Battlefields ETA 3.30-4pm

Managed to get on an earlier ferry, so ETA at latymer is currently 3.30-4pm. 

Battlefields By Bike Day 4

Bellewaerde theme park. 

After a relaxed morning, we set off for Bellewaerde theme park and we were given the opportunity to explore the park for 5 hours. One of the most popular rides among the students was a double-loop rollercoaster called Boomerang - it went around the loops backwards and forwards, after two sudden drops at both ends of the ride! There was also a new ride called Dawson's Duel, which was extremely popular - it involved two small cars / coasters racing down an elevated track!

The staff can enjoy theme parks too!

After leaving the theme park, we made our way back into Ypres, where we visited a chocolate shop, Leonidas, which had great deals on their delicious Belgian chocolate! Once we had bought our chocolates, we had an hour to freely roam around the rebuilt, historic centre of Ypres. We then all went out for dinner in Ypres. 

Charlotte and Arjun laying a wreath at the Last Post ceremony. 

Following our meal, we went to Menin Gate to watch the Last Past Ceremony. It's been going on everyday (except during World War Two) since the end of World War One. It was the 30721st ceremony since it began! Arjun and Charlotte were given the honour of laying down a wreath during the ceremony to commemorate the Latymerians  who had lost their lives during the war. We left a message on the wreath, which read: 'In remembrance of all souls lost from Latymer Upper School. Fallen but not forgotten'. The touching ceremony drew a close to our exploration of Ypres, as we then headed back to our hostel for one final evening. 

Battlefields by Bike Day 3

Finding Charlotte's great uncle on the Menin Gate

On day 3 we had an early start with a tough cycle following. First we visited the Menin gate, where we found Percy Conder from the Hertfordshire regiment (Charlotte's great uncle). From there we had to cycle over many more hills to reach Hill 60, which is named that because it is 60m above sea level. 21 mines were placed by allied troops and were blown up in July 1916. We saw the two biggest craters (spanbrokmoelen), one of which killed 300 people. The other was the biggest man-made explosion at the time. Two didn't go off- one exploded in 1968 in a thunderstorm and one is still unexploded and missing. We also passed the crypt where Adolf Hitler was treated for his injuries during the WWI. We then stopped at Ploegsteert, where the soldiers made a truce and played football on Christmas Day 1914 and ate ice cream by a sculpture of 36 feet (the number of men in a platoon) and a German man and British man shaking hands over a football. After this we cycled to Bayernwald where there were German trenches with shafts we could explore that they used to search for tunnellers. 

Looking up from the German mine shafts

The cycle was a bit tougher today, so our legs are looking forward to some slightly different activities tomorrow! 

Amelia exploring a pill box

Poppies

Mr Creak does a whoopsie

A quick break on a quiet country road

Battlefields by Bike Day 2

Today we visited Tyne Cot, the largest war cemetery ever built and found two names of latymerians that were commemorated there. We visited a German pill box and found a piece of german shrapnel: we knew it was german because it was iron not lead and were able to work this out because it repelled a magnet. As we cycled on we saw a live artillery round that had been left in a telephone mast by local farmers, for the bomb squad to come and defuse.

We also visited sanctuary wood, which was a small hill where the British had dug a support line that had been preserved ever since the war. We were able to explore tunnels leading from it to a small crater which would have been where the two trenches met. There was also a museum attached where we were able to compare German mortars to British mortars, the British mortars was duly intact so we got to see it's 'toffee apple' shape. 

Overall we cycled roughly 30 miles, and thankfully the weather stayed sunny! 

                                      Hearing the story of Jack Hunter, who was eventually found
many years after being lost. 

Trench warfare

Comparing German and British shrapnel 

Mile number 24!

Holding on for dear life!

Cycling in the sun. 

Walking through the 11,900 graves at Tyne Cot. 

Battlefields by Bike Day 1

The day began early, as we set off for Dover (minus one student who didn't arrive in time), and after a relatively quick journey we arrived at the port and left England for Calais. After arriving in France, we journeyed to Ypres where, after collecting our bikes, we started our cycle around the picturesque surroundings. Our first stop was Essex farm, where we got our first taste of the vast history that Ypres has to offer. After this, a light cycle to the Yorkshire Trench where our brilliant guide and resident historian Andrew recounted that an old soldier once told him in the war that he was "81% bored stiff, 18% frozen stiff and 1% scared stiff". A light cycle later and we returned our bikes before relaxing in our rooms and unwinding with a few football matches. Everyone was exhausted, and after Love Island, were quick to bed.

Learning about CWG cemeteries 

Visiting the reconstructed Yorkshire Trench

Who said Belgium wasn't flat?!

Evening football. 

First briefing. 

Meeting outside the Cloth Hall, raring to go!