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Remembered Today:

8000 tickets Somme 2016 _ Public Ballot


kenf48

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I would suggest that the majority of those tickets have already been allocated, I can't imagine that the RBL, Somme Association, Orangemen, tour groups being sidelined. It is also going to wind up all those who have already booked accommodation.

I'm also giving it a miss.

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I was toying with the idea of taking a small group of boys, mainly cadets, as I did for the 90th anniversary in 2006. However, the ballot will make this impractical unless we could arrange a joint invitation. Moreover, I'm not sure that the number of people and attendant tight security, coupled with the difficulties of finding accommodation anywhere near and travelling around the area are going to make it a viable proposition.

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Have entered but not to concerned if I am unsuccessful, will take my dad because his dad was wounded on the Somme for the second time.

Joe

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How on earth will they manage to transport 8000 people to Thiepval ? Its going to be a logistical nightmare.

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As the chairman of a group who have attended Thiepval Memorial every year on 1st July since 1994, we have had no prior warning of these new arrangements.

Groups will be represented concludes the HM Government statement--how many?? -will they have take part in ballot? Our group normally has over 50 people on coach--what we do with rest of people on coach?? Will other places like Ulster Tower, Beaumont Hamel have restrictions on numbers--I would think so.

I suspect we will go on another date later in summer and those who may well have never been before ( lottery grants etc) will "hog the day"

Wesley Wright

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Security is the thing here. There will be mega VIPs present. It was bad enough at the visitor centre opening with just the D. of Gloucester there! let alone Hollande, Cameron, et al.

There was a special train for the visitor centre opening that stopped at Bapaume.

Probably not worth going really. It will be horrid.

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This year was fine on the 1st, next year will be a circus. I will pass as well

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As the chairman of a group who have attended Thiepval Memorial every year on 1st July since 1994, we have had no prior warning of these new arrangements.

Groups will be represented concludes the HM Government statement--how many?? -will they have take part in ballot? Our group normally has over 50 people on coach--what we do with rest of people on coach?? Will other places like Ulster Tower, Beaumont Hamel have restrictions on numbers--I would think so.

I suspect we will go on another date later in summer and those who may well have never been before ( lottery grants etc) will "hog the day"

Wesley Wright

I have asked them how the tickets will actually be allocated by ballot. Coincidentally we started the same year as you, 1994, and attended every July 1st and November 11th until last year.
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I've been in contact with HPower who are the event managers for the Somme commemorations. I pointed out a number of potential problems such as transport and the fact that there could be some aggrieved folk from abroad who have relatives on the memorial and who are not eligible to apply, particularly South Africans who are actually commemorated on there. I received a very pleasant reply which boiled down to 'tough, that's the way it is'. I pressed the point about relatives and this time the reply did say they would pass my comments onto the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. No groups outside the British Legion will have any advantages over anyone else, it is all down to a personal ballot although they would not be pressed on any details, saying all must wait until September.

Lobby the Department if you have concerns, not HPower, they are clearly under a strict remit. Also lobby the British Legion as they seem to have the Government's ear on this.

In the meantime we out here are continuing to try and impress on the French that 1/7/2016 is not 'business as usual' with a few police blocking the odd road being sufficient to get through the day. Not that many of us plan to be anywhere near the event.

Jim

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If it is anything like the 70th or 75th anniversary it will be chaos, with lots of VIPs and royalty. The security aspect will be horrendous with the Somme in lockdown before the event.

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We managed to move around fairly freely on 30th June 2006, including lunch in Longueval and a walk along the Manchester Pals attack route from Maricourt to Montauban. We arrived at Thiepval early on 1st and didn't have much trouble dropping off fairly close to the memorial. We estimated that there were a couple of thousand people at the ceremony-not as many as I recalled from my previous visit in 1986 in fact. I suspect that it will be a very different kettle of fish next year.

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Thiepval 2006 was a pig, you couldn't get a car anywhere near the place. But the coaches were quite efficient. The heat didn't help, after walking the 4 miles from Thiepval to our house in Auchonvillers in pinching brogues I found the first 2 bottles of Stella didn't touch the sides.

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Thiepval 2006 was a pig, you couldn't get a car anywhere near the place. But the coaches were quite efficient. The heat didn't help, after walking the 4 miles from Thiepval to our house in Auchonvillers in pinching brogues I found the first 2 bottles of Stella didn't touch the sides.

Did you drink them or pour them on your feet?

We (Regimental Association) were considering a trip to Gommecourt for 1st July but I suspect we'll re-think.

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It hit 34 degrees during our walk from Maricourt to Montauban in 2006 and I actually cut it slightly short as we were running out of water. It was certainly very warm the next day and one of my cadets had to take over from an RBL standard bearer who was overcome by the heat.

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Please remember what it's all about....remembering those young men that have lain for 100 years in Foreign Fields....and will continue to do so.

regards

Tom

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Might even get under the Gate for the Last Post, I suppose.

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I'm another one who was there for the 90th anniversary. Never again on 1 July. I love my visits to the battlefields but that day felt like a circus production. I felt very uncomfortable with the whole day. I went back to Thiepval tne next day and sanity ruled again; thank goodness.

One experience was enough for me. I'll stick to my own arrangements in future and go during the off season periods.

Garth

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For most of 'us' I think it is about commemoration. For many of the 'big wigs, and self important it's something altogether different, the best seats just come up with their rations. I for one do not want to anywhere near the place on 1st July 2016.

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Quiet contemplative remembrance doesn't co-exist too easily with the madding crowd. I was at Thiepval for the 75th anniversary which was a bit of a bun-fight in itself but importantly with a large number of veterans in attendance. It lives in the memory for that reason - the wonderful Donald Hodge particularly springs to mind. I too would avoid 1.7.16 unless part of some sort of VIP party.

As has been suggested , perhaps a good day to visit Wipers.

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We who have been attending on a regular basis--see my earlier post-- feel aggrieved that no thought has been given how we can obtain accommodation or numbers on our coach" who might be allowed to attend."

We have heard that on 1st July 2016 you can either attend ,Beaumont Hamel or Ulster Tower or Theipval Memorial --you can only one of these-no combinations allowed.

Wesley Wright

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Let's face it security is the main issue here - just how much would ISIS love to disrupt this event.

The vetting will be intense and the ballot will allow them to weed out and reject anyone they don't like the look of - so best I don't apply! This process won't allow special treatment.

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