Flanders Experience 2007

Subject: Flanders Experience 2007
From: GUEST,frogette
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 10:34 AM

Had a brilliant weekend in Poperinge and Ieper (Ypres) 10th year anniversary. Many thanks to Hovering Bob. How lovely to see Jacques (friend to many mudcatters)and Genevre who are now living back in Poperinge running Battlefield Tours. If any Mudcatters want to get in touch with Jacques his web address is www.ypres-fbt.be. He is just the same and his tours are brilliant.

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 02:35 PM

Yes it was a great weekend, and wonderful to experience a tour of Talbot House (the original TocH) with Jacques again! He just made it so special, and so vividly described the history of the house and his conversations with the surviving nonagenarians and centenarians who came back to Talbot House when he was there...

And we had a great concert party on Saturday evening, singing with the Admiral and Mrs Admiral, Crane Driver, Sussex Carole, Hovering Bob, Frog and Frogette, Sarah Davis, Jenny Best and Jon Heslop.

I think parts of the Flanders Battlefield Tour website are still under construction.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: GUEST,Cats at Work
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 08:32 AM

As many of you know, for the past 5 years Jon Heslop has been involved with the story of the gardeners from the Lost Gardens of Heligan who went to WW1, many never returned. We have become very close to some of them. On Thursday he went to Tyne Cott where he found the name of Percy Carhart who was only 19 when he has blown to pieces at Passendale, one of the lost gardeners. Jon took with him two sprigs of myrtle from a bush we have grown from a cutting from Heligan and placed it under his name on the memorial.   Seemed more appropriate to send him something from his garden than to put down a paper poppy. The song has already been written. He's not back yet as he's gone off to the Normandy beaches as well.

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 08:40 AM

Do we get any piccies of the Flanders weekend ??

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 02:42 PM

Checking if I've got my cookie back - and to say that the scarf Jon left in Talbot House by mistake is in the post to Cornwall, so may get there before Jon does!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Cats
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 02:50 PM

Not only did he leave his scarf in Talbot House, he's just phoned to say he left all his socks and underwear in a hotel in Caen!!

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 02:58 PM

Well, hopefully there's a song in that too!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Hovering Bob
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 03:03 PM

I've yet to download all the photos I took over the weekend but hope to have some good ones. I'll do battle with the technology and try to get them on line.

Many many thanks to all those who atended this 'Experience' and to those who have supported it over the years. I'm sure something will take it's place just as I'm sure a lot of us will be visiting The old House again

Bob H

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Cats
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 03:35 PM

Kitty ~ perhaps someone could write it....,

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 04:24 PM

I think perhaps Pete Seeger already did, up to a point - one of the volunteer TocH wardens who came to the musical soiree on Saturday evening requested "where have all the flowers gone?" Insert articles of clothing/ underwear as appropriate?

Kitty

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: bubblyrat
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 02:43 AM

With apologies to Tony Bennet, how about " I Left My Scarf In Some French Disco " ??? Yes, I know it"s Flanders, but they also speak French,especially the Wallies !!

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: GUEST,bavis
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 03:00 AM

Hi all just to let you know that we're back and Normandy was Fabulous will go again. Rushing to work so post again later.
Bye Sarer

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Cats
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 01:41 PM

Jon arrived home safely... and so has his scarf! He's full of the experiences he had there, 'life changing', 'puts things into perspective'....

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: SussexCarole
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 04:39 PM

A wonderful weekend in great company, our thanks to all who were part of the weekend, it was a real privilege to stay in Talbot House. I knew my grandad had been injured in the war but it wasn't until I returned home that I found out he had been posted in Ypres so we were walking in his footsteps. Thank you to Jacques for the tour of Talbot House (Toc H).

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Fliss
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:54 AM

Sounds a special experience. Tony and I would love to go to Flanders. My uncle Ernest is buried at MENDINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY. Tony's Great Uncle Harry is in ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY.

fliss xx

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Hovering Bob
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 12:51 PM

Fliss, sorry you missed out on 'The Flanders Experience' when it was running but it's not hard to DIY.

Ferry's can cost under £50 for a car with 4 people and I would point you at Talbot House as the ideal place to stay. The history of the house makes it worth a trip over there on its own! A self catering bed there costs E45/head
Talbot House web site
There are multiple 'must see' museums in the Ypres Salient: Flanders Fields in the Cloth Hall in Ypres, The Pachendaele Museum in Zonnebeke, The Hooge Crater Museum and the nearby Hill 62 Museum and, of course, the cemeteries at Tyne Cot and Langemark. If you are staying at Talbot House, you automatically get entry into The Toc H museum which has been created in the warehouse next to the Garden.

Pm me and I can give you a suitable reading list etc.

To get the best out of a trip to Flanders, your best bet is to contact Jacques Ryckebosch at Flanders Battlefield Tours.
http://www.ypres-fbt.be
Tell him I sent you, this won't necessarily get you any favours, but I'd like him to know!

All the best,

BobH

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Fliss
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 09:32 AM

Brill thanks for the info. Ill check out the websites. Tony and I run a living history group called The 20th Century Revisited. We put on displays and diorama about life last century, civilian and military (not battle reenactment). We have talked about going with our group on a Battle field tour. This info is so helpful.

thanks
fliss

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Hovering Bob
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 03:02 PM

Fliss,
Don't know where you are are based but would like to be as much help as I can. Contact me at < bobhambleton'aol.com > if there is any help I can give you.

Bob H

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Fliss
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 03:43 PM

In Shropshire, but our group members are based all across the midlands. We had our AGM yesterday and Ive mentioned the contact details.

Will have a look at sites asap.

Thanks for your email.
fliss

Subject: RE: Flanders Experience 2007
From: Fliss
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 08:11 PM

Tony and I have had a look at the links. We are going to email them to our friends. I will pm you my email. Thanks for your advice

fliss