brindlerp Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 On Saturday, 13th December 2003 a plaque commemorating the First World War cartoonist Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, creator of "Old Bill," will be unveiled in St Yvon, Belgium. Check out http://www.aftermathww1.com/bairnsfather.asp and http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jbairnsfather.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Did those in the UK listen to the piece on R4 with Valmai Holt circa 0845 hours? Was any Pal here involved with either the creation of the plaque or the unveiling? I know about the book on Bairnsfather BUT is there a compilation of his works without all the biog?- yes I can read but------ p.s should this topic not be elsewhere eg Western Front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Taken off my website for your convenience - At 11.00 am a plaque will be revealed at the cottage where the cartoonist stayed for some time during the war and where he created some of his characters. This is at Ploegsteert. It might well be very crowded there. Leave the car at the monument "with the lions". A shuttle will take participants to the cottage. A reception is offered by Comines-Warneton town council. At 14.00 a walk in and around Plug Street Wood, conducted by Piet Chielens, co-ordinator of IFF-museum, will start at "the lions" again. The Friends of IFF Museum will chose a walk (theme: Christmas Truces) as we know that some British tour operators have planned coachrides in the region, which, taking into account the very narrow roads, will certainly result in traffic jams! Wellies recommended! N.B. The tours organised by the Friends of the IFF will be in Dutch. At 18.00 in the Conferenceroom of the Cloth Hall at Ypres, a lecture will be held by Mr and Mrs Holt followed by a special Last Post at the Menin Gate. (With thanks to Freddy Rottey of the Friend of In Flanders Field Museum for this update) Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 I'll be there (ferries permitting), representing the Heart of England Branch of the WFA, along with Terry Reeves and two others. Bairnsfather was a local boy, and of course served with the 1st Royal Warwicks. Any other Pals who are along, look out for us. By the way I heard last night that the 'bus is not going from the Memorial to the Missing, but from Ploegsteert village square. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 13 December , 2003 Share Posted 13 December , 2003 By the way I heard last night that the 'bus is not going from the Memorial to the Missing, but from Ploegsteert village square. At last ! Now I understand why I and some other 20 people were waiting at the Memorial for a far too long time, some for more than an hour (from 10.15 till 11.35), and as the shuttle bus that would have taken us to the unveiling didn't show up, disappointedly went back home. Certainly a flaw in the organisation !.... (Good example of an understatement I think !) But it might have given Bruce B. excellent inspiration : The 20 of us standing there and muttering "Well, if you knows of a better 'ole, go to it !" Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 14 December , 2003 Share Posted 14 December , 2003 That will teach you not to visit the forum Aurel! Yes, I was there to witness the unique ceremony...twice. [This last phrase is copyright Terry Reeves]. For the uninitiated, the unveiling ceremony was run twice; the second time for a number of people who turned up late. Unreal. It was however great to meet some old friends out there over the weekend, if not at the ceremony... Jacky Platteeuw, Jacques Ryckebosch, Terry Carter, Iain McHenry and many others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 14 December , 2003 Share Posted 14 December , 2003 Glad to see it doesn't make any difference what side of the water you live, no one knows what's going on for sure... Nothing like planning with military precision...or was it disinformation on purpose to put off the tourists...? Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 14 December , 2003 Share Posted 14 December , 2003 That will teach you not to visit the forum Aurel! Chris, I visit the Forum on an average of 4 to 5 times a day ! Maybe I did not use the View New Posts machine properly ... Ryan, If the disinformation was provided to put off tourists, then some precautions should have been taken not to make innocent victims. A man who was there had travelled more than 100 km (more than 60 miles). He did not find it amusing at all. And I can assure you that he was not a tourist ! And frankly, I was more than irritated myself ! But maybe the organizers wanted to limit the number of visitors. Well, having had some 25 less, it was a successful attempt I must say. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 15 December , 2003 Share Posted 15 December , 2003 Hi Aurel, I did hear it was a success regardless of the weather, hunting season in the woods and meeting points! It is just such a shame about some of the organisation not only for yourself but others of course. Do you know who actually arranged everything? it is even worse that being a local chap you were not able to find out! I can sympathise with you and the person who travelled 100km! Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 15 December , 2003 Share Posted 15 December , 2003 I hear (second hand, so it may not be right) that some late changes were made at the request of the police. But you can see from the timing and wording of my own post in this thread that the shift to Ploegsteert village was made some time before the event. When I drove there I of course went past the Memorial to the Missing, and was very surprised to see no indication whatever of the change of plan. No signs, no police. I believe too that some people who eventually discovered the change of plan tried to get to St Yvon but were not allowed to, by the police, because they had not been given 'VIP' stickers for their car. These, of course, had been given out ...at Ploegsteert village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 15 December , 2003 Share Posted 15 December , 2003 Ryan and Chris, Well, let's call it an unfortunate misunderstanding or a case of cripple communication. What was said about VIPs is correct. So we did not even bother to try to get to St Yvon by car, we would not have been allowed. The bad luck probably started when the people waiting at Ploegsteert Memorial were informed about the change, drove to the village, and so left a gap. The next arrivals at the Memorial (maybe only 1 or 2 minutes later) were not informed, and so waited and waited and waited... Anyway looking at and enjoying a handful of Bruce B.'s cartoons, and all will be forgotten ... Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 15 December , 2003 Share Posted 15 December , 2003 Hi Aurel! Here's to the next event (whatever it may be) and everything being ok. I am just glad I could not make Saturday in the end (other half was ill bless her) or I would have been with you in the cold & wet - Eastbourne to Ieper is a bit far for a no show! I'll be popping over to the Yorkshire Trench in Jan hopefully... Keep us posted with any other news as you get it! Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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