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. We wouldn’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.(and Trust Pilot 5-Star review) 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 Chris 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. (and Trust Pilot 5-Star review) 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 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 Trust Pilot 5-Star review! submitted by Amanda Hornsbury following a Self-Drive tour of the Ypres battlefields June 2022: Excellent-faultless This is the third trip we have done with James and I cannot begin to express the emotion that is experienced. I don’t want to sound crass, but it is the most wonderful trip, evocative, and meaningful! The details are organised down to the minutiae and everything works like clockwork! The hotel Ariane is fabulous, one of the very nicest hotels I’ve stayed in anywhere. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff and after a good old weep, the garden is a soothing spot with a large g & t! The food is great and very reasonably priced for great quality. We travelled as a group of 6 and not one of us could find fault with anything! Well done again Mr Power, we shall travel again with you soon! 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. Email from Mrs J Middleton (4 x couples) following a Self-Drive tour of the Somme and Ypres battlefields April 2022: Dear James, Many thanks for the packs for our recent, much anticipated and postponed, trip to Belgium and France. The information pack was absolutely excellent. Without all the directions, maps, hints and information we would not have seen anywhere near as much as we did. It was invaluable, beautifully researched and detailed. We were able to access the history of the battlefields before turning up. From museum recommendations to places for refreshments we would not have managed to see nearly as much. Avril WIlliams Tea Rooms were brilliant (many restaurants and cafes were closed so finding a place for a coffee was not easy) Nice to meet someone who knew you and showed us your photograph! For your information for future tourists, the Ibis Hotel was basic but the food was very good - I appreciate this was not on the original itinerary. The other two hotels [hotel De la Paix and the Ariane Hotel] were excellent, particularly the Ariane. We had a wonderful reception from the couple running the Ulster Memorial Tower who gave us an added tour of the trenches in Thiepval Wood. Good coffee and cake we returned for refreshments. WIth the pack's help we found the spot where my great uncle fought with the Sheffield Pals for the Yorks and Lancs and two other members of our party found family members' graves. Unfortunately the Thiepval Monument is undergoing restoration and we could not get close enough to see the inscriptions but the monument itself was imposing, impressive and humbling. We were all completely overawed by the work of the War Graves Commission whose employees were also very helpful in locating family plots. […] Should you need any further reviews we would be delighted to assist. Many thanks The Middletons, Lowes, Parsons and Tomlinsons. Email from Nick Hornby following a Self-Drive and private conducted tour of the Ypres battlefield April 2022: Good afternoon James, Thought I would let you know that the visit to Ypres went well without any problems or hitches. We met Jacques [tour guide] OK and he took us down into the Sailley Sur La Leys area and we saw everything we wanted to. We were very happy with the Ariane Hotel and they made us very comfortable. Thanks for arranging it all, you made it all very easy for us. Thanks, Nick Hornby. Trust Pilot review from Dr Katrina Swale April 2021 following a self-drive tour of the Ypres and Somme battlefields: “Fantastic experience all round, cannot fault James and his team one bit.” Email from Carl Laidler following a self-drive and private conducted tour February 2022 Hello James. Our weekend was superb. Thank you. Both hotels were excellent and made it a holiday as well as a tour. Jacques [private tour guide] was of course superb. Flanders Museum in Ypres and the Paschendale one book ending Jacques trips to venues such as Hill 60 and 62 really brought it to life. 2020 - 2021 Tours cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic. . . Dear James, If I can echo what Andrew said (below) regarding the battlefield tour. I have done many in my time as a serving military officer, including visiting the Somme before. But despite having used to military historians and tour guides in the past, and on occasion done it myself alone, your maps and guides were genuinely outstanding and allowed us to go at our own pace. I will be recommending you most strongly. Colonel G Deacon (Somme and Ypres Self-Drive tour October 2019) Dear James, The three members of the Dorset contingent got back here late last night, having dropped off our London resident en route. . . . I just wanted to thank you for helping to organise our visit and, in particular, for the massive contribution your fabulous guides and maps made to our trip. For us, the self-guided option was undoubtedly the right one - we were able to pick how deeply we wanted to go into each of the potential sites (in some cases we went into them in great detail, in others less so) with the result that we felt that we absolutely crammed the perfect amount of information and viewing into time available. Highlights (amongst some many outstanding spots) were unexpectedly coming upon and being very moved by Warlencourt Cemetery, just as we arrived in the area early on Monday morning, Newfoundland Park, Thiepval Memorial, the cemetery at Ovillers-les Boisselle, Lochnagar Crater (we nearly left