Vimy Ridge Tunnels

[cockney tone]

Ladies & Gents,

Pal's,

in the planning stage for a trip to the Western Front, would like to show my party the tunnels at Vimy Ridge but do not know when they open to the general public this year, does anybody kjnow the date they are due for opening please?

Thank you,

regards,

Scottie.

[Max Poilu]

They normally open at Easter/April time - not sure of the current situation with all the upheaval at Vimy. See these links:

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm...=memorials/cbmr

http://www.webmatters.net/france/ww1_vimy.htm

[cockney tone]

Giles,

I suspected Easter time, but thanks for the Link as I have sent an e-mail to them and will post any reply with opening dates in due course,

Regards,

Scottie.

[cockney tone]

Pals,

for anybody interested here are the opening times e-mailed to me;

Opening Hours:

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is open to the public throughout

the year except for the 25th of December and the 1st of January. Entry

to the site is free of charge. The opening hours are: 10 am to 6 pm

from May to October and 9 am to 5 pm from November to April. From the 1st

of May to the 30th of November, Canadian university students offer free

guided tours every day from 10 am to 6 pm, except for the month of

November when tours are offered from 9 am to 5 pm. The visits take place

every 45 minutes.

Tunnels sadly closed when I am going,

Cheers,

Scottie.

[shaymen]

Tunnels sadly closed when I am going,

Cheers,

Scottie.

Scottie

Do not despair - I was there last March and with a little bit of Essex Charm myself and a friend were given a personal guided tour.

Ok they weren't very busy at the time but if you don't ask ..... ??

Little pic attached - Good luck with the smooth talking !!

Glyn

[paul guthrie]

There is only one tunnel open, Grange, I have heard for years more will be opened but do not know.

[cockney tone]

Glyn & Paul,

thank you for your posts, I have been fortunate to view the tunnels several times and sieze every opportunity to venture down them again, thanks for the picture to stir the memory. The problem is i am hopefully taking a party over at the end of March and it would be a dissapointment for my crowd if they turn up there and my 'smooth talking' fails me especially as the Monument is covered at the moment as well. Think I will get to Ypres earlier than planned and visit the Bayenwald trench system instead.

Cheera,

Scottie.

[salientguide]

Scottie a number of years since I visited the tunnels but they were fascinating. You know me 6'4" but even I could get around them without too much stooping and ducking. There size was astonishing. Anyone know their origins I seem to remember a sugestion they started as medieval chalk quarrying tunnels, surely they werent all dug in WW1 or am i wrong? SG

[paul guthrie]

They were extended, improved by French & Canadians but are quite old as are the larger, much larger tunnels under Arras itself which are quite interesting also, fascinating in fact.