Home

Remembrance Day Tour 2019

In the run up to Monday 11th November 2019 we enjoyed some beautiful weather - blue skies and warm sunshine - in Belgium. Ypres was bustling on Sunday 10th and it was fun to bump into various friends and colleagues whilst wandering around. In the early evening I met with my fiends Sir Edward Crofton and Derek Gallagher of the Friends of St George's Memorial Church. We had a great time in the Kazematten before attending the Last Post ceremony at 8.00pm.

Sadly when I woke up in the morning I looked out to see a grey sky as the rain fell. I had to pick up my Press Pass at 8.00am so took my two dogs, Foxl and Axel for their morning constitutional and across the Market Square to the old town hall. By the time we got back we were quite soaked! I met with my old friend, Chris Sims (ex Curator of The Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial, Waregem - https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/flanders-field-american-cemetery - and ex-European Co-ordinator of the Western Front Association) and we enjoyed breakfast together. Foxl and Axel were delighted to be left in the warmth and not being dragged out into the rain and cold as Chris and I set off for St George's Memorial Church and the service that began at 9.15am. The service was led by the tremendous Venerable Dr Paul Vrolijk who introduced HE Martin Shearman the British Ambassador to Belgium, attending his first Remembrance Day in Ypres since we bade farewell to the fantastic Alison Rose who is sadly missed.

Overall it was clear that the high numbers of attendees in 2018 who enjoyed the ceremonies were not replicated in 2019. I would estimate that the Poppy Parade was a third of 2018 and the number of bands were much reduced. Attendance overall was much lower but in comparision to when I first took a group to Remembrance Day in Ypres in 1982 - when everyone was able to fit under the Menin Gate at 11.00am - the town was packed! There was, as always, a wonderful mixture of ages represented and the young cadets marched magnificently. The youngsters from the Air Training Corps performed brilliantly at the Menin Gate too, making me very proud watching their performance.

Following laying wreathes at the Belgian Memorial the procession continued across the Market Square to The Menin Gate when the main ceremonies began with hardly a dry coat to be seen! The moving ceremony was, as always, beautifully choeographed, arranged and produced by The Last Post Association.

Please find below the Order of Service from St George's followed by photographs from the service, then the other ceremonies. It was a fantastic day, my 37th consecutive year attending the ceremonies that means so much to me remembering all those who gave so much during the First World War.

St George's Memorial Church in Ypres

Order of Service and accompanying photographs