Loos-any cafes? (or indeed, loos!)

[Mark Hone]

I am just dotting the i's and crossing the t's on my itinerary. I am looking for a lunch stop on my Loos/Notre Dame De Lorette day. I was originally going to go into Arras, but a stop nearer at hand would save time. I've never been into Loos town itself-does it have any cafes? Lens would be a possibility, but I suspect I might get lost in the urban sprawl. I have 60 boys and 7 staff in tow. They have packed lunches, but source of soft drinks, chips etc would be appreciated. Any help gratefully received!

[MartinWills]

Mark,

There are cafes etc in the middle of Loos and you will find Loos in Loos at Loos Museum!!!!

Another option might be the Cora hypermarket which is just off the Lens/La Bassee road and the complex has cafes as well as hypermarket fare (though I can see it would be easy to loose some of the boys there - maybe some of the staff as well .....) It would offer cheap snacks and drinks .......

[gilles]

Bonjour

I live in loos

it is possible for you to make a pique-nique near to loos

at near cora exist a lot of table and park with animals this park is FREE

and it is the weather is good it is perfect for you

gilles ( welcome to loos) is your group to visit a musee at loos le 22/10/05 ?

gilles

[andigger]

Mark - just curious what your itinerary is and how you asked your students to prepare. Could you share with us how you got them ready for the trip? Thanks, Andy

[Mark Hone]

They are from all ages in the school, Year 8 to Upper Sixth. A large number have been on previous tours, some as many as five (six in one case, as he also came on our Monte Cassino mini-tour when I briefly hijacked a Classics Trip to Rome and Pompeii). I have given them an initial briefing on the theme of this year's tour and of course will do more on site. They don't fill in worksheets etc on the trip-this would be impractical given the age range and it's never been an issue in the past. My illustrated guidebook, mellifluous tones, eyewitness accounts and the ocassional guest speaker have to suffice. Nevertheless I do have specific stands at each site-there's no 'just wander around this cemetery for 20 minutes'. Our itinerary this year focusses on 1915, with as usual, special emphasis on old boys of the school (eg two who died together at Aubers Ridge, one who was killed in the German flammenwerfer attack at Hooge) and local connections (eg George Peachment VC). Overall I am trying to give some idea of the steep 'learning curve' faced by the growing British army in the 1915 battles.

Rough itinerary (weather etc permitting):

Friday: Ypres, Hooge, Langemark

Saturday: Loos, Notre Dame De Lorette, Cabaret Rouge

Sunday: Aubers Ridge, Bayernwald, Poperinge, Menin Gate.

[Mark Hone]

We have just returned from our trip. Marvellous weather when it mattered, and remarkable given the deluge that descended as soon as the tour finished. I must recommend the Loos Alexandre Villedieu Museum and the visit to the Double Crassier. We received a warm welcome from the knowledgeable guides, led by Isabelle. Our coach driver Ian luckily did not balk at driving half-way up a coal slag-heap. The museum has some fascinating exhibits although one of the British items is definitely not from the Great War! Thanks to Forum Pal Kristof for once again giving up part of his weekend to enthral the boys with his vast collection of World War One kit, expertly described and demonstrated. For many of the boys it was the highlight of the trip and several veterans from last year kept asking me 'when are we meeting Kristof?' Thanks also to Jacky for his kind welcome at the Menin Gate and his usual flawless orchestration of proceedings.

The number of school parties at Ieper in this corresponding weekend continues to grow each year. We reckoned there were 10 separate groups in the town centre when we arrived on Friday lunchtime. When we started in 1994 there were probably only one or two other school groups touring the Salient at the same time. The only real sour note of the tour was provided by an officious travel company guide who walked into the middle of one of my stands at the top of Menin Gate with his school group. When I very politely introduced myself and offered to move a little distance away so I could continue my presentation, he looked at me as if I had crawled out from under a particularly large stone and spoke to me in a condescending manner. I shall make a point of never booking with that company or recommending them to any teacher who asks me about battlefields tours.

Sorry, must get out of my grumpy middle-aged man persona and conclude that overall I really enjoyed the trip and hope the boys and my colleagues did as well. Thanks to all Forum Pals who provided info and encouragement.

[cockney tone]

Mark,

glad to hear you had a good trip, could i impose on you to give more details on the Loos Alexandre Villedieu Museum please,

regards,

Scottie.

[Mark Hone]

Scottie,

The museum's English homepage is at:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/asso.sltdlgg/pageanglaise.htm

They were very helpful and accomodating, even though we were much larger than their usual party size. There is a toilet at the Mairie, where the museum is housed, but be warned, Loos is one of those 'I went to France and it was closed' places. On Saturday morning not a single shop and only one small cafe was open in the main square.

[cockney tone]

Mark,

thank you very much for this,

regards,

Scottie.

[Mike McCarthy]

Hi Tony,

You are welcome to my Loos tour maps and notes if you are planning a trip to Loos. Remind me before we meet up at Uxbridge for the AGM in November (From past experience they are too much to email. Rather offends the servers).

Mike

[cockney tone]

Mike,

thank you for your kind offer, they would be very much appreciated, my Grandad served in the area for a short time in 1917, hoping to get to Loo's in the New Year,

See you at Uxbridge,

Best wishes,

Scottie.