughout, and would have no hesitation on recommending them to others on your self-guided tours. Wewouldn’t recommend the Hygge Café in Albert however – very slow, surly and grudging service with poor food was our experience when we ate there – probably the worst experience of our whole time in Belgium & France (including the second half of WW2 sites) so you may wish to reconsider the mention in your details? The museum in Albert centre was another story and we spent much longer there than we expected. Note from us - we are very sorry to learn of your experience Stuart and have immidately removed this cafe/bar from our list of suggested places to dine when visiting Albert. Averill Williams and her son were great fun and we enjoyed and afternoon in their company and exploring their eclectic museum and trench system- again spending much longer than planned. Averill did put in a plug for her own accommodation which I thought I should mention…. Even 6 days in Ypres and Albert didn’t give us enough time to cover everything we wanted, but with your tour package we were able to prioritise and quickly find what we wanted and as a result, it was enough to give us a much better understanding of the appalling tragedy of WW1 and the sacrifices made by the young men thrown into war. There were so many aspects we didn’t understand or had no idea about before this trip - closeness of the front lines, living conditions & survival in the trenches, ages, backgrounds and courage of the young men fighting, the static nature of the war, and sheer scale of the pointless losses of manpower for example, all left us very reflective and humbled. We couldn’t have achieved a fraction of what we did however, without your tour package, hotel and tunnel bookings. So a BIG thank you from Sue and me and a BIG recommendation for your services for anyone thinking of making this trip. Kind regards Stuart & Sue Greengrass Email from Neil Crosby following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Somme battlefields May 2024 Good Morning James, We have just returned from the above and would like to thank you for organising same. It went very well and the Le Royal Picardie Hotel was an ideal base in Albert. I will have no hesitation in recommending your organization to my friends. Best regards, Neil Crosby 2023 Email from Simon Dinnick following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Ypres battlefields September 2023. James hi, We have just returned from Ypres and I want to thank you for all the help and expertise that your planning and booklets provided. We really felt we got inside the history as we moved around, and you were indeed correct that there was never enough time to do everything. I think we managed most though , so much helped by “ what three words “ navigation. Highlights for me were the evacuation hospital cemetery you led us to on the way down, the Passchendaele Museum and the visualisation we could try and imagine at Hill 60. The closeness of everything was astonishing and we were forced regularly to compare the horrors of Ukraine with conditions in the Great War . A great hotel we thought and very accommodating. They spoke warmly of you and your accurate updating on all matters. One tip which we overlooked on booking was the size of rooms and beds. As I was beset by a chest cough, we needed more bed space but anyway in our old age prefer a wider bed . The hotel moved us to a prestige room without demur. All in all, we had a great time and our son who joined on Thursday , enjoyed his visit as well . Good research by all into local restaurants. Finally we managed to get to the rugby in Lille - good result but a tad one sided . We didn’t much enjoy the Lille by pass and autoroute complex - very daunting ! Our thanks again. Simon Email from Simon King following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Ypres & Somme battlefields July/August 2023. Hi James, I just wanted to thank you for all the arrangements you made which made our recent tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields very enjoyable and go without a hitch. The prior information and videos of how to get to the Eurotunnel and what happens when you make the crossing were a great help for a first time user. Your detailed and wonderfully researched guides and maps are amazing and meant we could see everything at our own pace and in a very informed manner. It is these guides and maps which I think really make you stand out. The Ibis hotel was very convenient and the Ariane hotel is excellent and a nice way to finish the trip We had lunch at Ocean Villas Tea Rooms and met Avril Williams. She said she hadn't seen you for some time so perhaps you're due a visit! I've left a review on Trustpilot extolling the virtues of a trip arranged by you and I hope this will be useful. Thanks again for a first class service. Kind regards, Simon King Email from Anne Collinson following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Ypres & Somme battlefields June 2023. Dear James I wanted to write to let you know what a fabulous trip we had to the Somme and Ypres. Your guides were invaluable and we came away with a completely revised version of the events. It was absolutely fascinating. The museum at Thiepval was particularly good. Our accommodation was