this out - what a gem it is), the German cemetery at Fricourt, the even more unexpected cemetery at Flatiron Copse, Ypres generally (and the Ariane was excellent - perfect for us), all of the Third Battle sites but the one that moved (and shocked) us the most was sitting by the stream at Ravebeek reading your description of the advance up that slope towards Crest Farm. Wow! Thank you again. It was a very special experience for us and you helped make it so. Best wishes, Andrew Spink (Somme and Ypres Self-Drive tour October 2019) Trust Pilot review submitted by Dr Adam Gajdatsy: “I started my planning for this tour with no more than a nebulous idea of visiting the battlefields of WW1, and gaining an adequate insight into the events of that time. I also wanted to self drive. James brought my wishes to fruition with his excellent and comprehensive itinerary and information books, and with the travel and accommodation bookings. Coming from Australia, and travelling with a UK hire car, nevertheless I found the trip to be seamlessly easy and straightforward. James is easy to contact, including via Messenger, making the organisation in advance of the trip straightforward. Highly recommended.” Dr Adam Gajdatsy - Somme and Ypres Self-Drive tour August 2019 Trust Pilot review submitted by Mike Chatterton: “A friend and I have recently returned from a self-drive battlefield tour of the Ypres area using the guidance material and itinerary provided by James Power of Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd. The great advantage of such a tour is the ability to progress at your own pace whilst viewing battlefield locations. These are informed by a high degree of well expressed understanding of the actions which took place and at what human cost. Using the maps and guide provided it was straightforward to relate the modern ground to the contours and views of a century ago, albeit without the desolation. The itinerary was faultless and the descriptions of events comprehensive and always written with an appropriate degree of respect and reverence for the gravity of the events and reminding us that much of the ground over which we travelled was the final resting place of so many soldiers.It is also worth mentioning that the recommended hotel which we chose, the Ariane, was excellent in all respects and ideally located. Thank you for facilitating such a memorable experience, James”. (Ypres Self-Drive tour May 2019) Hi James, We wanted to write to you to let you know how pleased we were with our visit last week to the Somme and Ypres battlefields. Everything was superbly arranged and we really appreciated all the notes and information that you provided for the self-drive tour. It all made for a very moving and interesting experience for us both helped by the extensive historical detail and information that you provided in your guidebooks. Both hotels were excellent with The Ariane our favourite of the two, although The Royal Picardie was very comfortable as well. Receptionists in both hotels commented on how much they liked you and your clients! We also had a very interesting chat with Avril Williams who was also very complimentary about you. We had lunch at her tea rooms and as it wasn't busy she stayed and chatted with us for some time. We also noticed a picture on her wall of Andy Robertshaw, the archaeologist, doing a trench reconstruction/dig in her garden. [. . .]. We did have a couple of issues following the Ypres tour, as the Belgians, in their wisdom, decided to dig up and close the centre of two towns, Zillebeke and Langemark and the diversion signs were non-existent and resulted in us wasting a lot of time trying to find an alternative route to get back on your tour. In Langemark we couldn't even see any obvious signs to the German military cemetery, so had to give that a miss. Not your problem I know but it was quite frustrating to say the least! it also meant we were not able to fit everything in on our final day and had to miss out on the final two locations of the tour which was a bit annoying but we had to get back to Calais to catch the Eurotunnel home. I would also suggest that it might be a good idea if you add kilometres to all your distances in the guidebooks as we set the odometer and car setting to kilometres and all the road signs etc are in kms on the continent. We did find in France that most things were closed on the Monday of our visit and it was also a public holiday (Ascension Day) on Thursday in Belgium and a lot of things were also closed, The Hooge Crater Museum, a number of restaurants in Ypres. It might be worth letting future clients know when public holidays are as this does mean that certain things might not be available. The most bizarre was when we visited the cafe at Hill 60 for lunch and they told us that they were not serving snacks at lunchtime but they did have their full a la carte menu available! We were also distracted by about 150 Lotus cars that gathered outside the Cloth Hall on Thursday for the Ypres Lotus Rally 2019. A number of the Lotus Owners were staying in the Ariane and it made for quite an occasion. Overall, we had a fantastic holiday that was quite an experience and your tours showed us many places that other visitors would not get to see, so thank you very much for putting all your knowledge and careful thought into the tour that we did, it was wonderful with a few tears shed on the way round because of the background stories that made it all the more relevant and real. Many thanks again. With best wishes, Jonathan & Debra King (Somme and Ypres tour May 2019) Dear James I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the amazing tour we have just returned from to the Somme and Ypres Battlefields. As you know my wife Rachel