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Remembered Today:

Le Tommy Cafe Pozières


Ghazala

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I think Le Tommy is like Marmite........................

Michelle

Yummy!

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Ghazala, please take lots of photos at Le Tommy both inside and out as I very much look forward to seeing them. I wonder are these helmets still there?.

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Norman

PS This is a popular image on Flickr with 8,500 views so far!

PPS I have walked the fields and never found one, well at least I know where they all went!

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Hi Norman,

Just like the photo above and also the photos of the cars and Hot air Balloons etc you post, your photos have something different about them. I don't know what it is but wondered if it's the camera, lens or the photo editor you use. I just know I like 'em... :D

PS...I meant to say also, that of course YOU take great pictures!!

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A very kind comment and much appreciated. There is no single thing that I do just try to get in close where possible and trust to luck!. I use Adobe Photoshop for any "adjustment" that may be required. Flickr is crammed with some cracking images and the WW1 shots by Paul Reed are excellent as well as many others.

Regards

Norman

PS Here is a link to Pauls photosets, just click on whatever takes your fancy!

Link

http://www.flickr.com/photos/battlefield_historian/sets/

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Ghazala, please take lots of photos at Le Tommy both inside and out as I very much look forward to seeing them. I wonder are these helmets still there?.

2046427255_b6b023e556_z.jpg

Norman

PS This is a popular image on Flickr with 8,500 views so far!

PPS I have walked the fields and never found one, well at least I know where they all went!

I will Norman. My Irish pal and I like to tour separately during the day but we meet up around 5 or 6 pm at Le Tommy where we drink cold beer and compare notes.

Eddie

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Some more pictures from the new museum set up by Dominique.

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post-100478-0-13800500-1377632538_thumb.

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WOW now that is more like it, glad to see that some of the WW1 Tank parts have been brought indoors. Forgive me for "keeping on" but if you get the chance can you please ask Dom where he got the Tank bits from as they are not exactly common are they!

Excellent photos

Thanks

Norman :thumbsup:

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My favourite... The lovely Sophie. Her Mum & Dad live next door to Le Tommy

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The helmets have gone / absorbed into museum or scattered in trench. Most of those shown will have come from Arras where Dom has contacts who are Farmers etc and gig their fields etc. he recently aquired a load of Livens dug up from Arras.

I have one as I found a Luger in fields near Mucky Farm. As it had live rounds I wasn't going to bring it back to UK! As a compramise Dom had Luger in exchange for helmet!

Ps you will never find a helmet in good condition by field walking..... Them damn ploughs!

TT

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Just from looking at the photos I wish I`d popped into the display when I was there now. Still, something to look forward to next time.

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That is excellent Norman. Thank you for putting it up.

Eddie

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No problem Eddie I have every respect for this place and having seen the new displays would put it high on a list of "places to visit" whilst on the Somme. I like the way that Dom is displaying the larger items, reminds me of the old Hill 60 museum where like Dom’s you could get close-up and personal with the objects!

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Regards

Norman

PS That periscope-sighted rifle looks interesting in the German trench (Doms).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Have used Le Tommy for years.

Opinion : Love it.

Food basic but warm, good portions and probably not to different from the Estaminets our grandfathers visited.

Reception - Always friendly and helpful. Tolerant of people with muddy clothing!

Relic sales - Not as good as they used to be but that's life.

Democratic. Used by posh historians and first time tourists alike.

Only failing is occasional closures where no reason is known.

John

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I've never been to the place in question so can't comment. However, I do wonder about the display of relics. "Up close and personal" sounds nice, but what steps are being made to conserve the bits and pieces for future viewing? I remember (for example) the "good old days" at Bovington Tank Museum when one could climb on everything and prize bits of Zimmerit off the StuG III - hardly the way to protect things for the future and now, rightfully, corrected.

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Steven,

The frail / valuable / smaller items are cased and under lock. The items in the room that can be touched etc are the larger relics and very stable re corosion etc. They look great where they are and add to the Somme atmosphere.

Like all relics though what future after Dom. That is the question. The bigger items and the non relics will find homes but the rest. Unless a likeminded individual has them what will happen. This is a common enough problem for all collections. No museum will clutter its vaults with relics?

TT

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There is nothing wrong with Le Tommy. The food is plentiful and cheap compared to the over priced restaurants in Arras. Those who criticise can stay in the UK and get fleeced in English Heritage restaurants £5 for a scone etc. Leave Tommys as it is great place.

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We always pop into the 'Tommy' for a meal while on the Somme. I can only say i have no negative feedback to give, just good. Even had free beer one night.

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There is nothing wrong with Le Tommy. The food is plentiful and cheap compared to the over priced restaurants in Arras. Those who criticise can stay in the UK and get fleeced in English Heritage restaurants £5 for a scone etc. Leave Tommys as it is great place.

Quite agree. WYSIWYG !

John

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I've never been to the place in question so can't comment. However, I do wonder about the display of relics. "Up close and personal" sounds nice, but what steps are being made to conserve the bits and pieces for future viewing? I remember (for example) the "good old days" at Bovington Tank Museum when one could climb on everything and prize bits of Zimmerit off the StuG III - hardly the way to protect things for the future and now, rightfully, corrected.

The Tank Museum is a well supported registered charity. Le Tommy is ... Dominique, trying his best, on his own. I'm sure he'd be pleased to hear from you though if your concern extends to putting your money where your mouth is :thumbsup:

Tom

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As I've never been to the place and almost certainly never will, I'm afraid my money's staying where it is :thumbsup:

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Long may Dominique offer us refreshments and relics. 'Le Tommy' is, after all, one of the few places on the Somme battlefield where one can get a drink or a snack. And the museum is an added bonus.

I'm always amazed at how little the French and Belgians try to make money out of battlefields 'tourists'. If the Western Front was in the UK, there would be ice-cream and burger vans outside every cemetery.

Keith

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Hi,

I'm always amazed at how little the French and Belgians try to make money out of battlefields 'tourists'. If the Western Front was in the UK, there would be ice-cream and burger vans outside every cemetery.
Two explainations I think:
First, you can't consider the Somme battlefields as a major touristic area in France in comparaison to other places. Despite the estimation of visitors is about 250.000 per year in the Somme, mostly anglo-saxon, and very few french. In France the Somme is very little known (in terms of touristic destination) and most of the French are probably not aware of the significance of the Somme battlefields for the British today.
I hear sometimes people complaining about the lack of places to get food or drinks in the Somme at anytime. But as you know we don't have the culture of snacking in France, we have our meals (lunch and dinner) at fixed hours so most of the restaurants are only open from 12 to 2pm for lunch and from 7pm to 10pm for dinner.
About "Le Tommy", you like it or not, but this is one of the few places where you can get food at anytime... when it's open.
Sly
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