fantastic too. Deborah and Gordon [Le Macassar] were so generous with their time and we loved hearing all about their historic house. The Abbatiale restaurant in Corbie was our favourite restaurant. Elodie [Main Street Hotel] was equally welcoming and very helpful in Ypres. Thank you for organising such an educative experience. With best wishes Anne Collinson Email from Robert Sprawson following a Self-Drive drive and conducted tour of the Ypres & Somme battlefields June 2023. We’re now back and wanted to say how much we enjoyed our tour, which was excellent in every respect. The hotel was ideal and our day with Jacques was superb. He was so knowledgeable and engaging and could not have been a better guide for the particular locations we visited – we learnt so much from him. Our other two days enabled us to cover a large number of places in the Ypres area to make the tour a complete success. Our channel crossings and road journeys went well and the first-class maps, guides and other information provided by James were invaluable. We had a very good experience of the Menin Gate ceremony. We were there well in advance of the attendant crowd becoming enormous and the occasion was enhanced by a splendid military presence of school cadets, plus singing from a Welsh male choir. {…} Many thanks again – we would be delighted to recommend you to any friends or family members who may be considering such a tour. Best wishes Robert Email from Cris Dayfollowing a Self-Drive drive tour of the Ypres & Somme battlefields April 2023. Dear James, I have recently returned from four days in Belgium and France visiting the places where two of my uncles, my mothers brothers; served, were killed, and are now remembered on the Menin Gate and Thiepval Memorials. Your battlefield Guides for Ypres and the Somme were excellent, and although I was driving on my own, I was able to navigate with little difficulty. I would particularly like to thank you for all the research you did on my behalf and especially for the numerous maps you provided as we sought to locate trench B13 in the Ypres area. Nothing was too much trouble and I am grateful. The Ambrosia hotel in Ypres was just what I wanted and the owners most helpful. I would also mention the Ypres Research Department which was able to provide me with a map showing B13, and then marked it on one of the maps you had provided. They are located behind the Cloth Hall; tel +32 (0) 57 239 450, and are brilliant. With thanks, Chris Day. Trust   Pilot   5-Star   review ! from Penelope Smart following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Ypres battlefields April 2023. What a memorable trip this turned into. Having discussed with my husband the possibility of visiting the WW1 battlefields we decided against a coach trip which would have meant rushing from one place to another which is not what we wanted. We thought of 'doing it alone' but then found this company organising a self-drive trip which left one able to spend as much time at any one place as one wished. What a joy this was and how well it worked. We spent 3 days dedicated to James's suggested route around the Ypres area and the detailed itinerary he supplied was brilliant. Using What-3-Words was a great advantage. The information pack was so explicit and left nothing to the imagination. A very powerful educational experience. James also suggested having a private guide for a day as I wanted to see the final resting place of my Great Uncle who was killed on the first day of the Battle of Loos. We took up this advice and he arranged contact with Jacques in Ypres who was a fountain of knowledge and provided me with extensive personal documents about the last journey my relative took. Extraordinary attention to detail and worth every penny. This company goes above and beyond to offer an exceptional service. The hotel Ariane in Ypres was extremely comfortable, friendly and ideally located for our trip. Well done, James! Email from Steve & Jackie Eggleton following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Ypres battlefields February 2023. Hi James, Returned home a couple of days ago from our Battlefield tour and thought we would give you some feedback ! Absolutely brilliant! The trip there and back was excellent with no problems either end of the tunnel. The directions you included were spot on and we found what we were looking for and more! We only intended to visit 3 or 4 cemeteries to visit past relatives but the extra information in your books meant we could learn more about the whys and when’s as well. The Ariane Hotel was excellent with the staff really helpful and the food was first class. We also dined at De Heerlyckheid which was lovely. All in all James, your help and information were spot on for what we wanted and we thank you for everything you did. Best wishes Steve & Jackie 2022 Email from Christopher Stephenson following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields November 2022 James Sorry it’s taken me so long to contact you. I never complete testimonials but in this instance I was so impressed with the service. I contacted you just over 1 week before we wanted to do the WW1 Battlefields Tour by e-mail. You telephoned me the following day and it was all provisionally booked, brilliant. You advised the