Menin Gate Ceremony, late thought !! (1 Viewer)

[Reallyretired]

Many thanks for all your replies they are much appreciated. I am going to assume a worse case scenario which finds me parked up without EHU, the temperature is freezing and my boiler will automatically dump its water. Clothes pegging the valve closed will stop the water dumping but what next. I do not have a tank water heater so how do I keep warm apart from visiting the shops !!
Many thanks once again,
Norman.

Your boiler won't dump if your heating and hot water are on, or doesn't it work on gas?

 

[TUCANO]

Quick reply as at work, thanks for that. Yeah it works on gas, leave it on low l suppose you are saying.
Thank you.

 

[Ronny]

I managed to get in at Kemmel, Jeugdstadion was booked up 2yrs ago but I reckon they’ll be coning off the road by the sports centre to accommodate coaches. One thing’s for sure, the place will be heaving so best of luck finding somewhere.

 

[Hilewaychile]

As a Battlefield Guide I have been fortunate to have attended the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate numerous times. It never fails to be most moving. I won't be there this November. Having moved 1000 miles south of Ypres, Wellington and The Peninsular War will be my schtick now.

Having been to many commemoration ceremonies of WW1 and WW2 - 40th Anniversary D.Day [1984] and Arnhem [23rd Sept] stand out, as does the dawn ceremony of ANZAC Day [25th April] at the Australian Memorial on the downs above Villiers Bretonneaux - I would say that attending at any time is as worthwhile as attending on a 'Big Day' like 11/11/2018.

A case to illustrate. I had a US Army veteran - 82nd Airborne - and his wife to take to the 40th Anniversary of D.Day in Normandy. We had tickets to the principle ceremony at the American Cemetery at St. Laurent s Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach. The ceremony was to be attended by HM The Queen [staying offshore on Britannia], President Reagan, President Mitterand of France - the list of the Good and The Great was endless. The result was that, despite showing our tickets, I was waved on by US Miltary Police at every turning down to the beach until we reached Vierville s Mer, some 4.5 miles past St. Laurent. I was able to turn down to the beach, which is Sector Charlie/Omaha.

There we found a High School Marching Band from the US, a band from a local French school, a good few othe 82nd Airborne and other US vets, and a full programme of commemoration. It was as moving a commemoration as any I have attended but being small scale, it was intimate and personal. My client was able to chat to his comrades, the French made a great fuss of all the visitors - coffee and croissants on the house afterwards - my clients were absolutely delighted.

Afterwards, we agreed that our day had been far better than if we had had to stand for hours with many thousands of other attendees, regimented and bossed by the US Military Police, waiting on the arrival and departure of all the Big Wigs, probably with a view of the backs of the heads of several thousand other people. Because be aware that these events involve huge numbers of people. At the 91st ANZAC Day ceremony 3000 chairs had been put out - and another 2000 people stood.

Next day, after the Big Shots had all gone home, we spent a couple of hours walking around the American Cemetery at our leisure. We visited the grave of my client's CSM - tho' shortly before he was shot by a sniper he had had his stripes ripped off for persisent drunkeness. He was drunk when he wandered out into the bockage and ...

To cap it all, a German vet approached my client, having recognised his cap badge. "You know, we captured your commanding officer ... but you got him back because you captured us!" They chatted happily for several minutes when a Japanese veteran join the discussion! A GI, a German and a Japanese vet, all taking together as friends, 40 years after the dreadful years of killing each other. If we'd had attended the Main Event we probably would have moved on and never had that experience.

The Australian veteran seen at 'Cobbers' the Australian Memorial at VC Corner, pulled out his beret for the first time. His cap badge was 'Mercury: The Winged Messanger' known to all in Signals regiments as 'Jimmy'. My client had been in the same regiment in the Australian Army as my father's regiment, The Royal Corps of Signal, in the British Army.

In my experience you miss these person touches when attending major gatherings.

 

[Youlostoo]

Broken Link Removed There was a unit parked up the the right of the Jeugdstadion entrance when we were there this year. I would go, everyone should visit at least once in their lives.

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[TUCANO]

Broken Link Removed There was a unit parked up the the right of the Jeugdstadion entrance when we were there this year. I would go, everyone should visit at least once in their lives.

I have been to the Last Post ceremony many times and I know that I will struggle to find somewhere to park and yet I feel that I want to be there, even in I end up hundreds of yards away from the actual ceremony itself, impetuosity is my middle name

 

[MisterB]

There is an Aire with 17 Motorhome spaces at Aire Kampeerautoterrein Zillebekevijver.

We stayed there last year for a couple of night when we went to the Passchendaele Remembrance Ceremony.

The Aire, inc EHU, cost €8 in 2017 with a maximum stay of 48 hours.

If you go down the lane at the left of the entrance to the Aire there are spaces to park up in the 'gaps' on the lane and if you continue past the Hotel/Restaurant you'll get to the fisherman's car park which has ample space to overnight.

It's about a fifteen minute walk to the Menin Gate.

There is a British War Cemetery close to the Aire and any visits to pay your respects would be appreciated.

We also stopped overnight in the car park by the Sports Stadium (junction of Leopold 111-Laan and Zillebeckevoetweg) – the Ceremony didn't finish until around 11pm and we, and a few more motorhomes, stayed there without any problems.

The smell of the adjacent Motorhome cooking bacon woke us up …........

Video of the Aire -

This is a video I made of one of the fallen Soldiers who was born in Chesterfield and lies in a grave in the Cemetery -

Just in our way back. We stayed two nights at Billebeke lake. NOT on the paid aire but in the car park at the bottom of the lane, past the hotel. Space for at least 10 motorhomes there and you can empty wc etc at the commercial aire. My great grandfather died on the west side of the lake. It was used for the Brigade reserve and to rest, until it started to be shelled by the germans.

 

[ChrisL]

Just a thought that popped into my head, i have been to Ypres three times now and i found that the locals, at least the ones that i met really friendly and helpful so maybe if you could get hold of the Mayor or the Police they might be able to put you in touch with someone that may let you stay on their property, you don't know unless you ask.

 

[TUCANO]

Just a thought that popped into my head, i have been to Ypres three times now and i found that the locals, at least the ones that i met really friendly and helpful so maybe if you could get hold of the Mayor or the Police they might be able to put you in touch with someone that may let you stay on their property, you don't know unless you ask.

I have had a similar thought myself

 

[namwaldog]

Is it worth looking at somewhere to stay that you can get on the train to Ypres?
There is Aire at Poperinge about 10 mins by train.

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[MisterB]

This shows the free car park just past the hotel at Billebeke Lake. There are NO facilities here but you can use the facilities on the pay per night aire that you pass before you reach the hotel as they are outside the barrier.

Lat 50.840893
Long 2.905879

 

[TUCANO]

That looks absolutey ideal thank you, l can cope without any facilities.
Norman.

 

[MisterB]

 

[TUCANO]

That will do me nicely, many many thanks

 

[MisterB]

Oops i mean Zillebeke Lake NOT Billebeke !!! We had a private joke about calling it BillyBong Lake and it looks as thoigh i even confused myself !!!

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[TUCANO]

Update,
Stayed free at Zillebeke for three nights, brilliant.
Many thanks all.
Norman.

 

[Wildbill]

Another thing we have Don is stay in one of the many museum carpark and drink ther beer and coffee
Bill