bought this for me as a surprise Christmas present and from receiving the incredibly detailed information pack outlining our tour, to getting home, we were not disappointed. As others have said, your attention to detail is amazing, The only time we made any mistakes in navigating was when we chose to ignore your directions! We were soon put right by referring to the incredibly detailed and well-illustrated route plans. It was fantastic to be pointed in the right direction for so many things that I am sure an organised guided tour/coach trip would miss (and, for what it is worth, such a “coach” trip would not appeal to myself and I am sure many other people, compared to a self- drive tour of the quality that you organised where we can manage our own time). Locations like the Welsh Memorial with the amazing references and views over the battle ground of Mametz Wood is something that I am sure 90% of visitors to the area just do not get to see. Similarly, in the Ypres Salient, I wondered how many people have had the opportunity to spend time considering the events that took place at the Ravebeek Stream with the more well-known and well-visited sites being so close. The recommended hotels were excellent. The Hotel de la Basilique Albert was wonderful – classically French, with a superb restaurant and located in the heart of the historic town and with ample parking right outside the door. As you know, we did have a glitch with the New Regina hotel booking in Ypres, which was absolutely no fault of yours whatsoever (we realised very quickly the hotel had overbooked!), and amazingly - and thank you – within less than five minutes you had arranged alternative, and dare I say superior, accommodation with an upgrade at the excellent Ariane Hotel, still within a stones’ throw of Cloth Hall and the Menin Gate. I would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone – whether a WW1 battlefield novice like myself, or an veteran of many visits – to use your services. I have to say, and very honestly so, it was a fantastically organised trip with every attention to detail catered for. Thank you again Best regards Laurence and Rachel (Somme & Ypres tour May 2019) Dear James We arrived back yesterday after a really great trip. Your instructions were first class and we had no trouble in following your directions to various place on the tour. Our first stay with Avril Williams was wonderful, we were made to feel very welcome and like part of the family. We were lucky to be one of the first to stay in her new apartments which was spacious and comfortable having a bedroom, shower room, sitting room and fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher! We had our evening meals there as well and these were exceptionally good and good value. Avril was very informative and helpful and we could have spent hours in her museum. The Ariane in Ypres was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there going to the Last Post twice. It was very busy both times. Thank you once again for an excellent trip Sue and Trevor Goldsworthhy (Somme & Ypres tour May 2019) Hello James I just wanted to write to you to say what a great self drive trip that you set up for us was. It covered everything that we needed to see and through good timing we missed most of the coach tours. The advantage of doing it yourself was that we could explore on our own time. It was also good to refresh my memory with your excellent notes and pictures that went with the maps. The hotels were top quality and their locations were outstanding. Well done and thanks again Mark (Somme & Ypres tour April 2019) Dear James, We have just come back from three amazing days and feel so lucky that Darjie chose you, as your magic pack was perfect. Wonderful, moving days that gave us all so much food for thought. The beauty of the cemeteries was a fitting tribute to all those who were lost to many nations. The hotels were great, food super and perfect for the tour. Will recommend you highly. Thank you so much. Yours, Bridget. (Somme & Ypres tour - April 2019) Dear James I cannot thank you enough for giving us really wonderful comprehensive information for our Battlefields Trip. It was such an amazing visit, so poignant and seeing all those graves of the thousands of fallen men was so very moving and how generous they were to put their lives on the line for all of us so that we could live in freedom. Your information packs were incredible and perfect to the last arrow and descriptions and superbly produced. Both of our hotels were immaculate and just great, so clean and food excellent. The location of the New Regina Hotel was wonderfully placed, especially for getting to the Menin Gate. Again, thank you so very much for all your help and guidance, most kind of you With very best wishes Sheila Bednall (Somme & Ypres tour - April 2019) James. I would just like to add our thanks for your excellent guide books and hotel recommendations. As the chief Navigator I can say that we never missed a spot we wanted to see. We learned a lot. Best regards Mike Champion (Somme & Ypres tour - April 2019) Dear James, I would just like to say many thanks for the marvellous Battlefields trip you organised for Darjie Armstrong and her relatives. Your information pack was quite superb, giving us not only the detailed background and information, but also really good driving and visiting instructions. The only times we went wrong were when we did not pay attention to your spot-on instructions! Also, the hotels you booked for us were first class; the dinner in the Picardie in Albert was excellent. Well done - I won't hesitate to recommend you to any friends of mine who wish to do their own Battlefields tour. Kind regards, Michael Bednall (Somme & Ypres tour - April 2019) Hi James Tucked up at The Regina hotel for our last night. What an incredible three days we have had - interesting, fascinating and very moving. A million thanks from us all for the truly fantastic itinerary you did for us- we are so grateful and deeply impressed at the amount of work you put in and all the details and extra snippets you included. We are all delighted at choosing the best tour operator ! Thank you. Best wishes and good night. Darjie x PS. The hotels have been perfect . (April 2019) 2018 Dear James We just wanted to write and tell you that we had a most interesting and poignant visiting the 1WW battlefields, cemeteries and museums in the Somme and Ypres Salient over the last week. Your detailed itinerary and notes helped us to appreciate the terrible conditions and sacrifices made on both sides during the battles, taking us to places we would have certainly otherwise missed. We thought we should mention one cemetery that was very easy to visit on our return from Ypres to Calais, namely the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery which was just a small diversion from our route. It contained a really interesting and informative visitor centre (unlike the one at Tynecot) with many insights into the workings of the field hospital based there. You may wish to add it to your itinerary for the return route. Both hotels were excellent with upgraded rooms given to us at both the Ariane and Le Macassar. The new owners at the latter were most welcoming and the Art Deco nature of the rooms very interesting. They provided a lovely Table d’hôte meal on the Sunday evening and are very keen to maintain the level of hospitality provided by the previous owners. We would definitely recommend that you keep it as one of your hotel options for the Somme region. Thank you again for the efficient and comprehensive service that you provided in arranging our trip. Yours sincerely David and Alison Levy (October 2018) Dear Mr. Power It’s been a month since we returned from Europe and the Somme and its effect upon my son and I have been long lasting. Both of us were surprised at how moving an experience it was. We knew the history, the fatal military judgements and huge number of losses, but history books don’t give any sense of the magnitude of the casualties in the terrain that exposed so many troops to slaughter. Being there does. Seeing all those cemeteries does. And your guide with it’s detail and meticulous and compassionate explanations brought the Somme battles to life. What made our experience all the more poignant was that the beauty of the gentle rolling Picardie countryside, its fields, copses and steepled villages today belied what took place there 102 years ago. We were especially moved by Sheffield Park and the PALS memorials, and thought, "There, but for time, place and the Grace of God” we could have been among those young men. I might add, the hotel was comfortable and pleasant, its food surprisingly good. Coincidentally, staying at the Royal Picardie were graphic novels artist, publishers and editors attending a book fair in Albert. Some of them had been involved with the publication for the centennial of a graphic novel, “Traces of the Great War”; just one more experience to enrich a great trip. Thanks and my best, Robert B Kohn, USA (October 2018) Dear James, We have had such an interesting if emotional week with your self drive tours of the Somme and Ypres areas and would like to thank you for the meticulous detail in both the route directions and battle details with the maps and photographs. We had many of the Somme areas to ourselves with such peace in the surrounding areas contrasting to what must have been unimaginable horror. It was busier in the Ypres area at the more well- known sites but always manageable. October was a good time to go and the weather was amazing too - just like summer! You asked to mention any errors that might be found - just one very small one on page 49a of the Somme guide Private J Sweeney’s grave is Row B - the arrow does point to this although A is written in brackets. Good to see he was given a graveyard burial and now there is a memorial to those Shot at Dawn at the National Memorial Arboretum. How very difficult it was in so many ways for all those in the Great War and how powerful hindsight is. There were many very moving and emotional moments for both of us including the German cemetery at Langemark. Thank you again for such a comprehensive tour which will not be forgotten. Yours sincerely, Janice and Tony Elvidge (October 2018) Hi James Just a quick note on behalf of my mum and myself to say how much we enjoyed the Somme and Ypres itinerary that you provided. Extraordinary detail that gave a real insight into the terrible history of the conflict. We enjoyed both hotels, especially the Ariane in Ypres - and the cafe's & restaurants that you recommended including the Hotel de Basilique and the Ocean Villas Tea rooms where we met Avril. All best wishes and thanks once again Richard Steeden (October 2018) Dear James, Got back on Friday. Everything worked like clockwork; Jan and I want to thank you for the detailed and comprehensive planning which went into the whole trip. The Ariane Hotel was excellent, including the upgrade, and we were blessed with superb weather which no doubt you also arranged. (We couldn't help thinking that a steady downpour would have been more appropriate to tour the Salient!). We spent Tuesday and Wednesday touring the Ypres area, and on Thursday drove down to the site of the Battle of Loos, taking in Messines, Ploegstreet and the Irish Peace memorial on the way. The former Hohenzollern Redoubt is unmistakeable and overgrown

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