Tunnel which we had never done before and it was so easy (apart from the Oil Bridge protesters making our journey from Warrington twice the time it should have taken). We booked the Holiday Inn Express Folkestone Channel Tunnel Hotel overnight because of the early train start and would recommend it to anyone. The comprehensive map, directions, hotels and detailed route were amazing and extremely simple to follow. We followed the routes precisely and only got slightly lost once which was my fault! Your details and explanations sections were superb and we followed everything you set out and suggested. Your guidance as to how best to see the Armistice Day at the Menin Gate was spot on and with your timings we had best positions on 3 occasions. The Ariane was top class in Ypres, and we understand why the Macassar B&B is one of TripAdvisor’s top 10 in Europe! It is an amazing place (pity it doesn't have TV and kettle in the bedroom). You couldn't have better hosts and the Art Deco and Art Nouveau interiors need to be seen and enjoyed to be fully appreciated, Wonderful! Thanks very much again and recommended for anyone. Chris Email from Sarah McLeod following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields October 2022 Dear James Just a note to say thank you for organising such a great trip for us to the Somme & Ypres. The hotels were fabulous, the French one so friendly with amazing food and the second so luxurious (and again great food). We were slightly undone by roadworks through the centre of Ypres but we managed to find the hotel. We added in a trip to Vimy Ridge on our way from Albert to Ypres, that was lovely and may be a good suggestion for your clients? Your information was amazing and gave us lots of insights. All in all a super trip - thank you Kind regards Sarah Email from Donald Wilkinson following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields October 2022 Dear James Just a quick note to thank you very much for all you did to make our trip to France and Belgium so smooth and enjoyable. Everything worked brilliantly. The recommendation to go by Eurotunnel was a revelation (although it's a bit of a trail back to the north of England on the way home). The hotels were excellent. The Ariane is clearly one of Ypres' best, but we were very impressed with the cuisine and the ambience of the de la Paix in Bapaume. Your notes were superb. While my wife and I have been to both theatres before - my wife more frequently than I - the friends we went with were hugely impressed by your knowledge and the coherence of your route. We stuck to it pretty much to the letter on the Somme, very much enjoying making the acquaintance of Avril Williams (clearly one of your greatest fans!) and her son and three grandchildren. In Belgium, we went a bit more off piste. One of my wife's relatives - a great uncle - is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. He died in the Canadian Casualty Hospital there on 8 June 1917, having been wounded at Messines Ridge the day before. We then went to Talbot House in Poperinge and later to the German Cemetery at Vladslo (which I had visited before) to see the Kathe Kollwitz sculptures - although they were enclosed in a mesh cage as they were being restored! Thank you once again for your outstanding work on our behalf. Best wishes Donald Wilkinson Email from Sarah McLeod following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields September 2022 Dear James Just a note to say thank you for organising such a great trip for us to the Somme & Ypres. The hotels were fabulous, the French one so friendly with amazing food and the second so luxurious (and again great food). We were slightly undone by roadworks through the centre of Ypres but we managed to find the hotel. We added in a trip to Vimy Ridge on our way from Albert to Ypres, that was lovely and may be a good suggestion for your clients? Your information was amazing and gave us lots of insights. All in all a super trip - thank you Kind regards Sarah Email from Liz Humphreys following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields August 2022 Hello James, We returned from our trip Friday. I just wanted to say a huge thank you. The trip was for my dad’s 60th and he/we all throughly enjoyed it! The directions are super accurate and the information in the packs really helps to bring the battlefields alive, as looking over the beautiful landscape as it is now, it is hard to imagine the horror. The war photos really do help. Ocean Villas, or Avrils was perfect! So peaceful, welcoming and on the battlefield - I chose this accommodation for the history behind it rather than a hotel. We were accommodated in the apartments which were just perfect! We were well looked after! In Ypres we stayed in the Ariane which again was perfect! The hotel will also give free presentations about Elise and Mairi, the British ladies who went over to Belgium to do their bit during the Great War. There’s also a nice memorial to them in the gardens. Not sure if it was because we were booked in via you, but the hotel also gave us a voucher book which got us into most museums and attractions around Ypres free or half price. One thing that doesn’t seem to be well known by tourists is there are free tours provided at Thiepval, Newfoundland