Guest RojS Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 I'm new to this website but I'm tremendously impressed. I'm a Birmingham school teacher, and part of a group who co-ordinate events for a number of schools for their gifted and talented pupils. We have been considering organising a visit to The Western Front, and knowing that I have made a number of visits to Ypres and The Somme I have been given the option to organise a trip, or to buy into a ready made tour. As an art teacher I would definately want pupils to see Otto Dix's etchings at Peronne's museum; I'd have to take them to Flanders Field in Ypres; to the youngest (Irish) soldier's grave nearby (Conroy I think, where I saw a tribute wreath layed by the youngest member of another school's party..this is just superb teaching I believe), and to one of the very small sites like Ceasar's Nose, the first cemetery I ever visited myself. I might want to take them to my relatives grave at Arras as here there are 63 young Brummies buried together all killed on the same day. I'd want to visit Kathe Kolllwitz's wonderful memorial at her son's grave at Vladzo to show the grief of both sides. Our pupils are ethnically mixed, so relevance to all races is important. Please give me your suggestions and advise, if you would. Our next meeting will be in mid-September, so I'd like to take along a print out for the group to think about. If anyone knows of a good company who offer flexibility with group tours I'd be grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 Hello RojS I don't know what ethnic mix you have in your proposed party, but a trip to the Neuve Chapelle battleground may be relevant as very large numbers of Indian Troops were involved in the action. I agree that a trip to Vladzo is a must, Kollwitz's memorial is possibly the most moving one I have ever seen. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RojS Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 We are in east Birmingham, the area where the by-election is this week, and the majority of my own G + T pupils are from a Pakistan background, with a significant white/european and african-carribean minority. One of our schools in the group is a Muslim school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkristof Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 Hi, i am a guide of the salient. If you give me the time scedual i can arrange a trip for you. Vladslo - Ypres is 25 km! If i know how much time you have and what you certainly want to see, I think that i can help you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RojS Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 If I get some proposals together I believe we would be looking at a visit late in the 2004/05 school year. As yet we haven't got a date, and this would be a decision for the next meeting I'd guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 Don't forget the Portuguese cemetery about 50 yards from the Indian memorial at Neuve Chapelle. These two in proximity serve to remind us that the war embraced more nations that many people think and to gently remind us that it was a World War a theme which Hew Strachan glently advances in his recent TV series. It may be worth looking out a location with some Chinese Labour Corps graves to advance this view further. Do any of the schools have rolls for those who died? I know other schools have used such rolls as a basis for research prior to a visit and then laid a wreath or poppy crosses on the graves of "old pupils". I can see that a bespoke tour might be the best option to gain full value. I wonder, as you are taking in Peronne to Ypres whether you might follow a single unit to different places in which they had served along the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Maier Posted 13 July , 2004 Share Posted 13 July , 2004 ... I'd have to take them to ..... the youngest (Irish) soldier's grave nearby (Conroy I think ... The name is John Condon and the grave is not what it seems. You will find much discussion of this if you enter "john condon" into the forum search facility. This thread is perhaps the main one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 13 July , 2004 Share Posted 13 July , 2004 You would do well to take Bkristof's offer to take you to Vladslo, when the roads are being worked in it can be difficult to find. Since you have Pakistani children, a visit to theMemorial to then undivided India is a must, what a supreb job of making it non-sectarian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 13 July , 2004 Share Posted 13 July , 2004 RojS You could do worse than contacting a couple of Forum members directly for advice. Mark Hone is head of history at a Bury school and organises school trips. Tom Morgan is an ex-teacher and now a battlefield guide specialising in school trips (and I know he doesnt use this Forum to advertise, but I'm happy to advertise for him). Both will have useful stuff to tell you, I'm sure John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 16 July , 2004 Share Posted 16 July , 2004 As John Hartley kindly points out, I'm Head of History at Bury Grammar School in Lancashire. I've been organising school tours for the past ten years. I'm proud to say that our (voluntary) tours recruit boys from from all ethnic groups in the school and we base our itineraries on school/family links. I'd be pleased to give any advice that I can. I'm also a proud expat Brummie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AmericanDoughboy Posted 20 July , 2004 Share Posted 20 July , 2004 It is quite funny, because I ran into a group of students from Birmingham at Hill 62 in Ypres during my last visit. -Doughboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now