Can anyone recommend an English-speaking guide for Somme tour?

[tomisitt]

I'm visiting the Somme in March with my father-in-law, and I want to employ an experienced and knowledgable locally-based battlefield guide to help us get the most out of our visit.

I have been to the Somme before, but struggled to make much sense of the battlefield (particularly the Thiepval and Beaumont Hamel sector), so this time I thought it might be worth hiring an expert. Can anyone recommend someone suitable?

Thanks,

Tom

[Michelle Young]

I have no commercial interest in this venture neither do I know the individual but Trip Advisor gives good reviews

http://www.beaumonthamelview.com/tours.php

Michelle

[burlington]

Suggest you ensure whoever you use is a registered Guild of Battlefield Guides member: http://www.gbg-international.com/guides_directory.html

Take care if you use anyone 'off the street'. Some may be operating illegally.

As for Michelle's suggestion, I have no knowledge.

Good luck

Martin

[KIRKY]

Highly recommend Dave at

www.beaumonthamelview.com

[Dawley Jockey]

I would say Vic & Diane Puik based at Hardecourt - aux - bois both know there stuff and do private tours also running a small B&B.

The B&B is Les Alouettes

[Ken Lees]

This chap appears to meet the criteria "experienced and knowledgeable locally-based battlefield guide":-

http://www.explore1914-18.com

[John_Hartley]

This chap appears to meet the criteria "experienced and knowledgeable locally-based battlefield guide":-

http://www.explore1914-18.com

Pleasant sort of bloke as well - for an ex-copper.

[SiegeGunner]

Hardly 'locally-based' to the Somme, though, Rupert ...

[charlesa]

Tom,

I fully agree with Kirky in recommending Dave Platt at www.beaumonthamelview.com

I have been with him twice and am going again in 3 weeks time.

He does a day's tour in an ex MOD Landrover which is brilliant and he knows the Thiepval and Beaumont Hamel areas like the back of his hand, as he should given that he lives there !

Best wishes

Charles

[BDS]

Another vote for Dave :-)

[SWorrall]

Somme batlefield partners who are English-speaking guides can be found here, with their rates:

http://www.somme-battlefields.com/battlefields/english_speaking_guides_list/list_of_english_speaking_guides

Rod Bedford is highly recommended, but any ought to be able to offer you a good tour.

Simon.

[flers1916]

I heartily recommend Peter Smith at Otago View, Flers. Can't get more central in the Somme. He also has an excellent B&B full of relevant equipment and books. petersmith@hotmail.fr I have stayed there for the last five years. Highly recommended.

[auchonvillerssomme]

PM sent.

[spof]

I've hidden several posts which were off topic. Can we please stick to offering recommendations for tour guides?

Glen

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

Suggest you ensure whoever you use is a registered Guild of Battlefield Guides member: http://www.gbg-international.com/guides_directory.html

Take care if you use anyone 'off the street'. Some may be operating illegally.

As for Michelle's suggestion, I have no knowledge.

Good luck

Martin

I've hidden several posts which were off topic. Can we please stick to offering recommendations for tour guides?

Glen

You have removed my response to post #3 (above). My response was not "off topic", and, even more importantly, post #3 makes no recommendation regarding any specific guide(s) but simply casts aspersions on guides who are not "members" of a particular clique.

Tom

[charlesa]

Tom (original poster), so going into a bit more detail, you could easily do Beaumont -Hamel and Thiepval yourself but I did the following with Dave Platt (mentioned above):

• Auchonvillers down the Old Beaumont Road to the Hawthorn Redoubt and area
• Malin spot where filming of Mine took place
• Up Sunken Lane to Serre
• Serre area and the Copses (PALS)
• Down the Redan Ridge and Cemeteries
• Into Beaumont-Hamel
• Down to the Ancre and up to the Thiepval/ Schwaben Redoubt/ Ulster Tower/Thiepval Wood area
• Past the Thiepval Memorial and over to the Leipzig Redoubt
• Lonsdale Cemetery and detour into Authuille Wood to look at old trenches
• Back down to the Ancre and up to Mesnil-Martinsart seeing the sites of Jacob's Ladder (not the Beaumont-Hamel one) and Brock's benefit on the way with their stunning views of the whole Thiepval arena
• Past centre of Mesnil and memorial to 23 (I think) poor souls who died from a single shell
• Back past Observation bunker (I think) on way back to Auchonvillers

That will give you a brilliant day, mainly off road, in Dave's Land rover. I have done it and it was fascinating.

This excludes the Newfoundland Memorial Park but you can do this yourself.

Best wishes

Charles

[tomisitt]

Thanks, everyone, for your input. Some very useful suggestions there.

Tom

[Sally B]

I can thoroughly recommend Jacques Ryckebosch - Flanders Battlefield Tours, very knowledgeable,he made whichever battlefield he was talking about come

alive and he spoke with much empathy and respect. He really made me want to know more.

[iemac]

Hi Tom

Check out www.cheminsdhistoire.com

We can highly recommend Olivier Dirson who guided us through the Somme last October.

Regards

Ian Macauley

[chrislock]

I recommend Iain McHenry and Chris Baker!

[Paul67]

Peter Smith at Otago View, Flers is a very knowledgable guide and a top bloke as well. I've stayed with Peter and Hilary and really enjoyed my time with them.

I've met Jaques Ryckebosch in the field and found him to be an extremely friendly and dedicated guide as well - you couldn't go wrong with either of these two.

[kenneth505]

If Chris Baker was hiring out I'd go that way but really you can't go wrong. The deeper into this you go the more there is to learn.

[chrislock]

You could also try forum member and battlefield guide Bob Findley. Bob gets my vote of confidence as does Jaques likewise!

Best wishes

Chris