and Tyne cot. These are well worth doing too. Overall an excellent holiday thank you, I’ll definitely be going back! Sent from Liz Taylor Humphreys Email from Christopher Blencowe following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields July 2022 Dear James Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed the trip you organised for us to the Somme and Ypres. Transport arrangements and accommodation worked very well and the detailed guides you provided were an excellent base for understanding both the broader scope of the campaigns and the personal experiences of the trenches. Thank you for lending us your knowledge and experience for what was a very successful trip. Best wishes Chris and grandsons Toma and Sam Email from Dr Sarah Warlker-Bircham following a Self-Drive drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields July 2022 Dear James I hope you are well and managing to keep cool! I just wanted to say a big thank you for organising our fabulous holiday. We had such a fabulous time and such fun. It was like being on a huge treasure hunt! Jack and dad navigated, I drove (and managed it fine!) and we just loved the sights and info we gleaned. We thoroughly enjoyed it all. We had 2 full days doing the Somme, with a day with Jacques to find Uncle Harry’s grave. Jacques was absolutely fabulous, honestly they gleaned so much more info than we could ever have imagined or dreamed of! And Jacques brought the history alive so well! We thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so ironic that the whole of the Somme area was so very peaceful when so much blood has been shed, so many souls lost. We met Avril, what a fabulous collection she has. And the trench in her garden?! Amazing! My son, Jack, belongs to the 2nd Devonshire’s re-enactment group, ww2 so he was particularly interested in the Devon’s cemetery. […] We did get to visit Menin Gate on both nights, which was a fabulous experience for us all!! […] Both hotels were absolutely amazing. The Ibis [Somme] staff were so friendly, helpful and tolerant of our attempts at speaking French! The disabled facilities were fabulous (shower with seat and non-slip surfaces plus grab rails), and we were so lucky to be just opposite sides of the corridor. Such a great location, fabulous food. Loved Albert, seemed so quiet and as typically French as I had imagined. The Ariane [Ypres] is a stunning hotel, fabulously helpful staff, felt so embarrassed to be only able to speak ‘good day’ and ‘thank you’ in Flemish! The staff’s English and more widely, was amazing! The rooms were so luxurious. Just to mention that although Dad’s room was accessible, it was not suitable for someone with his mobility issues. Although he could easily step up into the shower, it was slippy when wet and he couldn’t get his footing. Sadly, there were no grab rails and our portable rails wouldn’t stick to the tiles as they were too luxurious! It was fine in the end as a member of staff managed to get hold of a shower stool which we used in the bathroom and Dad just washed with my assistance, instead of showering. You have to get round these things and you often don’t know until you try. Great location and easy to get into town! And the food was amazing - Jack couldn’t believe his eyes when doughnuts were available at breakfast! We had such a fabulous time, we’re so grateful to you for everything you’ve done. I’m wondering if you organise any self-drive holidays for WW2, although I imagine that the Somme and Iepers tours probably keep you very busy. I hope our paths cross again in the future, and thank you once again. Please give my best wishes to your wife. With best wishes to you both Sarah WB Email from Lisa Whiston following a Self-Drive drive of the Somme and Ypres battlefields May-June 2022 Hi James, I just wanted to say what a wonderful time we had exploring the Somme and the Ypres region, the tour worked perfectly for us, en route to the Somme we stopped at Vimy Ridge too, which was a good addition to the trip and on the the way home we stopped at Dunkirk [also helpful guide updates]. All the best Lisa. Trust   Pilot   5-Star   review   submitted by Nigel Parsons following a Self-Drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields April 2022: Brilliantly organised and highly memorable. As many of the previous reviewers have noted, James' tour materials are quite simply superb. The three-layer system of route map, directions guide plus overview, and finally the detailed narrative pack allows easy planning and navigation. Plus detailed, informative and insightful details of what happened during those dark days. This is not an emotionally easy trip, nor should it be. Ours coincided with the terrible and sadly continuing events in Ukraine, making them seem even more incomprehensible. Beyond the 'standard' excellent materials, James also helped us find locations that were of huge personal interest to each member of our party. We all had direct relatives who were involved. Some survived, others didn't. We were able to follow their footsteps on what became a very moving pilgrimage. To leaven the emotional impact, it was brilliant to stay is the wonderful hotels that James had organised. All in all this was a hugely memorable trip which I cannot recommend highly enough.