InvictaMoto's Family Travels

I had an email today from the Somme Association, the organisation that is organizing the commemoration at the Ulster Tower, to say that our last minute application had been successful. We had sent our details inc passport numbers to them and they have sent a new form to us to ask pretty much the same information, plus a signature. I have sent a copy to all those going and we have until March 16th to get them back, signed. Some links! http://www.greatwar.co.uk/somme/memorial-36-division-ulster-tower.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Tower http://www.visit-somme.com/somme_tourisme/decouvrez/les_sites_de_la_grande_guerre/tour_d_ulster http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/thiepval/ulster-tower.php

I sent a group request to the organisers of the Newfoundland commemoration at Beaumont- Hamel  as a backup to the ballot entries at Thiepval back in December.  Once we knew that only two of us were successful for that ballot, I asked the remaining members of the group to send a group email to the Newfoundland organisers as well. As we hadn’t heard back, and we had covered our bases with a group booking to the Ulster Tower event, I dropped an email to Paulette in Canada. She replied last evening, office hours over there, and said that they were finalising details with the French for park and rides and security on the day.  I went straight back to ask whether we had been successful and she said that everyone had been accepted on the list….   At the moment I have no idea if that’s just my entries or all the entries we sent in!  Wait and see I guess.

Ici la route pour “Shuttle Un”.

With the main focus of the trip being the commemorations on Friday 1 st July, the day to get down there, Thursday, has become a day for different groups to make their own way to Amiens.  The meeting place being the Hotel Central & Anzac in the afternoon. I have planned a substantially off-motorway run down there from Coquelles to Amiens for the group to be known as “Shuttle One” that will include a lunch break. “Shuttle One” will be crossing over a little later than usual as Claire and I have to get Reggie the dog to the kennels near Wye for his weekend break. So I booked the 1120 out from UK.   We have been joined on this team by Ken Fulton and David Robinson. This poses a problem for lunch!  Our arrival time will be about 1300 French time. So I have been looking for a lunch spot.  A popular "routier" for us is near Abbeville but it will be far too late by the time we get off the train and ride there. I have however found another in Bou...

With the Thiepval tickets sorted the next thing was for those that were unsuccessful to try again, at another site. First up was the Canadian commemoration at Beaumont-Hamel where we went in 2015 on the way to Amiens. I passed an email around the Meldrews to register us as a group. This was way back and as yet we have not heard back. Then last week I saw on the Irish Brigades site that we had until January 31st to enter the process to get to the commemoration at the Ulster Tower. I quickly emailed around for personal details and passport numbers for the Meldrews and Sunday morning that went off.  On Feb 1st I had an acknowledgement that our entry has been received. So now we wait.